• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

new exhaust backfiring

tommyg

Contributor
Full Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2014
Messages
308
put in the duff exhaust kit with TBP headers and I'm getting loud pops when I rev the engine. My son has sound sensitivity issues, doesn't want to drive in the truck :( . I put in new 8.5mm spark plug wires when I had the kit installed.

Any ideas what I should check first?
 

Readhead

Full Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2018
Messages
155
I’ll let the guys who know better answer but I’d start with checking the plug wires you could have two different firing orders on a ford V8 and does it have a smog pump ?
 
OP
OP
tommyg

tommyg

Contributor
Full Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2014
Messages
308
Good call, i thought the same on the wires. Definitely will check. It's popping loudly on acceleration when I'm winding it out prior to shifting. I does have a smog pump, yes.
 

Readhead

Full Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2018
Messages
155
Start with the wires there is the stock 302 wiring and the 351w wiring I believe the 351 and 302ho are the same .... if it was only on deceleration I’d be suspicious of the smog pump gulp valve
 
OP
OP
tommyg

tommyg

Contributor
Full Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2014
Messages
308
I believe the correct firing order is 1,3,7,2,6,5,4,8. Hopefully that's correct?
 

Readhead

Full Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2018
Messages
155
On that google is your friend I don’t know it off the top of my head I have stock lower end with 90 mustang fuel injection when I did that I changed the cam I now have the 5.0ho firing order just by changing the cam
 
OP
OP
tommyg

tommyg

Contributor
Full Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2014
Messages
308
ha ha, now I'm totally confused. That's what I found for 302 on google but they put them in @ 1,5,4,2,6,3,7,8.
 
OP
OP
tommyg

tommyg

Contributor
Full Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2014
Messages
308
never mind, looks as though they put them in the correct order. I wonder if there's some sort of leak along the way. Looks as though I'll be taking it back to the shop.
 

DirtDonk

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2003
Messages
47,733
Couple of things.
First, your new free-breathing exhaust has now leaned out your fuel/air mixtures. You may need to re-jet.
An air pump equipped Bronco may already have been running leaner jetting, but one that's a '73 or later would be even more so. What year is your Bronco?

Two, do you know that it's the original engine? And even if so, do you know whether the cam has ever been changed? The ignition firing order follows the cam, and there are two different versions commonly available for the 302/5.0 engines.
Your original cam would definitely have the early 15426378 order. Unless it's a 351 by some chance?
But a cam change can alter the firing order on any Windsor-family engine. So when in doubt (such as not knowing the history of the engine), checking is needed.

Three would be something wrong with the plug wires. Not just the firing order, but perhaps a bad wire. This is not common, but it's not unheard of either. And anything that's possible can always happen with any of us.

A lean mixture "usually" would end up with popping on deceleration. But a hyper-lean mixture can pop under accel too.
A misfire from a single bad plug wire might not cause this, but coupled with your new leaner mixture (it is for sure leaner than it was before, whether it's the cause of your issue or not) could do it.
Multiple bad wires, coupled with anything else could do it too.

A question might be how does it idle? If it's perfectly smooth and transitions from idle to accelerate easily and cleanly, it's likely not a bad plug wire or out of order wiring. But it's still possible.

Good luck.

Paul
 

bronco t

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2010
Messages
773
Loc.
San Diego CA
Its been a while but I had similar issues and the problem went away when I changed the firing order to 1 5 4 2 6 3 7 8 on my stock 302. The PO had it wired the other way.
 
OP
OP
tommyg

tommyg

Contributor
Full Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2014
Messages
308
Thanks guys, this is really helpful. I was thinking to check the carb settings next (though I've never done that before, and not quite sure how to do it, but google is my friend). the engine is completely 100% stock '74 302 with a stock 2 bbl. It's idling perfectly fine, so I doubt it's the wires, but I need to pay attention to whether it's popping when i'm accelerating, or right after I let off the gas when I rev the engine right before shifting gears.

I know all these pieces work together, so I would love nothing more than to upgrade my truck's bottom-end, top end, and exhaust at the same time, but my budget has me needing to piece-meal it out. Maybe it's an excuse to go ahead and upgrade the intake as well right now.
 

DirtDonk

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2003
Messages
47,733
Maybe, but if you're on a one-step-at-a-time budget, go with it. No need to change the whole intake just to put new jets into a carburetor.
Learn how to pop the top on your carb, find the jets, carefully unscrew them with a big fat bladed screw-driver (so you keep damage of the soft brass parts to a minimum) and put in some new ones.
Someone can confirm, but I think they're the same as Holley jets?

You don't even have to get everything ahead of time. Pull the top off the carb and determine what size jets you have now. The number will be stamped on top.
Go with a few sizes larger and go from there.

Your '74 would definitely have been right there at the beginning of the "leaner is better" experiment in engine tuning. So not out of line for it to be over the threshold of good running with your new exhaust.
And if your Bronco originally was delivered to a high-altitude location (or the PO took it there so leaned it out on their own) then you're even leaner than you would normally expect.

Lots of good reasons do just dig right in and find out what's going on.

And you know, for starters you could experiment.
First, plug off the PCV valve completely. Don't leave it this way, but as a temporary experiment there's nothing says you can't drive for a few miles of testing.
Second, advance the timing a few degrees. This might prove to be a good thing or not be.
But like most things, you won't know until you try.

Paul
 
OP
OP
tommyg

tommyg

Contributor
Full Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2014
Messages
308
good stuff, thanks Paul. Took it out today, it's definitely popping on deceleration, but only after a strong pull. I'm sure you're right, it's likely the jets.
 

englewoodcowboy

Lick Creek Restorations
Joined
Jul 25, 2010
Messages
4,200
Backfire out the exhaust could also indicate a manifold leak. Intake or exhaust.
 
OP
OP
tommyg

tommyg

Contributor
Full Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2014
Messages
308
Tried tuning the carb to a richer mixture, 1/4 turn at a time out to 1 1/2 turns but it still pops. Not sure how many turns is too many...
 
Top