After long days and all-nighters in the shop, I got the reseal job on my VE buttoned up just about dark tonight.

I was extremely careful to replace EVERYTHING exactly in the position it was in prior to removal.

Before this job, everything worked wonderfully; it just leaked fuel freely from several places.

The ONLY thing changed was the installation of a 366 governor-spring.

I am almost 99% sure that I indexed the throttle exactly as it was before.

Now, in order for the engine to fire and run, the throttle must be about 1/4" away from the IDLE screw.

I can maintain idle by setting my manual throttle-cable.

If I ease off on the throttle-cable the least bit, the engine barely runs and then dies.

Before this work, at wide-open throttle, with the standard-issue spring, the tachometer would register 2700-RPM.

Now, at wide-open throttle, it holds a steady 2500-RPM.


If I have the manual cable set such that the throttle is about 1/4" away from the IDLE screw, the engine fires immediately and idles steadily.

The manual kill-cable and shut-down lever work fine as well.


This ain't my first pump reseal job, but it is my first experience with the 366 spring, which may or may not have any bearing on my situation.


It sort of makes me think that possibly I indexed the throttle wrong; BUT, I am meticulously careful about such things.


There are splines on the throttle shaft and the "fanning" index marks stamped on the lever.


Does it work out ONE SPLINE PER INDEX MARK; or, are the splines finer than the index marks ??


How many splines would I have to have missed to affect my throttle such as it is ??




What would be the outcome if the top of the pump was slightly rotated AWAY from the HEAD.

It was too dark and pouring the rain to get a good look at the timing marks; but, one thing that did puzzle me was that I had to spread the U shape of the little boost tube thingie a good 3/8-inch wider to get it to line up and it seems like possibly the accelerator cable (FORD) is somewhat closer to the AFC housing than I remembered it being.

Both of these signs lead me to wonder if possibly I got the pump retarded a bit; would that cause my situation ??


What have I done wrong ??

Thanks.

 

All of those would lead me to believe the throttle shaft needs to be re-indexed. IIRC, I've read in some situations, a re-indexing was necessary after a 366 spring install. Try turning the shaft counter-clockwise one tooth/spline at a time until it starts and idles smoothly. It may only need a one-tooth jump. Did you set the fuel screw back exactly as it came out?

 

Control collar upside down?

 

YES; I measured it's protusion with a dial-caliper and put it back within a thousandth.

Thanks.

 

Good gosh I sure hope not.

I did slide the collar off to mount the new plunger-spring plate.

I couldn't say for certain that I didn't somehow get it bottom-side upwards.

That would set me into a complete panic and a nervous spasm if I had to take all that stuff loose again.

If I do get to having nightmares about it maybe being backwards, can I see it well enough to tell if I remove the pump-top ??

 

joeytechman and jimbo486,

I was adding this paragraph below to my initial posting on edit; probably while you guys were typing your answers.

Considering this information, what are your thoughts ??

Thanks.

 

if it will run with a little throttle input, I"m leaning towards throttle shaft indexing as well. Common issue

 

In daylight this morning, still pouring the rain, I had a look at the timing-marks with a good light and a big dentist mirror.

Although it is hard to judge exact distance in the mirror, the pump is DEFINITELY at least 1/8" retarded, meaning the top of the pump is rotated AWAY from the engine.

Could this cause my issue ??




I have not yet had time to investigate the throttle index marks.

 

not likely that timing would cause a low/no idle. You are just off one spline on the throttle shaft.

When I install the throttle plates on the shaft I turn the shaft by hand until I feel the pull of the internal spring, then install the plates. Usually I am pretty close, may be one spline off.

 

BK, if it helps, here's where mine was indexed before and after I installed the 366 spring.

 

Fuel screw in the same location as before the reseal?

 

YES; I measured it's protusion with a dial-caliper and put it back within a thousandth.

Thanks.

 

I also don't think timing of by so little would cause no idle.
I believe you should be able to see the collar with the pump top off, but not positive. The stepped side of the collar should be towards the pump head.
I measured .020 difference in the two sides in relation to the ball socket (fulcrum lever) If it was installed backwards, it would change how much spill port on the plunger is covered / uncovered. I have no idea what would happen exactly, but I could see it changing idle / index.
There was also a guy on here recently who had his tophat and spring parts mis-assembled, and was having throttle issues.
I'm very curious to see what you find.

When I did my reseal and 366 spring, mine started fine, idled a bit high only, runs like a bat outta ****.

 

I just finished re-indexing the throttle.

I was hoping I had them backwards or off a spline; but the marks were aligned exactly as before and exactly like the picture provided by jimbo486.

I re-indexed the shaft one spline counter-clockwise.

The engine will idle on it's own now.

As it was cold and I didn't want it too hot to be working on, I didn't try the full-throttle yet.




Now for re-setting the timing.

It does not want to start cold; it takes lots of throttle and lots of cranking, then runs real rough until warm.

I got all three nuts loose and the rear bracket-bolt, plus dis-connected the boost-tube.

I don't think Atlas, Goliath, and Sampson all three could budge that pump.

I don't want to tear something up.

I read somewhere of someone using a ratchet-strap, but there was no explanation of how and where he hooked.

It may very well be there; but, I have searched and researched the "stickies" and cannot find any more than a short paragraph on how to rotate the pump.


Can anyone shed some light on how I can go about this ??

Thanks.

 

One end of the ratchet-strap can be hooked to the passenger fender and the other around the pump top, just below the AFC top plate where the smoke screw resides. I can't quite understand why the timing marks being retarded only an 1/8" could keep it from starting "cold." The air within the cylinders is still compressed and hot.