I just bought a 95 F350 automatic 4x4 in rough shape. It was used as a chipper truck in a tree service. When I went to check it out it started right up, we drove it around this guys yard but he didn’t want to take it on the highway since it wasn’t tagged.
Anyway, I came back a couple days later paid him and on the way home it acted like it wasn’t getting fuel. I could floor the pedal and it made no response. So had it towed home, both batteries were only 5 months old but took three days to charge up on trickle charge. Put them back in and it will crank, but won’t start. No fuel in the bowl! What should be my first step? He had told me only the rear tank “worked” and the front tank was missing a fuel cap (fuel switch was on front tank) so I thought maybe water got into tank and then bowl so I drained bowl but it didn’t fill back up.
I am not a mechanic but I can’t afford to take it to a shop so any advice is appreciated.

 

Neither tank is working? Check the fuse box first. Then crawl under the truck and listen to see if the fuel pumps are running. Have your wife cycle the key. If you don't hear a pump you can hit the bottom of the tank with a soft hammer (or kick it) while your wife is cycling the key and that will get the pump going.

If the pump is bad and you don't want to drop the tank just carefully cut a hole in the bed to access it. Or maybe you're lucky and it has a minty dump body on it!

 

To the OP:

I am moving it here because you have issues that pertain to the truck fuel system, not just the engine. Members here will be in tune with fuel tank, line, & pump issues for your year truck. Good luck with it and Happy New Year!

 

diesel or gas? by the description of events, i am thinking diesel engine.

 

It is the 7.3 L Powerstroke. It does have a dump bed on it but the pump on it is out. I’ll try thumping on the fuel tanks, I listened for the pump but didn’t hear anything.

 

Thumping on the fuel tanks will not help you as there is no fuel pumps inside the fuel tanks.
The fuel pump is mechanically operated by an eccentric cam located on the camshaft. The pump actuator rides against the eccentric, providing the diaphragm up-and-down pumping motion.

 

Learn something new every day! I’m thinking the lines might be full of crud since it operated as a chip truck it probably has a lot of wood dust in the tanks. I’m going to have to drop them and try to clean out the lines