My truck ran out of fuel yesterday (gauge showed about a quarter tank) and now I'm having problems getting it to run. I've got both tanks full of diesel and it just won't fire up. After I filled the tanks I got it to crank with a short shot of ether and it would run for about a quarter mile and cut off. I got it cranked last night after I changed the fuel filter and changed the oil in the HPOP. I let it run for about an hour last night at idle and revved it some. Everything seemed like normal. I cut it off and cranked it up a couple times to make sure it was right. This morning I walked outside and it was cold out so I fired it up and let it warm up. Cranked right up no problem. Well I get in and leave for work and about a mile down the road it acts like it ran out of fuel. Hasn't started since. I towed it home and cleaned the FPR screen and I'm waitin in my battery to charge. So my question is, do I just have a crap ton of air in the lines or is there another problem? It seems to me like running it at idle would have pulled the air out. Could it be my fuel pump?
Im with jasper, sounds like you have trash in the line. Try cleaning the FPR screen again if it happens again you may have to drop the tank to make sure the sending unit pick up screens didnt come off wich sound likely being you said you ran out of fuel showing 1/4 left. If the sending unit foot has come off then it wont be able to pick up the last 1/5 of your tank and what it does pick up will not be filtered at the tank.
Just a thought of instead of dropping the tanks for this you may be able to get a bore scope down the filler tube (get them cheap on ebay that hooks up to your smart phone), that will save you some labor if they haven't come off.
The pickup is broke on the rear tank I'm pretty sure. I've had the rear tank go dry before after I first got the truck. And yes I changed the HPOP oil. I read on powerstrokehelp.com to do it when I first got the truck and believe it or not it makes a difference. Or so it seems anyways. The front tank I know still has the in tank screen on it so I've been running it off that tank trying to crank it. Although both tanks are slam full so either tank should work. So if I did get trash in the system (highly likely) then what steps do I need to take to get it out. I'll clean the FPR screen again, but is there any other screens or filters to change other than the fuel filter?
What I did was pull the senders and clean out all the trash.
Then I had to the line's loose and blow them out with air.
Stuff can get caught in the selector valve. The orifices inside are pretty small.
You do realize the HPOP is filled by the low pressure lube pump in the crankcase, right? The HPOP is NOT a closed loop. The oil feeds the injectors then drains back to the crank case.
AaronSEIA
Got out and worked on it today. I jumped it off and it blew a lot of white smoke like it was getting fuel and just not trying to crank up. So I got to thinkin about it and it did this once before when a CPS failed. Called the parts store and the one I have had a lifetime warranty. Got a new one and installed. Cranked the truck over about 15 seconds and then tried cranking it a second time and it fired right up. So I'm assuming that was the problem. I didn't know a CPS could work intermittently like that though. Does this sound right to y'all?
If you are getting white smoke out of the tail pipe then it isn't the CPS. The white smoke is unburnt diesel and if it was the CPS the injectors would not be firing.
Have you checked the glow plugs for a cold start problem? Other than that have you checked your fuel pressure on the filter housing?
On the CPS the best place to purchase one is at the dealer or International shops. The ones from part stores are a iffy chance it they work right or not and as cheap that they are now from Ford there is no reason not to buy one from them unless it is a emergency.
I am ordering one from ford Monday. I just had a lifetime warranty on that one and figured I'd give it a shot. The glow plug relay clicks when I turn the key. And when I cranked the truck up yesterday morning it was 20*. They wouldn't cause it to sputter and die like it had been would they?
If the relay or glow plugs aren't all working right, it will sputter, cough, try to start, and eat 2 batteries before it does. You can search here for for the ways to test the relay and glow plugs. Should almost be a sticky up top.
AaronSEIA
Well. Y'all were right. It is not the CPS. However it is also not the glow plugs. I'm pullin the bed off to get to my tanks tommorow or wednsday. Gonna check and see about the pick up on my rear tank and check the screens/filters in both. I guess if all that checks out I'll blow the lines out. Is it safe to blow back through the fuel tank selector?
Only caveat with that ^^^^^ is that you could blow something INTO the FSV, get it lodged there, and then you're having a bad day. If you don't mind a messy job, I would remove all the lines from the FSV, then blow the lines from the engine back to those open ends, and then blow from the open ends at the FSV back to the tanks, and THEN blow the FSV separately (switching tanks as suggested).
That's actually the way I did it, because at the time I didn't know which was feed and which was return. Lol
I did the FSV with everything connected.
Most likely nothing is in front of the FSV.
Finnaly getting around to workin on this over Christmas break. Got the bed off and looked in the tanks and there's no filter in either and there's a little rust in the tanks. Gonna clean tanks and get filters. Also went to unhook the hose from the fuel pump to blow through and I have no clue which hose is the one that pulls from the tank.
As far as I know the only filter is the one in the valley. Nothing at all in the tanks other than the pickup and gauge. As for which hose, I think it's the one that the banjo bolt goes through.
AaronSEIA
Banjo bolt is from high pressure side of pump to the heads.
Beside the fuel bowl are the feed and return lines. The one hooked to the pump is the feed. The one hooked to the fpr is the return.
Just to clarify, I see three lines from the pump. Two top lines and one below them. If I'm looking at the truck down on the engine, the top left goes pump to bowl, top right goes pump to some metal line, and bottom goes pump to looks like back under the bowl. I should be blowing back through the one connected to the bowl?
Blew the lines out today. Got the truck cranked up and drove it around the yard and down the road. Power braked it and then ran it up a big hill to try as put it under a decent load. It ran fine. When dad gets home I'm goin to get him to let me tow him on the tractor up that big hill and see if it does good. I think the front line was partially blocked. It trickled diesel and then shot it about 12 ft.
Got my new tank put in the rear today and cranked it up to test it. Everything works great, except now fuel is dumping out the fuel pressure test port (schrader valve). Will it hurt anything to take the valve out and just put a plug in it?
Nope no problem plugging it. I don't remember the size but it is a standard pipe thread. Just be aware that it is a tapered thread and if you over tighten it you will break the housing and then you'll be up the creek without a paddle so to speak.
I appreciate the reply and the warning! I have one that will fit already.
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