Semi-OT: stumbling problems with 440 Power Wagon

From: Jason Bleazard (dml@bleazard.net)
Date: Tue Oct 05 2004 - 14:40:35 EDT


My dad asked me if I'd post to the list looking for suggestions. My
grandfather had a mid-70s (not sure the exact year) Power Wagon with a 440
in it. Since my grandfather passed away, the truck spends most of its
time sitting in my grandmother's yard being neglected, although my cousin
drives it once in a while. Recently my dad borrowed the truck to move
some furniture, and he said that it ran fine until it warmed up, then it
felt like it was going to die whenever he stopped at a light. If he
turned it off and let it sit for a while, it would run fine again until it
started getting hot, then the same problem happens all over again.

He contacted a friend who owns a local Dodge dealership, and that guy told
him it was probably the carb. He offered to see about getting the carb
cleaned up and re-built if he brought it in. Turns out it's some kind of
plastic body carb (I didn't know such things existed, but that's what I
was told) that can't be re-built, and the dealership won't even take it
apart as they won't be able to put it back together without damaging it.
Rather than throw a whole new carb at it and just hope that fixes things,
my dad wants to be sure that's really the source of the problem first.

I do have to apologize for the inexact description I'm posting, but I
haven't actually driven this truck myself in years, so I'm just going on
what I remember from a phone conversation.

Any ideas of things to check? Any way he can be sure exactly what the
problem is before throwing parts at it?

I'll forward any responses to him. If you need more information, I can
forward that request as well.

Thanks in advance.

-- 
Jason Bleazard  http://www.bleazard.net  Burlington, Ontario
his:  '95 Dakota Sport 4x4, 3.9 V6, 5spd, Reg. Cab, white
hers: '01 Dakota Sport 4x4, 4.7 V8, Auto, Quad Cab, black



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