LUVTruck.com

Hi there I am new to the forum and own a 1979 luv that I purchased about half a year ago. When I bought it I was told that the engine had been rebuilt less than 6000 miles ago and that the clutch had also been replaced. However, I believe my truck is having some mechanical issues. It runs, but not all that well. I have noticed a few issues that I will list below.

1. I have to keep the truck at 2000 rpm when first starting in order for it to warm up, If I were to let my foot off of the gas within the first few minutes of sitting there the truck would die. Sometimes I am able to let my foot off of the gas and the truck automatically idles at 2000rpm with no pedal assistance. Are all Luv's like this? I also feel like it idles at a really low rpm. For instance once the truck has warmed up and I am driving - when I come to a stop and I am idling it idles at such a low rpm that I need to work the gas pedal in order for it to breach this sort of "dead-space," i cant just give it a little gas I gotta push it a bit and then alot to get over 1000rpm then I can let out the clutch otherwise it dies.

2.I am not fully aware how the temp gauge in this truck works, but once I have warmed it gets to about a little bit past the middle of the dial where there is a mark, I assume that this mark is "average temp," am I correct? The truck on occasion will breach that "average point" but it is not common.

3. The truck accelerates noticeably slower than when I had first purchased it.


Also there are a couple of on the road instances that have worried me about the mechanical issues of my truck. There was one time when I was merging on the freeway and as I switched into fourth gear everything seemed ok, but I as I tried to increase my speed I could barely gain any at all. Even with the pedal to the floor I was crawling in fourth, it felt as though I were hauling a full load or something?

The second case was a one time incident. I had been driving for about five minutes when suddenly the engine just died on me? The stranger part was that I realized that this problem was controllable by simply keeping my foot on the gas, as long as I didn't let the truck idle it wouldnt die, as soon as I let let my foot of the gas it would. after about five minutes of driving with my foot never off the gas I tried taking my foot off and it was fine again?


Any help or responses would be much appreciated, thanks all!

i won't be much help on most of this but i do know on my 1980 that there is a little rubber boot on the throttle cable that has come loose and it wound up getting past my pulley wheel... i don't know anything but that "technical name" and when it is stuck my truck idles a lot higher then it should. I don't have a tachometer in my truck so i don't know if i am around 2000 or not... but the quick fix is popping the hood and pushing the rubber boot back in place. Odds yours has the same problem? Not likely, but i will give you the simplest option first, then let the other guys answer better and more technically.