Lincoln won't run after setting. Ideas?

[jshoop]

I have a 1991 Mark VII that won't start after setting. I ran some Stabil in it before winter. Now it will start somtimes but acts like it is running out of gas. I siphoned the old gas out and added new. It still does the same thing. It will start and if you start to tap the gas it sounds kind of like it is back firing through the intake (like it would do if it has a bad vacumn leak) and will start to run. If you keep tapping lightly on the gas it will idle fine. If you try to hold on the gas it will die. I got it to run and idle fine for about five minutes on its own but now it won't do it again. The car ran perfectly when I parked it. Could my fuel pump be bad?

[hypostang]

Sounds like a fuel pump to me ... lean condition causes back fire in intake

[Hizhonor]

Did you change out the fuel filter? How is the fuel pressure?

[jshoop]

I put a new fuel filter on it and havn't driven it much since then. I took one end loose and it pumps out fuel so I don't think it's clogged. I havn't checked the fuel pressure. Could the regulator be stuck or went bad and be causing it to go lean?

[jshoop]

I don't have a pressure gauge but will try to pick one up tomorrow. I tried the tps from my 1991 Mustang but that didn't help. The exhaust smells terrible. After I had it running for a while it made my eyes water so bad I couldn't stay in the garage. The o2 sensors are new as well. I doubt they have 50 miles on them or the fuel filter. After you touch the gas peddle there is a slight delay before the car begins to rev. After I had it warmed up I would let off the gas and the car would idle for another few sconds and then idle down and try to keep running and then die.

[marked for life]

Possible hung open injector/ pull spark plugs and inspect / ruptered fuel pressure regulator, pull off vacuum hose and smell it for gas then vacuum test the regulator...

[jshoop]

The plugs are ok. I changed them when I first tried to get it running. The old ones looked fine. I'll try the fuel regulator. How should I test it?

[Magic Al]

You mentioned it runs like it had a bad vacuum leak. Not to overstate the obvious, did you check for vacuum leaks ?

[Fordace]

my 88 Mark did that once after sitting, the wires to the fuel pump were corroded. Dropped the tank, cleaned everything up, and it ran fine....get a fuel pressure gauge on it before you go crazy, you should have 29 to 40PSI key on engine off, minumum 29-34 running at idle. I suspect low fuel pressure, so get a gauge on it:)

[jshoop]

I picked up a gauge tonight. I'll check it and see what I get. I don't think it's a vacuum leak because it comes out of it after it runs for a couple of seconds.

[jshoop]

I checked my fuel pressure. If my gauge is reading right, I don't have any fuel pressure when I turn the key forward. When I get the car started it rises to 8 psi and stays there. I guess I should drop the tank and look towards the pump.

[Fordace]

it starts on 8 PSI, that is awfully low, it shouldn't even run at all.
I can remember them running very poorly at 17-20 PSI, but never any lower, hope your gauge is accurate

[jshoop]

The gauge is new so I hope its accurate. I'll throw it on my Mustang and see what it reads. I have to keep giving the car gas to keep it running. I guess with the psi so low it takes it a while to get fuel to the injectors and I have to turn it over so many times to get it to start.

[Bluegrass]

If I understand, you still have to old gas in.
Stabil or not your gas is no good. Dump/pump it out and put fresh in.
Run the motor enough until what is left of the old is well mixed with the fresh gas.
I have had power equipment with gas left in for a year that you could not even light the gas off outside the tank with a match let alone run a motor with it.

[jshoop]

I've already siphoned out the old gas and put new in twice. I don't think the gas is an issue.

[gadget73]

8 psi might be enough for a random splutter, but its definitely not going to run on that. Verify the guage works on your other car, if it gives sane readings, I'd strongly suspect the pump or the regulator. Try the regulator first, its accessible by removing the fuel rail (or if you're careful, you can do it without pulling the rail). New is about 40 bucks, or try a used one if you have a spare on hand. THey don't go bad that often, but its possible it got gummed up with old fuel.

[marked for life]

The ''OLD'' plugs looked fine how about the new ones now? To test the regulator pull off the hose smell the hose for gasoline 1st. A hand vacuum pump 2nd. Make sure the pump is strong, put a piece of 3/8'' vacuum hose in the gasoline fill tube ,put your ear at the other end in the morning first thing and have someone turn the key on. Do the mustang 1st to hear what it should sound like then do the lincoln... Fuel pump sock/ fuel filter/ low fuel pump voltage/ bad fuel pump...

[jshoop]

I put the fuel pressure gauge on my dad's f 150 with a 5.0 (I forgot that my Mustang has a sending unit in the fuel rail). It showed that it had 30 psi while running. I think the gauge is working. When I screwed the gauge into the fuel rail on the truck gas came out. When I pressed the pressure release button when I took it off gas came out of the tube. This didn't happen on the Mark. It makes me think that the 9 psi is accurate. I guess me having to pump the gas might be keeping it at a constant 9 psi.

[JSev22]

I put the fuel pressure gauge on my dad's f 150 with a 5.0 (I forgot that my Mustang has a sending unit in the fuel rail). It showed that it had 30 psi while running. I think the gauge is working. When I screwed the gauge into the fuel rail on the truck gas came out. When I pressed the pressure release button when I took it off gas came out of the tube. This didn't happen on the Mark. It makes me think that the 9 psi is accurate. I guess me having to pump the gas might be keeping it at a constant 9 psi.

To test the regulator pull off the hose smell the hose for gasoline 1st. A hand vacuum pump 2nd. Make sure the pump is strong, put a piece of 3/8'' vacuum hose in the gasoline fill tube ,put your ear at the other end in the morning first thing and have someone turn the key on. Do the mustang 1st to hear what it should sound like then do the lincoln... Fuel pump sock/ fuel filter/ low fuel pump voltage/ bad fuel pump...
Just to be clear, you measure fuel pressure by removing the vacuum line from the regulator, you should read 38-42 psi. With vacuum applied (at idle) you should be seeing around 30-32 psi (just like you found on the truck). I would drop your tank (with a new pump in hand) and check what I highlighted in bold above.

[jshoop]

I jumped a ground wire from the test port to get the pump to run continuosly like my 91 Mustang shop manual says. It sounds like the pump is running and if I take the fuel filter loose it looks like plenty of fuel is coming out. I put the old fuel pressure out of my 1991 Mustang on it but now it looks like it has less pressure than before. The car still runs the same. The regulator has been setting on my shelf for about nine years. Can regulators go bad from setting? Is the diaphragm inside made of rubber?

[Fordace]

dude, put a real guage on that car and cycle the key on and off 2 or 3 times, if you don't have at least 30-40 PSI without the engine running, your pump is toast....if you have only 9 lbs, you have your answer already

[marked for life]

OR your new fuel filter is totally clogged...

[jshoop]

I dropped the tank and think that I found my problem. The rubber hose that comes off of the pump was ruptured. I'm going to pick up a new piece when I go to town this afternoon and see what happens.

[Bluegrass]

Put a new pump in while the tank is down if you expect to keep the car any great length of time.
Saves a hassle later of doing it all over again.

[jshoop]

I got it back together and it fires right up. The hose was really soft. I guess it just got bad over time. Thanks for all of the help!