Another Bittersweet Day

I've been doing little things here and there to the truck. Each one seemed to help. I put on a new distributor cap and rotor, replaced the vacuum advance hose, and sealed the distributor cap with dielectric grease. I wanted to try to recreate the stalling issue so I could troubleshoot the issue. I started out driving around the the block for a while. No problems.

I decided to run by the store to see if they had the coil pickup in stock. They didn't and the truck didn't want to start when I came out. This situation didn't really fit the issue I was trying to recreate, but I decided to start running through my checklist. The accelerator pump was squirting gas into the carb; however, the fuel filter was almost empty. Is it possible for the accelerator pump to be working, but the carb not to be getting gas? I was cranking it over, trying to test the ignition, and suddenly the fuel filter filled up and the engine started.

The fact that the situation was not really the same and that this appeared to be related to a fuel issue makes me think that this may have been a different issue altogether. It has always been a little hard to start when hot. I wonder if the fuel is boiling in the line when it passes near the exhaust manifold.

During this whole process, my frustration with the starter reached the breaking point. I was tired of thinking about the stalling issue and I was tired of the started not catching, so I decided to pull the starter. Turns out that problem may be an easy fix. I was worried that the ring gear was missing teeth or worn, but the gear on the starter is obviously the problem:

One great thing about replacing parts like this is getting the lifetime warranty. This is the last time I'll buy a starter for the truck.

So I'm not any closer to solving the stalling issue, but my starter issue is going to be easier than I thought.