My 5.0 van keeps shutting down...Help!

UnklRiko · #1 (**permalink**) 07-01-2009, 01:59 AM

I just completed a 2250 mile drive with my 1992 E-150 with a 302. About 1800 miles in and climbing some grades in Montana, it started to surge and hiccup. I was able to keep it running at high RPMs until I exited the freeway at which point it starting losing power. The engine was running but wouldn't do more than about 2000 rpms until it finally slowed to a crawl and then just quit altogether. It would restart but then seemed like it was firing on only 3 cylinders and shut off within 3-5 seconds. I had it towed into town which took about an hour. When I went to try and start it, she fired right up and ran great. Not wanting to get back on the highway in the middle of nowhere, I decided to have it looked at. After a scan, the mechanic replaced the TPS (Throttle Pressure Sensor). I got back on the road and it ran great for another 200 miles. And just as before it started surging and not wanting to run. I limped it 10 miles to the next town where it sut down as I came off the throttle. I let it cool down and had another mechanic look at it. The consensus was that it probably was the Ignition Control Module. So I had that changed and off I went again. Sure enough the van ran great for another 200 miles and startined doing the exact same thing. I was trying to get it to the next town when I crested a hill and had to let off the gas, at which point it shut down again. I let it cool off for another 20 minutes, she fired right up, and off into town I went. I decided to try to make it the final 40 miles to my destination but ended up 8 miles short when it quit again........

What is going on? (When the mechanic changed my ICM, he told me I only had one screw instead of 2 holding it in place and to try to get another one soon......Can this little 25 cent screw be the what's been causing this?)

Thanks very much in advance!

kynnhoj · #2 (**permalink**) 07-01-2009, 11:07 PM

Ever change the fuel filter?

Maybe your fuel pump (in tank) is going bad?

Fuel pressure regulator bad or bad vacuum connection?

How many miles on this 5.0?

How about timing chain? Is it worn out?

John

UnklRiko · #3 (**permalink**) 07-02-2009, 08:32 PM

Thanks for the input......Tested the fuel system today after it bogged down and it was reading 26 psi but then slowly dropped to around 6 psi. I had the shop change my fuel filter and it worked fine...But after 5 miles more down the road it started quitting again. So I guess it's on to the fuel pump huh?

The van has 158K miles on it..

Wildman2 · #4 (**permalink**) 07-08-2009, 12:16 PM

Yes, the fuel pump is going out.

I had this exact problem a few years ago.

Running around town, no problem, out on the road, after 60-70 miles, the pump would get like "heat soaked" and shut down, let the van sit for 20 minutes and all was fine, until the next unscheduled rest stop

I ended up buying a fuel pump/sending unit from the Ford truck dealer, and it turned into a "bad" pump from day one, until I got stranded 4 states from home, and had a Napa pump installed, and got my $$$ back from the 1 year warranty from Ford.

But over the years, every 6-8 months the van will skip a beat, and this is the time I drop the 40 gallon tank (try to get it as empty as possible) and clean the sock filter, and the inter filter, and even replace them in the pass. The pump sending unit mounts from the top, and I've even replace the O-ring, but fine grit from the road gets into the tank, and plugs up the filters, once clean, the van runs for another 8 months or so until its filter cleaning time.

I'm telling you all this, cause, it's better to drop the tank first, and check for any "debris" in the sock filters before you run out and buy a new fuel pump, Don't know about your, but the pump for a cut-away cube van costs $325+.