Guys I'm not a regular poster but joined years ago. I lost my F350 a couple weeks ago due to the recall on the tank switch never being done or maybe just from sitting and not being used all the time, just turned 59,000 miles, but something happened up in the top of the tanks in the switch area. I was driving on I 80 in Pennsylvania pulling my car trailer. Everything was running great. Then there was a pop like blowing the lid off a pail with air pressure and the truck quit running. When I pulled over there was flaming gas dripping from up high above the tanks on the drivers side. Just a heads up for you guys with dual tanks. Carry a big fire extinguisher!

 

That's to bad. That was a nice looking truck

 

just want you dual tank guys to see this.

 

Damn that sucks, she was a good looking truck. I thought the fuel switching valve was on the frame... is there something else above the tanks on the bricknose trucks?

 

Sorry to hear of your bad luck.

He said the truck quit running so the fuel stopped flowing to the engine.
Sounds like the pressure line that snaps onto the fuel hanger popped off.
The 1991 did not have the newer stile with fingers to retain it on with a safety bridge around the connection. It just had the older stile with just the hair pin clip to hold it on.

Would like more information on the recall he talked about. There is no switch area above the tank and the 1991 did not have any frame pump or fuel selector.

The only safety item I know of excluding cross flow was a fuel line rubbing problem:
SAFETY RECALL 94S80
Affected Vehicles
Certain 1990 and 1991 F-Series trucks with the 7.5L engine.
Reasons For Recall
In some of these vehicles, a section of steel tubing in the line that returns fuel from the engine compartment to the fuel tank may contact an underbody weld flange. If the contact is not detected and corrected, an opening could be worn in the tube, and fuel spillage could result. Fuel spillage in the presence of an ignition source potentially could result in a fire.
In some cases, a knocking or clicking sound coming from the underhood or forward underbody area of the truck may warn a driver of the condition.
To correct this condition, the return fuel tube extension will be replaced with a new design and a vinyl guard will be installed on the body weld flange.

New stile:


/

 

That sucks man. That was a really nice truck.

 

I'm glad to hear no one was hurt, that looks pretty scary.


On anther note, I'm in the market for a low mileage used 460, (may go crate engine) for one of my 89's.


Send me a PM if interested.

 

State Farm owns it now. truck is going to auction at a copart somewhere in Pennsyvania. perfect 460 just did belts, plugs, wires, oil. I hope somebody gets it.

 

Here's the recall number and a response I got from some freinds'

A pop with a fire on the fuel tank sounds like it never had 93S68 done to it. The fuel tank selector valve depended on the lift pump in the tank to switch it. Problem was the lift pump didn't develop much for pressure and the high pressure pump usually was strong enough if the lift pump died to keep on going.
93S68 put a couple check valves on the fuel tanks to stop the selector valve from returning fuel to the wrong tank and a new fuel pressure regulator on the engine.
If you have access to something with the VIN post it and I'll see if it still shows up on Oasis. Considering that it's a big safety issue, there's a pretty good chance if the recall was never done it should come up on Oasis.
The other thing could be if you or a previous owner had to change a tank unit, and somebody tossed the check valves when they replaced it, they are responsible for the fire.

 

The references to a switching valve operated by pump pressure, the lift pump of low pressure, and a separate high pressure pump, sounds like the fuel delivery system of the 88-89 series trucks.

 

Bummer that was a beautiful truck, my favorite color too

 

1991 F-series truck did have a different fuel system with no selector valve or HP pump on the frame.
The 1991 did not have a lift pump in the tank either, only the high pressure pump.
The check valves were for the cross flow problem on the 1990-1993 Trucks that had a bad fuel pressure regulator that let the fuel pressure go too high and that would blow out the check valve in the non running tanks FDM.
So Ford did not want to replace all of the FDM in both tanks on all of the 1990-1993 trucks so they replaced the fuel pressure regulator and put an inline check valve in the high pressure line from each check valve.

Wrongly stated in the recall:
The “ unused fuel may be returned to the other tank”. This returning fuel to the other tank had nothing to do with the bad check valve in the other tank. If this happened the other tank had a bad shuttle valve in it and check valves on the high pressure fuel lines would not stop this from happening.

But some of high pressure fuel could go to the non running tank if the HP check valve in the non running tank was bad and a check valve on its HP line would stop this. This bad HP check valve in the non running tanks FDM would also cause a lost of fuel pressure and the engine would have poor power.

The below is some of what was stated in 93S68.
Subject:
Safety Recall 93S68 -
Affected Vehicles:

All 1990, 1991, 1992 and certain 1993 model F-Series vehicles equipped with 4.9, 5.0, 5.8 or 7.5 Liter engines and dual fuel tanks.

Reasons For Recall

Some of the affected vehicles may experience a cross tank fuel flow condition due to the damaged check valve in the fuel pump/sender assembly. Fuel may be supplied from one tank and some or all of the unused fuel may be returned to the other tank. Should this occur, the capacity of the receiving tank may be exceeded and fuel may overflow from the filler cap. Fuel spillage in the presence of an ignition source could potentially result in a fire.

To correct this condition, the fuel pressure regulator will be replaced and a check valve will be installed between each fuel supply line and fuel tank.

 

That makes me think twice about not having comprehensive insurance on my '88 dually.