Road Trip - L.A. to Jackson Hole UPDATE: I am cursed. I'M BAACCK...

[diesel4me]

Maybe its NOT fuel related??

Could be its not a fuel problem,seeing you replaced nearly everything in the entire fuel system!...maybe a pick up coil in the distributor,or the coil is going south?...but its weird it only does it on hills or hard pulls..maybe the gas cap isn't venting and its stopping the flow of fuel??(wont let air in the tank)..I'd replace all the rubber hoses and steel gas lines,if they look even a bit suspicious..maybe "T" in a fuel pressure gauge you can watch while your driving,and see if pressure drops next time its acting up?..

My sister had a Vega that would run about 1 mile before "running out of gas"--I put in a new electric fuel pump,in the gas tank of course--it ran great for a few days..then did the same thing! --I assumed the new pump might have been defective,it was rather noisy compared to the old one (whick ran and pumped great when I hooked it to a battery! )--another new pump was installed(in her drivway in snow,in january! )..

It did the same exact thing the next day..at the same spot 1 mile away,it dies,and it always started back up before,and you could limp home,might have to pull over a few times,but it would make it--but this time it would not re-start,and I had to tow it to her house..

The fuel pump was working--I took off the gas line to the carb,turned on the key,and got a shower of unleaded!--so I ruled the pump out(it didn't work when I tested the others this way,so naturally I thought the pumps were junk)..I found a large hornet(wasp) stuck in the gas filter that goes in the carb behind that big nut..AH-HA!! I thought SURE that was the problem!--but after putting in a new gas filter--1 mile away,it stalled AGAIN! ..now I'm really getting pissed at this POS!.....

Towed it home,and let her borrow MY car!--while I tried to get her Vega to run more than a mile..I called a few garage mechanics I deal with at the parts store,and told them what it was doing..one guy said "Replace the oil pressure sending unit!" --But WHY??--the oil light worked normal--came on with the key "on",shuts off after its running,just like it should!..

BUT--its also tied in with the fuel pump wires!--sort of a "kill" switch,so if you lose oil pressure,it shuts the fuel pump OFF! ..I kinda knew that,but never really thought of that until he told me !!..replaced the oil sending unit,and it ran 3 more years until she sold it with NO problems!--I ripped my hair out on that car--and spent a week under it in slush putting in fuel pumps,and about 100 bucks worth of other un-needed parts! --is the oil pressure switch on later trucks set up the same way??..something to consider!..

 

[Skigirl]

Greg: Yes, some things are best left without details

Blazinuk: yeah I thought about gas, but the only prob was on those two grades, and of course there were more than a few stops for gas in different staes and areas... . Timing wasn't checked, but again, no other symptoms other than on the two grades. All the hoses were checked. Also checked for vacuum hose problems.

However.....

Deisel4me: I replaced the gas cap when the fuel system was fixed. I don't think the electric fuel pump wiring is connected to the oil pressure sending unit.

But as an aside... Before I left L.A., I took the truck in for maintenance on everything (no time to do this myself before the trip with the other stuff I had to get done on it) - and one of the things I had them do was to change the oil.

On the way back, after the last bog down going up those grades I noticed that the oil pressure read low - usually I run at about half or a little over half. it was down to 1/4. When I dropped into L2 the pressure came up and so did power. At the next stop for gas I checked the oil and it was DRY. Why does this happen? Does the shop shortchange people on oil as a rule (it's happened before at different places), or do they not warm up the engine then check the oil level again before they release the vehicle to the customer?

Anyway, I added oil and co-incidentally didn't have any more problems. Maybe there's some other relationship of oil pressure to power loss?

 

[diesel4me]

Maybe..

We noticed at my friends shop at least half of the cars we fixed were low on oil when we checked the dipstick(some were SO low,it didn't READ on the stick! )--many of the customers were shocked when we told them,and said "but I just had my oil changed 2 weeks ago at "Jiffy lube" or wherever!..

I would not doubt many cars dont get filled ALL the way up after an oil change--I see it happen to my younger brother who uses those "quik lube" joints rather than give me 10 bucks to do it all the time..every time I check his oil for him(he's maintinence impaired ) its low,even if he just had it done!..I dont trust the "mechanics" at those places,and I myself have used the overhead "oil rack" fill guns at shops,and many of them are inaccurate--you set the dial for 5 qts,and only 3 or 4 actually go into the engine.

But you might have used some oil due to the extreme heat and the high speed drive,so its possible it WAS full after they changed it!..(you have to keep a close eye on the oil level in chevy motors in hot weather--they DO use some,and you might never SEE it being burned!).

I dont think running it low on oil would cause it to "bog out"--unless it was nearly empty! --and I doubt the motor would ever be the same after one run like that--it would be smoking,knocking,etc..

The "Vega" scenario wont apply to your truck,having an "aftermarket" electric pump and a carb--but it is good info for others wo have in-tank pumps and TBI..who'd think an oil pressure switch would have anything to do with the fuel pump???..

Anyway,I hope you find the problem so you can go anywhere without any worry--its bad enough dealing with road rage and traffic,nevermind breaking down in a strange place.. --I'd be REALLY paranoid if I were a girl!

 

[Skigirl]

Thanks for the info deisel. Probably did burn off - oil levels were fine for 1500 miles of the trip.

It's a PITA to be stranded - girl or guy. Maybe scarier for girls, and certainly we tend to pay more for repairs. But thankfully there are some great guys out there to look after us. The highway patrol officer who stopped and stayed with me until the tow truck driver came was just wonderful. The tow truck guy was great - we hung out for a while. The mechanics were sincere and helpful and answered my unending questions without getting exasperated.

But it pays for women to keep their eyes open and stay aggressive when needed. Also weapons are good...

Oh, and as an aside, this was the best thing I brought with me besides my credit card... I have a 40 gig Ipod, so had days and days of tunes with no repeats

 

[FWP]

What a story, glad you made it back . Does your K5 have a CAT? I had a similar problem. After all the other avenues were exhausted (no pun intended), measured the back pressure at the converter, 14 psi Anyway just a thought.

 

[sweetk30]

i work auto shop and i will NEVER GO TO OR SEND ANY ONE TO ( QUICK LUBE FAST LUBE SPEEDY LUBE ) type places. i have seen to many striped out pan plugs and air filter lids on wrong and not correct level of oil in pan. or just screwed up stuff. when in a jam go to the local bissness man he might be a few bucks more for lube/oil/filter but we do a better job on the major stuff.


and do you realy need your car / truck vacumed out for the few dollers less and then get all the problems with it.

 

[Skigirl]

Fred - thankfully, no cat. One less thing to worry about.

SweetK30. Yea, you're right. I'd much rather spend a few bucks more for guys who know what they're doing.

BTW, when I drove into the GM dealer in Nephi, I was really glad to see 3 old guys lined up in a row in chairs, watching the scenery. They were the mechanics - the youngest had to have been 50+. They'd been working on cars since they were kids. Not much they didn't know, especially about a 1970's truck. It was like talking to the Yoda of auto repair. Warm, fuzzy feeling, gives you that...

 

[diesel4me]

"Quikie" Lube..

I think a lot of the trouble with the "fast lube" places is ..
1."Meknicks" that work there not qualified..they hire any "grease monkey!" (at least in our area!)..many should be flipping burhers,not changing oil or fixing cars..
2.They are in too much of a hurry--who can change the oil,check ALL the other fluids,AND vacuum out your car-all in TEN MINITES or less!??..It takes me ten minites just to let ALL the oil drain out!..good work takes time!
3.Too many different cars,and they are all different..no "getting used to" or familiar with one particular car--NO mechanic knows all about every kind of car!..I prefer to let someone who KNOWS about my vehicles work on them if I feel I cant do it myself..even if it costs more,its worth it..

Another thing is they "skimp" on using the right fluids sometimes..like putting dextron in a mopar tranny that needs a different type of fliud,because they have a 55 gallon drum of dextron,and it will take too long for 5 quarts of the "right stuff" to be delivered to them from a parts store..A lady I know had her Honda serviced at one place,and they put dextron in the power steering pump!--Honda's need special P/S fluid,and it ruined her pump and the rack and pinion seals!.. --she had to take them to court to get refunded for her expense..she LOST money in the end!.

4. I hear way too many "horror stories" about drain plugs being left loose,or not even put back in!--or forgot to put the oil in,etc. .No "Jiffy Lubes" for me--as long as I'm able to crawl under my vehicles,I'll do it myself!..