1986 F150 What Did I Get Myself Into

[Jim Sullivan]

A friend of mine contacted me last fall asking if I could install a Holley Sniper fuel injection system on his 86 F150 that he os restoring. So, since I never have enough to do, I told him I could look at it this spring. So he dropped it off a couple weeks ago. I started on it today, dropping the tank to install the return line in the sending unit. Got that done and once I get a new o ring and float, the tank can go back in. I'll install the pump and make up new hard lines. Then work on the throttle body. Oh, and he wants all of the steering components replaced and the new brakes fixed. Just what I needed. I'm still working on a batch of air cleaners too. There goes getting anything done on my cars.
At least it's a short box two wheel drive.

 

[blkblk63ss]

Learn to say no!!!!. I did,don't miss it at all.

 

[1958 delivery]

What you charge him is the reason but if you're doing it for free then you should just say no. Plus who wants to work on that pos anyway

 

[La Hot Rods]

What engine does it have?

 

[Jim Sullivan]

Definately not a freebie. It'll be a paying job. The truck originally had a straight six and now has a carbureted 302.

 

[Jim Sullivan]

Fuel pump is mounted. Have to see if I can find a couple of brackets for the filters. Fitting is installed in the sender. Made up the fuel and return lines. They will end at the center of the firewall where the hoses from the throttle body will connect. I should have picked up a roll of the nickel copper 3/8 line. Would have been much easier to bend than the steel line.

 

[our1962]

Those trucks are a nightmare fuel system, my father in law had the same truck, it would run great and then just stop running.

Looks like you already followed all the fuel line's including from the canister. up there by that fuel pump is a few items up the frame under your left foot.

have FUN working on that ford

 

[Jim Sullivan]

What a pita the fuel lines were. But I wanted them out of the way as much as possible and didn't want them running up the frame and front of the engine.

 

[rsavage]

Good Work!

 

[skipxt4]

Good job, Jim. Pix remind me of my 1986 Mercury Grand Marquis. I had to replace all the brake lines and fuel lines, on that car. What a B-otch. After all that work, the in-tank Fuel pump went bad. Very glad, all the F product car's are gone. All my car's begin with a C., now.

 

[Jim Sullivan]

I replaced all of the front suspension parts, complete front brakes and installed the Sniper fuel injection. Two issues I was having: O2 sensor seemed to work good at first, then would jump between unplugged and heating, then unplugged all of the time. No problems found with wiring or connectors. Next issue, I could not get a correct idle. Was jumping rapidly all over. Thought of vacuum leaks but found none.
Talked to Holley tech, which are great to deal with, and they figured O2 sensor was bad and sent a new one. Seemed to work well, so back on the phone with Holley about the idle. Could not get a good iac reading so they thought the iac was bad and were going to send a new one. But while on the phone with tech, we were verifying if any ignition interference could be a problem. No wires were anywhere near the throttle body. But while staring at the engine, I realized the bottom of the coil, mounted on the intake, was about 2 inches or so from the tbi. I move the coil further away, and the idle was perfect. They note in the instructions and the tech stressed the issues that arise from ignition interference. I don't know why I wasn't paying attention to the coil mounting, but thats good now.
After a few start ups, the O2 sensor went to unplugged status again. On the phone with tech again. He said make sure there are absolutely no leaks in the exhaust and they are sending another sensor. He said if this does not fix it, its probably a bad ecm. But they don't have any more ecms in stocks. So I'm thinking they are just buying time by sending another O2 sensor. I read on a forum of another person having the exact same issue and it was the ecm. We'll see.

 

[rsavage]

I hope I don't have similar problems. I am replacing the Tuned Port Injection on the El Camino with a sniper to modernize somewhat. Just got everything today. I already had a stainless tank and both steel supply and return lines but I pulled the tank to put a new in-tank pump in it as the sniper takes 60 psi and the tuned port pump was 28 psi. I wanted to look in the tank and make sure it was clean - it was. I'll start tearing it apart tomorrow.

 

[blkblk63ss]

Funny they have complete v8 kits in stock ,but not a ecm for a V8 in stock. Hmmm. Should be the same I would think.

 

[rsavage]

Funny they have complete v8 kits in stock ,but not a ecm for a V8 in stock. Hmmm. Should be the same I would think.

I ordered it last week and was told it would be the end of October. It arrived 9/7. I chose the shiny vErsion which the Holley rep said might be faster. Why couldn't they pull an ecm from an existing unit for you?

 

[Jim Sullivan]

Once I get the new O2 sensor and try it, then I'll know if I need an ECM, which I'm only guessing that I will need. If needed, then we'll have to see how they handle that. The tech guys have been great to deal with. When my buddy was searching for his Sniper system, he wanted the black finish, they were hard to come by. The shiny versions were readily available.

 

[La Hot Rods]

What brand is the O2 sensor?

 

[Jim Sullivan]

What brand is the O2 sensor?

I believe it is a Bosch. Just got an email from Ups. The 3rd sensor will ne here tomorrow. So another Saturday working on the truck.

 

[La Hot Rods]

I have only had luck with the Denso brand for any replacement in the modern DD crap.

 

[427John]

I don't think O2 sensors are as failure prone as they get the rap for, years ago I had a rig (OBD II) that threw a code that the O2 sensors weren't switching to closed loop. It was still in warranty so I took it to the dealer and had it serviced and they pulled the code and said oh bad O2 sensors so they replaced all 4,I didn't even get back home with it before the check engine light came on again, long story short after having it back to 2 different dealers numerous times in which they replaced all the sensors 4 different times assuring me that they fail all the time sometimes straight out of the box and also the mass air sensor,finally the warranty ran out and I took it to a non dealer shop, while he was plugging in his diagnostic tool and glanced at the temp gage and asked has it always run this cool? I told him yes,the needle ran at about the E in the TEMP, he pointed an IR thermometer at it and said put a new thermostat in it,I did and 15 years later and about a 140,000 miles and still no issues with them.The problem all along was that ECT reading never got high enough to meet the requirements for switching to closed loop. Both dealers took great pride in the fact that their techs were all ASME certified and factory trained, needless to say that no longer impresses me, especially after I got my own diagnostic tool and found out that it gives a digital reading of the ECT you just have to scroll to it.

 

[blkblk63ss]

Any up dates on the sniper???