It is getting worse. Today on my way home, anytime I tried to take off from a stoplight or stop sign, especially on an incline my truck will try to stall out, it makes what sounds like a air releasing towards the end of the stutter and then rpm's come back up and she keeps running.

I don't even know where to begin. No check engine light comming on for this, nothing. It is getting quite unsafe and annoying as it happens through turns at intersections and I have come close a few times.

Any ideas, I was wondering clutch, as that is kind of how it feels, like when you are learning to drive a stick and don't quite have the stop to first gear gear down and it jerks until you get up to rpm. But then again, if that was the case it should just be slipping as opposed to stalling right? Would a head gasket cause this? My dad thinks it could be the coil on the way out and just causeing it to miss really bad. Any other ideas? Thanks as always! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Oh yeah, she has 157K on her...

It could be timing maybe?? I set my timing wrong before and it ran kinda like what your discribing. Also the spool might have somthing to do with the loose of power? You should be able to fix it and have a nice running truck, We bought my troop when it had 156,000 miles on it, and we've put well over 100K on it sence then. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

does it idle properly?

It idles a bit high and a little rough sometimes, and OCCASIONALLY when making turns, whether clutch in or not, it will drop rpms real low, like 500 and try to die while the wheels are turned, but when I straighten them up the RPMS come back up and it is fine. But for the most part yes, it idles fine, besides being a little high (like 1000-1200 RPM).

As in spool are you talking about the lincoln locker, Badtroop?

There is a slight miss in the idle the last few days, and as soon as I get paid on this last job I did I was going to tune her up. The thing that gets me is it isn't everytime, at least not until today, and even today it was only 60% of the time and only when taking off. It will do it if I shift to a higher gear and I am driving with it around 1800-2200 RPM and miss real bad on me, but if I bring the RPMS back up to around 2400 it won't do it.

Also, When I threw that belt a month or so ago, could that have thrown my timing off? The truck was doing it before that even happened though, although it was to a far less extent and has progressiviely gotten worse, then better for a few days, then worse again.

Wondering if fuel pump could be weak or you have manifold vacuum leak. Same vac/fuel pressure gauge could test both.
If the vacuum brake booster rubber diaphragm leaks, it will make a hissing noise.

I'd spray some starter fluid around intake manifold and tbi, while engine runs, and listen for change in idle speed.

Good idea, I'll check that. Also:

Could it be a vacuum leak from somehwere else?

There is a black cylinder looking thing near my radiator that has tank and purge on the lid. What is this? The robber grommets are worn out, and the tube comming out of "purge" keeps popping out. Could this be related?

That black cylinder sounds like your charcoal cannister. The hose you mention should go to your intake manifold. It coming loose might be the vacuum leak causing your problem.

The connection at the intake end is a thermal switch with two vacuum connections, one above the other. It is on the driver's side of the manifold, forward of the TBI.

Cool, can I pick up those rubber fitting replacements at a local parts store? They are both really worn out and look to be cracked. The line itself is just fine, just the rubber fittings are worn. So this could be what is causeing it?

Here is a pic of my engine and an arrow pointing to what I am talking about: