Okey dokey fellers, before anyone tears me a new one...I did use the search button...read all 250+ posts on fuel delivery problems. Also, I promise I will pull the codes this weekend. Haven't yet..will do it on Sat.!! Promise. Got the truck back from the mechanic and a week later...won't start. Turns over fine..battery fully charged. Got spark but didn't hear the fuel pumps coming on. Hmmm..? Started poking around and located the inertia switch under the dash and jumped a wire from terminals and turned on the key and....HOLY CARP....fuel pump kicked on! I'm presuming it's the one on the frame and not the one in the tank as my hearing ain't that good. I figgered.."It can't be this easy." It wasn't. Still no start..not even a sputter. Turned the key off/on about a zillion times and located the shrader valve on the fuel rail and...no fuel. I assume there should be at least a sign of fuel there even when the truck won't start/run since the (high pressure pump on the frame) does run. Nada. I figger the next step (after pulling the codes!) is to remove the filter housing at the tank switch and see if I have fuel there. (from the pump in the tank) That should tell me if the tank pump is/isn't working...correct? Then locate the wire feeding the tank pump and see if I'm getting 12v. to the pump....eh? 12v. and no fuel tells me the tank pumps gone. I was kind'a wondering is it safe (for now) to leave the inertia switch jumped/bypassed. If it matters the rearmost tank rusted thru years ago and I only run off the front tank. (Selector switch is in the correct position.) Today going to locate and check the fuel pressure regulator before pulling off any fuel lines. I assume that's the little valve on top of the fuel rail with a red vacume line going to the vacume ports on the top of the intake. Ohh the joy. Gahh. The Oldfart....

 

Before you go tearing into it completely, up by your battery is a pair of black/green ground wires that plug together to a ground at the battery negative post. These are famous for corroding from the battery fumes and open circuiting the ECM grounds. There is one more wire that is a case ground that probably is grounded to the body/frame and engine. Archion has the 86 EVTM and may be able to help you. I would check that ground plug first.

 

Did you press the reset button on the inertia switch?

Is the high pressure pump louder than normal? If it does not get fuel properly from the tank then the pump tends to whine loudly.

Note the computer will shut the pumps off after 3 sec if the engine does not start. You can force the pumps to stay on by connecting pin 6 of the test connector to ground.
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/4084/obdicon.jpg

The best way to test the tank pump is to disconnect the hose from the selector valve and run it into a container (with pin 6 grounded). Having 12 volts present does not tell you if the pump is jammed or the fuel line is plugged or if the small connecting hose on the pump/sender is broken.

The connector tube is the black rubber tube between pump and metal tube on sender shown here:
http://64.13.91.137:86/F150/Sender.jpg

For details look at the link in my signature.