I’ve have read and read and checked with no luck. I got a 2005, 3.0, 110k miles, auto, 2wd. The previous owner said it’d been parked about 5 years. It had a dead cylinder and would not start. So once I got it home, I attempted to start. Fuel pump was dead. Got the new pump, drained old fuel and added new, put new pump in, still won’t start. Tried putting gas in throttle body, nothing. Pulled all plugs and did compression test. #4 is dead. Pulled head, valve is recessed. Got heads machined with new valves and seats. Got it all back together, still no start. Checked fire, coil was only hitting on 4. Replaced and getting fire to all now. Checked compression again just make sure, it’s fine. Noticed they’d replaced the camshaft synchronizer, so I checked timing and all that. It’s fine.

Here’s where I get stumped. So I pull the upper intake and injectors just throwing ideas at the wall now. I clean up all the injectors and reinstall them. With the upper intake still off, I’m shining a light into the lower intake to see if the injectors are firing off. I have someone turn it over and the damn thing runs, but revs up quick with the enormous vacuum leak. I bottle feed it fuel and do this several times. I’m thinking I must have pushed trash into the injectors. So I replace them, put it all back together, and nothing.

I have 60 psi fuel pressure
Injectors are spraying
The timing is dead on TDC #1
150-160 average compression
I have spark to all cylinders.

What am I missing??

 

Welcome to the forum

For a gasoline engine to start you need 3 things
Compression above 120psi
Spark, at the right time
Fuel mixed with air in the cylinders
So you are not missing anything............................so one of these 3 is not correct

Compression is mechanical so doesn't tend to fail after testing it, but easy to test 1 or 2 cylinders again

Spark, easy to test if you know compression is OK, spray fuel into the engine manually and try to start it(50/50 test), no start/no fire, means no spark or spark at the wrong time
Spark is initiated by the computer when it gets a VALID timing signal from the crank sensor and in the 3.0l the Cam sensor, just FYI the Cam has TWO #1 TDCs
Watch the CEL(check engine light)
It should come on with key on, means computer has booted up OK
CEL should go OFF as soon as engine starts to spin(starter motor on) that means computer is getting a VALID timing signal so can start spark and then injectors a few seconds later
If CEL stays on or flashes there is a timing issue

If engine starts with 50/50 test but not without adding fuel manually then fuel delivery issue
If you crank an engine over a few times and pull a spark plug its TIP should be WET with fuel, light the tip with a match/lighter, should burn fast and bright, its gasoline, if it doesn't burn then it ain't fuel

 

Thanks for the reply. I’m beginning to lean toward the fuel isn’t good/great. I pulled about 15 gallons out leaving a gallon or so, and poured about 5 fresh gallons in. The CEL is coming on at key on and going off while trying to crank. The mark on balancer is lining up with mark on timing cover and the #6 reluctant tooth is center with CPS using a timing light.

It’s got me puzzled. Once I get time to fool with again I’m gonna go back over everything and try once more

 

Had to work last night and thought and thought about it. Got home and went at it again. Sprayed ether and got it to want to run. Pulled all the plugs, cleaned and dried them, and while they were out checked compression again. It’s fine. Put plugs back in. Tried to start several times. Pulled a couple plugs back out. Not soaking wet, but damp. Would not burn. Got me to thinking that what little “gas” I left in the tank had water in it. I admit I didn’t completely drain it, had maybe a gallon or so left.

Beginning to think the grandson of the guy I got it from “worked” on it, meaning he poured water in it acting like he was putting gas in it. The guy told me he’d play in it all the time. He’s like 5 yrs old. He conventionally shot both passenger windows out and the windshield with a BB gun, but who knows, lol.

So in the next few days when I’m off again, pulling the bed back, draining the entire tank, blowing all the lines clear, including pulling the rail.

Fingers crossed…

 

There is always some water in gasoline, too much water is "bad gas"
Water and gasoline can't mix, they stay separate in a solution
Water is heavier than gasoline
So if a vehicle sits long enough ALL the water will settle to the bottom of the tank, where the fuel pump is, so....................
But you can use that to get the water out and leave most of the gasoline

Pull off the line on the fuel filter, the one in the center on the fuel tank side, that one is from the pump, other one goes back to fuel pressure regulator in the tank
Put a pan/bucket down under it
Cycle the key on and pump should run for 2 seconds and whatever is in the bottom of the tank will come out into the bucket, check if its mostly water

If so open the hood and engine bay fuse box
Locate the Fuel pump relay, pull it out

Ford used 2 types of relays, mini and micro
They use the same pin numbering but different pin/slot layouts
Mini: https://www.gtsparkplugs.com/images/...iring-840x.jpg
Micro: https://www.gtsparkplugs.com/images/...lay-wiring.jpg

Key off
Use a jumper wire between slots 30 and 87 on either and pump will come on

Fuel pump is rated at 30-40 gallons a minute, so 1/2 gallon per minute of run time, or a bit more, so won't take long to pump out a few gallons from the bottom of the tank
You don't need to drain the fuel rail it will clear out the water after a few cranks and instantly once engine starts and runs

Ethanol CAN bond with water, and ethanol bonded with water WILL burn in an engine
Its sold as Octane Boost and HEET in small cans, this can be added to remaining gasoline to clear the remaining water, if there is any
And for the next few tank fulls, or always, use 5% or 10% ethanol regular gas to make water a non-issue in the future

 

Thanks for that info. I’ll try that first and follow up with the results soon as I can work on it again.

 

Ok. Drained the tank by jumping the relay. What little fuel I left after I drained it the first time must have been bad. I added some Heet and poured 5 gallons fresh fuel. Fired right up. Had some hesitation and missed. Double checked and found I had 5 and 6 wires crossed. Fixed that and it fired and idles just fine. But it doesn’t wanna rev up much. It slowly builds up to around 2500 or so. I thought low fuel pressure, but I got 55-60 at the rail running. Can’t get it to throw any codes

Any ideas? My mind tells me the cat is clogged

 

Got off work this morning and tore right into it. The post cat was completely clogged. The left pre cat was gutted and the right was fine. “Fixed” the right and post one, and all is well. It did smoke a bit at first, but after 10-15 mins I guess the rings settled. Gotta remember this sat for about 5 years.

Thanks for your help

 

Good work

Thanks for the updates, it will help others down the road