Truck problems

[thatsrealnice]

Hey guys,

Drove my truck to work yesterday, did fine on the way there, and all day on Thursday it did fine. Well last night on way home from work, 4 times or so, while I was driving, it would be going along and all of a sudden, it'd sputter and die. I'd pull over, crank it, and it'd start again, drive for a while, and then do it again. Seems like it might be a fuel issue. I rebuilt the carb recently, and it was doing fine, and I'd changed the fuel filter a few months ago too. Any idea what it might be?

 

[Austin]

When's the last time you put gas in it?

 

[thatsrealnice]

It's been a while, but it reads that I have a 1/4 tank.

 

[Austin]

It might be worth checking into; I've showed a 1/4 tank while bone dry before.

 

[Fellro]

What year is it? More specifically, points, or Duraspark ignition? Had DS boxes go bad and do that, run down the road fine, die, sit for a few minutes, fire it up and head on til the next time it pulls it. Used to have to carry spares with me...

 

[thatsrealnice]

What year is it? More specifically, points, or Duraspark ignition? Had DS boxes go bad and do that, run down the road fine, die, sit for a few minutes, fire it up and head on til the next time it pulls it. Used to have to carry spares with me...

Guess that would help to list what the truck is. It's a 78 F250 4x4 Supercab with a 400 4 speed, so no points there. I'm still thinking fuel, each time it stopped, was less than 1 minute literally. It'd die, I'd pull over, and crank it and pump the gas, and it'd start up, run down the road a while, and then do it all over again. Thought maybe I was out of gas, but I switched to the other tank, and it did it with the tank that I know was full as well.

 

[Fellro]

Could also be as simple as a fuel filter. It plugs, pressure holds the crud up, dies, crud falls down, clearing the path, runs til crud plugs it up again. But I would consider a brain box as well. Even though it is just a minute, I have had them do just that.

 

[thatsrealnice]

Maybe I should try a new filter. I just replaced it a few months ago, but maybe I have crud in my tank too and now that the fuel is getting low, it might have gotten some junk in there and plugged the filter. How much do the brain boxes typically run?

 

[Fellro]

Around $30 is typical.

 

[Mil1ion]

The so-called Brain box is merely an ICM that heats up and fails but you need to inspect ALL Ignition wiring connections

MY truck was doing what yours is doing and the problem was a frayed wire one the distributor connectors

I swapped in a new Pickup in the Dist and the new wiring solved the old hanging by a strand of wire problem

These trucks are old and wiring harness connections and wire covering get brittle and fail

Go over ALL the possible connections.

You can tell if it is a fuel problem by check the carb when the engine cuts out again

Possible Fuel related problems

1) Bad Pump
2)Too much rubber line and pump sucks air instead
3)Filter plugs up
4) sock in tank gets plugged with crud

So start with checking for fuel when the engine stalls next time

Don't do a thing but coast to a stop pop the hood and actuate the throttle lever while looking down the throat of the carb watching for fuel spray.

If you have fuel, chances are the problem is ignition

 

[CSpecial]

How would you clean out a fuel tank? i just pulled mine off today and they look dirty inside.

 

[Mil1ion]

steam cleaner

sometimes a replacement is more economical

 

[Fellro]

Radiator shops used to be able to clean them out, but they are getting harder to find.

 

[LEB Ben]

How would you clean out a fuel tank? i just pulled mine off today and they look dirty inside.

Typically, what I have done is rinse it out, get some tank cleaner, throw some rocks in there...and shake it all around. Then rinse, tank cleaner, use chains, shake around. Then thoroughly rinse, and potentially throw a sealer layer down. Last time I actually sent out to have a tank cleaned, it cost me $115, a new tank was $125.

 

[UNRULEE]

I'm kind of leaning towards what Ben said, maybe it isn't even worth trying to clean?

If the mentioned cleaning method will work, go for it, but I prefer to use a piece of chain rather than some rocks.

 

[CSpecial]

i was kinda thinking the sealer method. i have dual tanks and both together run around $250-$300 new. what type of sealer would be good?

 

[Fellro]

I have heard of using muratic acid and the chain method to clean, then Eastwood sells a tank sealer.

 

[thatsrealnice]

ICM

So I replaced the ICM today and took it for a drive. Almost exactly the same distance as the last time I drove it, it started doing the same thing again. Happened 5 times before I could get it home. Pulled over, cranked it, it starts, runs for a while, and then dies, pull over and do it all over again. Think I may try a new fuel filter. Someone said if it was the fuel pump that it wouldn't work sometimes and not work sometimes, he said once they go, they go.

 

[Mil1ion]

Could be sucking air through the rubber fuel hose.

Could be something all together different that relates to heat

 

[thatsrealnice]

It's a new piece of hose, guess I could try tightening it some more. Didn't want to overtighten and deform the hose. Think it could have anything to do with a bad gasket on the choke stove? I have a new gasket, I just need to put it on. When I got the choke tube fixed up the way I wanted, I sprayed some penetrating oil to keep it from rusting again, and I saw quite a few air bubbles around the base. And when I put the EGR valve back on after rebuilding the carb, I overtightened one of the nuts that hold the valve to the spacer, and cracked the EGR valve, might be sucking air in there too I suppose.