Time to drop the tanks?

[F350camper]

So here’s the deal. ¼ of a tank left, driving on the front tank. I take a sharp turn and I get the classic air in lines surging syndrome. About 20 seconds later it smoothes out back to normal. This has happend to me on the last 3 tank fulls.

So? Is it time for me to drop the tanks and repair the pickup tube? What’s the suggested method of repair? Rubber hose?

 

[Exekiel69]

rubber diesel hose will do, also I remember some cutting the end of the hose in 45 deg, or some puting a T at the end of the hose.

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

Rob,
When I replaced the tanks on the gay(Goldie) truck this past summer and looking at the pickup they have on there, the tubing replacement would be the easiest route of replacement.
BUT running all the goodies you and I have been, I'd opt to replace the factory screened pickups. Not sure if a Ford only part but would be a safer choice IMHO.
I know ya filter things down purdy tight but the stock setup can get ya right to the bottom of the tank.
Just wish'n I would have shot a few pics of it when I was fighting em.

 

[beretzs]

I know that. those tanks are best wrestled on an empty status. Matter of fact I ditched my front skid plate, since if I actually hit anything with my truck that hits the fuel tank that is three feet off the ground, I have worse problems. Scotty

Oh, I also did the fuel line with a plastic T in the line. Seems to be working fine.

 

[82fordtruck]

or, don't wrestle those tanks at all. Just pull the bed and be done with it.

 

[OkieGringo]

It's time to drop the tanks and check/replace the sending unit/pickups. There is a plastic extension on the bottom of the pickup which contains a by-pass valve and the filter/screen. Unfortunately, this plastic part breaks off and/or the by-pass valve rots (rubber). It is there to allow the engine to get fuel if the bottom of the tank has enough water to freeze and plug up the normal pick-up.

If the plastic has broken off at the top where it attaches to the metal tube of the pickup (as both of mine were) you'll run out of fuel at about the 1/4 tank level. The new sending unit/pickup is a "Ford Stealership Only" item. Go here: http://www.parts.com/partlocator/index.cfm?siteid=213787 after selecting your make and model, you need to look under "Electrical" to find the fuel sending unit. The 'units' are about $20.00 less at this site than at a "Stealership"($100.00+/-), but I don't know if "the shipping charges" will make it less in the long run. The front and rear units are different with different part #s. And even NEW sending units aren't very accurate. When/if you install new SUs fill the dry tank with 5 gallons of fuel and check what the gauge shows, add 5 more, check etc...

Rather than replacing the whole sending unit, some people have just added a diesel rated rubber hose with some kind of screen to end of hose. I'd tee it at the bottom of tank then reach to front and back. The original plastic screen does not have a fine screen, it's too hard to suck thickening cold diesel fuel thru a fine screen. There is a screen bypass valve on the upper part of the OEM plastic unit. If the bypass valve gets crap stuck in it or if it rotts away it will allow fuel in the line to run back into the tank..loosing the prime...allowing air into the system. P.s. I just checked on the above link yesterday and the price is $99.14 OkieGringo

 

[towcat]

Rather than worry about exact length i cut my hose a little longer and let it curve a little as it hits the bottom of the tank. Also, if I do high center my truck and the tank gets pushed in a little, i don't worry about the opening getting closed off either.

 

[HammerDown]

It's time to drop the tanks and check/replace the sending unit/pickups. There is a plastic extension on the bottom of the pickup which contains a by-pass valve and the filter/screen. Unfortunately, this plastic part breaks off and/or the by-pass valve rots (rubber). It is there to allow the engine to get fuel if the bottom of the tank has enough water to freeze and plug up the normal pick-up.

If the plastic has broken off at the top where it attaches to the metal tube of the pickup (as both of mine were) you'll run out of fuel at about the 1/4 tank level. The new sending unit/pickup is a "Ford Stealership Only" item. Go here: http://www.parts.com/partlocator/index.cfm?siteid=213787 after selecting your make and model, you need to look under "Electrical" to find the fuel sending unit. The 'units' are about $20.00 less at this site than at a "Stealership"($100.00+/-), but I don't know if "the shipping charges" will make it less in the long run. The front and rear units are different with different part #s. And even NEW sending units aren't very accurate. When/if you install new SUs fill the dry tank with 5 gallons of fuel and check what the gauge shows, add 5 more, check etc...

Rather than replacing the whole sending unit, some people have just added a diesel rated rubber hose with some kind of screen to end of hose. I'd tee it at the bottom of tank then reach to front and back. The original plastic screen does not have a fine screen, it's too hard to suck thickening cold diesel fuel thru a fine screen. There is a screen bypass valve on the upper part of the OEM plastic unit. If the bypass valve gets crap stuck in it or if it rotts away it will allow fuel in the line to run back into the tank..loosing the prime...allowing air into the system. P.s. I just checked on the above link yesterday and the price is $99.14 OkieGringo

Good info...well done

 

[F350camper]

thanks for all the info guys. looks like I have a little project on my hands...

 

[yARIC008]

Just a little tip. When i opened up my tank the entire pickup plastic tube deal was anhillated. It was in about 200 pieces on the tank floor. I cleaned all the tank out and for some reason the pickup for the van is like.. triple the price of the truck one. The screen that goes on the bottom of the pickup tube was still floating around the bottom of my tank though.

So what i did is take a small funnel from walmart and put three small stainless rivets in it around the cone of the funnel, then i put the screen back in the funnel. The rivets were just to kinda suspend the screen in the funnel. I then cut small wedges around the edge of the funnel that way when the funnel sat directly on the bottom of the tank it would still suck fuel with no problem.

Then i jammed the funnel on the pickup tube and clamped it on with a stainless clamp. I think just to make sure it was working and i wouldn't have to take it apart again, i took a piece of fuel hose and put it inside the funnel while it was on the pickup tube and put the screen on after that. I probably didn't need to do that but just did it just incase. Anyways, now it's basically sucking through that fuel line and through the little screen still. Pretty much how ford wanted it to work and it's up against the bottom of the tank.

Hope that kinda makes sense.

Be sure when you pull the pickup out of the tank you are really carefull with the arm that has the floater on the end, the one that sense the fuel level. It's pretty fragile and after sitting in diesel all these years they're even more fragile. My friend helped me and was dinking around with that arm deal for a while and i think he broke mine. That's why my fuel guage doesn't work anymore

Anyways, i can run to 500 miles on my tank now. Before that i could only run about 300 miles. Instead of spending 350 bucks to replace a rinky **** plastic pickup, i spent 2 bucks and it works just fine

 

[F350camper]

makes sense Eric. I'll have to see what I'm dealing with on mine.

So are there anti siphon devices in our filler necks? I was thinking I would pump the contents of the tank out before I got started.

 

[F350camper]

or, don't wrestle those tanks at all. Just pull the bed and be done with it.

Ya I thought about gonig this route, but I've got about 80 gallons in my aux tank in the bed. So it would almost be more trouble to empty it, then just drop the tanks.

 

[argve]

Rob do you have an electric fuel pump instead of the mechanical jobbie??? Would make things very very easy...

If you don't I paid like 20 bucks for mine at Advanced Auto... Yes it would be a little slow but you won't be spitting diesel like a juvenile delinquent on a saturday night road trip... (not that I ever siphoned gas as a teen to save my money for beer - oh me never )

 

[F350camper]

(not that I ever siphoned gas as a teen to save my money for beer - oh me never )

he he he he...
Ya, me and my buddies would siphon it from my dads company truck.(company gas card) I never told him about that. I wonder if he ever wondered why he would get 18mpg some weeks, and 8 on others. :Sly

Thanks for reminding me. I've got an electric kicking around here that I'll rig up.

 

[yARIC008]

Was just thinking about my last post, I didn't mention it, but the funnel was upside down, so the wide end was down at the bottom of the tank and the small end was jammed over the metal pickup tube. But maybe you realized that... just making sure though :Sly