Yesterday I used my truck to run a small errand about 3 miles. I thought that two thirds into the ride I might have heard some very slight back fires but the truck is very loud anyway so it is really hard to tell sometimes when you're driving. The performance didn't seem to falter though. I got to where I was going, picked up the load and started the truck up. It ran fine until I got it on the road. It sputtered and surged and did this intermittently all the way home. I made it into my driveway, blocking everything else, where it stalled and with repeated cranking would not start up again. I didn't smell gas so it didn't seem to be flooding. The carburetor air intake in these trucks has a special "S" shaped elbow with a trap in it for attaching a fording pipe. I've never done this but this arrangement makes it impossible to prime the engine with gas. I tried shooting starting fluid down the pipe a few times but each time there wasn't even a "kick". I waited about 15 minutes and finally in desperation shot a big load of starting fluid into the intake To my surprise it started up and ran pretty well. I backed it into its spot and checked it over. The gas gauge showed at least half a tank and the engine was running pretty well with only an occasional slight miss. The only thing I did find was that the engine was running a little rich. (A slight adjustment of the mixture screw on the carburetor sped the engine up I'm guessing a couple of hundred RPM's), after which there was a definite improvement. It doesn't seem like a slight mixture mis adjustment could have all of a sudden caused this problem because I wasn't smelling any gas? I've dumped both alcohol and fuel system cleaner down the tank as a precaution but I'm really at a loss for what might be going on here. If anyone has any Ideas I would be very grateful. Lenny
- posted
12 years ago