I don't have the exact make/model with me ATM but can go get it. This is a 90 model with the 6 cylinder engine. So it runs a tiny bit rough but once it starts it is good to go .. that is until I stop it and it doesn't have enough power to get moving again. This has happened to me twice. Once I was driving on a hot day on the highway. So I got off the highway and was on an incline of maybe 10 degree, maybe a bit more, stopped at a light. This is a standard transmission and it just wouldn't go up the hill. I have a reasonable amount of experience with standard transmissions (have had multiple vehicles) Regardless, it was like it didn't have enough power and wanted to stall. I was a bit anxious being on the access road of the highway, but some guy had a tow rope and kindly pulled me off to the side in a parking lot where I camped until early in the morning. I then started it and it drove home just fine.
So from then on I only drove it at night after it had cooled down. The problem never occurred again. Then when I decided to go move it to a more permanent parking place during the day and the same thing happens. It was a Summer day and after having driven it for many miles, I pull into my driveway and it'd barely want to move. If I remember right, it is like the engine no longer has sufficient power to get the truck moving. Now, I never noticed the problem while it was moving. So somehow the engine was providing enough power to keep it going, but from a stand still it'd just stall when I tried to take off.
I has an after market oil gauge and I BELIEVE the temperature indicated that it was hot the last time it happened. I'm just never expecting it when it has happened and I'm not a car person. I've fixed my own car a few times but I'm not any sort of mechanic,. There is also some AC unit that has been overhauled on the truck. (uses a different coolant?) I can get more details if anyone wants them.
My problem is that this is a hard problem to have occur. I wouldn't mind swapping out some parts but have no idea where is going on here. I may try driving it tommorow while it is still hot and see if I can get the problem to occur on country roads. Problem is, I just don't have any diagnostics skills outside of looking at the gauges.
Thanks for any help, pointers to threads, youtube videos. I'd like to have this fixed. As it is I am considering just selling it. Having a mechanic just dump money into somethig that is hard to diagnose. I mean.. I can't imagine. Drive it around in traffic until it stalls and can't move? How would a mechanic even know if it has been fixed under normal circumstances?
Edit - It is quite hot here in Texas. So I am considering trying to recreate the problem before it starts to cool off. When I do that, I want to have all my diagnostic things lined up so I can get as much info as possible. That is secondary part of my question, outside of guesses as to what the issue may be.