Just picked up my 87 F-150, 4 Speed, I-6. Got it home and was heading down the road to our next stop and it spit, sputtered, and stalled. Ended up getting it going and made it about a mile and it did the same thing again. Managed to get it off the road and now it wont start at all. I got it towed to one of my friends garage so I can work on it. Any ideas? I'm thinking either water in the system or a fuel pump. Seller used it on the rear tank as he wasn't sure the condition of the front tank. The gas gauge is showing it pegged after full (that's going to drive me nuts too!). I put $30 in it so I know it's not out of fuel, before it died.

Ugh, what did I get myself into?

 

in a thread recently someone had the firing order mixed up on their truck because the engine apparently had been replace with one from a different year with a different firing order, so check the firing order then see if different years had different orders and try those. check the fuel pressure regulator, and check the fuel pumps. in '87 they had a system with 3 pumps. a low pressure pump in each tank feeding a high pressure main pump. did you try running it on both tanks? I've never heard of a fuel filter being so bad it killed the truck but if you just got the truck you might as well replace it.

 

did you only use the 1 tank?

 

Pour a little gas in the carb. If it starts and then stalls, you've got a fuel problem. Might be a problem with garbage in the line from the front tank (which may be why the other guy never used it.) If it runs, then you need to clean out the fuel line and BOTH tanks. Put a clean filter in the line and if there isn't one, add one.

Don't give up the ship just yet. You will llike your Ford once you get it right. We're here to help you.

Later!
Mr. Ed

 

'87 300 6cyl should be fuel injected

 

Could just be out of gas, you dont know if the gauge works. Pour gas or spray carb cleaner in the throttle body and see if it fires, or pull the coil wire and hold it 1/4" from ground, crank, and watch for spark

 

on my '89 F150 my gauges would sometimes freeze. one time because of this I ran one tank totally out of gas but for some reason the truck wouldn't start on the back tank that actually did have gas in it. figured it was a bad pump in the back, poured gas in the front and got it running but it would run and start fine off the back tank after that and even before.

 

I got the same 87 f150 I6 speed. I havent had that problem though. sounds like what these other guys said, check the fuel lines, fuel pressure, etc. I've pulled my injectors out and cleaned them and it runs a lot better now.

 

Definitely change the fuel filter and check the fuel lines for any blockage due to contamination build up. Another trick is to get a can of sea foam fuel injector cleaner and find the main vaccum line and allow the cleaner to be sucked into the system. I have a separate 2 foot hose that I use as a straw. Make no mistake it will smoke something fierce but it will also clean the devil out of the system. I just did this to my 87 F-150 yesterday and she runs great and idles smooth as a kitten's purr. Also take and use some carb and choke cleaner and spray the dickens out of the small motor in front of the air intake.

 

Thanks for all the info guys. I appreciate it. Needless to say, it was out of gas. I put 30 bucks in it and drove about 25 miles, not sure how that's possible but it's done and over with. I put some fuel in the front tank and this tank seems to work fine and I didn't see or smell any leaks. I will stick to the front from now on. Problem is, the back tank is full. How can I get the fuel out easily?

Both gauges are messed up (way past full) so I'm figuring the sending units are bad in both tanks. I'll have to calculate the mileage until it runs out.

Aside from that, it's been running good. I have a feeling the transmission is on it's way out though. It pops out of 3rd gear occasionally and it's really loud getting up to 4th gear.

Overall, it's been a very frustrating few days. Hopefully things will lighten up.

 

My '89 had one gauge that would read past full but it did function.

Regarding the tranny popping out of gear, try adjusting the linkage. I had a trans that did the same thing and it turned out that the throw was too short so it popped out. I disconnected all of the arms from the shifter and adjusted them. It worked fine after that. shifted better too!

Later!
Mr. Ed

 

Didn't the PO use the rear tank? If it has no leaks, solve the gauge issue with the tanks and use both. There is a lot of "dual tank" help on this site. It is a common problem from 79 thru 97.

 

If the PO never used the front tank it's likely to be pretty rusted on the inside. If I were you I'd pull the bed off and inspect both tanks for rust, While you're at it you could replace the sending units. It's pretty likely the tank selector valve is at fault. I've replaced two on mine and they fail in odd ways. I had your exact problem with a valve I had on mine, I could drive fine for a while, then it'd start to sputter, lose power, and eventually die. Next day I could start it up and do the same. It did eventually quit all together.

 

my third gear always pops out when im coasting on it. I have to hold it in. I called a tranny shop and they said it was most likely a syncronizer. Ive had the shifter levers off before when i put the clutch in, but it still does it.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. I appreciate it.

I'm going to see what I can do with the tanks. I really don't want to touch anything since it's working, but preventative maintenance is probably a good idea also.

I found a decent oil leak when the truck is running. Looks like it's coming from the sending unit for the oil pressure (which would also explain the the vast fluctuation in the gauge). It doesn't appear to be hard to replace but I've heard you need a special tool?