Newest Addition to the Stable - '89 F-150

A friend just gave me another truck for the price of hauling it off. So far, so good... It's a Custom trim model, 4x4, 302/AOD. It appears that it's only factory options are a cloth seat and the V-8, otherwise she's pretty plain.

It supposedly ran when it was parked, but to the best of his recollection, that was about 18 years ago. Tags expired in '03, battery was dated '06, so I believe him.

Electrically, everything works except the right front turn signal. A little tapping on the high pressure fuel pump got it running, but I can't hear either in-tank pump run. My current question is this: If the in tank pumps are dead, will the fuel pressure and volume be low? I'm getting fuel at the Schrader valve, but not the volume or pressure that I expect. I'd like to get it running and evaluate it to see if it's worth saving.

Yes, if the in-tank pumps aren't working I think you'll be low on fuel.  I'm thinking you need around 40 psi to let the EFI system work correctly, so if you don't have that then I don't think it'll run.

Have you tried powering either one of them directly?
18 years is a long time soaking in trash gas but it's pretty easy to get the plug off the midship tank and see if you get a pulse when the key hits run.
Maybe it's something upstream that's common to both tanks?

I didn't think I could get me hand up there, so I haven't tried yet. I was planning on pulling the box so I can get a closer look at everything. I was just wondering if lack of lift pump pressure could cause low pressure at the rail. Trash is right - that stuff stinks! I'm not sure it would even be flammable any more...

With the bed off you can easily see the condition at the bottom of the tanks.  

I don't ever think it's worth the time and effort to try and clean one out these days.

I am thinking the tanks and pumps are trashed and locked up and would not even try and run the pumps and push any badness to the hard to get filter assy. and injectors.
Dave ----

I may have found the reason this truck was parked. I talked to my friend yesterday and he asked if I had time to look at the truck yet. I told him my findings this far...

THEN he said, "Yep, it seemed to run pretty good, but would fall on it's face under load. I checked fuel pressure and it was low and unstable, but that's as far as I got". He also mentioned that the AOD had problems shifting, but he couldn't remember the exact symptoms. "And somewhere in my 3000 ft/sq shop I know I have a trans overhaul kit for it!"

The backstory is that he bought it off of the wholesale lot from a Ford dealer where he was the parts manager at the time. He purchased it to get his son interested in the automotive world and have a good truck "by the time he got his license". His son never developed the interest that Dad hoped for, and is now 32 years old. Time to pass it on.