I'm traveling and my truck started knocking really bad and losing electrical power and eventually died on the side of the road. I tried to start it and it just can't quite turn over, but I have all my power, lighs radio, etc. I'm thinking it's the distibutor or maybe a coil. It's pretty late and I'm in a hotel so any ideas will help before I wake up and get it towed to the stealership in the morning. But at any rate, I just had a marlin HD transmission put in and it runs great. Man, those guys do great work. Thanks, Paul

 

What do you mean by "just can't quite turn over"? Does it crank fine and just doesn't start. Carb or F.I.? Did you try spraying starting fluid in the air cleaner to see if it's fuel related? More info needed

 

Sorry, it's fuel injected and no I haven't tried that. It's always pigned a little I've just never gotten around to changing the fuel filter. My charge light and brake light came before it happened then all the other lights followed

 

I would definetly check out the distributor. I had a similar problem happen to me on the freeway a couple of years ago in an old Impala I used to have. My Uncle is a mechanic, he brought a new distributor to me on the side of the freeway we through it in and she started right up... The problems you described above match the description of how the car reacted before dying on me.

 

Classic indicator that your alternator is going. Try a GSR (good, sharp, rap) on the back of the alternator. Sounds like the brushes. Easy fix, about $25.00

As for the knocking... I can't say.

 

Whats the milage on your timing chain?

 

When my ALT. started going bad (i.e I didn't tighten up the one nut on the back) it gave me the same indication. Look at the alt.