Truck won't start, need suggestions.

[Beason]

I also have full plugs, wires, cap, and rotor to go on as well.

Should I look into the ignition coil? Are they prone to fail?

 

[Beason]

I also noticed, when it was running I could see thy fuel being injected, but had to look pretty close. When it was crank/no start there seemed to be a LOT more fuel in the bowls.

 

[Schurkey]

I also have full plugs, wires, cap, and rotor to go on as well.

Should I look into the ignition coil? Are they prone to fail?

Original GM coils are fairly robust. Aftermarket coils run the gamut. There's a frightful chance that the coil you have is better than any of the coils you'd find on the shelf of an auto-parts store.

But anything can happen. TEST the coil with an ohmmeter and a spark-tester calibrated for HEI.

I also noticed, when it was running I could see thy fuel being injected, but had to look pretty close. When it was crank/no start there seemed to be a LOT more fuel in the bowls.

Connect a scan tool, verify ALL the sensors and computer outputs.

Verify fuel trims, too.

What is your fuel pressure?

 

[Beason]

I don't have the tool to check any sensors since it's obd1 I have not checked the fuel pressure. It was to cold and now I'm on light duty for a few days.

 

[Beason]

so, this has been a fiasco.

tried to test fuel pressure, although the threads matched on that hose, the cup wasnt deep enough to connect it. lots of fuel in the floor, and replaced the fuel filter. old one had a lot of brown junk come out.

truck started great! idled for a while too! i was soooo excited! then it died again.

went ahead and did the plugs, wires, cap and rotor. but still not running right.

rigged up some hoses to test pressure at the TBI. got ~15psi with it capped and key on. re rigged it to pass through so i can read it with the truck running. and its at 0psi. i guess the pump is intermittent.

Picking up a new pump today. Tank is FULL so will have to lift the bed. any advice on that would be great.

 

[Schurkey]

Before you condemn the pump, be sure it's getting proper electrical power, by testing voltage as close to the pump as you can get. Also test for voltage on the ground wire.

If you do replace the pump, be sure to replace the in-tank wire harness and the filter sock, also.

 

[thinger2]

Did you take the power off of a relay or did you tap into the fuse block?
I would think that a power seat would have a pretty significant amperage draw and if that tapped circuit was over fused for the load you could melt part of the fuse block before it popped.
Whenever I am doing something that requires a lot of key on and off I always unplug the coil and disconnect both injectors so it cant start and it cant flood.
The TBI fuel pressures adapters that I have used do not bypass the filter. They install inline with the filter. You take the filter out of its bracket and then install the adapter on the filter and reconnect the fuel line to the adapter.
The loaner tool from Oreillys used to have that adapter in the kit. Just open the box and make sure the parts you need are still inside.
The Harbor frieght POS looks like it has that adapter.
You can check pressure on the inlet side of the filter and then reconnect it to the outlet side.
If I have good pressure in and bad pressure out its a plugged fuel filter.
I dont even bother with the pre-post filter check anymore.
I put a new filter in and check pressure on the out to TBI side. If its good I put it back together and see if it starts
If you havent replaced your fuel filter in the last year you need a new one anyway. This is one of those situations where you might as well do it while you are under the truck.
If it holds pressure and the pump run time is within reason that is a good indication that every thing from the fuel line going into the TBI and everything all the way back to the tank is working.
Not a gaurantee, but reasonable enough for you to look elsewhere.
If you do end up "bed tipping"
Mine failed deep in the woods halfway up a mountain in the snow
The hardest part was getting all 8 of the bed bolts out with a breaker bar.
That sucked it really really friggen sucked
A cordless impact will save you a lot of grief.
Before you plan on doing anything make sure you can get all of those bolts all of the way out.
Open the gas tank door, leave the gas cap on. Remove the screws that hold the filler neck to the bed and as you tilt the bed make sure that filler neck isnt binding or getting hung up while you proceed.
A 2x6 or a 2x4 cut to the right length will span the leaf spring hangers and wedge against the tire at the perfect angle to use your factory screw jack to raise the bed.
Drop the spare tire and disconnect all of your lights dont forget about the liscense plate lights.
Crank the bed up. Take 2 ratchet straps and hook them into the far side open ends of the bed support braces and run them back to the frame.
As you tilt the bed, give each strap a crank so they always have tension
This is to keep the bed from sliding sideways and denting the back of your cab and the lower rear corner of the bed.
Which it will do.
Dont let the bed slide sideways.
You can tilt the bed much farther than most people think they can as long as you keep it from sliding.
Once you have that bed stable use jack stands or homemade wood cribbing or whatever you need to do to make sure that bed can not drop on you.
Everything else is fairly easy.
Buy a new lock ring for the fuel pump.
4 bucks at NAPA.
Clean every speck of dirt and crud off of the area around the lock ring and the area you are working in.
Spotless clean.
Anything you miss will end up in the tank
That includes cleaning the bed hanging above you and anything within your arm swing.
Turning around to grab a tool and knocking a big chunk of mud and gravel into the tank is a really common **** up and that will wreck your whole program.
You dont need the special GM lock ring tool.
A heavy blunt punch used at the base of the lock ring tabs and switching between tabs will slowly make it come loose.
Just dont go full knucklehead on it and you will get it to turn.
GM used some type of a unknown mystery goo to seal the fuel tank lock rings.
I could never find any info about what that goo was so I used the wax from a toilet seal.
Its cheap and it has worked for many years.
It sounds complicated but it really isnt.
So basically
Make sure you can get the bolts out.
Dont wreck the bed.
Dont chop your head off.
Dont put a bunch of dirt in the tank.
That it.

 

[Sean Buick 76]

Spray the bed bolts with pb blaster or something like that….

 

[Beason]

Did you take the power off of a relay or did you tap into the fuse block?
I would think that a power seat would have a pretty significant amperage draw and if that tapped circuit was over fused for the load you could melt part of the fuse block before it popped.

I used an add a circuit and installed that into the unused 4WD fuse that is already at 25A. i used another 25A fuse for the seat.

Whenever I am doing something that requires a lot of key on and off I always unplug the coil and disconnect both injectors so it cant start and it cant flood.
The TBI fuel pressures adapters that I have used do not bypass the filter. They install inline with the filter. You take the filter out of its bracket and then install the adapter on the filter and reconnect the fuel line to the adapter.
The loaner tool from Oreillys used to have that adapter in the kit. Just open the box and make sure the parts you need are still inside.
The Harbor frieght POS looks like it has that adapter.
You can check pressure on the inlet side of the filter and then reconnect it to the outlet side.
If I have good pressure in and bad pressure out its a plugged fuel filter.
I dont even bother with the pre-post filter check anymore.
I put a new filter in and check pressure on the out to TBI side. If its good I put it back together and see if it starts
If you havent replaced your fuel filter in the last year you need a new one anyway. This is one of those situations where you might as well do it while you are under the truck.
If it holds pressure and the pump run time is within reason that is a good indication that every thing from the fuel line going into the TBI and everything all the way back to the tank is working.

I replaced the filter, after failing to use the hose adapter included in my kit.
I "rented" the set from orielly, and it looked like it had the right part to go inline at the Throttle body, but it would not fit. the T was too long and would hit stuff and not spin. This may have worked inline at the filter but after spilling a significant amount of fuel already, i didnt want to mess with it again.
I ended up fabbing together some adapters and hose to make it work. I have no fuel pressure, but the truck will periodically run.. I need to see if i can hear the pump, i am typically by myself, and the "key on" buzzer is too loud to hear anything else from the cab.
I did swap the fuel pump relay, but that did not help

Not a gaurantee, but reasonable enough for you to look elsewhere.
If you do end up "bed tipping"
Mine failed deep in the woods halfway up a mountain in the snow
The hardest part was getting all 8 of the bed bolts out with a breaker bar.
That sucked it really really friggen sucked
A cordless impact will save you a lot of grief.
Before you plan on doing anything make sure you can get all of those bolts all of the way out.
Open the gas tank door, leave the gas cap on. Remove the screws that hold the filler neck to the bed and as you tilt the bed make sure that filler neck isnt binding or getting hung up while you proceed.
A 2x6 or a 2x4 cut to the right length will span the leaf spring hangers and wedge against the tire at the perfect angle to use your factory screw jack to raise the bed.
Drop the spare tire and disconnect all of your lights dont forget about the liscense plate lights.
Crank the bed up. Take 2 ratchet straps and hook them into the far side open ends of the bed support braces and run them back to the frame.
As you tilt the bed, give each strap a crank so they always have tension
This is to keep the bed from sliding sideways and denting the back of your cab and the lower rear corner of the bed.
Which it will do.
Dont let the bed slide sideways.
You can tilt the bed much farther than most people think they can as long as you keep it from sliding.
Once you have that bed stable use jack stands or homemade wood cribbing or whatever you need to do to make sure that bed can not drop on you.
Everything else is fairly easy.
Buy a new lock ring for the fuel pump.
4 bucks at NAPA.
Clean every speck of dirt and crud off of the area around the lock ring and the area you are working in.
Spotless clean.
Anything you miss will end up in the tank
That includes cleaning the bed hanging above you and anything within your arm swing.
Turning around to grab a tool and knocking a big chunk of mud and gravel into the tank is a really common **** up and that will wreck your whole program.
You dont need the special GM lock ring tool.
A heavy blunt punch used at the base of the lock ring tabs and switching between tabs will slowly make it come loose.
Just dont go full knucklehead on it and you will get it to turn.
GM used some type of a unknown mystery goo to seal the fuel tank lock rings.
I could never find any info about what that goo was so I used the wax from a toilet seal.
Its cheap and it has worked for many years.
It sounds complicated but it really isnt.
So basically
Make sure you can get the bolts out.
Dont wreck the bed.
Dont chop your head off.
Dont put a bunch of dirt in the tank.
That it.

It will be in my shop with impacts, air tools, and assistance. I think the new pump came with a ring but i need to check. Thanks for this detailed info. How heavy is the bed? with the wheels off i may be able to slide it back with assistance, instead of lifting. Cn you just loosen the bolts on the far side enough to use them as a place holder and still lift it enough to work?

 

[Beason]

Before you condemn the pump, be sure it's getting proper electrical power, by testing voltage as close to the pump as you can get. Also test for voltage on the ground wire.

If you do replace the pump, be sure to replace the in-tank wire harness and the filter sock, also.

the pump is a complete unit,

i did try a new relay, but that didnt work. I will try to test voltage.