I need a diagram of the fuel supply

[Kwikkordead]

Heatmon thank you for the message here. I fully understand what you are saying about the fuel being bled off at the pressure regulator. What I did the other night was to connect my Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection pressure tester to the right cylinder head and did some experimental volume tests. It's basically a tee with a valve in one end a pressure guage in the middle and a connection at the other. So I was able to get a closed system pressure reading before I started bleeding off fuel. It started out at about 54 psi, idle. I didn't think to get a cruise speed reading. I also was unable to get the fitting to the tester to completly seal in the adapter that I had in the cylinder head so there already was a pretty good leak. With lots of air coming out I might add. See a previous post for details. Anyway I started bleeding off fuel to see just how much volume the system would support and still maintain good pressure. It wasn't a whole lot but I think that it would support about a 1mm oriface in each head max before pressure would start dropping. I would want to err on the side of caution and go a lot smaller than that size to be safe. I was able to collect about 1 cup in 20 seconds and still maintain the original pressure. I only want to get rid of the dead head in the cylinder heads, provide a place for the air to escape, so I am thinking that maybe a .25mm oriface would suffice to let the air out and not overtax the fuel delivery system. As far as the pressure drop that you mention I was going to vent it to the fuel return to the tank. This will lead to shortened fuel filter life because of the added volume through the filter, but I don't give a hoot about that. I think that this will work but I am researching it as much as possible before I take the plunge and I welcome any thoughts you might have. As far as where the air is coming from I am going into the shop tomorrow and dropping the fuel tank and modifying the pickup. Getting rid of the mixing chamber and moving the fuel return as far away from the pickup as possible to give any air that is mixed into the fuel a chance to diffuse before it makes it's way back to the intake.

[heatmon]

Kwikkordead,

Sounds good, keep us posted! I hope you find the air leak- to know for future refference. I remember when I was a kid, tracing vacuum leaks with ether, waiting to hear the engine rev- I almost passed out!

Good Luck.

[cookie88]

It started out at about 54 psi, idle. I didn't think to get a cruise speed reading.

Mine doesn't change any. If I set it to 65 psi at idle, it maintains 65 to WOT.

[Kwikkordead]

Originally Posted by cookie88

Mine doesn't change any. If I set it to 65 psi at idle, it maintains 65 to WOT.

Ok, thanks, good to know.

[Kwikkordead]

Saturday night update: I went down to work today and removed the fuel tank. The factory fuel pickup looks like this: http://community.webshots.com/photo/...32323216kJcYbQ.
I did the pickup mod like this picture. http://community.webshots.com/photo/32614313/32304537sZLVfG. In addition I reattached the pickup screen so there is that protection still there. I put it all back together and test drove it. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! I didn't know how badly my truck cackled until I got rid of the cackle. It rattled just cruising down the freeway at 60mpg. It now requires half of the throttle to maintain speed as it used to and a slight increase in power to boot. I know that the fuel ecomony is going to jump quite a bit. I haven't even tried this oriface mod that I have been talking about yet and am starting to think that I don't need to. The air was being let in at the couplers that connect the fuel tank to the line and also the coupler at the inlet of the fuel pump. I simply cut the flex lines off at the back and ran some fuel high pressure fuel injection hose from the tank to the steel line, and the same at the inlet of the fuel pump. Some stainless steel 360 degree compression clamps and the system was totally sealed up. So now I am a VERY happy F-550 owner with no idle knock or cackle whatsoever.
I do plan on getting that HPoil balance tube that Dieselinnovations sells. It seems a very good idea.

[cookie88]

Yes sir, that's what I said.

I must say you picked the right person's set-up to emulate too. Hutchinagusta is the one that started it all. Every single one of us that have fixed our crappy fuel system owe our thanks to him and Texas Towncar.

[01stroker]

Cookie, I noticed you have an 01 truck. I noticed you said you fixed your crappy fuel system. I have an 01 also and the other day I ran my fuel to about a 1/4 tank and it ran and sounded terrible. I know it was pulling air somewhere probably.(I think mine is crappy also) I filled it back up and everything went back to the way it was. I am wondering if mine is a little noiser than it should be when it is full. I have been reading this post and is our pickup like Kwikkordead's 550? How did you fix yours?

Thanks in advance!
Steve

[Kwikkordead]

Originally Posted by cookie88

Yes sir, that's what I said.

I must say you picked the right person's set-up to emulate too. Hutchinagusta is the one that started it all. Every single one of us that have fixed our crappy fuel system owe our thanks to him and Texas Towncar.

I just emailed them with a hearty thank you for all the hard work and research that they did.
And thank you Cookie88 and Heatmon for the fuel diagrams. I would have been groping around in the dark with this work and really didn't want to screw something up. (Something that is very easily done on the modern vehicles.)

To anyone else reading this: If you haven't done the tank mod - do it at your next opportunity, it makes a world of difference. Even if you don't drop the tank and get rid of the mixing chamber, at least eliminate the o-ring connections at all points before the fuel pump. That's where the majority of the air is being let in. Yes it's dirty "diesel fuel raining down on you if you're not careful" kind of work, but well worth the effort.

[heatmon]

Kwikkordead,

Since I don't have email privledges yet I don't know how to do this, but I have the Ford Service CD for 2001 & 2002 (all Ford Trucks & Engines). Alot of the info is good for the late '90s as well. I would email whatever you need (the whole CD is 384mb, some email systems can't handle a file this size). You'd have to burn a copy onto a cdr(w). Do you have a cd burner? If so, email me at my username at comcast dot net and I'll try to email it to you. Also, I know there's a way to save portions of it by printing to Adobe Acrobat's Distiller that let's you save files by converting them to Adobe Acrobat format (PDF), but I haven't figured out how to do that yet. Maybe someone reading this has solved that problem and could give me instructions on how to do this. Whenever I've tried to save a section of the Ford CD, I get an "unable to print (save) document" error.

I'm glad you're mod worked out so well. I haven't had this problem yet. Having the Excursion, I don't know if there's a difference in Fuel Tank Piping. But just by reading these forums, I've solved other problems (which I'd like to thank all members for) though.

I hope you enjoy your better running truck.

[Kwikkordead]

Originally Posted by heatmon

Kwikkordead,

Since I don't have email privledges yet I don't know how to do this, but I have the Ford Service CD for 2001 & 2002 (all Ford Trucks & Engines). Alot of the info is good for the late '90s as well. I would email whatever you need (the whole CD is 384mb, some email systems can't handle a file this size). You'd have to burn a copy onto a cdr(w). Do you have a cd burner? If so, email me at my username at comcast dot net and I'll try to email it to you. Also, I know there's a way to save portions of it by printing to Adobe Acrobat's Distiller that let's you save files by converting them to Adobe Acrobat format (PDF), but I haven't figured out how to do that yet. Maybe someone reading this has solved that problem and could give me instructions on how to do this. Whenever I've tried to save a section of the Ford CD, I get an "unable to print (save) document" error.

I'm glad you're mod worked out so well. I haven't had this problem yet. Having the Excursion, I don't know if there's a difference in Fuel Tank Piping. But just by reading these forums, I've solved other problems (which I'd like to thank all members for) though.

I hope you enjoy your better running truck.

Thanks for the offer but I am planning to buy my own manual here soon. You can get them for a reasonable price at Helminc.com.

The biggest problem area on my truck was the o-ring style connectors between the fuel tank and the inlet side of the fuel pump. I don't know Excursions at all but Ford really likes to use those quick disconnect style couplers. That's where the air get's in. What you have to do is to eliminate those couplers and use a high quality diesel rated fuel line and hose clamps in their place. If you feel real ambitious drop the tank and do the pickup mod. Recommend driving most of the fuel out before you do it.

[heatmon]

I've looked for posts from member "Texas Towncar" and keep getting "Invalid Web Page Request" error, I also tried to go to texastowncar.com, but you need a login. I registered for a username and password and am still waiting for the confirmation email. Can anyone point me to the threads where Texas Towncar posted at this site? Thanks to all for the help.

[Kwikkordead]

Originally Posted by heatmon

I've looked for posts from member "Texas Towncar" and keep getting "Invalid Web Page Request" error, I also tried to go to texastowncar.com, but you need a login. I registered for a username and password and am still waiting for the confirmation email. Can anyone point me to the threads where Texas Towncar posted at this site? Thanks to all for the help.

You should get an email soon. It's a good place to read up on the work that they did. In the meantime here is a link to pictures explaining the cure for cackle. http://community.webshots.com/album/32614313yLKyrS.

[cookie88]

I have an 01 also and the other day I ran my fuel to about a 1/4 tank and it ran and sounded terrible.

That means you need to do the tank mods. There is a secondary fuel pick-up in the side of the inlet tube in the tank. It is nothing more than a rubber flapper valve and often will open enough to suck air when the fuel level falls below it. Part of my tank mod was to slide a small section of pipe inside the tube to block that valve off.

The other main leakers are the pressure fittings that are used in a suction application. They are located at the inlet to the fuel pump, and at the top of the fuel tank on the same inlet line. Simply cut those two fittings off and run a length of 3/8" fuel hose rated SAE 30R-7 or better between the tank and the pump.

After the tank and pre-pump mods you can finish the fuel system off with a regulated return kit. This removes the check valves from the inlet lines at the heads as well as uncapping the dead end fuel rail and allows a ful flow return, similar to the stock fuel system on the 94-97 PSD's. It also allows you to adjust your fuel pressure from a barely adequate 50psi to a more injector friendly 60-70 psi.

[cookie88]

Oh yeah. If you are like me and don't think the litle screen on the fuel pick-up offers enough protection for the pump you can also install a pre filter in fron of the pump. Any of the little in line filters work ok, as long as they are diesel rated, or you can go straight for the big mamba jamba......like this



I really don't need the stock filter in the valley anymore.

[01stroker]

Thanks cookie, I am going to have to do this to mine. I am hoping it will quiten mine down some.


Steve