Fuel Gages read 1/4, but stop picking up fuel

[Tim McKay]

I was reading the other Fuel thread, and thought I would start a new one rather than jump on his, as my issue is different. I also tried searching for "FSV" issues, and got nothing worth while. (I find the search function difficult to find answers).

So this is a 93 model. When either the front or rear tank reads 1/4 tank, I run out of fuel. Once I refill that tank, It takes only 12-14 gallons until full. Clearly the pickup is not all the way to the bottom of the tank. I figure its the "shower head" pickup may have fallen off? Are there any other common causes of this problem? As far as the accuracy of the gage, I was planning on bending the floater arm to get it close to correct.
I sure would like to order the parts I need before I tear it apart, so that I am not without a ride. If this is a common issue, I will roll the dice and order them, hoping its the issue once I get into it.

Thanks for the help.

Tom

 

[franklin2]

If you think it's the shower head problem, order some fuel hose rated for submersion, and put that on the end of the sending unit in place of the broken shower head pickup. You can cut a v-notch in the end of the hose.

 

[austin92]

Definitely sounds like a broken shower head to me. Not really anything else it could be


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[Tim McKay]

Franklin2,
Sorry for my ignorance, but why wouldn't I just replace the shower head? I have found that Dorman makes them. Maybe Ford has some. Are they a high failure part? I figured if that's the failure mode, its just because the truck is 25 years old.

Austin92, It seems logical when you look at a diagram.

Thanks to both of you for the replies.

 

[Cubey]

Amazingly, my front tank shower head must still be there. I have gambled abd gotten it below 1/4 a couple times but i rarely go that low in case it finally falls off after 32 years. I've never used the rear tank so I don't know about it.

 

[Clb]

Stickies

 

[Thewespaul]

Get a shower head for a 2003 f250 6.0, it fits our stock sending units and is made of a much sturdier material which is why the newer trucks dont seem to have as much shower head issues as our older trucks.

 

[Hagan]

Get a shower head for a 2003 f250 6.0, it fits our stock sending units and is made of a much sturdier material which is why the newer trucks dont seem to have as much shower head issues as our older trucks.

According to rockauto it's the same part from '90-'07...

 

[franklin2]

Franklin2,
Sorry for my ignorance, but why wouldn't I just replace the shower head? I have found that Dorman makes them. Maybe Ford has some. Are they a high failure part? I figured if that's the failure mode, its just because the truck is 25 years old.

Austin92, It seems logical when you look at a diagram.

Thanks to both of you for the replies.

I am the get r done type. I toss broken parts and if I can use something else I usually will. Granted the shower head has lasted for many years and if it's easy to buy it I would have to consider it. But the hose is a option also.

 

[DrCharles]

I replaced both tanks rather than clean and derust, and the showerheads too. And I still have the 1/4-tank problem when going up hill or around curves! Senders don't look bent and the heads are near the bottom. I think the problem is that the tanks are not baffled and the fuel sloshes away just long enough for air to intrude.

So the next time I get in there, the plan is for a piece of hose with a brass tee on the end to keep it at the bottom of the tank.

 

[The_Josh_Bear]

Franklin2,
Sorry for my ignorance, but why wouldn't I just replace the shower head? I have found that Dorman makes them. Maybe Ford has some. Are they a high failure part? I figured if that's the failure mode, its just because the truck is 25 years old.

I'm not Franklin2 but I will chime in on why I went with the fuel hose-- no shipping, no waiting, cheap cheap cheap, durable, and will likely last until after I'm dead.
And most of all: I dont trust Dorman to make anything as good or better than OEM.

 

[Macrobb]

Pretty sure that the problem with these pickups is that the material they used wasn't /gasoline/ rated. For a number of years, tankers had been "switch loading" gasoline and diesel - one load of gasoline, one load of diesel.
Tankers never get completely empty doing this, so you get a few gallons of gasoline mixed in with a tanker load of diesel. And, I'm thinking that may well have caused plastics to have issues.

More recently, it looks like that practice was stopped or at least reduced, mainly due to explosions and problems from leftover gasoline vapors in equipment not designed for it(I'm talking about commercial equipment, not our trucks - aside from plastics degradation, a few percent gasoline wouldn't hurt anything really).

 

[79jasper]

I dont trust Dorman to make anything as good or better than OEM.

Depends. Some stuff is actually better than original OEM. A lot if stuff is better than current OEM replacement.
Now some of it is junk though. Lol
I'm of the side that I would rather use hose, copper, or steel line rather than go back to the showerhead.

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[79jasper]

Pretty sure that the problem with these pickups is that the material they used wasn't /gasoline/ rated. For a number of years, tankers had been "switch loading" gasoline and diesel - one load of gasoline, one load of diesel.
Tankers never get completely empty doing this, so you get a few gallons of gasoline mixed in with a tanker load of diesel. And, I'm thinking that may well have caused plastics to have issues.

More recently, it looks like that practice was stopped or at least reduced, mainly due to explosions and problems from leftover gasoline vapors in equipment not designed for it(I'm talking about commercial equipment, not our trucks - aside from plastics degradation, a few percent gasoline wouldn't hurt anything really).

Not to say it's false, but I've never heard of that.
Now if you said biodiesel caused it, I would wholeheartedly agree with you.

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[Macrobb]

Not to say it's false, but I've never heard of that.
Now if you said biodiesel caused it, I would wholeheartedly agree with you.

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https://www.pei.org/wiki/switch-loading

http://psc.tamu.edu/files/symposia/2013/2013 abstracts/Scott Davis GEXCON.pdf