Newbie: Idles rough, stalls when put into gear!

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CTread08

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Hi guys! I'm new to the forum and the community, and mechanic-ing in general (I'm 25 and didn't have a mechanical type Dad). I just bought an '87 V10 as my first truck to work on, that the PO swapped a 350 into, and left two bearings out of a tranny rebuild "so it would shift hard" but all it does is shift hard into reverse. It hadn't really ran in years so I'm trying to go through everything now. Recently, the truck has been stalling out when put into gear with any load on it (trying to R up hill or trying to D up hill). If I shift the transfer case into N or 4L, it won't die, so I tried crawling up a hill in 4L, then shifting back into 2L and driving back down the hill. All is fine until I come to a stop sign, then the poor idle returns and it dies. When it is my turn to proceed through the intersection, it creeps, missing and sputtering, and if I give it any fuel it dies. Sometimes I can accelerate just right to bring it out of the rough idle, and it won't die. I sat in an Autozone parking lot, hoping to get the codes read but they don't have a reader that goes back that far. So I put it in R and it died, as there was a slight downgrade on the lot so there was a load on the truck. After restarting and dying about 20 times I put it in 4L and was able to get to a flat surface, yet it didn't stay running in D in 2L until I was going downhill. Upon those restarts there were some odd sounds coming from the truck, like a fan/blower/vaccum machine type sound. I know very little about these trucks, but from searching through the internet, I gather it may be a Torque Converter issue? I have replaced the fuel filter and that is it. I know I need to change oil/filter, plugs/wires, maybe trans fluid, and maybe rear end fluid. Any other suggestions or help is greatly appreciated!
 

DreamWeaver

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If u haven't even changed the oil yet, yet alone tuned it, it's hard narrowing the source of your issue, brah!
 

glockholiday

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Vacuum Leak

EGR Valve (Exhaust gas recirculation),

EGR Vacuum Solenoid

Plugs, Wires, Cap and Rotor

Those would be at the top of my list if I were you.
 

CTread08

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Ok then that's where I'll start. the truck ran "ok" until the last two or so weeks but I'll start by changing oil/filter, plugs/wires, and distributor cap/rotor.
Thanks!
 

Georgeb

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Vacuum Leak

EGR Valve (Exhaust gas recirculation),

EGR Vacuum Solenoid

Plugs, Wires, Cap and Rotor

Those would be at the top of my list if I were you.

I would do this in this order with a fuel filter also on the list. You mentioned an engine swap. Is it TBI or carbureted now?
 

CTread08

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Also check your timing. You will need to disconnect the ESC wire. Set it to about 12 deg advanced.

Forgive my ignorance but I don't know what the ESC wire is or where it is located.
 

bucket

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Also check your timing. You will need to disconnect the ESC wire. Set it to about 12 deg advanced.

Yup, ignore the ridiculous underhood sticker. If you happen to get pinging with 12 degrees, back it off a couple or just run a higher octane fuel.
 

bucket

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Forgive my ignorance but I don't know what the ESC wire is or where it is located.

It's a single-wire weatherpack style connector, the wire is tan with a black stripe. IIRC, it's near the driver's side of the firewall.
 

CTread08

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It's a single-wire weatherpack style connector, the wire is tan with a black stripe. IIRC, it's near the driver's side of the firewall.

And do I just unplug it while retiming or leave it unplugged once the timing is advanced?
 

bucket

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And do I just unplug it while retiming or leave it unplugged once the timing is advanced?

Unplug it while setting the timing. If it's currently set back too far, it might not want to idle with it unplugged. If so, just rotate the dizzy counter-clockwise a little and then start it up.
 

87scotty

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Deffonetly sounds like a timing issue to me
 

CTread08

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Is it normal for these trucks/motors to get out of or jump timing?
 

87scotty

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Not really if its a more recent thing I'd less suspect timing unless distributers not tight
 

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