Changed all fuel lines on top of my 97 F250
It has a veggie oil system on it, so I have more hoses, as well as the solenoids that switch between diesel and veggie oil. We were careful to mark lines, but I'm gonna triple check it all again..Also had fuel bowl out to get at those lil hard to reach lines.
Anyways, got it all back together, it started right up, ran maybe 5 minutes and died. We thought air in lines, so went through a can and a half of ether. Still won't run. I stopped, as I thought that should have been enough to pull fuel through.
Am I wrong? Could there still be air in lines?

 

Is your fuel bowl staying full? That is a LOT of ether. I hope you at least unhooked your gp system before going through that much of it. Even that, you're probably lucky it still turns over with that much ether being sprayed in there.

 

Yes, bowl staying full. As to ether.....we just gave it squirts to keep it running in the hopes it would pull air through. From other posts I've been reading, that can't be the problem. Found some info on fuel pressure sensor, so that's my next step.

 

Thanx again Fordman. In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm not any kind of mechanic....just a dumb bricklayer tryna keep a truck running....
So, after burning up my eyes here all night, I'm seeing how right you are about the ether.
It still turns over no problem. Fuel pressure sensor is filthy, with crack in wire, so I'm gonna change it in the morning, as well as the fuel filter, as it sat on a bench all day while we fooled with truck. Not sure if it matters, but it's almost due anyways.
I guess next step is seeing if fuel is getting to the bowl?
I'm certain we got all lines hooked up right, but forcing the lowest fuel line on required some jiggling and movement of the fuel bowl we disconnected to access it. I can't help but wonder what I could have dicked up doing this.....
Any help is much appreciated.
Matt

 

Do you have a wait to start light? When you had the fuel bowl out you could have jiggled the heater wire loose inside the fuel bowl. When that happens, it shorts out and blows fuse 22 under the hood. That fuse also powers the pcm. If you have no wait to start light, replace that fuse and unplug the heater.

 

So you replaced everything and it started up fine and ran for about 5 mins then wouldn't pull any more fuel in to keep it running?

 

Fordman-Yes, have wait to start light, and after more ether research, I'm wondering about my glow plugs now....gonna leave it plugged in all night in hopes it will help.

Redneck-yes, maybe 5 minutes, started stumbling and died.

 

When cranking on it now, do it seem as though it sounds like it isn't getting fuel?

Smoke out the tail pipe?

 

I have wait to start light, tach moves when turning over, no smoke out tail pipe.
From what I'm reading, it's pointing me to the lift pump, which is only 3 months old.....
What do you think? How to test it? Can I unhook fuel line and turn engine over to see if it's getting to the pump?

 

No smoke out the tailpipe means your injectors aren't firing. Did you possibly bump/unhook the ipr when you were working in there? Maybe it was partially unhooked when it first fired, then came off and died, now won't run? Check.

 

Hmm. I'm gonna check the IPR, but as I'm not getting any fuel to the bowl at all, would there be anything for the injectors to fire?

 

You didn't say that it wasnt' getting fuel to the bowl, you said you were going to check if it was, and didn't say one way or the other. No big deal.

If the bowl isn't filling, my only thoughts are the lift pump, or a blockage somewhere. I guess I'm not sure.

 

Hey Fordman, I wasn't tryin to be a smartass!!
I am really this technically inept.....I see now that I didn't answer that question. Sorry.
I think you may be right about fuel pump. Just hopin there's some way to test it. Dealer put it in 3 months ago, but I'm sure it could still be bad.I changed fuel lines from fuel pump and now truck won't start. All troubleshooting points to bad fuel pump, but it's only 3 months old, so I just wanna make sure I didn't screw up when I was putting it all back together.

Here's what the pic shows-and it's taken standing on passenger side
line 1-goes down to metal line on driver side of fuel bowl and then towards front of truck
line 2-goes to VO tank
line 3-goes into T with one end going down to fuel pump
line 4-goes into the T shared with 3
line 5-goes to VO tank
line 6-goes into fuel control manifold, which is attached to drivers side of fuel bowl

I'm tryin to track down a drawing and double check my lines. As embarassing as it would be, it'd be alot easier if I screwed that up rather than have to change that pump...

 

I know you weren't trying to be a smartass, I wasn't either. I guess all I can say is double and triple check all your lines. I have no idea how that system works, and am not going to be much help in diagnosing that. It is possible that the pump is bad though, you wouldn't be the first one to have one not last long. It happens.

 

double check all your fuses too, to make sure you didn't blow one.