Need help with a 97 mustang gt 4.6l wont start

[91stranger]

So my wife has had this mustang since she was 16 years old and when we moved we didn't have anywhere to park it right away. Long story short, its been sitting for about 2 years half exposed to the elements (sitting under a second story addition so its kind of covered but still sitting on gravel with the sides exposed). Wouldn't start when they were trying to get it loaded onto the car trailer (no surprise). They ended up winching it onto the trailer and dropping it off the other day. I put a good battery (used but good) in it and some fresh gas. Yes it sat for all that time with about a little under 1/4 tank. The car wouldn't start still..... I can hear the fuel pump when I turn the key on, I made sure all the fluids were good and filled up, sprayed some starting fluid into the throttle body and it would fire until the starting fluid burned up. I did this a few times until the battery started dying. It just won't stay running on its own. I was hoping after a few attempts it would get the old gas out of the line and fresh gas would get in after a few attempts but no luck.

Basically what else can I do? I plan on replacing the fuel filter and getting some high octane gas to help with the old gas but is there anything else to try? I really want to get this running good, cleaned up and take her on a date like when we first started dating. We hate seeing this car sitting and going to waste.

FWIW, its a 97 mustang GT 4.6l with auto trans, dual flowmasters with h-pipes. Nothing special but has a lot of sentimental value.

Any ideas or suggestions?

 

[sheep herder]

Trade it for another one of those Gooberment Motors Corp. vehicles.

 

[snoranger]

Check the fuel pressure.
If you hear the pump running and it’s still got old fuel in the lines, the hose from the pump to the sender inside the tank may have rotted.

 

[91stranger]

Trying to not have to drop the fuel tank at this moment.... Haven't checked the fuel pressure yet but I can hear the pump. It turns on every time I cycle the key so I know the pump is turning on but hard to say if it is working. I got a fuel pressure tester so that's next on the checklist.

Trading it is not an option. This was my wife's first car and I want to get it running right and cleaned up.

 

[adsm08]

You may also have stuff gummed up. Check the fuel pressure, if it is good get a water bottle, drill a small hole in the lid, fill it with gas and bottle feed the engine through the intake. It may start running on it's own.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

You may also have stuff gummed up. Check the fuel pressure, if it is good get a water bottle, drill a small hole in the lid, fill it with gas and bottle feed the engine through the intake. It may start running on it's own.

Be very careful with this method. If the engine backfires you will inadvertently squeeze the bottle and depending where its aimed could have a major catastrophe. Wear leather gloves and clean jacket that you can get off very quickly. Keep a fire extinguisher handy. Be ready to drop and roll to smother flames.
I watched a friend do this and he is lucky to still have full use of his hands.
FYI
I would, and have, done this many times with no ill effects.

 

[91stranger]

I'm fire resistant most days other than my beard.

I was hoping it would start off the starting fluid and then be able to run by itself after a few attempts but my battery was slowing down when cranking so I had to stop. I hope that once I get a few gallons of high octane fuel some more starting fluid and a little finesse it will run. I've had enough accidents under the hood to be prepared for most situations. You ever had a battery go KABOOM while your under the hood? I have and it sounded like a 12g shotgun going off right by my ear. Rung so loud I thought I had permanent damage until the ringing stopped after 10-15 minutes. Moral of the story there is don't wiggle the alligator clamps while charging a battery. Batteries can leak some sort of flammable gas when charging and when you wiggle the clamps they can spark which you don't need to be Bill Nye to figure out what happens when you have spark and combustible gasses in the air.

Bill Nye the science guy, anyone remember that guy from the 90s. He reminds me of Mike Wolf from American Pickers and Abe Lincoln if they somehow had a baby together lol.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[adsm08]

I'm fire resistant most days other than my beard.

I was hoping it would start off the starting fluid and then be able to run by itself after a few attempts but my battery was slowing down when cranking so I had to stop. I hope that once I get a few gallons of high octane fuel some more starting fluid and a little finesse it will run. I've had enough accidents under the hood to be prepared for most situations. You ever had a battery go KABOOM while your under the hood? I have and it sounded like a 12g shotgun going off right by my ear. Rung so loud I thought I had permanent damage until the ringing stopped after 10-15 minutes. Moral of the story there is don't wiggle the alligator clamps while charging a battery. Batteries can leak some sort of flammable gas when charging and when you wiggle the clamps they can spark which you don't need to be Bill Nye to figure out what happens when you have spark and combustible gasses in the air.

Bill Nye the science guy, anyone remember that guy from the 90s. He reminds me of Mike Wolf from American Pickers and Abe Lincoln if they somehow had a baby together lol.

Thanks for the advice.

Starting fluid can dry out the rings. Better to use gasoline.

High octane doesn't burn better. Octane is a rating of resistance to ignition. Your plain jane 4.6 is rated for 87 and that is what you should be using.

I have never understood why fire scares so many people so badly. Back in December I set a pan of mostly brake cleaner on fire at work. At one point the flames shot up about 6 or 7 feet high. I had it out in a few shots of a fire extinguisher. A co-worker, who used to be a volunteer fire fighter over-reacted and blew almost a whole other one doing little to nothing to put the actual fire out. Three other co-workers just plain ran away. Afterward someone notice my hair was singed and was all "OMG you were on fire". My response was a total dead-pan "Yeah, in more than one place". Then I pulled up my pant legs to show my bald-ass shins because the flames had made it up under my pant legs.

Batteries vent hydrogen when charging. Yeah, it can go boom. I've been around when a battery explodes. Sounds like a gun shot. I've also been around when a newly mounted tire blew out in a guy's face.

Bill Nye is an idiot and a science denier.

 

[91stranger]

Whoa whoa whoa, watch your mouth about bill nye, he could probably kill someone with his stare alone! I'd like to see proof of him being a science denier too.

 

[adsm08]

Whoa whoa whoa, watch your mouth about bill nye, he could probably kill someone with his stare alone! I'd like to see proof of him being a science denier too.

Bill denied the science of biology.

 

[G8orFord]

He's trained as a mechanical engineer, so biology is not exactly his strong suit. Apparently he has other weak points too.