Fuel 302 has stalled at idle and won't refire.

[Marcel Lucien]

Hi guys. My 89 5.0 Mustang has sat in my garage for 10 years. I finally have the time and cash to tinker with it. It fired up pretty good so I took it for a few mile ride. When I got back I put it on ramps to find where the coolant leak was coming from. It stalled a few times while sitting on the ramps. I got it off of them and now it won't fire back up at all. I pushed it into the garage and now need some ideas on what to check. I cleaned the mass air flow sensor and cleaned the throttle body before taking it down the road.

 

[Noobz347]

Did you do all of this with 10-year-old fuel?

 

[Marcel Lucien]

Did you do all of this with 10-year-old fuel?

Fuel with stabilizer in it, yes

 

[7991LXnSHO]

Even Stabil will not keep fuel fresh for that long. Drain it, change the filter, and see what the fuel pressure reads with new gas.

 

[HemiRick]

yep big mistake not draining fuel system 1st. You probably need a pump/filter.....and hopefully you didn't glue the intake valves in the guides w the tar like stuff old fuel will deposit in the intake tract....If it sounds like its missing, its probably bent some intake pushrods.

 

[7991LXnSHO]

If the thing ran that long, I doubt the fuel was as evil as Rick says. It’s more likely the plugs are fouled and it’s not getting good spray patterns from low pressure or clogged injectors.

 

[HemiRick]

The valves dont stick till the engine cools after the 1st run.....

 

[Potomus Pete]

Every month a guy comes here with a tan year sitting car, and doesn't change the gas first. What else if it ran before. UNLESS......Vermin

 

[7991LXnSHO]

The valves dont stick till the engine cools after the 1st run.....

And Marvel Mystery Oil lubes and cleans the entire engine from the inside out when added to the fuel tank.
Your theory is possible, but it’s much more likely the used oil that has been setting there for ten years and the old crud in the pan that got stirred up is at fault.

 

[Marcel Lucien]

Yes, I guess I'm a dope for chancing using the old gas in the tank. The thing is, this car has been started frequently thru the years to keep the battery up and fluids circulating.
The car ran strong on my short trip. It did skip or backfire at the end of my street. But once on the road at good throttle she was fine, as powerful as she's ever been. That's y I think the gas is serviceable.
The car didn't have a chance to cool when I got back. I put it on ramps to look for my coolant leak. It's stayed idling till it stalled. She restarted several times, till she didn't.
So, I read that if u don't hear the pump prime when u turn the key on, that it could b the fuel pump relay. I don't hear it prime now.
So I have one on the way. Hoping this works, cuz its cheap and easy.
I'll update after I install the relay.

 

[Marcel Lucien]

And u r correct about the oil. Its black. But I plan on doing the rear main seal and oil pan gasket. So I didn't change the oil. Another dumb move. I'll invest in Mystery Oil. She ain't leaving the garage till I do my pan gasket and main seal.

 

[7991LXnSHO]

The Marvel Mystery oil comment was severe sarcasm for snake oil!!! A can of Sea Foam in the oil and idled a while before it is drained might help dissolve crud, but it might knock a bunch of crud loose if is a high mile engine.

 

[Marcel Lucien]

Seafoam, got it. Maybe after I put fresh oil and gas in. I shouldn't have taken her out till I finished prepping her for it.

 

[limp]

Did you run out of gas?? After sitting that long I wouldn't trust the gauge....Simple basics first

 

[Marcel Lucien]

U kno , I actually thought of that..
My fuel gauge is always on E anyway cuz it don't work. So I reset the tripometer when I fill up. Drive 200 miles and fill up again. It reads 117 right now. Maybe it did evaporate. I'm gonna pump out the rest of the fuel and start with fresh before starting it again. I have a new fuel filter to install too.