73-87chevytrucks.com
73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Performance => Topic started by: countryboy279 on December 06, 2013, 02:45:57 pm
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So i have a 1978 gmc k1500 pick up, 4x4,350,th350 trans. waas driving to the store the other dday
and stopped at the store put the truck in park left it running came out five minutes later put it in drive and left when i was driving home i noticed it sounded a lot different and that it don't have as much power as it did it feelss like it only has have the power it did i was riving in snow and ice could s
Any help would be appriciated
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Do you still have the thermostatic air cleaner on the engine, or is it one of those "two chrome pie plates" open-element deals?
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It had the two chrome pie plates with the air filter in between and it had a rubber hose running from the bottom plate to the exhaust manifold but previous owner removed ot
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The problem might be carb ice. The big clue is that it was snowing; that is, that the atmosphere was condensing and freezing both at the time.
Read the first part of this thread:
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=27239.msg226597#msg226597
That open-element stuff is great for southern California, where they started. For any place where it gets cold, not so much.
The nice part is that it's easy to pick up a thermostatic air cleaner. People making mods (and who don't understand the issue) all go with the open-element thing, so you can find the stock air cleaners at the salvage yards.
The clincher will be if, after it warms up in the garage or outside, the next time you drive it, it's fine.
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I let it warm up for about 20 minutes today before driving and it it still does it would it help if i replaced the hose that was removed because there are no salvage yards where I'm at and i have the hose in my tool box
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Any heat to the carb will help if that is the problem. Where was it parked over night? What was the temperature? Can you park it some place warmer? Even an unheated garage will be warmer than outside.
Also check that the choke plate is opening all the way once it is warm. If, for example, one of the wires falls off or loses contact with the choke, you will get the same symptoms you are seeing.
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It was parked in the parking lot in -20 degree weather and it has been at least -10 degrees during the day and i don't have a garage to park it in also does the house provide heat from the exhaust im kind of new to this stuff
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The heat stove is a sheet metal box around the manifold that warms up air for the carb. The stock air cleaner has a door on it that either pulls air through the snorkel or, if it is cold, through a pipe that connects the bottom of the snorkel to the heat stove. It heats the air going into the carb so the carb doesn't ice up. The issue with icing is because liquids absorb heat when they evaporate (like sweat on a hot day; gasoline on your hands feels cold as it evaporates), and so the gasoline being used by the carb tends to refrigerate the carb. Wrong atmospheric conditions, you get icing.
Check that the choke is opening all the way as well. Run the engine for fifteen minutes (or just have the ignition key on for fifteen minutes), and then pull the top off the air cleaner and see if the choke plate is still shut (horizontal) or if it has opened (vertical).
Which carb is it?
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Thanks for the advice i'll check it out and post also i don't what size of carn all i know. is its an edelbrock
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That's OK, that's all I needed. Check that the choke is opening after fifteen minutes. Could be stuck or iced, or one of the wires came off, or the choke fuse blew.
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Not to distract you from rich but do you have a catalytic converter?
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Not to distract you from rich but do you have a catalytic converter?
1978 K-10 was the last year exempt from cats.
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Yeah I don't have cats
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Wasn't sure if someone put one on. Disregard lol
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It was parked in the parking lot in -20 degree weather and it has been at least -10 degrees during the day and i don't have a garage to park it in also does the house provide heat from the exhaust im kind of new to this stuff
I just spaced into this. Do you live in Minot or Fargo or something?
Whether it is the immediate cause of your problems or not, you need to put the stock air cleaner setup back on it. Without carb heat, it will always run poorly in cold weather, and will run really poorly below 20*F. All you need is the thermostatic air cleaner (with a working vacuum operated door and thermostat), the heat stove on the manifold (which it sounds like is still there), the heat riser pipe, and some vacuum line. The air cleaner goes on with the heat riser pipe down to the heat stove, and the vacuum line goes from the thermostat to a vacuum port or t-fitting on a vacuum line. That's it.
In the meantime, it would be really good if you could get it somewhere where it could thaw out. Have you got a buddy with an attached garage where you could borrow a stall of his garage overnight? An attached garage runs warmer than the outside due to capturing heat loss from the house. Or maybe somebody who works at a garage or some company with an overhead door where you can get it inside over night?
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Another thing you might be able to do to thaw it out is to get it up to operating temp, and then cover the whole truck with a big plastic tarp with some stones holding the edge to the ground. Those blue tarps are cheap and you can get them pretty big. Hardware store should have them. They use them for temporary roof repairs after storms to keep water out of the house until the roof can be redone. Getting the engine up to temp will probably leave enough heat in the engine to thaw out the carb and induction system if you can keep the wind from blowing it all away.
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If you send me your location, I'll see if I can locate the stock air cleaner near you. You can PM it if you want, or email me at weyand[at]rcn[dot]com.
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I live in western north dakota i don't know anybody that has a garage where i can park but i will see if about puting the house back on and i think i have an engine block heater there is a plug hanging out of the gril so i might try plugging it in at night
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Block heater won't help a carb icing problem much, but it can't hurt. You could use one up there anyway.
Here's one off a 1987 C-20 in Valley City, east of you. I think that's the same as the 1978. Anyone know for sure?
If you call them, ask them for the heat riser pipe (or heat stove pipe), too.
1987
Air Box/Air Cleaner
Chevy Truck 20 Series
5.7LTR. OFF IN 145007
$50
Gille Auto USA-ND(Valley-City)
1-701-845-0171
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Yeah I'm in Dickinson thanks for the info i'll give it give it a try
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Rummel's doesn't look big enough to have one, but they might. Worth a call.
Lots of places in Bismarck, though. JNR, CK, Wetch, Frontier. I would just start dialing. Somebody will have one there, and it's over a hundred miles closer. I found two here in the one auto yard we have in Bloomington, IN, and it's about the same size as Bismarck.
You want 1) air cleaner body with thermostat, 2) air cleaner lid, 3) heat stove pipe.
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I put the hose from the exhaust manifold to the air cleaner on let it run for a little bit but it still runs bad i don't really have a way to get to bismark right know i this truck is my only vehicle right know i don't want to take it on a long trip is there any site online that might would have one
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I found the one at Gille Auto in Valley City on car-part.com. Those yards will ship parts. But they won't be open until tomorrow.
This will work. You have to work up a heat stove pipe.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/79-81-Camaro-Z28-factory-air-cleaner-/171180697625?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27db2a2819&vxp=mtr