i went and got a 88 f250 4x4 today with a 7.3 idi auto, the engine stutters or serges with white smoke and smells like it is burning rich. and if you try to take off easy it hits a spot and takes off.. i seem to be getting some air there at the fuel filter, but not sure if that is what is cousing this or where it is coming from.. when i get on it i get black smoke, let off and get white smoke, has rough idle.. any clue's??????? thanks....

 

sounds like the air filter is dirty or the fuel is up too high (black smoke under load.)
and sounds like the injectors are shot (white smoke,poor idle,sensitive to take off,possible stalling out on decel.)
like most of these trucks,since the engines just keep running even when tired out worn down ip and injectors and the timing way out of whack people just run 'em cus even the idi is expensive to tune up.they lack such power now that most people just think the idi's are supposed to run with what feels like 75-95 hp lol.
ideally you want to do a compression test,and if that passes then buy her a reman ip,a fresh set of injectors,cure all fuel leaks,and have the engine timed.but that'll run ya around a grand.

 

black smoke at WOT is fairly common. just back off on your foot until its only a haze.
white smoke while surging sounds like air in the fuel. since you're finding air at the filter, you'll want to chase down the source of the air, and correcting that will likely solve the problem. the air can also explain the rough idle.

if the problems continue after you solve the air problem, refer to the post above this one.

 

i put on a diesel electric fuel pump, and she still acts up, if i stab the throttle real fast she just dies.. and im still loosing prime to my filter, im starting to think my ip is goin out but dont want to change it and find out thats not what is wrong..

 

i looked at my sending unit on top of the tank, they was really rusty, i unhooked the lines and hooked them up in a gas can full of diesel and seems to be running pretty good. so i think a new tank and sending unit should do the trick.. i hope..

 

leaks there at the tank will cause everything you're running into there. makes perfect sense. depending on how your tank looks, you might be able to replace just the sending unit - if you can find one.

 

i found a guy with a parts truck and got the front and rear tank out of the truck, both tanks are in great shape, the front tank was full of diesel and the back one was about half, so i got about $100.00 worth of diesel.. so it was a good day...

 

sounds like a good deal! let us know if it solves the whole problem

 

so far so good, starting right up and running good, has a bit of a miss to it but i think it could just use some new injectors so thats next on the list...