Tempermental old Ford

I have a 1978 ford f-150. I have owned it for almost 5 months now, and it has been great, up until about a month and a half ago. It will almost “hicup” for a lack of a better word, and sometimes continue running fine, or sometimes die. But then it starts right back up and goes, sometimes to drive perfectly or sometimes it will happen again. It is choosey about when it does it. It mostly happens when i drive over bumpy terrain or when i am going at a decent speed, have to slow down and then speed up again. And it doesnt do it every time i drive it either. I have been told many things, but what everyone seems to agree upon is somthing to do with fuel getting to the engine. I have changed the fuel filter, which seemed to help slightly, but only for a couple days. My next venture was going to be to get a new fuel pump, since it seems to be the next inexpensive and least invasive opption. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Do you have a Haynes manual for this truck? It should have a test procedure in it for the fuel pump, disconnecting it at the carb and using a cup to catch the gas as you crank the engine over. This checks to see if the fuel pump is delivering enough fuel for the carb. Another issue could be a sticking float valve or a bit of trash in the carb’s fuel bowl. This would mean a carb rebuild to get it running smooth again.

No i do not have a Haynes, but it is apparent that it would be a good investment at this point. I will definately look into these issues and see where it gets me. Thanks so much for your time and advice! I will follow up with the results. Wish me luck!