I don't know if yours has the EGR that feeds the box but in mine the rod was so gummed up I had soak it in gas for about to hours to clean in up had a strong vac after that.

egr that feeds the box? You are not talking about the hose that goes into the side of the vacuum switch box with all the rest going into the end? If so that is the line I was talking about. I thought on the old 87 Ram 50 that was a vacuum line.

The carb is not that hard to work on, but you have to have the manual to do it right. I'd suspect the fuel delivery based on what you describe, and I'd test that first. Fuel filter and fuel pump, and the fuel pickup in the tank, especially if the truck sat for any length of time and let the fuel varnish up, or had some water condense in the tank.

One common carb problem is the bowl vent valve. See the tests in the fsm's that montymcv has on his site. Go thru that, and we can make it run. I'm not a fan of webers on these trucks. Too much fuel slosh and choke out on a grade with the bad bowl location. To me, it's an idiot fix, just like the time I put a Holley spread bore on a Mercedes 280 to replace the solex spread bore clone with the warped top cover and the broken rear needles cam. I was a real DA on that one...

BTW, all carbs are haunted, which is why FE is an FI fan. What do you expect from something that meters fuel by mimicing sucking on a straw...

Bowl vent valve? I do not see any procedures for it or any location.

I sprayed carb cleaner in each plugged port on the carb but haven't had time to drive it yet. I did find one on the drivers side in the middle of the three that I couldn't blow through without running a small paperclip in it and then spraying with carb cleaner. I think its something like a port that is partially plugged or plugged by a floater intermittently.
I did the checks on the carb solenoids. The feedback solenoid valve tested ok on all of the tests except I could not hear it click when I applied 12v. I don't have the best of hearing but I could hear the slow cut soleniod click very well. On the feedback if it was plugged I don't think it would run hardly at all would it?

Eventually I will figure it out or it will clean itself out on its own.

Thank you everyone for all of your guidance, it is greatly appreciated!

Bob

The FBSV only controls about half the total fuel required, with a old style orfice jet controlling the other half, so it might run, but badly, with the FBSV clogged/inoperative. I don't remember for sure, but look in the section on the vapor canister for bowl vent valve testing...

http://www.importcarburetors.com/
$250 well spent

I think it is running better and better the more I drive it which is awesome. I have it listed on craigslist and hopefully will find a buyer soon. I hate to sell it but sometimes the toys have to wait.

Update **I have been driving it more and it is now acting up more often and more severely sometimes not re-starting at all until it sits for 10-15 minutes and then it will restart and run fine for awhile. When I bought it the fuel filter was so plugged there was no way to blow through it. I am wondering before I pull the carb to check for gunk in it what the chances are that the fuel pump is worn out from trying to suck on that plugged filter for so long. What is the best way to check the pump? I guess I can drive it till it will not restart and see if I have any fuel at the carb. It acts just like it is running out of fuel when it messes up. When it isn't messing up it runs like our old ram 50 ran when it was new.

hedge your bets on where to go from here and I will jump in and start checking.!

Any knowledge passed down will be greatly appreciated. I used to be an ASE certified mechanic but got out of the business in the 90's so I am up for testing anything.

I forgot to mention one of the times that it would not fire or start I dribbled some fuel in the carb throat and it fired right up and ran until the dribble was burned up. I thought I ran out of fuel and then after I put two gallons in couldn't get it to prime and poured some down the throat and it ran but died when the poured in fuel was gone. I think I have my culprit.

What are the thoughts??