LUVTruck.com

Hey guys.
i just picked me up an 81 luv 4x4 4 speed for 450 bucks!!!! sure the interiors gone to s#!+, and the spray paint is chipping off, but it runs and its got potential as you guys already know. But first off, 90% of the time it doesnt idle. it gets annoying trying to simultaneously work 3 pedals with 2 feet, but it works. I cleaned the carb out and changed the oil, filter, fuel filter, air cleaner, spark plugs, and ran seafoam through the gas tank and the intake(that works wonders! pm me if you want to know how to do it), but it still rarely idles. I think its running rich because if i get the revs up then clutch to shift, it does some puny little backfires. I really want to get this fixed without getting a new carb for close to as much as i bought the truck for. Can anybody help me out? thanks guys i look forward to getting involved in this forum.

-Friggs-

Do you know the idle RPMs? Is it running cold?

My truck just flat won't idle when it's cold, unless it's still in high idle mode.


Welcome to the site!
-Ret

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1980 4X4 LUV daily driver, as stock as can be.

no i dont know the idle RPM at all, no tach, not too good at estimating. plus its like sometimes it idles really low and sometimes it idles a little higher, but most of the time it doesnt idle at all. It really seems like when its cold it starts and idles right away then once it starts warming up it will stop. Is there an idle adjustment somewhere on the carb maybe ill just turn that up? t hanks

Im not sure if you have an electric fuel pump, but the wiring to the fuel pump maybe heating up when the motor warms up and shorting out. That happened to a friends truck. It maybe also be bad coil thats not producing anything. Could also be your distributor. Theres a pretty big laundry list of things that can cause a bad or no idle.

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"If it wont fit, force it, if it breaks, then it needed to be replaced anyway..."

Well, just sounds like it's not warming up properly. Right after it starts, it goes into a high idle mode. If you notice, giving it just a little bit of gas after about 10 minutes in high idle kicks it back down to regular idle, and in your case, kills it. If the temp gauge needle doesn't get to the little break in the line, it's not warming up properly. Another thing to check into would be vacuum leaks. Don't worry about electrical problems for now. Check the easy stuff first.
-Ret

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1980 4X4 LUV daily driver, as stock as can be.

this may sound stupid, but if you still have points ignition, check them. sometimes they are so worn, or the distributor cam lobe is so worn that it makes the truck run like crap when its warmed up and the rpms drop.

and like ret said, check the vacuum lines for leaks or tears. you'd be surprised just how tiny an air leak affects an engine...

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To the Oquirr hills for awesome thrills! Go-go 4wd, Activate!

thanks for all the replies guys,
im gonna check all the vacuum hoses and connections and stuff, and if necessary, get a carb rebuild kit. once i get it running right im just gonna sell it and keep my 2 door tahoe. im a big guy and this little truck is just too tight for me haha. i like it though, i could only imagine how bad it would be with a v8 and a lift. if anybody is interested in an 81 luv 4x4 4 speed in the CA bay area let me know. just put some newer seats and a gt steering wheel in, about to get a carpet kit also. let me know and thanks again

Make sure the fuel cutoff solenoid on the carb is working. I had this problem on both my trucks.

When the choke is closed and running at high idle, the mains are open enough to keep it running, but as soon as it idles down there's not enough fuel to idle.

Try running a jumper to the solenoid from the battery.

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