I'm at my wits end with my truck.

[thedudeabides86]

Good evening gearheads,

I have a problem, perhaps several problems. My '72 C20 with a 350 and a Holley 600 carb will not cooperate at all. Here's the gist of it all.

I got customer mufflers put on last November, NASCAR style. I should back up a few months and mention I had the brakes bled by a shop and the guy mentioned the motor was running rich. I hadn't addressed that issue when I got the new mufflers put on. So, the mufflers get installed and once they're in, I can't get the truck started. It would fire, but wouldn't run at all. This was in November. after several attempts at starting it, it kicks over and runs long enough to make the 11 mile drive back to my garage. After sitting for a week, I attempt to start it again and take it for a spin. She runs for 10-15 minutes and then stalls. Every time I gave it gas, it would peter out. It took me another several attempts to get it started long enough to get it into the garage. Fast forward to last week, on first startup in idles for 5-7 minutes and dies. I adjusted the thermostat back to the factory setting, (matching the hash marks on the thermo cover and the carb body) and checked the vacuum on the PCV Brake booster port and got a steady 17Hg. I moved the idle mixture screws in and out to the same settings on each side and still nothing. I tried it tonight and it barely wants to stayed started and if it does succeed and stay idling roughly, it dies when I hit the throttle. I'm not a carb guy or an electrical guy, so I'm learning as I go here. I do still have the points system in it and that's about it.

So, any of you who read all that, if you have any suggestions or advice, I'd greatly appreciate it because I can't take it anymore. It's driving me to drink. I guess that ain't so bad. Thanks for reading.