starts and dies

[PFeick]

Well the truck had been sitting for 4 days it started right up, I moved maybe a truck length in reverse and then it died. Would not restart at first. I checked the fuel selenoid (it was up) and cranked it with some pedal and it fired erratically, and evenually it started. Sputtering at first (air) Truck has 150,000 miles, and is stock, original lift pump etc. Truck has a 1/4 tank of fuel. It has done this to me before under similar situations in this driveway. While parked for the weekend in a different a area, again nose uphill 1/4 tank, started fine, stall and difficult re-start. Ran fine once running. I have changed fuel filter less than 1000 miles ago. I capped fuel tank with shreader valve and pumped air in to check for leaks between tank and filter and couldn't find any. It is driving me nuts, and shaking my confidence in the engine. I am thinking about droping the fuel tank to check pickup and replacing rusty fuel and brake lines in the process.

And on another note. Truck is loud. I try to ignore it but when the toll attendent tells you it sounds sick it is embarrasing. I turned the idle down as low as it goes and and determined the #3 cylinder to be the culprit. I swapped #1 injector with #3 and the noise did not move. With the #3 squirting oil the engine purrs, quietly. I bought the truck with 110,000 on it. Previous owner just put a new turbo on it. I don't remember it as being as loud then but it is possible the cylinder was scored then. Of couse the turbo dying and blowing motor oil and worse material into the #3 might have caused overheating scuffing to begin with. Or it could have been dreaded plastic piston cooling nozzles. Next oil change I am sending a sample out to be tested. On the bright side truck runs well (other than the occasional intermittant stall on startup).

Run it till it dies swap in a used engine?