Tippecanoe41

Hello. I'm definitely not a mechanic, so bare with me if I say anything stupid. Sorry this is a bit long but I just want to put any useful information out there. I've got a 92 Pickup 4WD Automatic with 3.0. I bought it cheap and have just been replacing some small things like lights that aren't working, etc. It's been running like a champ. Recently I've had some issues. One was when it was cold out it just wouldn't crank sometimes whether cold or had just run a few minutes earlier. If I put the accelerator all the way down when cranking and kept on the pedal good after it cranked it would run fine after just a few seconds. Don't know if it's related to my big problem.
Anyway, the biggest problem: When it first happened I was driving about 50 on the highway and it was like the truck just completely got choked off from any gas getting to it. Just kept my foot on the accelerator like it was and the gas started again after 1/2 second and I went on. It did it a couple more times then went fine for the next 25 miles or so with no problems. Then it really got bad. It did it while accelerating around 20 MPH then a couple times more and when I was around 50 again it did it several times and the truck seemed to "lurch" or "lunge" a bit while it was getting choked of gas this time, almost like the feeling of a hard shift but it wasn't shifting. It's more of a lunge than if you, for instance, were cruising at 50 and just let off the gas completely. I tried to just keep my foot in it to get off the highway but it was like I wasn't even hitting the gas and the pauses with absolutely zero gas got longer and longer and it died when I had to stop at a red light. I was almost off the highway so I tried to restart it but it wouldn't crank. I stuck my foot on the floor and it would start but would only stay running if I was giving it a LOT of gas. I could never get it moving because I couldn't let off the gas to get it into drive so eventually someone helped me pull it to a friend's place. Next day, my old man went with me and we had said the day before that we thought it was running hot so we put a new temp gauge on it since mine had recently broken. Also, during the cold season I found out that I couldn't get hot air to blow from the vents and it was because the person who had it before had cut out the thermostat--it's seal and gasket were still there but the "guts" of the thermostat had been cut out. I cut mine out like he had done as a way to hopefully just get it going until home and I could figure out the problem and as a bit of a diagnostic test. Temp ran about 180 with just a short time getting to 190 according to the gauge. I got it onto a country road and cruising around 50 it started to get choked again. Not as bad as before but still doing it momentarily. I pulled over. My dad checked it and he said it seemed like there was a lot of pressure on the top main radiator hose. To check it out himself and see if he could get it home he jumped in and turned the heat all the way up. He drove 10 minutes without an issue. I drove it today with the heat on and it ran about 180 and only choked out a couple times for 1/2 second each time.
So, I feel like I have a couple issues. If I have to cut out the thermostat to let it just free flow to stay at 180, I would think I have a problem with it overheating for some reason. Also, I imagine that I have to have a different problem because 180 doesn't sound too hot that it would cause problems and it was still doing the choke/lunge thing a few times. Don't know what the temp was when it first died on the highway and wouldn't start. The only thing anyway has mentioned to me so far is a fan clutch but I have no idea if that sounds intelligent or not. I'd appreciate any help and thanks for putting up with my long post.

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like you have more then one problem.

The stalling sounds like an electrical problem could be as simple as a bad ground or poor connection. Not knowing if you have done a tune up yet it can`t hurt.

190 to 195 seems to be the range for quite a few thermostats

Your radiator just might be old and tired blocked up from poor maintenance over the years

Don`t just go changing parts unless they do need changed find out what is wrong.

It can get quite expensive to get these trucks back in shape.

Tippecanoe41

I had considered from some other reading replacing distributor, rotor, plugs, wires. Seems like a good maintenance thing to do and they could be very old as far as I know. Fairly inexpensive for the parts.

Tippecanoe41

Anybody else have any ideas? I'm at a loss here and would really like to get this sorted out. Not much for diagnostics myself so I appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

grumpin

I would start with the heating problem first. Get the radiator flushed or replace it. Flush your engine and heater core also. I would put in a 180° thermostat. Then see if the lunging problem is still there.

keller89pickup

I have an 89 Pickup with a 22RE. While driving on highway, truck started to hesitate and lunge at the end of each gear (5-speed). I thought it was a fuel problem, possibly fuel filter or pump. The fuel filter is in tough location, so I brought it to a mechanic and they said it’s most likely a timing issue. The timing is off 25 degrees and they need to take off valve cover to see if the timing Chain jump. Any thoughts? Do you think the mechanical timing is off? It’s got a 145K and as far as I know the timing chain has never been replaced.