Semi-Urgent Help: Bad Fuel Pump?

[Nate.Mountain]

Hey everyone, happy Memorial Day to all. So last night driving home under normal load, the engine lost all power and then regained power the instant after. It made a very jerky motion driving at 40 mph. I had 3/4 tank of gas. It did that two more times in about five miles, then died completely near my house. Got towed home by my wife, once I parked it, it started again. Any ideas? My first thought is a bad fuel pump cutting off and back on.

I plan on trying to diagnose and fix tomorrow, it is needed for work on Tuesday. Any ideas would be awesome.

Truck info
1988 2.9
360k miles
2x4 Manual

 

[adsm08]

Get a fuel pressure gauge and a #2 phillips head screw driver.

Let it sit and run until it cuts out and dies again. Then check fuel pressure and spark.

If spark is missing replace the TFI.

If fuel pressure is low then you have to figure out which pump died.

 

[Spott]

Had a similar problem with a loose connector on the ignition coil in my '88. Engine would cut in and out like flipping a switch, very abruptly.

Was an easy and obvious fix once I looked in the right place.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Snort some starting fluid in it when it quits, if it starts you got fuel issues, if it dont, ignition.

Sounds like a TFI though

 

[saskbill]

Couple good ideas up above about narrowing things down a little to fuel or electrical.

If its a fuel problem - first question - when was your fuel filter last changed? (ever?). Bogging down when driving, stalling then starting up after it sits a bit - could be a few things but a fuel filter's pretty cheap (unless you can actually remember when it was last changed).