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I'll start my truck up in the morning and it runs fine, but when it gets to operating temp, it starts sputtering really bad at mid rpm's. You can floor it to get into high rpms and it runs alright, but not top form. Problem is that when you're going from a dead stop you can't go from idle to high rpm's just like that. And I can't get it to go from a dead stop unless I'm going downhill.

My truck started doin' this last night. We had a really bad thunder storm so I figured I had gotten the distributor wet when I didn't see the 1.5 foot deep lake in the parking lot at work. But it persisted the next day to and from work. I've replaced both in-line fuel filters, the pump sounds the same as it always has, though I don't know exactly what pressure it's supposed to put out. and as far as I can tell no lines are leaking.

Can someone help me?! I was gonna go off-roading with my friends on wednesday, but not if it aint runnin' right. Thanks.

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Richard Barnes Salt Lake, Utah
1980 Luv Mikado 4X4
http://geocities.com/luvtruck2004/

Could be spark related still. I got the cap wet on mine once and it created a hairline trace out of the dust under the cap that went from one contact to the edge where it could ground into the body of the disti.

What it really sounds like to me though is water in the fuel. Try a dose of some sort of fuel dryer or some high percentage isopropyl rubbing alcohol. You can usually find 99% stuff in most department stores and it has worked pretty well for me in the past. Most of the gas dryer additives I've seen list isopropyl as the only ingredient anyway. You should be able to spot water in the fuel filter if you drain the contents of the filter into something clean. Just look for another liquid that won't mix with the gas.

I didn't see anything really in the filter when I took it off. It was clear plastic so I could look inside. It was pretty dirty though, I changed it about six months ago, and now when I took it off it was pretty dirty. Do you think it could be some bad gas maybe?

I'll go inspect the cap and rotor, maybe that's it.

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Richard Barnes Salt Lake, Utah
1980 Luv Mikado 4X4
http://geocities.com/luvtruck2004/

when it gets to operating temp, it starts sputtering really bad at mid rpm's.

When the engine gets to operating temperature, the choke has opened up completely. Check your vacuum lines and make sure one wasn't pulled loose or off by your amphibious excursion.

My luv is just the opposite of yours. It will idle when it gets to running temp. But it wont idle when it first turns on. Does anyone know what i should do??

Make sure the choke has rotated to within a 1/16" closed after pumping the gas pedal on a cold start.

I poured a bunch of alcohol in the gas incase there was water in it and started it up to drive home and didn't even get a hesitation, so it had to either be some water or maybe just some bad gas. Hopefully it will stay this way. It's been raining like mad here, so I'm a little worried about how soupy it'll be out on the trail, but I want to see what she can do with the bigger tires.

Oldblue, I couldn't even begin to trouble shoot carbs for ya, but trust Robert, he know his stuff.

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Richard Barnes Salt Lake, Utah
1980 Luv Mikado 4X4
http://geocities.com/luvtruck2004/

i had the same problem with my 80 when i went through a creek i thought it was something in my fuel system as well. it ended up being my distributor. i took it completely apart and cleand eveything and replaced wht i could and after that it ran great again.

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1980 4x4 header stock motor lifted 4 1/2 in. in the rear and 3 1/2 in the front

Carry a can of w-d 40 and a screwdriver when you go wheelin. I always get a little water in the distributor cap. Good ole w-d takes care of that.

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