87 Chevy TBI problems/Front and Rear end problems

[greeneon_01]

Ive got an 87 chevy 4wd with a 350 tbi i just bought. It ran fine when i test drove it and a few days after.  When i test drove the truck the idle when up and down a little while it was cold, but stopped after it was warm..I figured it was a small vacuum leak or something..nothing major to me. But now it wont hardly run. It starts up fine..although it does seem to crank a little bit long for me before it fires over. But it runs rough when it running. It sounds like its missing a little. I can let it warm up but as soon as i take off it will die. Ususally the first time i come to a stop. It acts like its flooding out. After it dies it wont start. I have to open the butterflies and let air into the throttle body and sit for a min or two then it will fire back up. But the same thing happens as soon as i take off. It chokes out and dies. I'm not too familiar with fuel injection especially tbi. What can be the problem?

I also noticed one of the rear aluminum wheels had backed of the lugnuts and the wheel had come loose. By the time i noticed i messed up a couple studs. So while replacing the studs i noticed the axle slides in and out about 1/8 to 1/4. Why is that? Both sides do it. Do i need to overhaul the rear end? I was gonna pull the diff cover off and look but decided to wait because of the motor issues.

Last but not least..lol....i noticed the right front wheel leans in. Do the ball joints on the knuckle need replaced? What can cause that?

Thanks for your help.

[Captkaos]

TBI:
1) Are you getting a check engine light? 
2) Check the TBI area for vacuum leaks
3) Check the spray pattern on the Injectors

Rearend:
That is normal, it is C-cliped into place

Frontend:
jack up the front right and check for slop in the knuckle.

[greeneon_01]

I did have the check engine light come on a few times but it only stayed on for a few second then went off. But i have noticed that my brake light is on and stays on....i havent even touched the e brake so i dont know what thats about. Thanks for the info.

[Captkaos]

Pull the codes on it.  Just put a paperclip in the top right 2 terminals and record the flashes, (always starts with 12) and post back.

[1980c10]

just to add to what capt said it will flash "12" three times them any codes three times each trouble code then "12" when it is finished. As far as your brake light goes; if you pull the brake release lever and pull the brake up by hand will it shut off the brake light?

[greeneon_01]

Well it didnt show any codes..it just kept showing the 12 over and over. And yeah ive tried that with the e brake...it doesnt go off. But i think there something wrong with it because it doesnt feel right when you push down on the pedal. So im not sure if something is wrong with my ebrake or not.

[Captkaos]

pull up on the main brake pedal to see if the light goes off

[greeneon_01]

I pulled the brake pedal up and it didnt do anything. Still not sure on that one. Well i had a mechanic friend of mine look at the truck and put a scanner on it. It showed my tps sensor wasnt reading right. And when he tried to get the computer to pull codes it didnt do anything. He said something was wrong with the ecu. So i bought a new tps sensor and new ecu and put them in. It runs smooth now and doesnt idle up or down but as soon as i put it in gear and try and take off it still dies and wont start back up. He is supposed to hook the scanner back up to it sometime this week or weekend. But i didnt know if you guys had any ideas that might help....

[greeneon_01]

it will start up and run and idle all day long. I can put it into gear and it will run just fine...but as soon as i give it gas, it dies. Sometimes i can get it going but i can only go about 50 feet before it sputters and dies. Then it wont start. I have to let it set for awhile then it will start.

[Captkaos]

any codes now?

[greeneon_01]

its still not reading any codes...i used the scanner and it still wont pull anything...i can get it to flash a code 12 with the scanner now but it doesnt show any codes. I was told by someone else that i might just need to buy a throttle body gasket kit. Could that be my problem?

[GP3624]

 Have you tried spraying a little carb cleaner here and there to check for vacuum leaks?

[VileZambonie]

Check your fuel pressure.

Pull the wire off of the combination valve near the steering box and see if the light goes out.