Ok, got this car from a friend. here's the scenario:

 

84 GL wagon with 3 inch lift on 28s. 315,000 miles, 4 speed.

 

Idles and revs fine, but as soon as it starts driving it dies. Usually starts right up after about 5 minutes, no noticeable smoke. Has anyone else experienced this? I haven't and I'm totally stumped.

 

Not sure if it's a fuel, exhaust, or electrical issue.

 

Replaced both fuel filters and fuel is certainly getting to the carb. Since I can high rev it while it sits all day I'm not convinced it's a carb issue. The exhaust is only a few years old, no cat, temperature steadily declines down the length of it so I'm pretty sure there's not a backpressure issue either.

 

Alt gauge shows low charge, drops lower for each accessory, down to about 8. However a nearly full charge is shown at the battery. I've replaced the Alt, Disty, Battery, and Coil and nothing changes. I'm wondering if it's a faulty gauge... I had a friend with an early VW Rabbit who had a faulty circuit in the gauge cluster that caused the electrics to cut out. Everything on this car continues to work, it just shows a really low charge. Is there some sort of fail safe circuit in this car that cuts off fuel when the charge runs too low? Or vice versa?

 

The most recent work done on the car before this issue was replacing the fuel gauge sending unit. It ran fine for a few weeks before this issue so I don't believe they're related.

 

Suggestions?

When you say it "dies" - do you mean it dies like it's being starved for fuel and it's struggling to pull the car forward or that it dies like someone just turned off a switch?

 

The voltage gauge reading low could be the gauge - you need to check it with a meter. Shotgunning parts at it when you haven't verified where the problem lies is costly and time consuming with no guarantee of results.

 

Use Science.

 

GD

I would say starved. Sometimes it sputters, and sometimes it just drops. Everything else continues to work, and most times it starts right back up. I have a ton of spare parts so cost is not really an issue, but I do agree on time

Well,

Swapped out the gauge cluster and the alt gauge worked, but the car still died. Swapped the carb and now it seems to be running ok, hasn't died...yet...