What's up guys! New member here! I've gotten a lot of answers from this site already so after buying my "new to me" 1988 F150 with a ton of issues, I decided to join and hopefully pull from your collective infinite knowledge.

I got Old Betsy (1988 F150 XLT Lariat, 300 inline, 5 speed manual, 4WD) a couple of weeks ago and she started out fine. First thing I noticed was leaking from the valve cover gasket...so I know that needs replacing. Yesterday she wouldn't start due to a cracked battery positive battery clamp so I went ahead and replaced both of those and she started right up but was idling very rough and stalling out on the first one or two starts. In that state she's also very sluggish/bogged down when trying to pull out or accelerate. Once she gets going she's fine, but it takes more than a few revs and traveling 5+ miles before she'll idle normally.

Today I noticed the coolant was low so I topped off the "brand new radiator that the previous owner put on it" with water. She still idled and accelerated very rough. After driving to and from work (10 miles total) I got home, got out of the truck and when I shut the door the lower radiator hose blew off and, obviously, threw coolant everywhere. I then noticed that there is a line loose on top of the valve cover right behind the oil fill cap that comes from the back of the air filter box. Any ideas at all as to what I'm dealing with here?

Any help at all would be very much appreciated.

 

that line always comes loose on mine too. its no big deal

 

The radiator hose clamp might not have been tightened enough or needed rechecking of tightness. Check your coolant bottle level plus the ratio of water and coolant with one of those testers from auto supply places to make sure the previous owner didn't just put pure water in that new radiator!

 

Will do. I did notice there is a bulge in the hose though where it connects to the engine. I'm afraid that might indicate some kind of blockage or at the very least an old hose?

 

For starters if there is a bulge in the line it should be replaced. The line from the valve cover to the air filter is your vapor hose. It is part of the PVC system. It often loose or worn. Not s major problem but you may need to place the hose to keep it from falling off. If you have been reading my posts you will know what I'm going to say next. Check for codes. You symptoms list is a bit to scattered to do a good diagnostic so check for codes first and do a basic systems check. Check your timing, spark, plugs, wires, fluids, and do a set of vacuum tests. Visually examine hoses and wires. Fix the leak and clean all the oil and get a good look at the motor. Check fluids for signs of overheating or blown gaskets. That should get you started and a bit more information about the motor. I also always recommend buying s shop manual for your truck.

 

I replaced the lower radiator hose, took for a drive and within 2 miles it started overheating. I noticed the previous owner had just taped a hole in the upper radiator hose so I replaced it, the thermostat (and housing since it was cracked around the lower bolt hole), radiator cap and checked/filled the coolant ratio/level. Now it's running on the cool side. Thanks for everyone's input. Onto the next issue.

 

...which is the idle? it could be your ICM... I seem to remember that controlling idle so It could very well be going out. if I am wrong someone correct me. But you can take it and have it tested.. it should be on the drivers side inner fender. should look like this... ignore the big blue arrow

 

First off check or oil for coolant,I have seen a lot of them with bad head gaskets,don't want to say its a common problem,if that's good check the throttle position sensor (assuming it has a recent tune up on it)well on the tps look for gunk on the sensor end and corrosion on the terminals ,also it would be a good idea to check the fuel pressure when the engine is stone cold and completely warm,the fuel pumps could be bad,or plugged filter,you could just check the spark plugs and wires and cap,u may have a loose wire or a fouled plug,pull the cap and check the points as they will get electrolisis on them,or have moisture in it or worn out...does it have a check engine light or is it sounding like it isn't getting fuel or just missing,u could also check the knock sensor too as that will mess with the timing,u can check that too,should be 10 degrees advanced with the computer control on it....I think I may have cover every thing,maybe some of the other forum guys could add too my list