truck wnt start.

my 96 chevy will not start by itself. the only way i can get it to start is if i spray starting fluid onto the air filter and then it will finally turn over. i have changed the spark plugs thinking it was them. did not help at all. i replaced the fuel filter and that wasnt the problem either. it just seems weird that if i spray starting fluid on the filter it starts fine and runs fine. and if i turn the truck off and try to start it again it fires right back up. i have replaced the distributor and still have this problem. i dnt know if its a timing issue or if it would be my fuel pressure regulator. if anybody has any info i would be very happy.  

this sounds like a psi issue not spark or air
probably gonna be pump or the psi regulator  
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cowboy_22:
my 96 chevy will not start by itself. the only way i can get it to start is if i spray starting fluid onto the air filter and then it will finally turn over. i have changed the spark plugs thinking it was them. did not help at all. i replaced the fuel filter and that wasnt the problem either. it just seems weird that if i spray starting fluid on the filter it starts fine and runs fine. and if i turn the truck off and try to start it again it fires right back up. i have replaced the distributor and still have this problem. i dnt know if its a timing issue or if it would be my fuel pressure regulator. if anybody has any info i would be very happy.

Check the fuel pump pressure. The fuel pump could be bad. I had the same problem with my 91. The truck would start but then die and then I'd start it back up again and it'd run but would only produce about 5lbs of pressure. If you have the vortec motor, the pressure should be around the 40lb range or more to be sufficient. The TBI is alot less. If the pressures aren't within range it causes the problem you have. Bad thing is, I had to install a new pump in my 91 twice, sometimes a new one don't work right. Good luck.  

i have hooked up the fuel pressure gauge to the fuel rail and with the key turned to the one position it kicks out 50 psi with the truck running its between 55 to 60 psi. could it be the fuel regulator. and if so how hard is that to change out?  

when you turned it off what did the gauge do  
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it stayed at 50 psi  

cowboy_22:
it stayed at 50 psi

Have you checked the injectors at all for any clogs aor debri? It should run or atleast start with 50psi with no problems. Sounds kinda weird to me. I will think about it for a bit and see what I can figure out.  

it hase to be a sensor or wireing problem. did it just start doing this all of the sudden?  
[X] Give Er Hell [X]

well i figured i might as well drop the tank and put a new fuel pump and assembly in the truck. but me bein a dummy i had a full tank of gas and dropped the tank by myself witch was not that fun. but that seemed to be the problem. thanks all you guys for tryin to help me with this problem. now all i need to do is figure out haw to change out the o-ring in the tail shaft. and were im leakin oil.  

hey whats the PSI with the new pump  
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It could also be the relay for the fuel pump. A friend of mine has the same problem, goes trough relays like crazy. With the engine running feel the relay, if it's really hot that's your problem. If that's the problem change it imediatly or it'll burn up your pump.  
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tailshaft output seal on the back of x-fer? drop drive shaft, use either a seal puller(slide hammer type) or gently peel it out with a sharp chisel and hammer if it just won't cooperate. I've even used a small 2 jaw gear puller with the jaws flipped. to install new seal: start it by hand, use old seal with a bigass socket to hammer it home.  

the psi on the new pump is 80-90 psi  

cowboy_22:
the psi on the new pump is 80-90 psi

Actually 55-65 psi is normally opperating range on a 96 Chevey, and it shoulnt drop more than a pound every five minutes after it's shut off. 5 pounds in an hour is still acceptiable. Did you check that relay? If you put in a new pump, and you have the promblem withj the relay I stated earlier, the pump will burn up in about 2 weeks. Trust me, my buddy went through 3 pumps before we figured it out, and dropping the fuel tank 4 times inside a month sucked.  
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actually sounds like a throttleposition sensor is faulty