New Guy needs Help!!!

Hello everyone. I'm new to this forum and have a 1988 4.0 4x4 5 speed xj. I recently purchased this vehicle(my first XJ) in running condition with a bad transmission(was told it was just the clutch by PO). I have replaced the transmission and clutch. Started it up this morning on 4 jackstands and ran it through all gears and 4x hi & lo just to make sure everything was hooked up right. Everything was fine until it ran out of gas. After returning with my gas can, i put in 2 gallons so i could get to the gas station. It now won't start!, just cranks and cranks. While the tranny was out I replaced fuel filter, plugs, wires, cleaned and relocated the IAT, replaced CPS, and ceaned TPS. Since the no-start problem i have tested TPS and CPS (both test fine). It will run while spraying carb cleaner into the intake tube. There seems to be air in the fuel rail, i beld it off but just gets more air in the line. Do any of you guys know what may be causing my problem. I'm supposed to be taking it wheeling for the first time tomorrow, so I hope i can fix it before then. Thanks in advance.

Update: just pulled one of the injectors to see if it was spraying fuel. It's not. Also cleaned out fue rail with carb cleaner.

Could be the fuel pump.

Running out of gas is not good as you might suck up some crud with that last bit of gas.
First, is the fuel pump running?
There is a big ceramic fuel pump resistor on the inside of the front fender by the air cleaner, try bypassing it by holding the wires together, fuel pump should run with the key on.
You have two "filters", the external one over the rear axle on the drivers side and a "sock" over the fuel intake attached to the pump inside the tank which is there to stop bigger pieces.
Disconnect the outlet end and see if it's full of gas.

Good luck and welcome to !

Sometimes the hose comes off the fuel pump inside the tank. If you search a little, you can find the posting. Or maybe you knocked the fuel line off or can find a crushed or pinched issue underneath.

I have hooked up a fuel pressure gauge and it reads 0 al all times. When I removed the pressure regulator and turnd the key to "on" fuel barely trickles out of the rail. Looks like it may be the fuel pump. Is there any way to test it without removing the tank or should I just drop it and remove the pump? Is it normal for a fuel pump to just put out a small amount of fuel when it's bad? Thanks for all of the help so far guys, looks like were zeroing in on the problem.

Just hooked up the pressure gauge right before the fuel filter, blocked the other side off with my finger. Pressure only got up to about 3-4 psi.

start with the easy stuff first-- change the fuel filter (bunch of trash may have plugged it up when you ran out of fuel) and cycle the key on and off a few times to aid in bleeding the air.

Can you hear the pump humming? When you turn on the key without starting up the pump will hum while the pressure builds up then turn off until the engine needs gas.
Did you pull the outlet off the filter yet?
Pull the outlet tube and slip on another piece of tubing and run it into a container. If no gas when you turn on the key, attach the tubing to the tank outlet and try again. Don't forget to check the fuel pump wires.
Trust me, you don't want to pull the pump unless necessary.

Mike

With the key in on position, the fuel pump only pumps for 3 seconds unless it gets the signal via CKP and ECU/PCM that the motor is running. The key has to be in start (cranking) position to be pumping steady.

Puled the fuel pump and saw that the PO had replaced the peice of fuel line on the pump with a piece of vacume line that had dissolved pertty bad. A fter I saw that, I dropped the tank, cleaned it out, and replaced fuel pump, strainer, and hose. I haven't had a chance to put the tank back in yet, but I'll let you all know if that did the trick. Thanks for all of your help with this.