Ah, this reminds me of trying to get my 1996 suburban to start. Similar predicaments. My truck probably sat in an old garage for a few years and only getting started every couple months or so. I was able to get it to start, but it was idling horribly. The filter was my first thought as I was able to hear the fuel pump start.
Being on the south side of Chicago, the bottom of my truck probably very closely resembles your FIL’s. I needed two flare wrenches, one for the filter and one for the nut, and a lot of penetrating oil. I got it out, but it was not nearly as easy as the videos online show. You’re gonna need some muscles.
I ended up having to pull the cylinder heads to fix another issue with misfires.* The book says to remove the exhaust manifold from the pipes. It requires removing 3 nuts that can only be reached from under the truck. After lots of penetrating oil, breaker bars and other assorted ideas, I couldn’t get a single nut to budge. I ended up just using a pry bar to pull the manifold out far enough to reach the head bolts underneath.
*It only took me a couple months to pull the heads. Now they’re sitting in my garage all nice and shiny from the machine shop. I’m hoping that it takes me a lot less time to put back together since I don’t have to deal with rusty bolts and penetrating oil. I don’t think that engine had been touched since the 90’s.
According to the machine shop, the misfires were probably from some nicked seals around the valves.
Perhaps you’re right and I’m just very tried. Sort, not much sleep in the past couple of days. It’s probably fuel injected and I sprayed the starting fluid down the throttle body. Nor my truck so I didn’t really pay attention. And I was concentrating on the fuel pump, located no where near the engine. Not to mention it’s been so hot lately that I spent as little time with the truck as possible so o didn’t die of heat stroke.
Anyway, my fault. I’m smart enough to know the difference, bit I wasn’t interested enough to pay attention. Sorry guys.
Ha, reminds me of my brother’s old VW Bug he was driving in the late 70s (1965 model?).
The accelerator cable broke and his best friend rode home on the back bumper manually manipulating the throttle for the 30 mile ride back to town.