Hey guys, first off this is my first post. I've used the search engine a lot and I can't really find a good answer to my question. I drove the truck this morning and it died about five times, I had to use neutral to help me get to my destination (yeah I know not good for the tranny). Anyways, I apologize as I'm not super knowledgeable about vehicles, but I'm learning (especially non EFI).

Question: My truck idles fine in park and in neutral, I turned the curb idle screw up a little bit just to see if the dying in gear would clear up...didn't really clear up. The idle is fine in park and in neutral...sometimes it doesn't sound as high as other times, but it won't really die just in park or neutral. I did have a few problems with the choke recently, but they cleared up and now the choke's open completely when it's warm and idles fine. BUT basically everytime I put the vehicle in gear, it dies. I have to keep giving it gas with the peddle to prevent it from dying. This all started happening after I tried adjusting my fast-idle a little bit, which I adjusted BACK after this problem started occurring to it's previous position. What do you guys think? Accelerator pump in the carburetor? Fuel pump? Old carburetor? I don't think it's the timing, she purrs like a kitten in park and neutral. It's pretty cold up here (Been about -15F recently) and she starts up fine, just doesn't run well in gear.

Also, occasionally the truck won't die in gear when I stopped. BUT, when I do give it gas and start accelerating, it's as if there's a flat spot and the car wants to die. As soon as I get by this sensitive spot and give it more gas and it revs up, she accelerates up fine. Thanks for any help guys...not sure if I'll make it home today hahaha

Truck's a Dodge W150 318, with the Holley 6280 2 Barrel carburetor.

 

Sorry, I forgot to add that I in the past couple months I've put new hoses, new fuel filter, new plugs, new wires, new pcv valve and pcv crankcase filter, and timed it (after timing it and before this in gear dying problem, truck ran like a dream).

 

Almost sounds like the idle is too low.

What's it idling at?

 

Well, I don't have any gauges setup to read the rpms but i can just tell from ear that it sounds higher than normal (which I prefer it that way since during winter here most vehicles like that extra warmth from a higher speed anyways). I cranked up the curb idle screw a couple days ago and that improved the park and neutral idle, but didn't remedy the stalling in drive and reverse

 

have you tried adjusting the mixture screws?

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I haven't tried readjusting the mixture idle screws yet, I've been leaning more towards rebuilding the carb first before I do that. What do you guys think?

 

i would try adjusting the idle mixture screws screws first. it may save you from having to rebuild a carb that may not need to be rebuilt and you could still have the same problem after the carb is rebuilt. when adjusting idle mixture screws remember that what you do to one side you got to do to the other. they got to be adjusted equally.

 

I wonder if your torque converter isn't unlocking. My friend has an '82 W150 automatic w/ the slant six and sometime his torque converter sticks, therefore stalling the engine.

 

Thanks so much for the replies guys. Well, it's getting pretty cold up here so I decided during this long Thanksgiving break to just re-build the carb anyways, looks so gummy. I got a question for you guys, is there any easy way to identify whether it's a 2280 or a 6280? I need to buy a kit and I don't want to buy the wrong one...I was under the impression that it was a 6280 until the only numbers I found on it were R7889-2049 on the front of the Carb. It does say Holley but doesn't say anything else except that previously mentioned number. Any ideas?

 

And Crazzywolfie, your right I probably should have adjusted the mixture first but I already had a tussle and got the carb off after a long time with the fuel line nut before I read your second post. I feel like I'm obligated to re-build it now so I won't feel like I wasted the effort taking it off