I have a 1998 K1500 with the 4.3L 6 Cyl. It's got 165,000 miles and usually runs great! Murphys Law came into play however... I had just driven 40 miles and shut it off to do an errand... Five minutes later I went to start it up and I didn't hold the key in the start position long enough, so I waited a moment and tried again. Engine turns over but won't start. I thought I may have flooded it. So I held pedal to floor and tried again. Same thing... I tried starter fliud and it started then bogged down and quit. Could I have fouled the plugs?" Is it my fuel filter? Is it my fuel pump? If I've got to replace the fuel pump I'll try to do it myself. I'm short on cash as I've been unemployed for a year... How do I remove tghe truck bed??

Thanks for your help!!

 

hey man i have the same truck u do but with the 5.7 and i have the same problem but i think mine is fuel pres. regulator. does your fuel pump make a sound when u put the key to run...thats normal if it doesnt hit the tank with a hammer a few times that will "kick start" the pump. if thats ure problem then its 300 for a pump at napa and its a $%@! to do ure self trust me. need any thing else let me know.....goodluck

 

well its time consuming to change the fuel pump yes, ive done it twice now on that model truck, and it costs about 50-60 at oreillys. to remove the truck bed there are bolts that hold it to the frame so you have to unbolt all of those and all the wiring along with the gas hose to bed connection. ive always just dropped the tank, cause its easier to drop the tank then to pull the bed.

 

Probably a pump...but ya gotta check the pressure and make sure your getting power to the pump to be sure

 

Sounds right to me. By the way you can't flood a fuel injected engine like that... heck I have never even heard of flooding a fuel injected engine. And holding the gas pedal to the floor while starting it won't help at all. If you are not familiar with the fuel pump problem which it sounds like you may not be, turn the key over to the on position and listen for a buzzing sound (very faint, only lasts about 3 seconds.) If you can't here anything have someone hang there head by the bed of the truck close to the tank and try it then.

I know I had to replace the fuel pump in my Monte Carlo and that was "THE" way to tell in those things. It had the TBI 4.3 in it like your truck. Gas tank is probably completely different though so good luck if that is it. I know the fuel pump was cheap at Advance Auto parts. Don't remember for sure, think it was like $30 but that is just a guess.

 

its either a buzzing or a clicking...

 

I tried it last night and there was no buzzing sound like it used to have... I had not read these replies yet so I did not try hitting the tank with a hammer yet.

 

Well I have never heard of hitting the tank with a hammer but generally speaking, hitting stuff with a hammer doesn't fix it. But I have never tried that so maybe it will work. Can't hurt, though I wouldn't beat it too hard. If the tank is full of rust and junk that has settled I'm sure beating the tank will stur it up.