Starts but quickly dies, any low tech tips for diagnosis?

[83C1500_Eli]

My 83' 5.0 is a beloved and loyal truck, but it's got a problem.

backstory for full reference:

I've suspected maybe it's had a fuel issue for a while. I bought it from my uncle who just had a new tank and fuel lines installed on it in the beginning of the year.

It has a hard time starting in the cold. will take a few cranks and then fires up. it kinda rocks side to side as it firsts idles, pretty rough, then idles smoothly. i thought it idled kinda high. but the mechanic said it sounded fine to him, when i had him adjust the carb.

yesterday it rode too and from the farm - about 16miles each way on the highway, just fine, went to pick something up at the dollar store and then it died on me in the middle of the road. it would start then die. then just crank. then after a lil bit it would start then die immediately. never got it to run. but wasn't far from home and got it home with some help.

today, i'm gonna poke around, check the spark plugs, lines , etc see if anything is bad, pinche or blocked ....

any suggestions or tips/tricks to look at first before my mind spirals into all the things that could be wrong?

i'm pretty novice, not an advanced mechanic or anything, got limited (basic) tools and i'm poor, haha, that's why i love old trucks and forums!

thanks in advanced!

 

[TubeTruck]

Sounds like your carb needs a rebuild. It's probably all gunked up. Probably check the timing, see if the distributor is loose.

 

[83C1500_Eli]

i will check that. it has a new carb tho, less than a year old.

 

[MisterB]

I'd replace the fuel filter. Make sure when starting for the first time for the day that you slowly press the accelerator 1-3 times, depending on how cold it is. It should fire right up and then idle. The idle should slowly increase as the choke opens, and then it'll ride on the high idle cam until you blip the throttle. Let it warm up for a good 5 minutes or so before driving off.

If this doesn't work, you might double check your choke settings. Is it electric?

Try running a good gas additive in your gas tank to clean the fuel system and carb.

If none of this works, you may have a fuel pump issue, or perhaps cap/rotor

Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk

 

[78C10BigTen]

Im thinking choke! When it starts and dies try cranking it with yur foot completely on the floor ( i mean on the gas that is) and see if it fires. Mine will do this from time to time, not real hard to work on

 

[Nonstop]

Great places to start up there!

being a novice, it is easy to get carried away and overwhelmed. Three things are needed to make an engine run - compression, air and fuel, and spark. I would not worry about compression, since it runs. Try testing it in a controlled environment and with a helper. When it does again, pull a spark plug wire. Hold it 1/2 to 3/4 inches from a ground. Have someone crank it over. Strong blue spark? Then it is a fuel issue. No spark or yellow spark? Quite possibly ignition related (especially if no spark). So if spark is good, move to carb. First, make sure the choke is fully open (hope the mechanic already checked that). Pump it and see if there are 2 strong squirts of gas coming out of the squirters when looking down the primary bore. No gas coming out? Fuel delivery problem or accelerator pump. Gas comes out? Will need more testing or investigation.

Try those first and then get back to us.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

Sounds like a fuel pump to me. Take your carb inlet for the fuel off the carb and grab a hose and put it on the line and into a bottle and crank it over a few times to see what you get.

 

[gotyourgoat]

Sounds like a fuel pump to me. Take your carb inlet for the fuel off the carb and grab a hose and put it on the line and into a bottle and crank it over a few times to see what you get.

I'll agree with this assessment. Sounds like a fuel issue.
Clogged filter or weak pump where they push enough gas to start up only to let you down when you try to drive.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

I'll agree with this assessment. Sounds like a fuel issue.
Clogged filter or weak pump where they push enough gas to start up only to let you down when you try to drive.

And just enough fuel left in the bowl to get you out of your parking spot and in the middle of the road lol

 

[JoeR Jr]

Check your spark when it won't run. If it's not there, then check the distributor.
You've probably got an HEI distributor in there with vacuum advance, right? If so, it wasn't uncommon that the wires from the pickup coil to the module would eventually break. They move with changes in engine vacuum because of the vacuum advance. It's east to diagnose. Pop the cap and rotor. Give the wires a light tug (one at a time) to see if one of them easily breaks off. If so, you just diagnosed it.
If the truck has an original Delco module in it, please don't replace it. I haven't found any of the new ones to be as durable as the old ones.

 

[gotyourgoat]

And just enough fuel left in the bowl to get you out of your parking spot and in the middle of the road lol

Yep, that sounds about right. Don't forget there's also no shoulder and it's an uphill slope.

 

[73c20jim]

Loose ignition wire. Distributor will connect and reconnect.

 

[Overland Suburban]

Sounds like a fuel pump to me. Take your carb inlet for the fuel off the carb and grab a hose and put it on the line and into a bottle and crank it over a few times to see what you get.

That's where I'd look first as well

 

[83C1500_Eli]

THANKS FOR ALL THE SUGGESTIONS AND HELP! it was the fuel pump! got a new one on, and it fires right up and runs like a dream again. those mechanical pumps are a pain in the ass to put back on. took it off in 10 mins, and then it took like 2 hours to put the new one on! but its done

 

[PrairieDrifter]

THANKS FOR ALL THE SUGGESTIONS AND HELP! it was the fuel pump! got a new one on, and it fires right up and runs like a dream again. those mechanical pumps are a pain in the ass to put back on. took it off in 10 mins, and then it took like 2 hours to put the new one on! but its done

The trick to em is there's a bolt hole in the front of the block that should have a bolt in it that's just plugging the hole. You take out that bolt and put a magnet In there to hold the fuel pump rod, or take a longer bolt and lightly tighten it up on the rod and hold it that way.

Glad you got it figured out! Was probably only like 30 bucks too lol