i went to move the 2000 yesterday and it will not start because the gas went bad .
it has been sitting about 6 months, since it did not snow this past winter.
how do i go about cleaning the fuel system?

i was thinking suck the gas tank empty with an electric fuel pump, and blowing out the lines with air. does this sound rite?

 

I don't know the "real" way to do this but I can tell you what I would do.

I would disconnect the fuel line somewhere under the truck wherever I could find a fitting. Drain the tank, and look on top of the motor for a fitting that would allow the EFI system to drain at the same fitting under the truck.

Then, I would fill the tank with fresh gas, cycle the pump and flow the new gas through the new fuel filter for a lengthy time until the truck would be primed and ready to run.

Running an additive in the first tank would be on my list too. Something designed for lubricity, solvent based, and water removal.

Hope this helps. If anything my comments should spark some more conversation that would be more helpful.

 

i plan on blowing back from the schrader valve on the fuel rail to clear that line, but i need to clear the injectors.

 

6 month old gas shouldn't keep the engine from firing. Maybe try a shot or two of starting fluid into the air intake then see if it'll run.
Mike

 

the 5.4 will not fire on starting fluid. been there tried that when the fuel pump died.
the gas is definitely bad. it smells like varnish.
here in Jersey we are forced to use ethanol blend, and it goes bad fast.

 

Yes, gasoline today will go very bad in 6 months. I always recommend using a fuel stabilizer if you know your vehicle is going to be sitting more than 3 weeks.

I have a few old cars that I cruise in and show. They get heavy doses of Sta-Bil when they are put away for the winter,plus monthly shots until they are brought out in the spring time. Even then, you can tell the fuel has degraded after 4 months of storage.

 

well, this is mainly a plow truck. i purposely left the tank almost empty so the whole tank did not turn, this way i fill it before plowing instead of after.
but it did not snow this year, and i forgot about the gas going bad.

i have the tank empty, and tried blowing out the lines, but got no flow.
i think i am going to have to pull the fuel rail.

 

Pulling the fuel filter will get most of the fuel out of the lines. You could actually purge the system between the tank and the fuel filter by just turning the key to the on position with the filter removed and catch the fuel in a bucket. As I said earlier the majority of the fuel will drain out of the rail and lines post fuel filter when the filter is removed. I'd replace the fuel filter anyway.

Pick up some Marine Stabil and add 1oz. for every 5gallons of fuel. The Marine Stabil will clean the fuel system and has corrosion inhibitors in it to prevent corrosion from moisture. It also helps to keep the fuel from going bad. If the truck sits for long periods I would run it all the time. I have nothing but good to say about Marine Stabil and I use it in everything from weedwhackers, outboard motors to my own trucks. When you do fill up the gas tank I'd put some premium 91-93 octane in the first tank to help prevent detonation until you get all the crap out. Probably wouldn't hurt to add a bottle or two of water remover as well. Luckily I can still get pure gas 87 and 89 here in PA so I get that in most of my equipment, especially if it is carbureted. The $4.30gal for 87 Pure Gas does put a hurtin on the wallet though, thus my DD truck get E10.

 

once i get it running i plan on running a few tanks of high test through it to make sure everything is back to where it should be.

and adding marine stabil to it.

the bad part about all this is, there is a gallon of it in the garage. i use it in everything also. i guess i just forgot to put it in this truck last year when i put the plow on it.

 

Ouch. You won't make that mistake again.

 

well, it's alive again. 7 gallons of stale gas out of the tank, and 3 hours to purge the lines. it finally started. i put 1 half pint of seafoam in the 1 gallon can the fuel pump is in, and let it run for 3 minutes to circulate the seafoam. it is now sitting to let the seafoam do it's magic.