1995 4.9l will crank but wont start
 

So... lets see if i can explain this one...

Went out to the truck one day and it would crank and crank, but would not start up. Changed the plugs on it and they turned out looking like the original plugs, really fouled up and looking bad. Cranked it and it started but had an awful idle like it was misfiring. Realized I had a plug wire crossed and fixed it. Tried cranking it again and it wouldnt start. Stayed that way for a few days till I came out and started checking different things on it. Checked the cap and rotor and they looked awful also. So I replaced both of those to no avail. Checked the spark from each wire off the distributor by putting a plug into the end and grounding it. Each wire shot a great spark. So put everything back together and checked the fuel rail to see if it was pressurized. The valve on the line shot fuel at me when i depressed the pin, so that seems ok. When turning the truck on, you can hear the fuel pump kick on, dual tanks on the truck and they both sound good. So i puled a plug and it smelled kind of funny, so i thought that with all the rain we have been having something might have watered down the tank. So i replaced the fuel filter and being that i had almost no gas in the rear tank, I threw 5 gallons of what I knew was good gas in the rear tank. I stared cranking on it and she sounds a lot better while doing it, but wont start. While cranking, every once in awhile it will sound like it just about starts, but wont. I got a few backfires doing it also.


The distributor was not moved during any of this, and i have the wires on it right i believe. #1 is marked on the cap and is pointing towards the airbox, then #5, #3, #6, #2, #4....



Anyone have any ideas??

bump

Some troubleshooting would need to be done. First, I would spray some starting fluid in the air intake to confirm all is well with the ignition. Spray about a 4 second shot of starting fluid in the engine side of where the air filter goes. The engine should run good briefly. If that checks out okay, I would get a fuel pressure tester and/or a noid lite to see if the injectors are firing.

tried the starter fluid already... no success... it would crank and crank, and eventually shoot a couple fireballs out of the throttlebody without starting up...

found a broken vacuum hose coming from the bank of hoses on the top drivers side of the engine. Up and to the rear from where the distributor sits. Its a red plug into the engine with a black hose running around to the rear of the engine and under the upper intake on the passenger side to the front and hooking into a bank of larger hoses and what looks like a large regulator, im sorry but I dont know what those all are or do. I will try to find a picture of it to post, but if anyone knows what im talking about, id love some clarification and if it would be contributing to my starting issues

thats more than likely your problem, ill try to get you a picture

after more inspection on it, the hose is connected to a group of stuff that includes where a hose from the water pump it looks like runs into... i just cant believe that a tiny little hose like that would actually prevent it from starting... especially stop it from starting with the starter fluid sprayed into the TB

pulled codes tonight... got a 118... ECT sensor circuit open


perhaps the culprit? I dunno, just hoping i can single it down to that...


Oh, and fixed the broken vacuum line.. No luck

oops