I have an 87 D100 with a 225 and one barrel.It had a major tune up about a year ago and has been running fine untill yesterday.Now when I start it it runs and revs up fine for about 30 seconds then starts missing and will not idle.I can't find a ballest resistor on it anywhere.Does it supposed to have one and is this the problem? It only has two wires coming out one side of the distributor so I think it is a single pickup.It doesn't have a vacuum advance and I don't think it is a lean burn as it doesn't have the big box on the air cleaner.The choke appears to be opening all the way.Could the pick up in the distributor have gone bad or maybe the coil?Any one ever have this problem?


slaubaugh@aol.com

I had the same problem with my dart. Check for a vaccume leak. Mine was around the crd base, and it didn't show up when I sprayed carb cleaner around the base of the carb. I only noticed it when I pulled the carb off to rebuild it.
Mine ran fine until it started to warm up and the choke started to open.

Good luck to you. Hope this helps.


Andyman225_99@yahoo.com

I went out tonight and checked the engine over one more time.I found a small vacuum line running from the canister in the fender that was broken.I repaired that and adjusted the choke so it opened better.It still doesn't seem to want to idle and runs rough at low RPMs.At slightly higher RPMs it seems to smooth out some.I took it for a 20 minute drive and it did ok untill I would stop,then it would start running rough again and try to die.I noticed alot of what sounded like valve chatter at mid RPMs.This happened even in the drive way when I was just reving it up.Its got me baffled as to what is wrong.

slaubaugh@aol.com

Your 1987 D100 uses the ESA (electronic spark advance) system. It's a carry over from the leanburn days. There is NO ballast resistor in the system. They finally removed the box from the air filter housing and mounted it inside the left front fender along side the battery. There is no vacuum or mechanical advance in the distributor. It is all controlled electronicaly. I have a 1987 D150 and know it well. Check the carburetor to manifold nuts. Mine like to come loose regularly and cause a idle or low speed driveability problem.

Is this a automatic or manual transmission? Manual transmission will have a single-pickup distributor. Automatic transmission will have a dual-pickup distributor.

Oh, one more thing to check, they mounted the charcoal canister on its side on the right front wheel well. After a few years the charcoal bits leak out and get sucked into the carburetor. I had that problem and it plugged up the idle circuit in the carb. You'll have to remove and clean out the carburetor. You can install a regular inline fuel filter in the purge and vent lines between the carb and charcoal canister to keep the charcoal out of the carb.

Post back with any more information you might have.


cfield@ll.net

My truck has the 4 speed(OD) transmission.Could the ESA have gone bad? Like I said before,it starts and runs fine and then its like something "clicks" and the engine starts running rough.

slaubaugh@aol.com

Try disconnecting the vacuum hose to the EGR valve on the intake manifold (below the carburetor). If this makes it idle smooth again then there could be a malfunction in the EGR system. The ESA module has a built in delay to not activate the EGR system for 45 seconds after engine start. After that the other components of the EGR system control the function of the EGR valve on the manifold.

Don't forget to check the things in my last post. Debris in the carburetor can do that too, With engine off the debris settles out. After starting the engine and fuel flows in the carb fuel circuits it can pick up the debris and block a passage.

cfield@ll.net

Just got back from my local Tunex where I had my tuneup done not quite a year ago.They said my carburetor is bad.I'll probably just upgrade it to a super six setup if this is possable with the ESA system.

slaubaugh@aol.com

Maybe they don't know how to repair carburetors anymore??? Is your truck Federal or California
emissions? California uses a O2 feedback system. Federal system does not. I don’t see any
problems to change a Federal emissions truck to a super six setup. However you should try to
retain the functionality of the curb idle ground switch that is on the present 1-bbl carb. This switch tells the ESA computer when the carburetor throttle is closed. Also on a automatic transmission truck it enhances the operation of the lockup torque converter. When I get a chance I’ll look through my information to see how your manual transmission setup differs from my automatic trans setup.


cfield@ll.net

My truck has the Federal emissions on it.I would like to put a vacuum advance distributor on it and super six it like I said.I would also like to remove the charcoal canister and the ESA computer.I do have to pass emissions here but I think it would still pass the sniff test.Is removing the ESA very hard?

slaubaugh@aol.com