Howdy!! I read some of the other threads and I am impressed by the amount of knowledge here.

I have a 1994 B250 V8 5.9L less than 70k miles ( not 170, my brother had it before me )
I don't drive it much, work is slow. Street sweeping schedules on my street make me move it and I do drive it at least once a week. The problem : It started, and was running rough. I drove to the corner, made a U turn and parked on the opposite side of the street. It idled rough I tried to rev it and it sputtered every time, until it died. The previous day it drove fine. NOW it will not start.........ugh!!!
Help!!!!

 

Any chance it was just low on gas? If it was really low, turning it around might have resulted in the pickup not being able to get any fuel.

 

Believe it or not, not driving it much is not a good thing. When an engine sits slight layers of rust form in the cylinders and condensated water vapor forms in the crankcase. Both of these conditions can significantly reduce the life of the engine.

1. How is the fuel pressure?
2. Could there be dampness under the distributor cap?
3. How old are the spark plugs?
4. What's the condition of the plug wires?
5. How old is the fuel in the tank?
6. Do you have spark at the plugs?

 

My first thought, no gas. It has a 35 gal. tank and the gas gauge never worked for me. I use the trip odometer, to remind me to fill up, and since I fill it maybe 3 times a year, maybe some evaporation and breakdown of the gasoline. I know gas does not last and that could be part of it. So, I got me my 2.5 gal gas can and put that amount in the tank and that's when it did not start. Now the battery is loooooooow due to too much cranking trying to start it. Gotta jump it with my car. My mechanic says : pour some gas in the carb to see if it starts. If it does, it probably is the fuel pump. He also said maybe the access to the pump is through an opening in compartment above the tank. I would like to see diagrams for my model that show fuel line, pump, and filter(s). One last thing, I noticed that right under the part of the engine that connects to the tranny, last week, it has dripped some liquid and the spot is still on the ground where it was parked. I tried to smell it and think it may be gas. Could it be a severed fuel line?? I cannot see where the fuel line goes into the V8 Holley Carb.........Diagrams anyone??
Thank you very much for responding and have a great safe weekend!!!!!

 

I know the bit about not driving, and causes to the engine. I use to have some older cars and they suffered from my not driving them.

1. How is the fuel pressure? What's the best way to check???
2. Could there be dampness under the distributor cap? I will check that, doubt it, it's SoCal and hot.....
3. How old are the spark plugs? I have had the van since about 2005, and never changed them ( ugh )
4. What's the condition of the plug wires? They are dirty, otherwise visually in good shape. Best way to test them??
5. How old is the fuel in the tank? Have not filled for about 3 months or so......I did put 2.5 gall of new gas before trying again.No luck yet.
6. Do you have spark at the plugs? Best way to check???

Thanks for your time and expertise. I would like to see Diagrams of the fuel delivery for my van, if anyone has them. Have a great one!!!
BTW - I am just a some time, weekend type mechanic.

 

i'd check the fuel pump, it might have taken a crap on ya

 

What's the best way to check the fuel pump???

Correction : It's 5.2 liter engine Not 5.9L

Thank you.

 

try disconecting the fuel line from the throttle body, then try to start the vehicle and you should see gas coming out , if not i'd say ur fuel pump is bad

 

IT STARTED!!! I believe it was out of gas. Although a couple of days ago I put about 2.5 gals. in the tank, maybe there was and air space in the fuel line. I read in some thread about someone else who unscrewed the gas cap to let air into the tank so it would not create a vacuum. So, I tried unscrewing the gas cap, and jump starting the weak battery with my car, and it fired right up. I let it run to warm up, revved it a few times and then closed the gas cap. It's all good.

I thought it had a 5.9L with a 35 gal tank. Since the fuel gauge does not work, I rely on the trip odometer and refuel when it hits 200 miles, or before. this time it hit 200 and it died. My belief now is that it has a 5.2L engine with the 22 gal. tank, and at 200 miles it would give me about 9 mpg. Yeah, ladders, tools and materials do-it-in for weight.

Also, I cannot see where the fuel line connects to the intake manifold or carb. This is the 1st time I opened the engine cover and I do not have a manual for guidance. For future reference, I'd like to see some diagrams, if anyone can share. Thanks a bunch to all who contributed and I did not mean to cry wolf.

 

glad ya got it runnin man