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my buddy recently bought a '79 luv, and he said it wouldn't run because of the carb or not getting any gas or something. so me being the skeptic i am, went over to check it out with him. i blasted a shot of carb cleaner down the carb and it fired right up! idles smooth, drives alright at low speed...but if i try to get on it it hesitates and kind of stumbles as it revs up, then eventually smooths out once i'm going about 50 in 4th. feels like its missing under hard acceleration but is smooth if i don't lay into the pedal.

i was thinking maybe changing the plugs, wires, and cap & rotor? i know these things have points but i've never worked on them being a toyota guy(electronic ignition halleleuja!). easy to replace them?

Points are fairly easy to replace, just take your time making sure the gap is set right. Two screws and a bunch of time with the feeler gauge checking, tightening, and rechecking is all there is to it. Put on a new condenser while you're at it, they can also have an effect on things.

Hesitation could be bad/clogged accelerator pump, timing, or a vac leak somewhere. Spray carb cleaner around the base of the carb and at each intake/head joint and see if the motor speed changes at all. If it does, you will have found a leak. Most of them leak a little around the throttle shafts, but if you find a bad leak around the base of the carb or the intake that may be the source of your problem. The vac diaphragms for the EGR, choke, and secondary are another source of leaks that should be checked out. I like to use a chunk of vac hose stuck in my ear like a stethoscope to look for vac leaks, hear a loud hiss and you've found one. Easier to pinpoint them that way than using the spray method.

If the truck has sat for a long time it could just be gas varnish floating around in the carb. It can clog up jets or the accel pump and cause problems like you are seeing.

well, i got to mess with his truck today. replaced the plugs, wires, cap and rotor, points and condenser, and added a fuel filter. after a little initial sputtering the truck ran like a champ, which leads me to believe that it had to do partly with some gunk in the carburetor. no more hesitation now though -- the engine revs up really smooth. the plugs look like they had never been gapped, all the gaps were at about .045 or so while the recommended gap was .030.

next thing is gonna be to do the brakes and maybe changing the alternator, since the generator light is on kind of dimly.

300Xl, I have the same problem, I can get her up to about 25 and she starts spitting and sputtering then she winds up to the normal speed.

Knowing that the valves need replacing (extra set in my shed), what else could it be? I got new wires, points, plugs, cap, Ignitor, Resistor, that damn problematic condensor, the wires to and from, timed it, etc.

I will re-time it tommorow to make sure, but she coughs out some black smoke and white smoke (and because of the valves she pumps out blue when started)

BUT - and I say but, there is no oil in the radiator fluid and no radiator fluid in the oil.

Gonna get the bibles out and have a sit in to see what I find, but I think you (or was it MEPR) had this problem?

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More LUV than one man could ever need - Spread the LUV!
- 1976 Chevy Longbed - Daily Driver
- 1981 Chevy Shortbed 4X4 - Needs Help!
- 1981 Chevy Luv 4X4 - Newly put together

Sorry 800XL, I did not mean to take 500 from ya.

_________________
More LUV than one man could ever need - Spread the LUV!
- 1976 Chevy Longbed - Daily Driver
- 1981 Chevy Shortbed 4X4 - Needs Help!
- 1981 Chevy Luv 4X4 - Newly put together

If you can, get a hold of a dwell meter and set your points with them. It's way more accurate than using feeler gages. Somebody you might know may have one. I'm not even sure if parts stores still carry them. With points-type ignitions, the actual ignition timing can be thrown off if the gap is set incorrectly. The truck might be running pretty clean right now but your points can wear out fast from almost-correct set points.

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

I will hit the local NAPA, they are generally pretty good about stocking odd stuff like that. If not, I can always accidientally acquire a new distributor and whatnot in the boneyard.

Of course, acquisition, not stealing.

_________________
More LUV than one man could ever need - Spread the LUV!
- 1976 Chevy Longbed - Daily Driver
- 1981 Chevy Shortbed 4X4 - Needs Help!
- 1981 Chevy Luv 4X4 - Newly put together

I agree on the dwell meter, I have replaced my points so many times I can get it pretty close with just a screwdriver and my wits, but the meter will give you an exact number to go from. You can even gap points that are basically bad (pitted, etc) so that they well run ok, something that you can't do with a feeler gauge.

NAPA is my first choice for ignition parts anymore. The store here has people who have a clue working there. Last time I went to Shucks the guy didn't know what points were, as in no clue at all. I asked for muffler bearing to go with them and had him looking that up in the computer as I walked out laughing my head off.

Could be you should look to upgrade to electronic ignition instead of just getting another points disti at the junkyard. I'm sure it couldn't hurt your problems.