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My truck still does not stay started. I just recently took the intake manifold in to have it checked for cracks and to get it resurfaced. If you have read any of my other posts they will explain what is going on with it. At this point I am ready to blow the damn truck up. I also just got ANOTHER carb. for it. I DONT KNOW. If anybody has any suggestions PLEASE let me know

my dad used to have the same problem with his 74 what he ended up doing was rebuild the carb and set the timing and sofar is cool

I havent read all your other post...but have you tried to put a different distrubutor in it. I have had the same problem before...seems the stock dist. comes manufactured with plastic bushings......They do tend to wear if you have alot of miles on your engine...dont blow it up just yet..these things are tempermental...you know..you loose your temper and then you turn mental...hang in there!

DON'T BLOW IT UP!!! Just stick a different motor in it if you get that fed up! Sorry man. I have the same luck with cars. I used to have an AWD Turbo Eagle Talon that I built the crap out of. It has a four banger that dynoed at 360 hp at the wheels! So, as you can image, it had some reliability problems. The biggest problems were breaking trannys and axles and motor mounts. But, I also had an injector quit working, causing a lean hole. I melted all 4 valves off at the stems and burnt a hole about and inch across right through the middle of the piston. Also, the end of the spark plug melted or broke off. So, I know how it feels to fix one thing just to break somthing else. I feel for you man. It seems like just when you figure the problem out, its something else. Welcome to the world of customizing vehicles, or at least doing your own work!

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No LUV anymore, but still in the GM truck family. Running a lifted 2002 Silverado Z-71!

I had the same problem with mine and it was the points its only about a $5 parts at autozone that should fix it if not i dont know.

John I can get new bushing for the distributer if I just went ahead and did that do you think it will work or is it too hard to put them in, I cant afford a new distributor ive put so much money into this truck I cant buy anything else for it I also went and got more points and condensor for the dist.. Rotor and cap are brand new, went and got a new fuel pump for it today. I went to check the fuel pump relay, and the pump wasnt shooting any fuel out so I bypassed the fuel pump relay and it shot out fuel. The fuel pump relay is only suppose to send fuel to the carb. when the engine is cranking right, because my 280z's fuel pump is always going but that is fuel injected

Yes, you can replace the bushings if you can find that size..but first take a good look at them..just dont turn your engine any while the dist. is out...and make sure it goes back in the exact way you take it out.Pay close attention to that part..What i do is try and line up the rotor button so that is is pointed to the number one cylinder and then pull it. You well have to retime it. As far as the fuel pump goes... both of mine comes on when i turn my ignition on and it stays running untill i turn my truck off.

The shaft on the LUV distributor is key to go back in one way only, sort of like an offset flathead screwdriver. Mark the distributor case with a line extending down onto the block and line them back up when you put it back in and it will be in the same place. I still would not turn it over at all with it out, dunno how much the gear inside can move around with the dist out.

The fuel pump has a relay to only pump when the motor is turning. It hooks into the charging system to tell so you could have issues there if it won't pump once its running. I think there is a bypass while cranking the starter, so that could explain your trouble keeping it going but that it does run for a while before dying. If the carb bowl is full it should run a good minute or two at idle before going dry, long enough to check fuel flow.

It wont idle at all I have to keep my foot on the gas to keep it running. It keeps fuel in the bowl but it wont stay running. Its not the idle speed because it runs really rough. I was going to get a new relay for it but I cant find one anywhere, at any parts store anyway. I'm going to try a pick and pull but last time I was there they didnt have any chevy luvs. I also checked the voltage going to the pump with the engine cranking and it only had 5 volts is that enough to run the pump or is that the relay itself is the pump suppose to come on when the ignition key is in the on position without cranking the engine because mine doesnt. Let me know because Im new to this stuff. Thanks

I know where you are coming from. My truck is doing the same thing. I have a new distributer, I tuned it, I rebuilt the carb, replaced all the filters and vac lines. It still acts like it is starved for fuel. I have noticed that the fuel in the float sight glass never gets half way even though I have adjusted the float as far as I can get it. I am going to take off the fuel tank and clean it out and replace the fuel pump this week. I will let you know how it works out. I know this doesn't solve your problem, but at least you have someone to share your PAIN

Thanks guys, yah let me know what happens when you clean your tank I just might have to do that to and give me some pointers on taking the tank off

a friend of mine had the same (or close) problem his fuel pump was rusted out and the rust was stoping it up

prolly wont help much but just a thought

I found my problem. It was the fuel pump. I took it off and tested it with a battery and it pumped great. I reinstalled it and was having the same problem. I removed it again after checking the relay and cleaning out the gas tank (It was clean, by the way). It turns out it had a short on the neg. side of the pump that would break contact and stop pumping once the truck started shaking a little. I got a universal pump from NAPA for $31. Installed it. No more problem. PS... I wouldn't recommend taking the tank off unless that is your last resort. It wasn't difficult, just a pain in the ass.

Yah I already got one of those universal pumps for it. My battery went dead trying to start it so I kinda gave up for a few days. I blew some air into the lines to clean them out a little before I put the pump on and cleaned the needle and seat and got two more fuel filters today so after I charge the battery I'll let you know what happens at this point I'm afraid to try and start it for fear of it still not running , but will see what happens

It still wont stay started but it idles a little better when I keep my foot on the pedal. The generator light comes on when the car is above idle and I just bought a new alternator for it. On the voltage regulator there is a capasitor or something you wouldnt happen to know what that is. Or should I have just changed the voltage regulator when I got the new alternator. Let me know thanks, shane

I think that part on the regulator is a type of condensor. I'm not sure though. The regulator is adjustable. It needs to be gapped periodically. If you haven't adjusted it lately, it might help. I have the specs at home if you want to try that.

I will try anything at this point, yah give me the procedure for gapping it, doesnt it have to be running too adjust it though, let me know. That condensor on the regulator, do you think that I could just put one from a distributor in its place

in the charging system on the luvs they have a cut off for the fuel pump. If your alt. quits it will shut down the fuel pump. I ran a wire all the way back to the fuel pump. I would recommend doing this anyway even if the alt is working fine. It is easier to shut off all electrical accessories and drive home on the battery than pushing the truck home with no fuel pump.

If you change the alternator or the regulator, make double sure the parts house gives you right one. For some reason they like to give out the wrong one, which will plug in but will not work. They've given me the wrong one on more than one occasion.

If you had a new problem start after you replaced your alt, you may want to make sure it's the right one.

As for the no idle, that can be caused by many things.

On my 76, the fuel pump would run all the time. I'd say if yours isn't, find out why. From what you've said, most likely it's the relay. You can replace the relay with a generic one if you have to, but you will have to do a little rewiring.

Other than that, many other things can cause idle problems. Bad carb, carb out of adjustment, intake leaks, incorrect ignition timing, bad or old gasoline. Have you done a compression check on all cylinders?