Had a new problem show itself tonight. I hadn't had the truck out in 2 or 3 weeks, so I took it out this evening. It drove fine to the firehouse (a few miles), It then went to my friends house (7 or 8 miles). I was about 2/3rds on the way home, coming up a hill when the truck lost power and died. It took a few tries, but I got it started. It sort of sputtered - the fuel feed felt like it was intermittent. I got it running enough to get over the top of the hill.

It died again, so I just let it coast down the hill. Each time I would get it started.. it sputtered as though it was getting intermittent fuel (or at least that's what it felt like). Sometimes when I got it started, it would run nice and strong for a few seconds.. other times it would barely rev up. It didn't seem to matter if it was on an incline or if it was flat and level. Sometimes pulling the choke out made it run a little better.. enough to get it to roll further.. then it would die. Pushing the choke in.. it would barely run. When I got near a street lamp I pulled off to the side of the road and opened the hood. I looked for anything obvious... vacuum line fell off.. loose connection.. carb unbolted.. distributor loose.. etc. Couldn't see anything. Everything appeared to be normal.

After 1/2 hour of starting.. moving 100 yards or so.. sputtering.. dying.. I finally limped my truck home. Of course in the parking lot.. it seemed to now run ok for the few minutes I maneuvered in the apartment complex parking lot.

It was so frustrating, it's like it would intermittently run for 10 or 15 seconds.. then it would flutter and die. Fuel is full. Motor is new (maybe 1000 miles on it). Any suggestions where I should begin looking? Many thanks in advance!

 

Are you running points? When it does fire up, does it run smooth and have power? Could also be fuel filter/pump issue or carb issue.

 

Yes, I am running points. Sometimes when it would fire up it would have plenty of power. Other times it would sort of sputter. It never got progressively better or worse.. it was intermittent.

 

Go ahead and check the points, cap and rotor. When was the last time you changed the fuel filter?

 

The last time I changed the fuel filter was probably when I installed the motor. The Cap / Rotor / Plugs / Points were changed at the same time. Actually the points were changed maybe 200 miles ago.

 

Check the point gap and timing. Also, how old is that fuel? I'm assuming that it's fairly fresh since you had no problems a few weeks ago. I would pull the fuel line at the carb to see how much fuel shoots out. Be careful of where it shoots. Use a bottle to catch the fuel. Check to see if the choke is stuck on the carb.

 

I had a similar problem with my truck, all i had to do to fix it was change the fuel pump. If you want to check to see if thats the problem, just unscrew the fuel line from the carb and have someone turn the engine over and if no fuel pumps out of the gas line then you probably need to change the fuel pump or maybe replace the filter.

 

Ok.. oddly enough I haven't done a thing to my truck since this happened. I've had it out on a few trips.. including several trips back and forth between my future mother-in-laws to haul furniture today. Everything worked just fine. Truck ran like a dream.. no problems.

The ONLY think I can think of.. I remembered the night it happened that I discovered I had left the choke pulled half way when it was probably plenty warmed up on my trip. Perhaps that somehow did something. It always ran perfectly and reliably before that and it's running perfectly and reliably now. Could forgetting to push the choke back in (accidentally leaving 1/2 or 2/3 out) cause the problems I had?

 

Could be a half-fast case of flooding??? Just guessing.
I think I'd still side with F.O.R.D. on the points/condenser/fuel-pump/fuel-filter diagnosis.

 

Certainly worth checking them, I agree. The points / condenser / filter / fuel pump all have less than 1000 miles. It's been running fine still. Used it yesterday to run several errands - not a single problem. Perhaps I did a really good job at flooding. I do remember that particular night that as I was pulling into the parking lot (This was after a mile or so of the cutting off problem) that it started to run a little better and that it didn't die on me as I was parking it. Like I said before.. It fired up a week or so later (it sat) with absolutely no problem and has been fine ever since. Odd. I think I am still attributing it to idiot operator error.

 

I had the exact same thing happen to me a while back.
I mean, verbatium.
Only thing I can think of, is that something got in the fuel line and was plugging things up... most likely right at the carb.
Upon closer inspection, the shop that rebuilt my motor put an air filter in that was too short to make contact with the lid on the breather. I replaced it with a proper fitting air filter.
Mine has worked completely normal since that one time.

Good luck.

 

This reminds me of the fun i had when i first started driving my 70'


When i bought the truck it had been sitting without a gas cap on for about 5 years...full of rain water so, i replaced it with a tank that looked pretty clean from a local junk yard, I pressure washed and slapped it in...man for about six months i was prone to have an episode just like you are describing but usually it'd be on a bridge or something...there's been times i wanted to push it off the bridge!!
But eventually with 3 in line fuel filters i could switch one out in record speed and it finally went away havent had a problem in a very long time!!

 

Funny you should mention the fuel filter..

So I had my truck out all morning today and last night. It drove fine.. no problems. We got back from an event that we (the fire dept) were helping out with for the Girl Scouts (I had to haul a generator, water and some other stuff). I had to follow one of the guys who had the Chief's vehicle back to the Chief's house and then drive him back to the firehouse. Part of that route involved driving up a very long, steep hill. Just as I was getting near the top.. sputter sputter cough DIE.. the truck dies.

Well, both the Chief and the firefighter thought immediately it wasn't getting fuel (Both are far older and wiser in the world of repairing / restoring older vehicles). They figured it's either the fuel pump or the fuel filter. The Chief drives us back to the Firehouse, the firefighter drives me to NAPA and I grab a new filter. I installed the filter... fired right up!! Drove it home.. not a single problem!

Ironically, when it died at the beginning of this thread, I was doing the exact same thing.. driving up a long big hill. So for those of you who suggested the fuel filter, I think you guys are right and I thank you all!! Later on in the afternoon I picked up an extra fuel filter and threw it in the glove box, just in case! The firefighter who drove me was telling me his car used to have the same problem.. it would die going up the hills once in a while. He replaced the fuel filter, he's never had the problem since. So I guess we'll see what happens from here...

If it keeps reoccurring and going through filters, I guess the next best move is to have the tank cleaned next and if that doesn't work.. replace the lines. It's been running for quite some time now, so I imagine the lines sould be pretty well flushed / cleaned out by now.

 

Hmmm...
That makes sense.
Either high speed or going up a hill, that's where you will notice a fuel supply problem. That's when the engine needs to be producing power, and fuel is definitely a part of it.

 

Arg.. it happened again!

Same deal, I was driving up a long hill.. near the top it sputtered and died. Luckily this time I had my trusty spare fuel filter in the glove box. I swapped them out and the truck started right up. I was able to get it home without any further problems.

It looks like I am going to have to take further action. Does it sound like the tank needs to come out and get cleaned? Perhaps I need a new tank? Maybe there is some miracle stuff I can dump in the tank and all the worlds problems will go away? I'm not quite sure where to go from here. Filters are only three bucks a piece, but it can get rather annoying quick (unless I get really good at it and can pretend I'm in a NASCAR pit crew and change the filter in 30 seconds flat!!)