Does anybody know off the top of their heads what a "Pacesetter" is/was? My truck had one installed to the left of the steering column, right below all the switches for headlights, wipers, and ignition. It was a little box, probably about 5-6" wide, and 1.5-2" high. Obviously some sort of aftermarket gadget. I'm taking an uneducated guess of some sort of aftermarket cruise control. It had a little **** on the front with numbers and stuff... looked retro, so guessing it was installed in late 70's or early 80's (just going off looks here). There was also a fuel tank switch mounted to the left of it...not sure if that was part of the "Pacesetter" setup, or if that was another aftermarket addition of it's own.

Reason I ask, is because last week I pulled it out on my lunch break. I left the tank switch alone, only because my lunch was almost over, otherwise I don't use that tank, my actual fuel switch is mounted on the driver's side floor between the back of seat and rear door jam. Anyway, after I disconnected all the wiring from under the hood, I cleaned up and went inside. When I got off work it started up fine and drove good about 3 blocks...then started dying every 50-60 feet. It'd take a bit to get it started up, it'd drive another 50 feet, and die. After dying four times I got it to a gas station, filled it up to be sure the gas wasn't out (my fuel gauge is broke), and drove off...died once more before driving fine for 8 miles home. Since then, it hasn't done it again. But haven't had a chance to really drive it much since.

Now, I never touched the Pacesetter prior to removing it. Never turned it on...so I know that by removing the darn thing, it shouldn't be affecting anything. In fact, it's B+ was sourced off a bad Auxillary battery which only puts out 2 volts (haven't got around to replacing yet). I've checked all my fuel connections, my distributor, my wires, coil, and any other electrical connections I thought I could of bumped loose while working.

Anybody have any thoughts on what it might be? Should I just ride it out and see if it happens again? Also...what was that Pacesetter for, just out of curiousity. I'm sure I could research it a online, but figured I'd save myself sometime and post on here first.

Thanks.

 

Not sure, but from what you described it sounds like a trailer brake controller.

2- Since you have a non electronic truck, fuel supply would cause the problem with the cut off. Is there an electrical part of the tank switch?

John

 

No nothing off of the switch itself, it's a simple valve that manually switches the flow of fuel from one tank to another. Once I got it home, I went underneath the truck to fish around for any wires that may have accidently gotten snipped by mistake. I found I'd snipped a positive lead that goes goes down to my rear tank that runs into a 2-pronged plug that hooks in on the passenger's side of the tank...I'm assuming that's my sending unit, which to my understanding only controls my fuel gauge (??? Is that correct ???) ... regardless, it too had been hooked in previously to the bad aux battery (that puts out 2V). To be safe, and to see if it corrected my fuel gauge, I hooked it up to a good 12V source... I'm driving it to work this morning in about an hour, so we'll see if she gets me there. Thanks for the help.

 

Not sure about the pacesetter, jowiliker is probably right. I've got a trailer brake mounted in the same spot, that I want to get rid of (wires go nowhere, but there is a brake line to the master cylinder and I haven't figured a way to cap it off, yet). It has a handle that you can slide left to right. The tank switch on the floor switches between tanks, the one under the dash is original, and switches sending units to the guage, at least that's how my '69 and '70 both are. The floor switch has a click stop in the middle between the two tanks. You go from Main tank, click, and then click again to get to Auxilliary tank. Were you maybe fuel starved at the middle click?

 

No, I definately was on a tank (can't remember which)... but regardless, I switched back and forth numerous times as I was trying to get it started.

I don't know too much about sending units... while I've got your attention... where does the wiring from the main (rear) tank hook into under the hood. It got snipped, and I'm not sure where to reconnect it.