Okay. I'm honestly at a loss and my Google searching and forum searching has led me nowhere. About 3 days ago on Friday I was coming home from a road trip about 3 hours from my house. Long story short, my truck violently jolted mid driving two to three times while going about 55mph. Then, while at a red light, it stalled completely when I hit the gas to go on a green light. The truck turned over, but wouldn't start at all. Cranked, cranked, cranked, but wouldn't start for roughly 5 minutes. Finally it started back up, kept going, and about 45 minutes later it stalled again at a red light when I pushed the gas. I towed it home, thinking it was the fuel pump, and when I took off the hoses to the fuel pump and turned the battery on and gas shot out. So, my theory of the fuel pump being bad went away. Next, I thought it was the fuel filter maybe being clogged. I pulled the line off on the side closest to the engine, turned the battery on and fuel came out fine. So that theory is out too. I tested the schrader valve on the fuel injectors and they're getting gas too. I found my fuel pump strainer is trash so that has to be changed. I even started the engine today. It ran, took it for about a 5 minute drive and it felt fine. But. I really don't know what would have caused my truck to stall and jolt like it did. Has anyone had this issue? I really don't know what to do at this point and I'm trying to avoid buying things that won't even fix this.

 

Did the CEL(check engine light) ever come on while engine was running?

You can get a Bluetooth OBD2 reader for under $20 to check for codes that may have been set but haven't been repeated enough to turn on CEL full time

But outside of that you will need to go out and see if you can repeat the issue and then look at these things:

After engine stalls WATCH the CEL, it should be on with key on and engine off, crank engine over, CEL should go OFF if computer is getting a good timing pulse from the crank sensor, if CEL stays on replace crank sensor and check its wires
Spark won't start until computer has a valid timing pulse from crank sensor, then 1 second later computer will start injectors
Crank sensors rarely fail and even rarer for one to be intermittent, but its an easy test

LISTEN, turn key off and then back on, you should HEAR the fuel pump run for 2 seconds each time key is turned from off to on
Do this test NOW so you know what to listen for
Its not quiet, fuel pump makes a HUMMMM that comes from behind the cab, easily heard in the cab if you know what to listen for, turn radio down, lol
Next stall LISTEN
Electric motors, like a fuel pump, usually don't cut off when on, but it is possible, a problem is more likely to be they won't start when power is applied

Carry a can of Quick Start(ether) and a screwdriver or pliers
Do the 50/50 test
After the stall and you have a crank but no start
Open the hood and remove power brake booster hose from the booster
Spray Quick Start into the hose, so it will be sucked into the intake/engine
Put hose back on
Try to start engine
If it fires then Spark is working, but no fuel from vehicle system
If it doesn't fire then no Spark, so computer or coil issue
This test tells you instantly if its a spark or fuel issue, 50/50

Any gasoline engine needs 3 things to run
Compression, above 120psi
fuel with air
Spark at the right time

Compression is never likely to be intermittent, possible just not likely
so Fuel or spark is most likely culprit for your symptoms

The 3.0l does have a Cam sensor/synchro which did wear out every 100k miles or so
This would almost always make a squealing noise and set a code, but not always
And would cause running issues, stalling and no start


And...................you can get "bad gas", gasoline with too much water in it
This will cause all sorts of running issues
Add 10% ethanol gasoline it will help absorb the water, or a can of HEET or Octane boost, these are ethanol based liquids used to bond with water in the gasoline