Why would my 1993 Chevy K1500 4.3 start idling rough and sometimes die?

Asked by Dempsey1970 Aug 14, 2015 at 10:11 PM about the 1993 Chevrolet C/K 1500 Cheyenne RWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

As I stated above with what I've got when I
first got it when I accelerated it would bog
completely out and would take forever to
get up to speed but finally figured out It was
the timing it was way off so got that fixed
and now what it does when I start it in the
morning it idles great and runs great till it
warms up then it the idling starts
decreasing and increasing and will die
sometimes but will start right back up. It
doesn't run that great either when it warms
up. After it idles for a while it will start
smoking like crazy till I get it ran out. The
SES light doesn't come on and seems like
the gas mileage is a lot worse than it was
before and my lifters start chattering when
it starts this. Any help will be greatly
appreciated. Tks.

4 Answers

224,145

How was the timing fixed? New timing chain because it still sounds to me like the computer don't know how to adjust fuel mixture. I went threw something similar to this.

No it was just bad out of time the mechanic set the timing and it ran great for just a little while before I started noticing the other problems so I figure the previous owner might've had the timing set back knowing there was something else wrong with it who knows though. From everything I've been checking or reading on this particular model it can be just so many different things I just hate to spend all the money and it be something simple. I did put a temp sensor on it yesterday but didn't help. Figure I'll start cheap and work my way up. I wish it would show some kind of code but it doesn't so go figure. Appreciate any help.

224,145

Ok, you mentioned about your lifters chattering, and by the way how many miles are on it? Try adjusting the lifter rocker arms, no matter what they should not be making any noise, as long as oil pressure is good. Just may need adjustment, you may find a lifter problem. No money involved if you know how to do it, (maybe valve cover gaskets)

Yea the oil pressure holds around 60 as long as the idle is up and there's not a drop of oil anywhere on it but yea I'll adjust them inn the next couple days. Thought it might've been cheap gas like a older Ford I had that you had to run premium in it or it would chatter like crazy but I've ran everything but rocket fuel in it to no avail.

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