[7.3_cowboy]

So I been seeing lots of different ways to get rid of the foot on my 2003 superduty my question is instead of using tubing could I pull the plastic piece with the strainers off and just put a fuel hose with a couple of clamps as the pickup

 

[klhansen]

You might have issues with keeping the end of the hose on the bottom of the tank. Some guys have extended the steel tube down to the bottom and put a tee and two strainers on the ends of the tee.

 

[7.3_cowboy]

Ok so 3/8 and 5/16 copper tubing and compression fittings? Should be enough?

 

[panhead george]

stainless steel .
not copper

 

[7.3_cowboy]

I appreciate all the feedback as far as the sizes and what I listed im good though? Just stainless instead? I also saw one where they did a 90 degree bend and just had the tube routed the opposite way of the return and no strainer would I be ok without a strainer?

 

[Greg687]

I appreciate all the feedback as far as the sizes and what I listed im good though? Just stainless instead? I also saw one where they did a 90 degree bend and just had the tube routed the opposite way of the return and no strainer would I be ok without a strainer?

That is what I did about 6 years ago. No problems. I did put the inline spin on filter though.

 

[klhansen]

I would put an inline filter between the tank and pump like Greg687 mentioned. The pump needs some protection from debris also.

 

[7.3_cowboy]

Sounds good ill for sure take your advice I appreciate it

 

[7.3_cowboy]

Is this the one mentioned earlier with the t and two strainers

 

[klhansen]

Yep, that's the one I was thinking of. I would recommend using stainless steel or at least iron fittings. Brass fittings have zinc in them, which is affected by diesel fuel.
I think you'd be better off with no strainers in the tank and an inline filter outside (easier to change out if needed).

 

[7.3_cowboy]

Is the intake side 3/8

 

[7.3_cowboy]

I did the mod still got an issue seems to have improved I might have made the pickup go to far to the front of the tank however is there any other issues these trucks have that cause it to suck air in the fuel

 

[jleedog]

A poor fuel pump connection can suck in air.

 

[7.3_cowboy]

Thank you

 

[dieseldogtom]

I thought/read the issue of not having any type of strainer in the tank was that it was much easier for a piece of something to get sucked into or in front of just the small end opening of a steel tube which would be a complete fuel blockage vs.(as in the photo with the Tee & strainers), there is so much more surface area or openings for fuel to get through. IE: one piece of 1/4" tank crud would not cause a total fuel blockage. Maybe if there were multiple pickup tubes without strainers there would be a less likely chance of a total fuel blockage? But that creates more fittings & a design that I have as yet to see or hear proven out. Any way you look at it, Any clog in the pickup system is a Royal PITA. Was not the biggest reason for the tank Mods. to eliminate the return from dumping right next to the pickup? All the pickup (redesigns) were done as sort of...."well as long as I am in here I should change the way this OEM pickup foot & screen are designed"? I forget if that part was really something that needed to be changed or was just (I think this is a better way to do it) kind of thing? Were the OEM foot/claw and screens REALLY getting clogged up OR when the plastic foot started breaking up did some folks start to have problems when they ran low on fuel and maybe started sucking air because of the OEM design?

 

[klhansen]

When I did my in-tank mod, I extended the pickup tube down thru the original foot past the auxiliary inlet (the one that sucks air below 1/4 tank). So the original pickup foot that's still there has lasted the entire life of the truck. It's now old enough to drink.

 

[dieseldogtom]

Auxiliary Inlet ? Now I guess I am going to have to start looking at more photos of this pickup/mixer/sender unit thing! I thought the ONLY "inlet" for fuel was through that claw/umbrella foot thing through a screen on the bottom of it? I get the part of extending the solid steel tube down through the plastic umbrella/foot, But I'm not understanding what part of any of this is an "auxiliary Inlet" that could suck air? What am I missing? Are you talking about something up in the "mixing chamber/filter screens area that is usually removed as part of the mod.? What I am asking is where would you be sucking air on an OEM setup except if the umbrella thing is cracked/broken OR because of the return dumping next to the pickup? What's this auxiliary pickup you speak of????

 

[klhansen]

There's a little rubber valve thingy up near the top of the foot that will open if the screen on the bottom of the foot plugs. It can get weak over time and open, and if the fuel level is below that, air will be sucked into the system. The tube running thru the foot plugs that auxiliary inlet. It's the red thingy in the picture.

 

[Traildust]

7.3_cowboy that photo you used in post #9 was from an old post I made back in 2014 and at the time those strainers had been in my truck for close to 12 years, soon after I had purchased the truck new. There was some discussion about clogging of these screens back then. I can tell you I am still running them and have not had any problems with them yet, I think 18 years is a pretty good run. Haven't dropped the tank to look at them since 2014 but did look at them with a borescope about two years ago, they look same as they did in 2014. This truck has been a great truck and I plan on keeping it till the wheels fall off.
Bill

 

[dieseldogtom]

Thanks klhansen for detailing that. I guess I have seen that aux. thing but never though to wonder just what was going on with it. I guess it seemed like a good idea Ford/OEM wise when designed, But has obviously proven to be an issue in the long run (sucking air wise). Ford probably figured we all would be buying new trucks before some of these things ever had a chance to get old enough to fail. I'm at 100,000 miles these days and I dump 2 stroke oil in the tank fairly regular. Sometime a little anti gel/ fuel conditioner (not to often). I would be curious as hell to get a bore scope in there to see what things look like. Guess I won't be able to see the condition of the mixing chamber screens but it would still be interesting to see how clean or dirty the bottom of the tank is.

Traildust - I always kinda liked that setup you made there with the screens being Tee'd like that back when I first saw it. Then the more I thought about all the possibilities of clogging & presumably a big part of the Hutch Mod. being to remove (any) screens in the tank that could clog and be cause for another tank drop, I started to think I would not do it (your way). Though I can see where it's pretty unlikely they could ever get totally from floating crap & just the motion of the fuel sloshing around over the outer surface would tend to keep them free of obstructions I would think. Never the less, For me I think I am leaning towards complete elimination of screens in the tank. My latest idea is that there should be a Tee design up where we remove the mixing chamber thingy, and then have TWO steel pickup tubes (WITH V NOTCHES FILED INTO THE Tip of each) that would extend down to just slightly above the bottom of the tank just like the common Hutch mod. does by extending the single tube through the OEM pick-up foot. My idea here is that it would eliminate the OEM pickup foot completely. It would provide 2 separate pickups. And with the V notches I would think it would be close to impossible for any small piece of anything floating around in the tank to completely block off fuel supply. And it would have to be enough of (stuff) that it clogged up BOTH pickup tubes AND got wrapped around enough to block the Notches too! Any of the smaller stuff would get sucked up and get caught in the OUT OF TANK Pre Pump filter (or as I have learned from all the boys here it's really a screen because filters might create extra work for the pump by to much flow restriction). I would think this design would act as a continuous fuel tank cleaner (in a way) by bringing anything small enough to fit through the pickup tubes out to the pre- pump screen & if small enough to get by that, pushed on up to the OEM valley located filter that we can change out every 15 or 30 thousand miles.Anyone have any thoughts to shoot down that design?????? I'm sure there is something I have not considered that will be an issue. Personally, I think it's a pretty good idea/design but I would not be insulted to hear the reasons it's a bad idea. But I already thought of the "extra fittings that might suck air" possibility LOL. What else???????