I just bought this truck with 164,000 miles on it. It ran fine for a couple weeks then I started having problems with it stalling out on me. I am not a mechanic, but I try. I replaced the fuel pumps in both tanks and the fuel filter as soon as I bought the truck because the guy I bought it from was already having problems with it. Still the truck would stall out. The ignition would turn over but it was like I was getting no fire. I changed the ignition coil, spark plugs, and plug wires. My truck has not stalled out since then, but going up hills it wants to hesitate. I changed the distributor cap and rotor button yesterday. It runs great except when going up hills. One final note. The guy I got the truck from told me that the serpentine belt was 91" due to the fact that his mechanic bypassed the "smog pump". I also noticed that the vacuum hose that connects to the EGR valve is missing. That was his explanation for why the Check Engine light was on (when tested the code it gave me was due to the EGR valve. Could this be giving me any problems? Like I said, the truck runs great except up hills. Sorry to be so lengthy and thanks in advance for any help.

 

Vacuum should be connected to the EGR but it doesn't get connected directly to manifold vacuum it gets a metered supply from the EVR solenoid which should be located just under the coil at the front of that bracket. This should result in a closed valve at idle and when the engine is under load so test for that when reconnecting the vacuum line, if the valve opens at idle and it's plumbed correctly then the EVR solenoid is probably faulty.

Your stumble under load suggest a lean condition, are there any exhaust leaks that you can hear? Is the smog(air injection) plumbing present and intact?

 

The vacuum lines that run from the EVR solenoid to the EGR valve are not present. I'm gonna have to look at the plumbing on the smog/air injection. My work schedule hasn't allowed me to look at it in a few days.

 

You can cap off all that smog crap, it really has no impact on how the truck runs. The EGR shouldn't, but I'd make sure that was reconnected and functioning anyway. 302's don't like to climb hills as it is, especially if your cruising RPM is low. 302's make their torque higher in RPM. Mine doesn't like to climb moderate hills even unless I drop down a gear and get up past the 1800 RPM mark. When the torque kicks in, it usually pulls just fine.