Help diagnose an engine stall problem that has vexed me for almost 4 years now

[TimQ]

I'm about ready to run my truck off a cliff...but before I do that I'm hoping the collective wisdom on the board can give me some ideas to address a stalling problem I've been wrestling with off and on for about 4-years. Here's the symptons and the run down of what has been done so far:

- four years ago when I moved into my current house, the truck died twice enroute to the new home (with trailer). Shop replace plugs, wire, and distributor cap.
- For the next 2 1/2 or 3 years, she didn't get tons of use...maybe once every month or two, but she ran fine.
- Sometimes the the truck was sometimes rough to start but I chalked that up to age and sitting for so long. Eventually, starting about a year ago, sometimes she wouldn't start, and sometimes would start and run just fun
- I had it into the shop and they put new plugs in. Problems still occured.
- the truck eventually started stalling out at speed. For example, I could be going down the highway at 60 miles an hour and the engine would just quit. No roughness or sputtering...it would just quit and I'd coast to a stop. Most of the times it would start back up after just a few seconds. Sometimes not.
- one time it stalled, wouldn't start and I had to be towed. Waited 45 minutes for the tow, and my truck still wouldn't start. After it was towed home I jumped in and she started right up. Good thing I have AAA.
- After that the shop told me my carb was shot and suggested a replacement. I got a rebuilt q-jet, installed it myself, she started right up and sounded better than ever. Later that day, she died twice. Was able to get her started both times...the first time right away, the second after 10 minutes or so. I got her home and my wide swore she'd never get in the truck again with me.
- Replaced the PCV valve and fixed the hose that goes from the drivers side valve cover back to the air filter (it had come out of the valve cover so I got a new gromet that held it in place better). She ran OK for a few weeks.
- Then, in December, she died again. Could not get it started and had it towed. Was so annoyed I told the tow truck driver to just take it and see what he could find. He got to it after a few weeks and she started just fine. Given everything else that was done, he figured maybe it was the ignition controller. He replaced that and she ran great from January to March. There was only one time where she sort of quit for a split second but the engine fired back up without me even stopping.
- In March she went to the painter and I got her back two weeks ago.
- She ran great to/from the painter (more than an hour drive). She ran great the first week I had her back (I used her as my daily driver for the whole week). Yesterday I drove more than 3 hours round trip with no problems (the wife even came with me).
- Tonight I went to the store and she died as I pulled into the lot. I manged to coast into a space, tried to restart he but nothing. Went in, did my shoping and came out and she started with a bit of pumping on the gas pedal. On the 10 mile trip home, she died with a mile to go. I waited 2 or 3 minutes and she started back up and got me home.
- when running, the truck is fine. Engine runs smooth, I just clocked her at about 14 mpg (86 c-10, V6, 4.3, automatic engine with about 87,000 miles) and she seems to have decent power (as decent as you might expect in a V6). Sometimes she is tough to start and it seems pumping the had pedal helps. Other times she starts right up. There doesn't seem to be a pattern with hot vs. cold starts or anything like that. Norm does there seem to be a pattern with regard to when she will sputter and stall out.

I've done some poking around here and some other message boards and I'm now thinking maybe the fuel filter and/or fuel pump. One other outside idea is water in the tank??? I'm going to do the fuel filter tomorrow, but, before I go and buy a new pump and figure out how to replace it and/or try and drain the tank, I figured I'd see if there are any other ideas on what it might be. All suggestions welcome.

Sorry for the long post but figured more details are better.

Thanks,
Tim Q