I have a '78 F-150 with a 460. The other day it died. I pulled out of a parking lot and gassed it as I pulled onto the street. The motor stumbled and putted, then died. I pulled over and tried to start it again, but couldn't get it to do anything but turn over. I let it sit for about ten minutes and tried again. Now I could get it to start, but it would shortly die. I tried this a couple times, with no new luck. So, I tried again, but instead of letting it die, I kept on the gas and revved it a couple times to clean out the exhaust. Then, it idled fine. I decided to try my luck at going home. I started driving home and it drove normally. I was just about home and was going up this rather steep hill and it died again. I pulled over and tried to start it again. It started right up and I drove it the rest of the way home? Then, a couple days later, I was going up a different hill which was also pretty steep. It tried to die again. I floored it, and it acted like it wanted to go, but then tried to die again. I let off the gas and put the pedal back down. It tried once again to run, but then proceeded its attept to die again. I continued this let off the gas and floor it proceedure and literally had to pedal it up the hill. Once up the hill, it ran fine. So, does this sound like a carb problem or something else? Sorry about the length, but I had to get the story in.
Thanks

-Pat-

 

I'm not there, but this seems a lack-of-fuel problem.

Next, you say it sometimes won't idle OR run with your foot in it. That seems to indicate a lack of fuel to the whole carb, not just a plugged idle jet or cruise jetting problem.

Fuel pump.
Plugged line or filter.
Except for any filter built into it, I'd look at the carb last. If it does happen to be the carb, the odds are on a problem with the filter, float(s) or float valve.

Anyhow, that my guess. Good luck.

 

water in tank or carb?????

 

Could be a major crud up in the fuel system. Has happened to me. Due to crud, the carb bowl level goes down so low, the main jets can't reliably pick up fuel. But the acceleration pump picking up at the bottom of the bowl, can throw some spurts of gas down the barrels if you pump it right. After 3 carb filter replacements, 2 carb cleanouts not finding much visible each time, would fix it only for a short period. Had to get at the source, dropped the tank and cleaned it out, blew out the line too. Used some round gravel in the tank, along with a hose to wash it out and swish the gravel around. Let it sun dry for a day. Cleaned everything up, no problem again.

 

Check you fuel pressure too. Mine was too low and wasn't filling up the bowls fast enough and mine would die out too. Let off the gas and give the bowls time to re-fill and boom more power till they drained and I had let off the gas again.

 

Also, is there supposed to be some type of vent for the fuel tank? After the truck has been running a while, or has been sitting in the sun, if you pull off the gas cap, there is a lot of vapor that tries to shoot the cap across the parking lot. Could this possibly be part of the problem?
-Pat-