Those images look like the sending unit / pickup on my steel aft axle fuel tank. Same exact looks.

 

The vans, F450s and F550s have steel tanks which Ford painted on the inside. Your paint is peeling. See my pictures, they will look familiar to you:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...fuel-tank.html

 

would one of those units still benifit from any of the mods?
how much did you find a new tank for?

 

Why does ford have these stupid brain farts? Seems like they are getting worse as the years go on.

I was going to mention that gas tanks are normally galvanized in which the galvanize could be coming off on the inside of the tank.

Either way I was going to suggest a new tank.

 

This is one alternative for E350 vans:




Spectra Premium F41B Fuel Tank for Ford : Amazon.com : Automotive

Since my van is 4x4, it would need to be shortened because of the room taken up by the transfer case. ( So, I am just having a stainless steel tank made instead.)

The Spectra Premium is not painted on the inside, but is coated inside and out with a mixture of lead and tin to prevent rusting.

I would contact Spectra Premium via email or phone and ask if they have a tank for the F450 or F550s.

Snowseeker, you are correct, the oem tank is galvanized. That is why Ford painted the inside of it -- to keep the sulfur in the diesel from reacting with the zinc in the galvanizing.

 

The vans are different than the F250/F350s, but that doesn't look like either. It does not appear to have the mixing screens, so I would guess that they have been removed so, yes, it appears modified. And all you would have to do to continue the modification would be to add a lateral extension to the return line (which is now facing straight down towards your intake foot and possibly adding air to your fuel uptake).

Tugly is the reigning king of the mod of the Hutch Mod, so look up his posts or click on the links on his signature or pm him.

You may also want to take a look at mine for additional ideas:

Hodgson's Hutch Mod/Frame Rail Pre-Pump Strainer

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-strainer.html

 

BTW, I ruined my injectors because of the fuel starvation and/or plugging which happened as a result of the paint peeling, so I am not running my van until I get a new tank for the soon to be new injectors.

 

Thanks for the help, ford wants 1200 for a tank!

 

tank has a lot of rust inside of it. Not sure what to do, i see some plastic ones online or a ford tank, any opinions on that? 1/2 price!
2000 2001 2002 2003 Ford F250 F350 F450 F550 Diesel Plastic Fuel Tank 40 Gallon | eBay
or
http://www.gastanksusa.com/20fosuduf...tm_content=pla
and my fill spout well apart! where can i get one, knaphied?

 

Thanks for posting pics!

If you also have rust inside the tank, then you no longer have paint shielding the steel from the fuel.
And we can guess where that peeled paint went -- to your fuel filter hopefully to be caught before it made it to your injectors.
I like the plastic tanks you found.
Unfortunately, the vans use a long skinny fuel tank between the frame rail and the driveline. So, your tank won't help us van guys unless you choose to mount it aft of the differential and before the spare tire. (IIRC, Ford did that with the Pinto to disasterous consequences.)

Definitely post pictures of the inside. I rinsed mine out with water before I clicked pictures of the inside. Maybe not a concern with an empty diesel fuel tank on a cold day, but I wouldn't use a power tool or click an an electrical device inside even an empty fuel tank with fumes of gasoline, diesel or any other fuel.

 

ill get some inside ones later, my camera is MIA, all got is cell phone. Thanks for the input, I am going to order the tank tonight, probably the ebay one.