Filling up short bed tank - Diesel Forum

3skidoos · 03-06-2008, 02:35 PM

I was down to a quarter tank, and when I went to fill it up, th auto stop stopped at 19 gallons. I figured that can't be right. So i slowly filled the tanks, and was able to get in another 4 gallons, trickling it in.Anyone know why this is? 4 gallons is alot of gas/miles when your making a long trip. Especially going thru NJ where you can't pump your own diesel (at least that's the way it was going thru there 3 years ago)
Any inputs on this?
Thansk

CaptSkup · 03-06-2008, 03:25 PM

I think that Ford installs the same fuel tank in the trucks, whether the engine in that truck is gas or diesel. Unfortunately the ventilation that is more than adequate for a gasoline tank is not enough for a diesel tank. Ever notice how easily diesel fuel "foams" when pumped under pressure. Our diesel tanks fill up with foam, that foam travels up the fill pipe and causes the pump nozzle to kick off. As you have witnessed far from a full tank. A remedy is possible if you don't mind doing some work. Many owners have run the fuel tank level quite low, removed the tank, taken the plate that contains the pump and level sensor loose, reached into the tank and trimmed the length of the vent pipe that hangs down from the top of the tank. This allows the air to vent out of the tank without the foam shutting down the fueling. I have not done it yet to my truck, due to not driving it that much(damn high fuel prices!). Also I suspect that when we think the tank is very low on fuel, by the gage, it actually has more fuel still in it than we expect. I think this "reserve" of fuel is left there to cool the submerged fuel pump.

Harley350 · 03-06-2008, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3skidoos

I was down to a quarter tank, and when I went to fill it up, th auto stop stopped at 19 gallons. I figured that can't be right. So i slowly filled the tanks, and was able to get in another 4 gallons, trickling it in.Anyone know why this is? 4 gallons is alot of gas/miles when your making a long trip. Especially going thru NJ where you can't pump your own diesel (at least that's the way it was going thru there 3 years ago)
Any inputs on this?
Thansk

I've had that same thing happen to me a few times and allways at the same station, found out it was the nozzel causing the problem.

To rule out the nozzel, try another pump or station see if it still happens.

jaredther6er · 03-06-2008, 07:09 PM

I can usually add 7 or 8 gallons of diesel. Its very annoying because it takes me an additional 5 or 6 minutes.

Markford14 · 03-06-2008, 07:35 PM

To stay time how about the HARPOON mod

Markford14 · 03-06-2008, 07:36 PM

**Save time

Stymie · 03-06-2008, 08:10 PM

its been the same with all diesels i have owned. if you do a search for harpoon mod you'll find some good info

mattebury · 03-06-2008, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3skidoos

I was down to a quarter tank, and when I went to fill it up, th auto stop stopped at 19 gallons. I figured that can't be right. So i slowly filled the tanks, and was able to get in another 4 gallons, trickling it in.Anyone know why this is? 4 gallons is alot of gas/miles when your making a long trip. Especially going thru NJ where you can't pump your own diesel (at least that's the way it was going thru there 3 years ago)
Any inputs on this?
Thansk

I have the 38 gal tank on the long bed and I can consistently pump in 2.5 gallons after the shutoff. I'm too lazy to harpoon the tank. First time I did it, I pumped fuel in real slowly and inadvertently pumped fuel out the overflow. Now I listen real close and look down the spout.

bigdogd · 03-07-2008, 05:36 PM

You guys are looking at this the wrong way. It's not that you can't fill it up completely, it's just not as empty as the gauges would have you believe.

I noticed the same thing with mine and wondered why it would take so little to fill it up when it indicated it was so low. So one time I threw 2 5gl cans of fuel in the bed to see what would happen when I let it get down low. The gauge indicated that the truck was empty right around the same time the display on the DTE went to 0 and I just kept on going, and going and going.

I went 45 miles beyond 0 on the DTE before I said the heck with it and didn't want to bother with actually running it dry and put fuel in it.

So the reality is that the gauges are off by about 6-7+/- gallons from real levels. To me that is a huge margin of error for a 30 gallon tank and unacceptable.

When I dropped the tank to put in my 47 gallon TFI tank we reconfirmed it by the larger than expected volume of fuel in the tank when we dropped it when it was indicating E on the gauges.

With my 05 when the DTE got to Zero you were coughing and sputtering because it couldn't grab enough fuel to keep it going.

dieselwhisperer · 03-07-2008, 07:35 PM

I think we're talking about standing out in the cold for another 5 minutes or so slowly finishing the fill up after the pump shuts off. I can usually get another 4 or 5 gal in mine after the pump clicks off and it's a slow process.

Seapig53 · 03-07-2008, 08:05 PM

I think there might be a real good possibility that Ford set it up like that to keep you from running out of fuel.....which would be a really bad thing.
~Mike~

bigdogd · 03-08-2008, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselwhisperer

I think we're talking about standing out in the cold for another 5 minutes or so slowly finishing the fill up after the pump shuts off. I can usually get another 4 or 5 gal in mine after the pump clicks off and it's a slow process.

I never experienced any issues with having a problem squeezing more in. If i tried to top it off it would do it with out any problem.

I just wanted to point out that there seems to be either a much larger emergency reserve built in or they havent bothered calibrating the sending units as accurately as they did with the 6.oL trucks.