Guys I need help. I live in Houston Tx. I have a 2002 Ford Excursion with the 7.3. It has just over 130,000 miles on the clock. On Wednesday I filled the tank with B100 from Houston biodiesel as I have for the last 2 months or so....I have run this fuel in two different 7.3s and never had an issue with the fuel even in the cold winter we had here last year. Thursday morning I went to start the truck and it fired up but when I went to leave I only made it about 50 ft before it shuddered and died. I tried for about 20 minutes to get it started without success.

When I returned home from work I changed out the fuel filter on the top side of the motor noting that there was still liquid fuel in the bowl. This time it started up and ran idle for several minutes which led me to believe that it was going to be ok so I put it in drive with the intention to go top of my tank with several gallons of diesel to try and drop the gel point of the B100. I guess the little diesel I had left in there wasn't enough. I made it to the street intersection before it died again after about 300 feet, sounding like it wasn't getting fuel again.

After several attempted restarts I had the vehicle towed to a repair shop where it currently sits. Today the mechanic and I added Power Service 911 to the tank in an attempt to de-ice/degel whatever you of the B100 that may still be gelled due to the cold temps. We also plugged in the block heater to try and warm the motor to aid in starting. After four hours on the warmer it fired up for about 30 seconds before dying again. Out of desperation a friend of mine tried to start it with starting fluid and it wants to start but seems like it is not getting fuel or enough fuel to crank all the way up. He seems to think the fuel pump is bad.

When I turn the key to warm the glow plugs I can hear the fuel pump operating which makes me believe it has to be something else. I also hear what sounds like a gurgling noise on the left side of the truck while the pump is working....almost like there may be air somewhere possibly.

This truck is my daily driver so I really need to get it back to road worthy soon.....any help or insight y 'all have would be appreciated so much because I feel lost right about now.

 

A couple of things you can try are to: open the drain valve on the fuel bowl and drain it, then cycle the key and see if fuel starts pouring out again. Also, top the fuel tank off. If the pick up foot in the tank fell off, it'll suck air with less than 1/4-1/3rd on the gauge. Do you have a check engine light?

 

Is there any way for you to get a fuel pressure gauge to your fuel bowl? Last winter after I gelled up, and changed inline filter I was not able to get the wax to change back into a liquid. This was after 911, and additive!

 

No...no check engine lights to be seen. The trucks tank is full less maybe like 4 or 5 gallons from when I drove to and from work Wednesday. That fuel gauge is something I can get from a local auto parts store? Also what pressure range should I be looking for?

After you gelled and used the 911 how were you able to recover the vehicle?

 

Any fuel gauge should work. Your looking for around 55-65 psi. You'll need an adapter to fit the gauge to the port on the fuel bowl like this: Pressure Port Adapter - 90 deg elbow x 1/8 FNPT - Riffraff Diesel Performance or this: Pressure Port Adapter - Straight 1/8 FNPT - Riffraff Diesel Performance

Did your mechanic offer any other insights?

 

The Diesel 911 bottle says right on the bottle that it's effective on biodiesel blends up to B20. If the fuel is the problem, your best option may be to add heat to the surrounding air. Anyhow, checking the fuel pressure is probably the best next step, as already suggested.

 

Be very careful with starter fluid. It can seriously compound a problem very quickly.

Good luck with you fuel issue. Looks like you are heading in the right direction.

 

Get some gas jugs and siphon as much fuel from your tank as you can. Then replace it with Biodiesel. Find a garage or somewhere enclosed you can park the truck and put a heater in there to raise the temperature of the fuel above the gel point.

But first, pull some fuel out and put it in a plastic bottle and watch to make sure it really is gelling and that is your problem. (which is likely since B100 starts to gel in the low 40's.)

The block heater does nothing to heat your fuel and the fuel bowl heater doesn't do enough. I'd also call the B100 supplier and see if they have any suggestions. They may know a trick that will work.

 

B 100 ? That is a really powerful solvent. I have seen it melt rubber etc. It may have cleaned all the gunk out of the fuel tank and plugged up the fuel pickup. I would not run B 100 in my truck.

 

^^^ what he said. Drop the tank and replace the mixing screen with new or do the HUTCH mod

 

Gurgling before it hits the engine. Doood.... Close the hood. I think we can divert our eyes downward at this point - or up, depending on your current position. If it needs a Hutch mod, if the pickup is partially plugged, or if the fuel in the tank is gelled... the focus is behind the driver, not in front of him. You can try heating the tank, a siphon and a fill, or a siphon and a drop.

Me being proactive, I would take the time to do the Hutch mod - allowing you to see the real story in the tank for yourself.

 

Take the fuel line off the back of the pump and hook up a line going into a container of clean fuel. try starting. if it works blow a little air back into the tank to see if screens will clear. If you haven't done the Hutch mod then do it as soon as you can to avoid future problems

 

I don't know why but I forgot about that aspect of the B1000....this actually seems more plausible as to what may have happened since my truck really only sits about 4 hours overnight before I'm back up to go to work again.

I will have to locate a transfer tank or a lot of 5 gallon tanks I guess so I can take as much fuel out of the tank as possible so I can drop the tank and check the screens and go ahead an hutch and harpoon the tank...my fuel gauge is still pegged on full

 

Another option is to take out all the bed bolts except the back 2, loosen those and jack the bed up. hold it up with blocks. Tank can now be accessed from the top. Only drawback is if bed bolts have never been out they can be a bear to remove.

 

Wish it was that easy....I have an Excursion.....no pick up bed to take off