Stubborn M880

[DaleB]

At times, my truck just will not start. Last fall it refused to start, so I ignored it all winter. Fired right up when I turned the key last week. Drove it a couple of days, less than 10 minutes each time. I was pulling small clumps of brush, to make an obstacle course for the Military Exploring Post I run here. This morning, doing nothing different, it would not start. Let it sit for about 6 hours, and it fired right up. Am I missing something. Mechanical fuel pump and in-line filter were changed last summer.

 

[N1265]

check ballast resistor, white thing on firewall with two plugs going to it .

 

[Flyingvan911]

Also check your distributor cap. It could be cracked. My dad had a '74 Club Cab. He always carried a spare ballast resistor, distibutor cap, and air filter. When the air filter got dirty enough, the engine would just stop and not restart. The air filter looked clean. Replaced it and the truck fired right up.

 

[nattieleather]

That sounds like the problem too. I know way back in the day when I was driving these trucks we carried a spare in the glove box.

 

[Bob H]

choke

 

[lacoda56]

Choke, ballast resistor, ECU (rectangular box on the left inner fender with plug), dist. cap, etc. Welcome to my world! The best I've done with a new ECU was 6 months, the worst 6 miles. I carry a spare one of those, too. And make sure you ground everything!

 

[Bob H]

Ensuring a good clean ground to the ECU goes a long way.
This may require adding grounds from batt to fender & fender to firewall.

Dale,
You need 3 things, air, fuel & spark.
When it is not starting, one needs to check those items.

Chokes on the BBD are finicky, if it is fully closed and it is above freezing, it'll flood out.
After sitting and the fuel evaporates from the spark plugs it may fire right up.
If it is cool out and the choke is stuck wide open, it won't like to start.

Does fuel squirt in the carb when you rotate the throttle open?
a dirty fuel filter can plug and stop the flow of fuel, then after sitting some dirt falls off the filter and it will run again.

Spark, a weak ground at the ECU (they ground via the metal case to whatever it's bolted to).
corrosion / loose fasteners can cause intermittent spark.

 

[silverstate55]

One way to ensure a good ground, is to run a heavy-gauge wire from the ground point(s) directly to the battery's negative terminal...if you have dual batteries on the same side, just pick a ground; if you have separate dual batteries, then run that ground wire to the closest battery.

You'd be amazed at how corrosion & rust can have a detrimental effect on chassis grounds. I usually manage to clear up a good portion of electrical problems by doing this, and retro-fit every one of my vehicles this way.