Hey all, any advice would be appreciated...

...recently I started my 1990 f350 dually and it ran fine...

...when I put it into drive it moved a couple feet and then the rear u joint connected to the axle failed...the truck rolled another foot or so after...
..at the time I quickly moved the automatic transmission into park and turned the engine off....the drive shaft had spun a few times in the dirt...

I bought and installed a new u joint (I had to jack the rear axle case up slightly and spin the rear driver side wheel to line up the new u joint to where it connects to the rear axle...then I tightened it all down and lowered the truck....

..now the truck will not start... it tries to turn over and I get the impression because I shut the truck off in mid stroke I may have stalled the pistons or starter in some tough position....I got a single firing sound each of the first few times i tried to start it and a solid buzzing sound now...Im wondering if that means I am not getting fuel?

...based on my reading online I am going to go out and do the following:

- check for pinched or broken fuel lines from the drive shaft disconnecting and spinning

...unhook battery and remove plugs, crank engine by hand a few times then reassemble and try to turn over...

...if this doesnt work I was thinking to chock the front wheels and raise the back end on stands, and try to start it off the ground in neutral or by jumping the relay on the fender....

...anybody with some input would be appreciated.... I want to avoid bringing it to a mechanic....

..thanks in advance...

Scott

 

Anytime we get a Ford with a no-start condition; Check the inertia switch first !! It is located on the passenger side kick panel at the top just to the right of the glove box.
Then there is the possibility the driveshaft may have hit the wires to the pump and blew the fuse. If you hear the fuel pump run for the 2 seconds when you turn the key on that would tell you the pump is getting power to operate. Crazy things happen when driveshafts fly around. Check everything you can see carefully for any additional damage.

 

In answer to your question regarding the buzzing sound, could that just be a bad connection with the wiring from the battery to the solenoid then down to the starter?
You might also check for a good ground for the solenoid on the fender well. They get kinda rusty and corroded and will just buzz when the ground is N/G.

 

Thanks for the fast response...Ill go try your suggestions and keep you posted..

Cheers

 

So I replaced a fuse, clamped the relay ground closed a bit so it would grip the post tighter and put some fresh gas in the tank as the original gas was over a year old....after trying 3 or 4 times she turned over and when put in drive the u joint held... thanks again for the timely advice...

..best wishes...

Scott