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TBI - ran out of fuel, now won't start

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xenomarine

1/2 ton status
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Sep 12, 2009
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Southington, CT
As the title says, I ran the truck out of fuel, refilled and it fired for a second or two and now won't fire. I've done some mild troubleshooting and it has spray at the injectors and spark though it looks weak, but that could be from the plug I was using as a tester being old, or a bad ground from resting on the vacuum booster(only place i could see the plug while cranking). The truck cranks fine, it isn't turning over slowly like advanced timing.

I have checked all the fuses and they all checked out good. Tried firing with the injectors unplugged in case they were stuck open or the CTS was bad causing a flood issue. Tried running on brake cleaner, nada.

I am not sure if it matters but I am running open shorty headers so the O2 sensor is probably getting exposed to cool fresh air. Anything I should be testing or checking first? I was going to take the ICM off and have it tested at Advance(scary, I know). I was also planning on replacing the coil and checking the cap and rotor next.

I'm just sick of working on the damn thing, I just swapped the transmission, rear springs and axle, and I have to do the front axle tonight to match ratios so I can plow for the storm coming tomorrow night.

The truck is an 87 v10/k10 chebby.
 
Ended up getting it running, it was really, REALLY flooded. I assume it's the coolant temp sensor, but it runs now. I suspect the spark is weak as well but it'll plow. The running joke is yelling CRUSTY PLOW TRUCK AIN'T CARE
 
I've had sets of spark plugs fail to fire after a good flooding--was a common dilema in the days of Q-jets with dead choke pull offs...the engine would spin over till the battery died,even starting fluid wouldn't make it fart...put in a set of fresh plugs,and it'd start on the first spin!..

Even though the old plugs looked perfect,after taking them out and drying them off,they simply refused to fire under compression--sparked fine lying on the engine though!..

I'd put a new cap & rotor on your truck if its old,the rotors often burn through and cause poor or no spark issues...the small cap with the sideways plug wires are often crap too..
 
Don't EVER use brake cleaner down an intake. I made that mistake ONCE, only because I didn't have any ether or carb cleaner.

Once the brake cleaner started burning, I about choked myself to death. There is some seriously potent, nasty fumes from that chemical burning that feels horrible and I can only imagine is not good at all for the lungs when it burns.
 
It's documented brake cleaner can kill you if burned fumes are inhaled--here's a story of one unlucky guy who learned that the hard way,but survived...

Perhaps non-clorinated brake cleaner isn't as harmful,but its still nothing you'll want to breathe..besides,most brake cleaners are non-flammable and suck when used as starting fluid..http://www.brewracingframes.com/safety-alert-brake-cleaner--phosgene-gas.html
 
I made sure to use non chlorinated, the chlorine is the killer. And I made sure both garage doors were open. I know that creep can be bad for you, but I use brake cleaner as starting fluid because I buy enough of it to get wholesale price
 
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