1987 Squarebody Chevy Truck - Problems

[lazyMlazyK]

Hey guys, my old Chevy finally started giving me problems. It's a 1987 Chevy K10 with TBI. It died on the wife the other night coming home. She'd already driven it 30 miles to the lake, parked for a few hours, then started coming home. Got about 15 miles and the engine died at 65mph. She coasted to a stop on the side of the road. Got it pulled to an approach. It would crank, but not fire. Came back the next day and it fired right up. I drove it another 8 or so miles and it died on me. Pulled it home. It will occasionally start and idle for about 10 minutes, then die. When turning the key to acc, I can hear the fuel pump turn on sometimes, sometimes not. Usually not if it has already idled then died. The tank and pump were new about 8 years ago. New plugs and wires about 4 years ago. It's got a new fuel filter now, but that hasn't made a difference. Should I start troubleshooting the fuel pump relay? What else should I look at?

 

[jr600yd]

Had something similar happen to me years ago. Replaced the fuel filter, drained the tank, new coil & wires, plugs & points, fuel pump nothing solved the problem. Drove me batty! It turned out the rubber hose from the gas tank to the main fuel line dry rotted so when you step on the gas the hose collapsed and sucked air.

 

[22BRGUY]

Process of elimination. After it dies remove a plug to find out if it's getting spark or not.
Then the fuel system. Check to see if it;s pumping fuel to the TBI.
If its getting fuel and spark it has to go

 

[jbarron]

What 22BRGUY said. I had a similar issue. Turns out the pickup coil in the distributor went bad. Don't assume it is just gas related. Check spark, check fuel pressure. Go from there.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Gotta monitor fuel pressure when it happens. Im betting its a fuel pump or lines

 

[L.Sherm]

Pickup coil or fuel pump.
When it dies pull the fuel line off see if it will pump fuel into a jug or pull off plug wire and stick a spark plug in ithe wire ground it out on the exhaust manifold and see it it has spark. Spark plug is were I would start, would be the easiest route.
Also check your fuel filter.
Careful if you dont spill gas on a warm engine though.

 

[farmerjohn]

What 22BRGUY said. I had a similar issue. Turns out the pickup coil in the distributor went bad. Don't assume it is just gas related. Check spark, check fuel pressure. Go from there.

What he says, been around that block several times myself and my money is on the old hoses or the coil, and more likely the coil... John

 

[Rick300]

Not sure if they still had HEI ignition in 1987, but if they did, they were famous for quitting like that. I used to carry a spare module in my glove box - came in handy more than once.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

TBI vacuum leak(even a minor one), electrical, fuel pump. If you routinely let the fuel get low in the tank, the fuel doesn't keep the pump cool. Check for a vacuum system leak first.

 

[ckaberna]

Lots of good suggestions listed above, an interesting find on the fuel line collapse, I never would have figured that one out. I’m betting it’s the fuel pump. Had a jeep do the same thing and recently a Tacoma. Seems the fuel pump will work while cool then it gets hot and quits. I always try to keep above a 1/4 tank now I’ve read it’s much better on the pump.

 

[Bill Norris]

Typical of a coil failure. But fuel can be tricky on older model stuff especially.

 

[vahena]

What 22BRGUY said. I had a similar issue. Turns out the pickup coil in the distributor went bad. Don't assume it is just gas related. Check spark, check fuel pressure. Go from there.

Had a similar problem with my 55 chevy, when the coil got warm up it would shut down and had to weight until everything cool down.

 

[farmerjohn]

Lots of good suggestions listed above, an interesting find on the fuel line collapse, I never would have figured that one out. I’m betting it’s the fuel pump. Had a jeep do the same thing and recently a Tacoma. Seems the fuel pump will work while cool then it gets hot and quits. I always try to keep above a 1/4 tank now I’ve read it’s much better on the pump.

That would be my next step also, recently had one go bad on a big tractor. Split fuel tanks on the rear section and an electric pump in the middle to supply the fuel injector pump. At first it got hard to start, had to turn the key on and let it sit for 45 seconds and it would start fine and run, then it began to start losing power under a load. We figured it was fuel filters and changed them out and same problem. After we drained the tanks and replaced all the rubber lines, blew through all the metal ones we found that little electric pump. Didn't even know that it had one, replaced it and all was well... John

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

A funnel(to hold to your ear) with a few feet of plastic tubing(hose) will be a cheap way to listen for a vac leak. Any dry rot hose or o-ring failure, no matter what else you replace or repair engine will still not run correctly with throttle body injection.

 

[DogBuster]

Just a bit off topic......this guy in Cody WY restores 'em

Sold him a '76 GMC camper special.....clean one owner (my MIL)

454 no less........

 

[M-61]

And when the engine shuts down do the instrument lights illuminate or is the cluster dark?
I’m trying to determine if it’s an intermittent electrical problem in the ignition switch.
And I’m, unlike post #5 not betting on anything.
If you are a typical customer especially on older cars, you may tend to carry MANY keys with your ignition key. All that weight and bouncing can kill the ignition switch mechanically.
I’ve seen keys hanging that look like a janitor for the Empire State Building!
As I said I don’t bet, I try an elimination of easy troubleshooting.

 

[M-61]

Sorry for the interruption:
Does it shut off as if the key was turned off
Or is a slow sputtering shut down?

 

[rogina]

Hey guys, my old Chevy finally started giving me problems. It's a 1987 Chevy K10 with TBI. It died on the wife the other night coming home. She'd already driven it 30 miles to the lake, parked for a few hours, then started coming home. Got about 15 miles and the engine died at 65mph. She coasted to a stop on the side of the road. Got it pulled to an approach. It would crank, but not fire. Came back the next day and it fired right up. I drove it another 8 or so miles and it died on me. Pulled it home. It will occasionally start and idle for about 10 minutes, then die. When turning the key to acc, I can hear the fuel pump turn on sometimes, sometimes not. Usually not if it has already idled then died. The tank and pump were new about 8 years ago. New plugs and wires about 4 years ago. It's got a new fuel filter now, but that hasn't made a difference. Should I start troubleshooting the fuel pump relay? What else should I look at?

I had the same problem on my '95 chevy. The ignition switch has 3 parts. One is for the fuel pump. Replace the switch.

 

[lazyMlazyK]

Sorry for the interruption:
Does it shut off as if the key was turned off
Or is a slow sputtering shut down?

It's kind of a slow sputtering shutdown.

To be honest here, I learned not long after I bought the pickup that you don't even need to put a key in the ignition. I usually run it without one. I'm not sure what that means as far as the ignition switch goes, but it has worked fine for about 30K miles that way. Haha!

 

[L.Sherm]

It's kind of a slow sputtering shutdown

I would be looking at fuel starvation then.
Filter or pump.
You could also dump some fuel down the TBI if it fires back up then you know its a fuel problem