Getting it road worthy. Whats wrong with the carb.

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Did it run out of gas?...Is there any gas in the gas tank?
 
On the alternator problem, first test the fusible links.

The Wiring Diagram shows that there are 3 fusible links at that green connector (R, B, W).

From the positive(+) battery terminal, follow the lead until you see this (see below).

There are two ways you can test the fuses in the fusible links to see if they are functional.

To test while the link is connected to the battery:
Ground the black (-)negative lead of your voltmeter to the vehicle chassis.
Disconnect the plastic connector on the battery side of the fusible links
Touch the red (+) lead on each of three the leads on the battery side of the fusible link (so you are probing the leads on the battery side of the connector here)...each should read 12V+.
Reconnect the plastic connector.
Disconnect the plastic connector on the far side of the fusible links.
Touch the red (+) lead to each of the three leads on the far side of the fusible link...each should read 12V+....if one does not, that fuse is bad.
Check all three fuses.

To test with the fusible links removed from the battery:
Disconnect the fusible links at both connectors on either side of the fusible links.
Set your mulitmeter to measure resistance (Ohms) or continuity (1/Ohms).
Connect the positive (red) probe of the multimeter to one of the three contacts on one side of the links.
Connect the negative (black) probe to the corresponding contact on the other side of the link (if you can't tell which one is the one that corresponds, test all three).
If the fuse is good, you should measure on the order of tens of Ohms, meaning that there is a path for current to flow (so the fuse is not blown).
If the fuse is bad, you will measure infinity, meaning that there is no path for current to flow because the fuse is blown.

Test all three fuses (R, B and W) and report back if they are:
1) functioning properly and if so, what did you measure (in either Volts if you used the first test, or Ohms if you used the second test)
2) not function properly and what the measurement was

Fusible Link FJ60.jpg


Fusible Link Circuits FJ60 from chassis-body-1980 repair manual.png
 
How do I test if its the voltage regulator or Alternator? I was checking the battery posts with voltmeter and it was defiantly not high enough.

Also, I think I found the problem. I had it again yesterday after fixing a different problem which was the cause for the other day when I was freaking out. I drove for 30+ mins filled it with gas and was just entering back into my neighborhood and it died again. I was checking it constantly earlier and the fuel bowl was always at half. But I checked it as soon as I died and I couldn't tell anymore. I'm not sure if it was full or empty. My guess is full, because I could here it giving gas and the truck was still dying. So I'm think it filled and flooded the engine. Just my guess. My friend says its a sticking float. Opinions?

they can and do stick...let it cool down and pull the plugs at the front base of the bowl to drain...you may have to open the airhorn again and check for debris that could jam up the float...the voltage reg and alt are all one unit.....do you have 12 volts going to the field of the alt?(fuses and fusible links as Slow Left has offered...)
 
Did it run out of gas?...Is there any gas in the gas tank?

Haha that was my problem two days ago. I was so flustered thinking it was the carb I didn't think to check the obvious. Pretty stupid, I know. Yesterday was something different. Should I buy a new float? or just see if there is derbies and stuff?

I'll check the alt when I get home and let yall know.
 
Haha that was my problem two days ago. I was so flustered thinking it was the carb I didn't think to check the obvious. Pretty stupid, I know. Yesterday was something different. Should I buy a new float? or just see if there is derbies and stuff?

I'll check the alt when I get home and let yall know.

Well, if it ran out of gas, I would get a new fuel filter.
When you run the tank dry like that, any crud in the bottom of the tank will get sucked out by the pump and might get sent to the carb and plug up those newly cleaned circuits...
Pull the fuel filter that is on there, install the new fuel filter.
Cut the old fuel filter open on a white towel and do forensics on it to see if there is any crud in there.
If there is, then assume that some of that debris got into the carb, so repeat the procedure you did before with the carb cleaner with the carb installed on...blowing out all those ports.

Other thing is, when you ran out of fuel, you might have lost prime in the fuel pump.

As Lambcrusher notes, if you can't tell from the viewing glass on the carb if the fuel bowl is empty or full, with the engine cool, pull one of those plugs at the base of the fuel bowl. If fuel comes out (catch it in a little cup) there is fuel in the bowl. If no fuel comes out, there is no fuel in the bowl. This saves you from having to pull the air horn just to check if there is fuel in there.

If there is no fuel in the bowl, you are back to:
1) fuel pump isn't delivering fuel (lost prime, is burned out, clogged fuel filter...)
If there is too much fuel in the bowl...
2) the float/needle valve assembly aren't working correctly or not set to spec

I think I asked you this before, but don't remember that you gave an answer. What type of float is installed right now?
1) hard foam
2) hollow plastic
3) hollow metal
 
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Already changed out the filter!
i think I saved the old one... definitely sucked up some crud. I'll go at it and start cleaning it again.

Explain what you mean by prime in the fuel pump? I understand from context, but I've never heard the term before.

The float is hollow plastic.
 
So, just to make sure I understand, you installed a new fuel filter after the incident when it ran out of gas?

Did you check to see if there was any fuel getting to the fuel bowl (by pulling one of those two fuel bowl drain plugs below the viewing glass on the front of the carb)? If so, was there any fuel in the fuel bowl?
 
Yes. But yeah I found the problem. You were right. Some debris must have gotten in there from the other day. The bowl was empty. So I carb cleaned everything and it started up beautifully again. Bowl half way filled :D.
 
OK. Let's assume that it was debris plugging up circuit(s) in the carb. Then now, with a full tank of gas and new fuel filter, you should be able to drive it around without the engine dying...and the level in the fuel bowl should remain at 1/2 way.

I'm still kinda perplexed why the fuel bowl was empty, though.

The reason I asked about what kind of float was in there was because I have heard of issues with the hollow plastic/metal ones filling will gas, getting heavy (gas-logged), and affecting the fuel level in the bowl. Something to keep in the back of your mind in case of future trouble shooting.

Loosing prime on a pump that pumps liquids means getting air trapped in the feeder line...and because of the trapped air, the pump can't gain 'suction' to draw the fluid into the pumping diaphragm. So when you run out of gas and the fuel pump is trying to pump air (since there is no fuel to pump), after you fill the tank again with gas, sometimes that trapped air in the line can prevent the fuel pump from being able to suck the gas from the tank. Priming the pump means devising a way to get that trapped air out of the line so that liquid is once again filling the line to the pump.
 
Have you take measurements on the 3 fusible links?

If so, what are the values of those measurements?
 
I think its bad, i couldn't get a reading out of it at all.

Which fusible link is bad? All 3?

How did you take the measurements...did you measure Voltage or Ohms...were the links still connected to the battery, and if so, at which contacts did you measure?
 
Sorry I was about to add all that.

I did test 2 with ohms. All 3 I didn't get a reading from. I'm gonna try test 1 just to make sure.

I'm thinking one of 3 possibilities.

1. The fusible links aren't working properly
2. The connector for the fusible links doesn't have proper connection to the battery terminal. ( the new connector that I bought does not want to hold the Positive cable and the fusible links cable at all and the fusible links cable can be pulled out if you try. I've readjusted it 20 times trying to get it to hold it tightly.) I think its snug enough now but I don't want to test that on a dirt road quite yet.
3. My alternator is bad (duh)

The gauge in my truck while it is running is really low. I'm not sure what the exact reading should be while idling or driving. but it basically stays near the bottom(which I'm also guessing is not good).
 
I did test 2 with ohms. All 3 I didn't get a reading from.

Make sure you are probing the ends of the same fusible link (see image above, it shows which contact in the connector corresponds to which fusible link).

If you aren't sure which contact corresponds to the what, connect one lead to a contact on one side, then probe all 3 contacts on the other side. One should give you a reading on the order of tens of ohms...the other two should read infinity.
 
The gauge in my truck while it is running is really low. I'm not sure what the exact reading should be while idling or driving. but it basically stays near the bottom(which I'm also guessing is not good).

If the charging system is working correctly, the voltage at the battery while the engine is running should read ~14 volts.
 
2. The connector for the fusible links doesn't have proper connection to the battery terminal. ( the new connector that I bought does not want to hold the Positive cable and the fusible links cable at all and the fusible links cable can be pulled out if you try.

If the fusible links test out OK, then this is very likely you're problem. Must have good, tight contacts.

If the fusible links test out OK, and you fix that loose contact, and the poor charging still persists, now you are on to suspecting the alternator again...
 
If the charging system is working correctly, the voltage at the battery while the engine is running should read ~14 volts.

Yeah I had a crap multimeter.

The ohms for all three wires was .08

and I think the voltage at the bat was 12.9

(Thank goodness for Harbor freight)
 
Yeah I had a crap multimeter.

The ohms for all three wires was .08

and I think the voltage at the bat was 12.9

(Thank goodness for Harbor freight)

Alright, looks like the fusible links are good.

Was that the voltage measurement at the battery was with the engine idling?

When you are accelerating while driving, do you see the needle on the Volt gauge on the dash rise above 12V and then see it drop again to around 12V when idling at a stop?
EDIT: Nevermind, I see a couple posts up you described it...the needle on the Voltage gauge is sitting really low while running.

Have you read through the procedure for testing the charging system in the FSM? If so, is there anything that doesn't make sense?
 
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Was that the voltage measurement at the battery was with the engine idling?

Have you read through the procedure for testing the charging system in the FSM? If so, is there anything that doesn't make sense?

Yes it was while it was idling.

So from what I can gather it is pretty much the ALT right?

I looked at the FSM this morning, it mentioned testing the alt by grounding the meter to Terminal F on the ALT but I cannot find it.

Also, I checked the local shops this morning and none of them have ALT (not surprised), So whats the best route for buying one? / There supposedly is a guy near by who rebuilds them. Would it just be better to get a whole new one instead?
 

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