Hi,
My truck sat for about 5 days while I was sick.
Today I went out to run errands and got gas. It ran fine for awhile than I pulled up to a light and the idol was real rough and it died, and continued to die every time I stopped.
I cleaned carburetor and put new fuel filter checked my plug wires and distributer, but it will not stay running.
It could be the fuel pump, but unless I know for sure I don't want to start tearing it down.
Does anyone have any suggestions how I should proceed?
Thanks Roger

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rhbell

Hi,
My truck sat for about 5 days while i was sick.
today i went out to run errands and got gas. it ran fine for awhile than i pulled up to a light and the idol was real rough and it died, and continued to die everytime i stopped.
I cleaned carburetor and put new fuel filter checked my plug wires and distributer, but it will not stay running.
It could be the fuel pump, but unless i know for sure i dont want to start tearing it down.
Does anyone have any suggestions how i should proceed?
Thanks Roger

---

Check your vacuum-advance hose;also the pcv breather hose.
Just a qiuck thought...

Could be as simple as water in the gas, add a bottle of HEET {isopropyl alcohol} into tank
$2 from auto parts store or wal mart. If no improvement in a day or a few miles
Check your fuel pressure next to see if it's the pump.

If your spark plugs are in good shape, I would focus on the igniter and coil. Autozone can check both of these for you for free. 90% of crank but won't start situations are electrical-related, not fuel.

Unless never replaced or inferior parts are used, the ICM and coils are quite reliable on these HEI distributors on 70's chevys, however failure to apply grease to the ICM can cause premature heat failure. My experience on these 70's Chevys with ICM problems cause cranking with no start at all rather than to fire up drive and die.

I did forget to mention that you should check the "pick-up coil" in the lower part of the distributor (I,m guessing that this is what txgreasemonkey refers to as the ignitor).
I did have a '77 Trans Am that I had problems with and it tuned out to be that.
The pickup coil wire can be seen where it comes through the vacuum-advance weights/arms in the distributor. The problem stems from the wire, which has a rubber grommet around it, gets brittle from heat and age, and starts to break due to the constant twisting as the vacuum advance weights move while you drive.
It will eventually break and the vehicle will not fire, period.
This is all in the case of a GM HEI IGNITION, I'm guessing (that's what it should have)that's what is in the truck.
Hope all this helps
Ps: the distributor has to be pulled to change.

Here's what the Ignition Control Module (igniter) looks like:

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductD...pe=194&ptset=A

Here's what the coil looks like:

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductL...SearchFor=Coil

Yeah probably has a 350 or 305 cid motor in there, good point about the pick-up coil too.
A good idea to inspect the whole distributor including plugs and wires if all checks out fine
Then start to trouble shoot fuel system.
Possible too the dist hold down clamp is loose causing dist to rotate and the timing to be too far out one way or the other.