major problem

[zipperd50]

i have a problem with my truck. its an 89 d50 with a 2.6L 5speed..me and my boyfriend drove from newton nc to danville va which is about 170 miles one way. we were doing fine until we hit traffic and had to slow down from a steady 65 to stop and go..well none the less it felt like we ran out of gas but we didnt we stalled and it wouldnt start..no lights were on and the temp was in the middle the battery is only 2 months old..my boyfriend put some oil in it because it was a little low so we finally got it started and got off like 20 feet down the road..the engine was hot as hell so he put more oil in and some anti freeze..she started to run but felt like it had a really bad miss and would stall on any type of incline..after we got to a rest area and let it cool of for about 30 minutes the temp droped half of what it was which wasnt high to begin with and it ran like normal after that except every time the gas pedal was released to coast or loose some speed it smelled kind of like anti freeze or burning oil but would stop smelling like that when the gas pedal was pushed down again

can any one help me figure out whats wrong?

[MightyMax]

where to begin? this is one of those things where there are so many options. do you have any noticeable leaks? is their white smoke coming out of the exhaust? a bad head gasket will do this and you should check compression as vannoy said. also check your waterpump/ thermostat operation by taking ur rad cap off while it is cold and running it until it gets to temperature. when you look into the rad you will see it flowing if both items are good.

[zipperd50]

theres a lilttlle greyish smoke comming out of the exaust but only the first 5 seconds when you start it and thats it..i noticed theres a tiny leak from what it looks like just under the head in the front of the engine but its not noticable just looks barely wet..we took the cap off when it was really hot to put more in the radiator in case it was low and it was white and foamy

[zipperd50]

did the compression test and the first cylinder in the front was 165psi and the rest were 170psi..we did an oil change after running a motor flush and we flushed the radiator and put new fluid in it and got a new thermostat and one of the hoses..all the spark plugs look normal and are about a month old the same as the wires cap and rotor we also changed the fuel filter and pcv valve a month ago

[zipperd50]

it could be the original pump..the guy that traded trucks with us said it was used around a farm and hauling junk..when we got it there was 20 years of mud caked um in the suspension and in the engine and it looked like nothing was ever changed or done to it

[Ramit]

If your truck has a fan clutch, you might want to check it also.

[camoit]

On the water pump I have had the impellor come loose on the shaft. It would get hot in stop and go but cool off at speed. You might keep an eye on the overfolw bottle. If it need water every couple of days you have a cracked head or gaskit.

[zipperd50]

the temp gauge never said it was hot or anything and it doesnt ever need water..it was just a one time thing we were on the highway for about 90 miles going about 65-70mph the whole time and then we hit traffic and it just started to act up but ever since we been home its been normal..we flushed the radiator and added new antifreeze..the chilton book says 8 quarts but we cant get more then 6.5..its confusing..the guy that gave us the truck said it was a 2.0L but when we first started buying parts none of them fit so we got parts for a 2.6 and they all worked the only difference i see is the battery location is different then what the book shows

[Ramit]

Just so you know, the engine ID# is stamped on the side of the engine block,under the exhaust manifold,almost directly under #2 cylinder. At least then you will know for sure exactly which engine you have.

[raidinator]

I think you were right to replace the thermostat if for nothing more than cheap insurance. The original problems sounds to me, like an old school case of vapor lock. to make a long story short this kinda thing happens to carbureted engines once in a blue moon. (most 80's carb engines had systems to combat this problem but it can still happen there might be some systems to repair but it's a weird problem to trace) I suspect your car is fine... cheers!