Hoping someone can point me in the right direction. My 1997 powerstroke has dual fule tanks. I run the truck 90% of the time on the front tank which is working flawlessly. Yesterday I flipped over to the rear tank and within 1 minute the truck was running out of gas. Had to flip back to the front tank. I dont know much about the dual setup on the Fords. Anybody have any ideas of the problem. I had notice a few months ago when I switched to the rear tank that the fuel gauge would go crazy back and forth and erratic. I didn't give it too hard a look because as I said I use the front tank the majority of the time. One last thing, is it possible to overfill the tank to cause a problem like this? (Venting etc). The reason I ask is I filled the rear tank until it was coming out of the neck and then this problem started. Thanks for your help. Maxx

 

Thats a new one on me. You sure you have fuel in there? I know you said it over flowed but...

When you flip the switch setting in your driveway not running but the key in the run position does the gauge change position in reference to the front tank?

I'm just fishing around here.

 

dont know about that? Im sure there is a pickup in the rear tank isn't there? Im trying to keep it simple and just a clog in the pickup tube? Maxx

 

OK your pickup tube is blocked.

Or you can try to work with someone helping you.

Your call.

 

so the rear tank is full? Could be a clogged pick up tube or a problem with the selector valve.

 

Maxx: See the thread titled "Fuel Gauge won't work" on this page. Cuda-Jim lays out a procedure that just may help your problem as well.

Rog

 

Geez Sundy I think you have over reacted? My reply was simply implying I did not know the answer to you inquire. I dont have possesion of the truck right now to try what you asked. Appeciate ANY help. And I was only speculating on the pickup tube or valve problem. Is the valve an expensive part and /or hard to diagnose 100%. Thnks again. Maxx

 

how can you pull the rear tank. mine is leakin and i was wondering if i have to pull the bed to get the tank out

 

Rear tank comes out by removing the spare tire if its one there. then the tank is help up with a two piece skid plate that is bolted to two crossmembers. Once you begin to drop the tank you unhook the fuel lines. Course the filler tube has to come off first.

 

how does the filler tube come off?

 

hose clamp

 

ok thanks tj your always a help

 

OK. My bad.

 

does the gauge do this now, even with the truck sitting still/in the driveway? reason i ask is if so then its an electrical problem more than likely and not so much a clog. of course then again you could be experiencing two problems at once.

i think you may have shot yourself in the foot with just using the front tank. have you looked in your fuel filter to see if you have that wonderful black, green algae?

also, i had a problem way back when i did my bronco tank mod (it was my excuse to go ahead and do it while i had the stock tank out). i noticed when my rear tank got about 1/4 empty she would run out of gas. well i dropped the tank thinking something was wrong with the float and it actually turned out to be the pickup float that sits on the bottom of the tank. i cut the end off with a brake line tube cutter, purchased a piece of SS 3/8" (i think) fuel line and bent it so it literally touched the bottom of the tank. i can now literally suck the bottom dry and no foot to lose.

-cutts-

 

Heres exactly what it does. Now when you switch to the rear tank the needle pegs way past full and stays there. It will not move from that postion when on the rear tank. While on the rear tank after about 30 seconds the fuel filter light pops on and then almost immediately the truck starts starving for fuel. You can immediately flip back to the front tank and things start clearing up. It runs fiine. I crawled under the truck while not running and listened to the fuel selector valve and it makes the exact noice that my 96 F250 makes. So the valve motor is working, whether there ie something wrong with the valve I dont know. Im guessing there is something in the rear tank pickup that has gotton clog. Not familiar with this sysytem is there a fuel filter inside the tank also? I have replaced the fuel filter at the motor. Thanks.