Engine hesitates or cuts out with a forward load but not ireverse

. No they are not . It indicates that the distributor shaft is either bent or loose on the drive shaft. allowing the rotor button to touch the pins in the cap. It may also indicate that the mechanical advance is failing.

i would see if coil is crack even a hair line crack can cause hesitating under load if you cant see a crack wait till dark and look at it

The hard shifting is the result of your engine problem. Not sure whant kind of carbureter you have or wheather you have a distributor vacuum advance or not. It really sounds as though you have a base igntion timing probem. The distributor vacuum advance should be connected to manifold vacuum. Im assuming also that this is not a factory stock engine.

Here's the link and I'm sure you will get the solution of your problem
OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA OWNERS MANUAL 1993 2004 DOWNLOAD

That might be the answer if your truck had points. Points have not been used in automomotive ignition systems since the late 70s. The maintenance schedule for your vehicle does recommend replacement of the fuel filter, spark plugs. distributor cap, distributor rotor, and ignition wires every 60,000 miles. Hesitation can also be caused by a dirty Throttle Body bore. If the Check Engine light is coming on, I would recommend having your Engine Control Module scanned for fault codes and if any fault codes are present,have the code/codes properly diagnosed before replacing any parts.

the ignition module is on the way out

distributor under the rotor and cap, if not the rotor and cap (or ignition pack-coil if its not cap and rotor.)

My 1996 Astro does the same thing... It has new fuel pump, fuel filter, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, maf sensor, ignition coil, alt., battery, cat converter, im stumped...

try the throttle position sensor, when these go bad they have the same characteristics as what you described

possibly bad distributor. did you see brown dust under the distributor cap? If yes, the bearing may be going (not replaceable) and blocking optical sensor in distributor.

go here too

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/villagerquest/