Hi guys,

Recently purchased a 1982 RV with an E350 Base. Maiden voyage went perfect. Drove it a couple of times around the block after that, no probs. After that, I was backing it up one night and the engine lost power and quit. I was able to re-start it and as soon as I parked it, it died, and I haven't been able to start it again since. I can crank it and crank it, but it won't budge. The Onan generator also will crank and won't start either, so I doubt fuel filter clogging at this time.
I've done the following:
*Took out air filter assy and smelled for gas in carburetor, nothing in there.
*Checked fuse, OK
*Replaced fuel pump relay.
*Checked fuel pump switch relay, OK
*Checked Inertia switch, OK. Both relays are getting power, so I checked this just because I didn't want to leave anything to luck.
*Checked oil pressure switch, OK. I jumped it just in case, no results. I put it back the way it was.
*Went back to the pumps, I don't get power back there with the ignition open, but I don't know if I should, or if they only get energized when you start the engine.
I'm not exactly new to Ford trucks, I have a '65 F-100, but it's a whole lot easier to work on than this beast.

Any comments and suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

 

I don't remember seeing what size engine you have.
So you don't have a mechanical pump on the side of the timing chain cover?
You should have a fuel filter at the carburetor. If it is a 2bbl, it should screw onto the outside of the carb. If it is a 4bbl, it should be just inside the carb, fitting where the fuel line connects to the carb.
You should be able to jumper out the fuel pump relay and test the power at the relay. It probably looks like this?
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/291344...-1/s-l1000.jpg

How long did the motor home sit before you bought it? It could have water and crud in the bottom of the fuel tank. Does it start if you pour a little gas in the carb?

 

You're right, I never mentioned engine size. It's a 460 CI 7.5L. I did think it had a mechanical pump on the side and I actually bought one, only to find there's none.
The motor had sat, according to the P.O. about 4 years. It's possible that there's a clogged line somewhere, but would that also kill both the engine and the generator? Nothing happens when I switch tanks, so the option I'm leaning towards more is an electrical failure somewhere. I haven't tried the gas in the carb, probably will on this long weekend.

 

I dont know much about the 460cid as all 3 of our vans are small blocks. 78 e100 w/351w, 85 e150 w/302, and 88 e150 w/302. Both older ones have a carb but mechanical fuel pump. The 88 is EFI and I have a diagram for the fuel pump electrical but not sure it would be the same as yours.. If it sat for 4 years there is a good chance that the fuel tanks have allot of water in them, especially if it was a ethanol blend fuel. The ethanol draws moisture from the air and then it separates.

My 88 had sat for several years and had to have a new tank, pump, and sending unit.
My 85 drove for a fer hundred miles before it quit and here is what i found




This diagram is from a 88 e150 so I don't know if it will be the same as yours


If the generator uses fuel from the same gas tank, then, YES it could..
Try a little gas in both and see what happens..

 

Thanks Annaleigh, I'll try that. That was some crud in that tank!!!

 

I wanted to post this in hopes that perhaps it will help somebody. I posted a while ago that my RV all of a sudden stopped and did not want to start. (mercifully, it died right in my driveway right after I came from filling it up.) It had all the symptoms of fuel starvation, but I could not find the problem. Even the Onan generator wouldn't start. I checked both fuel pump solenoids. Both good. I actually replaced them to no avail. Checked voltage to both pumps, rear tested good, front one dead. There was something, but didn't explain the rig not starting when I switched to rear tank. Smelled carb, no trace of fuel. I read on some threads that these engines (mine is a 7.5L) have a low oil sensor that can be bypassed, and I did that. No luck. She was dead. Annaleigh suggested that I clean the tanks and replace the pumps. Reluctantly, knowing how heavy a full tank would be, and knowing that it would be a bear of a job to get them tanks off the RV, I proceeded to get the rear tank off first. It was surprisingly light... hm. Turns out it was empty. Curious, since I clearly remember that the RV died right after a fill up. Got the fuel pump out, and both pump and tank were clean. But, I did discover something there. My RV doesn't have 2 separate fuel caps for the 2 separate tanks, but only 1, that does sort of a Y at some point distributing the fuel between the 2 tanks. Kind of crude if you ask me. Well, looks like the previous owner had dropped some sort of a plastic filler tube in there, fell right in the Y pipe, and it was conducting all the fuel to the front tank. The rear tank, which is the one the Onan draws fuel from, was empty. So I put everything back together, filled the rear tank up, and right up she starts. I still have to replace the front pump, but she took us without a problem out to the mountains this last week. Sometimes it's the little things that go unnoticed...