Stuck in Gypsum, CO! HELP!

[matts86chev]

So I'm in the middle of moving from Minnesota back to California. I have my 86 C10 with a 305 loaded down with a Haley Davidson, my toolboxes and some clothes and now my truck won't run right. I drove 13 hours last night and it ran perfectly at 80-85 mph. Then came the Rockies. It was charging up the gradeswell enough at first and then suddenly I felt it lose power and sputter. I pulled over to check oil level, coolant, etc... And all were fine so I tried again and made it to the downslope and coasted down. Then came Gail pass. I had to baby it all the way up right lane flashers on 30 mph sputtering all the way. Finally hit the top and coasted down. It started running great again so I figured maybe it was the altitude... Now here I am in gypsum/eagle, CO. One mechanic told me they had no clue and te guy that works on older vehicles is out of town. The only other option is Midas. I have no clue what's up. I replaced the fuel filter and ran seafoam (before I replace the filter). It seems to e getting worse. Before it would run a bit then sputter then run again now it runs sputters an dies really quick if I give it any gas. It's carbureted too, not TBI. I replaced the fuel pump, fuel line and fuel pump pushrod last summer, replaced the dizzy cap, rotor, etc... Last year as well. No clue. Any help would be great. I'm stumped sitting here with it idling to charge my phone before I camp in the parking lot.
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[INSIDIOUS '86]

What's your altitude? The higher up you go the less oxygen there is for the engine.
Have you played with timing? Can't remember if I had to advance or retard timing at high altitude

What carb do you have?
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[mickeykreg]

Mine was doing almost the exact same thing on a recent trip from here up through Montana and Idaho and back. I ran one of the tanks outta gas and it started running bad, and getting progressively worse. Changing the fuel filter fixed my problem.
It's not vapor-locking when your heating while climbing the passes?
One of the heater hoses didn't relax and settle on the fuel line?

Bummed to hear of your predicament...I can relate.

[kjc292]

check your vac hoses leading to the carb. my truck started to sputter and die one day coming home from work. its a manual, at stops i had to keep it in neutral and get the gas pedal down. it took me an hour to find out the hose from the distributor to carb had wiggled off. fixed the problem instantly. also one time it go a little hot under the hood and a rubber cover cracked and was allowing air to flow by. i noticed you said you were going 80-85 with all that that. maybe the same happened.

[homemade87]

Did you happen to fill up just before this happened. May have gotten some gas with water. Also running seafoam can loosen up crud in the carb and stop up things . Sounds like a fuel starvation. Where is your fuel filter and what kind is it. Is it a paper filter in the carb. What kind of carb is it.

[Desert1957]

X2 on the fuel filter

(Seafoam and Fuel Filter) at the same time???

[gchemist]

I had similiar problems going up inclines. Trace it back to a bad fuel pump. Cheap to replace with some simple tools.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

When I was a truck driver those are some super nasty hills, and would be worse because you have a carb. Your carb is now running supper rich, and advancing the timing supposedly helps. Never done it personally. Once you past Gail its all down hill, and you will be fine in 100 or so miles.

For future reference its best to avoid those hills in old vehicles, and take the 80 to the 15. Or take the 25 to the 40. There is a couple of state highways you could cut a few minutes of of the 25-the 40, but running across indian reservations is touchy.

[matts86chev]

Thank you all for the replies, info and support! Yesterday I took it to a mechanic and they thought maybe it was the coolant temp sensor the computer uses to adjust timing because it was unpluggedz it ran over 100 miles perfect while it was cool out until we stopped for a few minutes. Then we made it 5 miles before being on the side of the interstate again. Barely got it to a mechanic in the next town and he drove it around and whatever and said he thought it was the fuel pump but it had started running fine again so we all figured now that it had cooled down it probably wouldn't do it again. Drove another 100 miles before getting stuck in the absolute middle of nowhere 35 miles past green river Utah where the next stop is Salina, 87 miles away. So today I'm going to throw parts at it like a fuel pump and ECM and see what happens.
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[tony58]

Will definitely be a "memorable" experience.

[matts86chev]

Mechanic in green river, Utah is unsure about what the problem is. I bought a new fuel pump and am having him put it in. Hopefully that's it.
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[homemade87]

Originally Posted by matts86chev

Mechanic in green river, Utah is unsure about what the problem is. I bought a new fuel pump and am having him put it in. Hopefully that's it.
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Keep us posted, Hope things work out for you.

[Unca]

only when hot? have someone throw an ohm meter on your coil. then get coil hot n try it again.

[matts86chev]

Man, thank all you guys for the help and support! It took 4 mechanics and me urging one just to put the fuel pump I had already bought in but we finally made it. That fuel pump barely lasted a year! But the new one handled the mountains like a champ!
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[Ziegelsteinfaust]

What part of Ca are you moving too?

[gchemist]

Hey, mechanical pumps are not made to do 80-85 MPH on a truck designed for 55 MPH!! Our trucks do feel good doing 80-85 MPH. I've gone on the Texas toll road speed limit of 85 with no problems. One day, I'll do the whole stretch just to burn through some fuel!! Yea, 41 miles at 85 would be less than 25 min!!!

[matts86chev]

Especially not with the bed loaded down with a Harley Davidson and tool boxes!
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