Parking on a hill - !@#$@#

[gandalf]

I think the people above have just about nailed it. To sum things up: parking snout up, air intrusion somewhere near the fuel filter, possible a weak lift pump, and a missing or non-functioning check valve. Your fuel is draining back toward the tank because air is allowed into the system at the high end.

I would have offered this opinion sooner, but it's been a long day. The last thing done was to pick up my daughter and two grandsons at SFO. They just arrived from Maine. I'll have to introduce them to Towcat while they're here, let them terrorize his shop for a spell. They're 10 and 11, pretty close to his daughter's age.

 

[Agnem]

Read my tech article "thoughts on hard starts and air" Sorry I'm too lazy to link it. The short of it is this, there are no check valves. Period. Their doesn't need to be any. The entire fuel system of this truck is designed around the concept of a sealed system. Take a soda straw, and stick it in a full glass of water. Put your thumb over the end of it and pull it out of the glass. The water will stay in the straw indefinitely. Ah the power of atmospheric presure.

The fuel system works on the same concept. The only way fuel can leak out, is if air leaks in. And unfortunately, parking snout up, means your IP is the highest point in the system, and the first place the air is going to run to. Fill an IP with air, and guess what? No fuel when you go to crank it. You can do the electric pump conversion, check valves, this that and the other, but the reality is you have an air leak. Find the air leak, and our problem will go away, completely, no matter what direction or angle you park your truck on.

 

[Danielle]

Well, still haven't tried to start it, just got home from work a small time ago. I can't believe we have so many customers coming in! Truck been down hill still since Sunday.

Anyway, there's little drips of fuel around the firewall area. So (not that I would doubt you guys) there's my clue to follow to find my leak! It all makes sense now haha. But my boobs were already too big to get on a creeper to get under it, and now my belly sticks past THEM (even in their awesome state they're in now haha) so going to bring it to work and try to get look at it.

As usual thanks for the awesome support and ideas, and I will update with what's leaking, whenever I get a chance to fix my own truck ha ha

 

[rhkcommander]

Might be leaky return line olive next to the return tee, i suspect that is where mine leaks from

 

[Danielle]

I happened to drive it today after it sat snout down for 7 days, fired right up. There are two little diesel spots on the ground, both around the fire wall area. I am going to try to look at it on Tuesday and look at all the olives everyone is recommending.

Another question - has anyone replaced the tail to snout fuel lines with all rubber? Or is this a no no.

 

[OLDBULL8]

The spots on the ground around the firewall could be coming from the drain at the rear of the valley pan, any fluid will drain there and run down the back of the engine.

 

[gandalf]

...

Another question - has anyone replaced the tail to snout fuel lines with all rubber? Or is this a no no.

When I added the epump and the Goldenrod filter along the frame rail I changed from the stock fuel lines to diesel rated rubber lines from the selector valve forward to the stock filter. If memory serves, I used 3/8th line. It fits right on the nipple coming out of the selector valve, and is held in place with a hose clamp. Just be sure to secure that rubber line so it doesn't flap around in the wind under there.