WTH, Pre Trip Jitters...

[FordGuy100]

Okay so now that I got past the brake caliper bolt, I thought I was all done. I started the truck up so I could back it out of the garage so the exhaust would be outside (truck facing in) while I made sure the brakes were up to par.



And then.....

1 minute of idling later, it stalls and dies... Ok. cracked a couple of lines, cranked for 10 seconds till it had fuel, tightened, started it. It then idled for 1-2 minutes, then died. It has now done this for a grand total of 5 times to me. After that first time, I was taking the filter off and filling with a diesel additive, as I thought I didnt have any diesel (come to find out I have about half gallon).

So my truck still has the factory POS fuel water seperator on the fender. Yesterday I pulled the plunger, to hear a sort of gurgling sound. I'm thinking I want to attribute this to that seperator. The tank I'm on says it has half tank. I might just go and fill up that diesel, and put it into that tank (not like a gallon will do much...).

With the ignition on, when I flip the switch to switch tanks I can hear an audible click underneath the cab.

So, I think tommorow I will pick up a filter. Is there any filter that doubles as a water seperator without the 7.3 style base? I have one, but its packed under a thousand pounds of crap. If so, I'm thinking I will find a barb fitting, and just throw those two fuel lines going into and out of the factory fuel water seperator together. If I can get a filter, what size hose is it (aka what size barb fitting attachment will I need). I think I might just throw a mechanical fuel pump on it just in case as well, dont have time to mess with an electric.

I tell you, a filter full of pure dieselkleen makes these things purr, oh so smooth.

 

[tapdancewilly]

Where is the water separator? My water in fuel lights on. Not sure if its the wiring or not.

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[FordGuy100]

Yours is on the bottom of the filter. the 83-86 had a seperator fuel/water seperator mounted on the fender.

 

[tapdancewilly]

Must be my wiring then! Haha

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[IDIBRONCO]

Tapdance, there is a sending unit on your filter bowl that could go bad and cause your light to go on. Or maybe you have water in your filter?

 

[tapdancewilly]

Brand new filter, got it yesterday. There is a little black plug in that's pulled out. PO had it like that. I plugged it in today and the fuel filter light came on and it made a hard clicking noise. Unplugged it fast! Haha

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[CDX825]

Justin the lines going into the water separator are 3/8" ID

If you think the drain on it is where your air is coming from you can put a 5/16" bolt in the drain tube to plug it. I ran my truck for a couple years like this because of air getting in from the drain.

 

[Shadetreemechanic]

I think you are on the right track with the new lift pump. Whatever the problem turns out to be, It was nice that it reared its head in the driveway rather than on the interstate.

 

[FordGuy100]

Well I thought I got it with a new pump and filter. Then I got on the freeway with a trailer, and noticed that the truck was doing the ole out of fuel, lots o power deal. So I pulled off and threw a bolt in the seperators line. Still was doing it, as if when I was going up the hills (think wife overpass size) the filter would drain down and then going down get the surge. I then decided to switch tanks to the rear (this is what it was on when all that happened yesterday. Now it's acting fine.

Oh, after I got fuel before I left, I had to start the truck twice, with it sitting about half hour each time. It would start fine then 5 seconds later start stumbling an revving, but I could hold it at 1200rpms and it would clear up.

Somewhere I have a very large air leak.

 

[rhkcommander]

half a tank and fine on the other... broken pickup tube?

 

[FordGuy100]

Both tanks are full now minis the 50 miles I have driven. Of they weren't full I would think a pik up tube problem or something. I'm going to bypass the fuel water separator, maybe find some compressed air and blow into the line from the separator into the tanks.

While idling depressing the schraeder on the filter hea I was getting air for a second and then fuel.