1986 Ford E-Series Van 86 Econoline Just won't start

Hook up a fuel pressure gauge on the schrader valve on the fuel rail and verify if the fuel pressure is within specs and also if the injectors are pulsing start here

Start with the basics, and work your way up, Last tune up was? Wires plugs ALL filters? If all that is ok, check for a stuck EGR, then test fuel pump pressure, If it won't restart, determine what's missing, the engine needs three things to run, Spark at all plugs, gas to all cylinders, and compression in all cylinders, tho an engine may run lacking one in one cylinder, it won't run very well!
https://www.2carpros.com/car_repair_video/test_fuel_injection_pressure.htm
Go here and checkout our video.
https://www.2carpros.com/car_repair_video/test_engine_ignition_system.htm
and this one!
Yep, bad move on the air filter, this would allow all the trapped dirt to be sucked into the engine, NEVER turn these over!
The TFI module only needs a very thin layer applied, too heavy and it could cause problems too... If the new TFI didn't do it, the distributor is next, provided the fuel pressure is good and compression.

Thanks, guys. I bought a fuel pressure guage and I'm going to test it tomorrow. You say to connect it on the schrader valve on the fuel rail. I'm not sure exactly where that is. I've got the doghouse pulled out in the cab of the van and I can see where the fuel line goes into the engine. Will I find the valve there?

Yep, it's at the end of the rail, usually to the front passenger side. Did you check out the video? Although it's not a Ford, it's tested the same way. Both the valve and the fuel pressure regulator are on the fuel rail.

Alright, thanks for your help. I got the pressure guage hooked up to the Schrader valve. It was at the end of the fuel rail toward the front of the engine. I turned the key to the 'on' position but did not crank the engine. I just listened for my pump to activate. When it did, my guage read 20PSI, but my manual suggests it should be between 30-45PSI. Cranking the engine won't make a difference here, right? Since the system is pressurized with the turning of the key.

There's also a T-fitting to the guage's hose, should I want to disconnect the fuel line right where it reaches the rail and read the pressure there. Would that be more accurate, or does it matter? It's probably for engines without a Schrader valve. Anyways, my reading is 20PSI which is at least 10 under what it should be.

Yes, I watched the videos, and thank you for posting them. What I'm looking at is a substantially lower fuel pressure than what is necessary. Is the next step to examine my inline pump and filter?

One quick thing here: I didn't yet check my EGR, as I bought the pressure guage and wanted to get this out of the way. And lastly, I was eying my injectors, I noticed some wear to the red wire on the #8 injector, and the #7, and a bit of the #6. What I saw was a few millimeters of exposed wiring; in at least one case there was enough damage to the wire housing that I could see them clearly only half-covered about 1/8" before they reached their injector.

As to the question if the injectors were 'pulsing', I'm a bit unclear about that.

Thank you guys so much for your help, I hope to hear from you soon!

20 psi is low, either the filter is clogged or the pump is going. Injector pulse is when the PCM energizes it, it opened and sprays fuel, a noid light made for checking this is available at all parts store, and they are cheap too. No use only the test port, these lines are pressed onto the steel rail with special tools, if removed, it's another problem altogether!

First off, thank you so much for your insights toward my issues here. On my particular model there are two fuel pumps and two filters. The first place fuel is filtered is in the tank, when it passes through the low-pressure, in-tank pump. The next place it's filtered is on a framerail mounted reservoir-canister type filter. Fuel then travels to the in-line high-pressure pump, then up to the fuel rail and injectors.

I got under the van and took out my reservoir-type canister filter. There is supposed to be an o-ring there but there was only the canister and a soggy, brown filter. My next step is to pick up a new filter and install it, then check again for pressure. I'll let you know! Thanks!

We are always here...

Well hey...it has been a week and my mother came to visit so not much time to work on the van! But I am back and I have installed a new filter.

So I mentioned in my last post that upon removal of the canister filter there was no O-ring. I just wasn't seeing it initially. It was in there, although if it was exactly where it ought to be I cannot say. The filter itself was very brown and worn out looking.

I got the new one and the guy at the parts store actually sent me home with a second filter as well, citing that their computers stated I would need it. I think this 2nd one he gave me must be from a later model of the same year because I honestly don't know where it could go and the manual makes no mention of it, unless it's sitting with the in-tank pump by the inlet. Doesn't seem likely to me.

The new O-ring that came with my new reservoir/canister filter seemed too small to fit in 'the groove' -as my manual stated it should be placed into. I thought perhaps if I gently stretched it out it would fit but no, it snapped. I went to the parts store and on their recommendation used the original one which they deemed would still work fine.

Part of me isn't sure I put this O-ring in correctly. I thought of perhaps placing it on the highest thread on the receiving end of the filter canister to have it seal there. Instead I opted to place it in what I could best discern was 'the groove'. A small track at the bottom of the canister's threads. I turned the engine over with the pressure guage attached and to my surprise the reading was ZERO. Where before I had replaced the filter it was 20. I might add that I could not hear the fuel pump priming ...

I disconnected the canister filter and doublechecked my work. To my suprise the new filter was completely dry. No fuel had reached it. I made sure to guarantee the O-ring would stay in place upon reinsertion. I got out from under and turned my key. This time I could hear the pump priming and I got a reading of 15. I'm not sure if I ought to disconnect and reconnect the pressure guage inbetween each reading; I just left it on the schrader valve.

Now I'm wondering if perhaps my fuel pump is just starting to go...as the pressure readings are not consistent. I couldn't figure why, in the first go with the new filter, I was unable to hear my pump priming. Do you think it's just being finicky because it's toward the end of its life? Or maybe perhaps I'm not getting this filter attached correctly.

20 psi of your first check was reason to suspect/replace the pump. 15 is waaayy off!

[quote:08b2a0f4b1="merlin2021"]20 psi of your first check was reason to suspect/replace the pump. 15 is waaayy off![/quote:08b2a0f4b1]

Alright! As soon as I can I'll get that pump and put it in! Then I'll let ya know 8). Thank you!

Standing by!

Wellp....I got my new fuel pump in, and I still have zero fuel pressure on my readings. I'm thinking something is wrong with this fuel circuit. I'm leaning toward replacing the fuel relay...perhaps even just looking around for the general condition of all the wires involved. =(

I just wanted to add here that the wire ends going to the pump on my van do not fit the terminals on the new pump...there was a brief series of instructions on how to modify the wires using some spare parts included in the pump package. It said to cut the wires back about two inches, strip the insulation back 1/4", and to crimp on ring terminals and new wires using butt splices.

I didn't have any butt splices, so I took the two conductive brackets that came with the set, and screwed them down on the positive and negative terminals. Then I just lined up the wires to their correct terminal/bracket positions and left it at that. I can clearly hear the pump priming, but I'm wondering: is there something wrong with how I set up the pump? Is the fact that my pressure dropped to absolute nothing after this install indicative of some other fuel circuitry or did I just install it incorrectly? Since I can hear it priming, doesn't that mean the current is reaching it and doing its job just fine?

Make sure the polarity is right, or it may run in reverse... This sounds like your problem.

well...I'm pretty sure the polarity is right. What I did was cut the wires back about an inch, strip them a bit, and just wrap them around the corresponding terminals on the pump. Red for positive, black for negative. I tightened them down with a bolt, making sure they stayed in place and covered them with a rubber encasement. Still zero fuel pressure. What the heck is going on?

Your pump runs for two or three seconds and you get zero pressure. Was this one a one piece design, or did you have to take the old pump apart to install the new one? There have been defective parts sold before, and will be again... If it runs as I described, you may have a dud!

Well it was basically one-piece design. And yes, I was able to hear it priming perhaps once or maybe twice...then nothing since yesterday. Think I ought to return it? There's no chance the pump is fine and there's something else wrong with my fuel circuit?

Only other possibility is you put the fuel filter on backward, most have an arrow, this should point to the front. You can use an adapter at the pump to check pressure there instead of the rail, then you will know if there is a blockage.

Ya, I might check the fuelpressure right before the pump. The thing is, the filter that goes on is a canister filter. It just screws on, one way with a filter sitting inside a little reservoir canister piece. I don't think there's any way I put that on wrong. Unless the filter was upside-down...but it had a hole in the top of it, and where it met the mount there was a hole, so I don't see any other way for the filter to have been placed inside the canister.

Alright...I got underneath the truck and doublechecked my fuelpump connections and also the canister filter. My plan was to connect a T-fitting for my pressure guage just before the lines reach the pump, after the canister filter. I checked there and zero fuel pressure. I opened up my canister filter and to my surprise, the thing was completely dry, and I installed it almost a week ago. It seems like at some point through the duration of my cranking the engine SOME fuel would have made it to this filter, but no.

So either there is some grime or obstruction in the sock filter inside the tank or some problem with the in-tank pump, or I have a circuitry problem. I had a friend turn the key to 'key on, engine off' as I held the pump relay to see if the solenoids were closing and completing the circuit, and as he turned the key I felt no vibration. There was a clicking sound coming from the EEC computer relay but not the fuel pump relay.

The pump relay obviously sends power to the pump and allows it to activate, so I'm going to get a new pump relay and let you know what happens next. Your thoughts?

Have you tried the fuel pump test connector? Ground the fuel pump test connector and see if the pump runs, this tests the pump circuit... let me now, New relay may be the answer, or a bad Inertia cut off switch. I thought I read that you heard the pump run?

Wow, I wouldn't know where that thing is. Is it nearby the relays? Also, what's the procedure to ground it?

Thank you so much for your help. And by the way, I jumped the inertia switch a few weeks ago, to no avail. I've just got both wires that went into it tied to each other and covered in electrical tape.

Another thing - I Did hear the new pump run...perhaps two times..but after that absolutely nothing. I had it connected differently when I heard it prime.

I had two metal brackets that came with the new pump attached to the +/- terminals, as the connectors on my wire ends were designed to fit to such a bracket. The old pump had metal brackets extending from its terminals which connected to the corresponding wire ends. The new pumps terminals, however are just two extending screw ends. I thought perhaps my connection there was subpar so I just cut my wires back an inch or so and wrapped the +/- wires around the corresponding terminals and tightened them down with a bolt then covered with rubber insulation.

I wonder if this connection is just dirt-poor and I need to rethink it? I bought a new fuelpump relay today and put it in - with no improvement in fuel pressure. Still zero. And like I said, the inertia switch is completely jumped.

Test lead is on one of the inner fenders usually the left. Use a piece of wire and ground it to metal, turn the key on, and if the pump is OK it will run. Use a test light at the pump to see if you have power. Re install the inertia switch. I only use direct fit pumps, no splicing..

Hey, just wanted to say the other day I was inspecting the battery terminal connections and found one of the wires leading to the negative post was really corroded; and as I jiggled it I was able to hear the high pressure pump working in key on-engine off position. I bought a new terminal connector and tightened those wires down, and voila! I have circuit continuity.

...But still zero pressure on my guage. The pump primes with every turn of the key now, but still no pressure reading. I put some gas in the canister filter before the high pressure pump since it was bone-dry, just to see if the pump would suck it up and start the engine, but no. There is nothing bringing fuel up the line from that filter, and the filter is remaining dry after multiple start attempts.

Someone at a parts dealer I spoke with mentioned bleeding the lines of air...he said perhaps there was air in the fuel lines which was preventing the pump from pressurizing it seeing as it was already maximal...and I need to bleed them of air. Not sure how to exactly accomplish this; I did however press the pressure releif valve on my pressure guage while I cranked the engine, but nothing.

Never heard of that myself, I have had people run out of gas, no bleeding needed, just turn key on for a few seconds, then off and repeat up to 10 times, this ALWAYS brings the pressure up. Is this a one or two tank system? On two tank system, it has a high pressure pump outside on the frame and low pressure pumps in the tanks...

10 times you say? I will try that later. I noticed a new component in the fuel system that is mounted to the chassis directly after fuel comes from the tanks and before the canister filter. I'm not sure if it's related to the tank toggle switch that dictates which tank is being used...but it has 6 fuel lines to/from it. 3 are labelled source and 3 are labelled return. I heard a general clicking noise coming from that area when a friend used the driver seat fuel toggle switch to change tanks. There's some electrical connector going to it..

I disconnected a 'source' fuel line from this component and had a friend crank it over in both front and rear tank positions...and nothing. All signs seem to point to a faulty connection at the in-tank pump, or outright pump failure. It just seems odd that both these pumps, in both tanks, simultaneously failed. Your thoughts?

Nope, most times they fail at the same time... Gotta do a double at work, so wont be back until thursday, but high pressure pump and switching unit is at frame low pressure pumps in the tanks...

Alright then, that's what I'm looking at. When I have the money and a day off I'll drop the tanks and replace the pumps. Whew! Here goes...

Did you get my email? I sent PDF's covering the testing and repair for this?