I recently purchased a 1988 E350 4x4 cargo van. Shortly after I got it the engine died. A trip to my mechanic revealed the fuel pump in the rear tank and the main rail pump died. After I got those replaced the pump in the front tank died. The tank is full of fuel. I tried to siphon the fuel out so I could drop it and replace the pump. I can't get the siphon hose to go into the tank. Is there a trick to that?

 

I got 6 feet of 3/8 fuel hose to drain mine, '88 E150 dual tanks. Sometimes it takes several twists while shoving the hose past the last turn. The fill hose fits over the metal neck on the tank, hangs up there. I have cut the end at a slant, that helps.
jim

 

Thanks! With a few twists I was able to get the hose into the tank.

 

Excellent!
If the OLD main pump still works at all, you can use it to transfer fuel. I did the front pump and main pump first. Made a harness for the main pump and used it to pump fuel from the rear tank to the front when it was time to replace the rear pump.

It came in handy again when the selector valve failed and overfilled the rear tank. I transferred fuel to the front tank (almost empty) so I could change out the selector valve. Since there is no pressure involved, even a weak pump can transfer a lot of fuel in a hurry.
jim

 

Thanks, Jim. The old front pump doesn't work at all so I can't use your method to get the rest of the gas out. I think I still have about a half tank left in there.
On another note, I think the new high pressure pump is acting up. It started making more noise than usual then I couldn't hear it at all and the van died. I was able to start it a couple of days later but I'm afraid to take it out on the road. The main pump was $165. Doesn't that seem premature to fail this soon? It was installed in April of this year.

 

Do you still have the old Ford tank selector setup? A new pump should never fail that fast, the increased noise could be from being starved for fuel. The pump will not last long if run dry.

Here's some photos of the system that I replaced on mine. The dual tank setup on these years has been problematic.

https://picasaweb.google.com/jimandn...eat=directlink

jim

 

I just got my 1988 E350 back from my mechanic. The new rear and main pumps went out again after 4 months. My mechanic buys Carter pumps from NAPA. The main pump was still under warranty and he negotiated on a replacement cost for the rear pump with NAPA. I now have 3 new pumps, front, rear, main. At no time did I let either tank run dry but parts of one pump were found in the other tank.
Jim, are you suggesting the fuel selector valve may be failing and causing the pumps to go out?
Another problem I have is that the fuel gauge will show full when I fill up both tanks but will go down to empty even though I have only used around 10 gallons. Any clue why that may be? It's consistent with both tanks and I thought the fuel level sensor was integral to the pump. It drives me crazy because I have no clue how much fuel I really have in the tanks.

 

Hi trans,
Gauges that read OK on fill up then drop to empty are probably the brass can floats in the tank. They get hairline cracks that slowly let the gas seep into the can, it sinks, empty tank reading. When the tank empties, the gas vaporizes or seeps back out and the float works for the next fill up. Happened to me on 2 different vehicles with dual tanks.

 

I have determined F O R D stands for Fix Or Repair Daily. The pump I just replaced in the front tank has gone out after only a few hundred miles. My next move is to replace the selector valve. Something must be causing a strain on these pumps. If this doesn't resolve the problem you may be seeing this van up for sale.

 

Sorry about the fuel hassle. Ford dual tank problems are a much discussed (and cussed) issue. My dad owned the van before I got it, he pestered the dealer regularly with fuel pump problems.


FORD is also First On Race Day and if I RECALL correctly, GMAC stands for Give the Mechanic A Check. :-)
jim

 

There's one more funny explaination for FORD---not appropriate here out in the open but it refers to them being "F'n Old Rebuilt Dodge's"---no doubt penned by a GM fan.

 

Then there's always:

Found On the Roadside, Dead.

In this particular case
Fuel! Or Recycle Dump?

I shared the frustration. My brother, who brought the van to me from Illinois, never got it over 50MPH and it never ran longer than an hour before shutting off. I would have filled both tanks and set it afire but being a preacher, he had more patience.

 

So, Jim...did replacing the fuel selector valve resolve your pump problems? I'm willing to give that a try but if it doesn't resolve my problem then I truly will put it up for sale. It's a blast when it runs and 4 Wheeling with it is very cool because I like to go camping far away from the crowds.

 

Yes, replacing the selector fixed it, but then my first selector valve took a dive (some of Ford's vans are haunted). :-)
https://picasaweb.google.com/jimandn...eat=directlink

After a quick warranty replacement in March, it has been working great. I can switch tanks anytime, gauges work fine. Since all that got straightened out, Vincent VanTow has been lots of fun to drive.

Best of luck in getting it going,
jim

 

Yeah, like contaminated fuel/rust in the fuel tanks! How long had the van been setting at the time of purchase, 3-4 years--or?


Cleaning those tanks is a pain. Many mechanics are only too happy to charge you for pump replacement while ignoring the rust and fuel contamination.


Replacement fuel tanks are readily available for this application.