I have a 2001 e350 7.3
It has 227,000 miles all maintenance has been done at the ford dealer since it was brand. 2 inch thick of paper work. Rich doctor

I just purchased the van from the original owner.
The car it ran great on two different test drives and when driving it to my job.
About 50 miles total.
I left it at my job for 3 weeks and picked it up today.
I ran great for 6 miles and then everything went to h3ll.
Right before I bought it the original owner complained to ford about loss of power.
Ford replaced the fuel pump and cleaned the filters.
The gas tank fuel lines were barely connected.
The fuel filter was replaced about 10,000 miles ago by ford.
I changed the CPS thinking that could be the issue but nothing changed.
I put a bunch of fuel treatment in the van and it ran great for two miles.
Then back to running like junk.
Anyone have any ideas.
I thinking maybe fuel filter how hard is that to change on a e350 conversion van.


Thanks to anyone that helps

 

First impression, sounds like a fuel restriction. I believe the vans still have the fuel filter just behind/under the powerstroke cover on the front center of the motor in the valley.

There are screens inside the tank, in the mixing chamber, that can clog up though, and that is where I would lean first personally. A way to know would be to check fuel pressure at the bowl fittings, but the Hutch mod is good proactive maintenance even if it is not the current issue.

Welcome to guzzle's In-tank Hutch Mod Web Page

 

Did you pump it full of gas?

 

The tank was 1/4 full when the problem started. I put 20 gallons in it to hopefully mix up any junk in the tank but it made no change.

I will research the hutch mod.

I plan to replace fuel filter tomorrow. Does anyone know if it takes a lot to do fuel filter on the e350. I know where it it just seems like the placement would be hard to get to.

Thanks,

 

Sounds like the filter in the tank. Its more like a screen, but you can check this by looking at fuel pressure.

7.3L PSD - How To: Measure Fuel Pressure - YouTube

If you see low fuel pressure I would rule out fuel pump since it was just replaced.

 

The truck seems to be running fine this morning.

Yesterday truck seemed to act up after hitting a bump in the road.

I looked under the truck yesterday and noticed that the fuel tank filler tubes were not properly connected to the fuel fill door. (Ford Just replaced the fuel pump and cleaned the fuel tank screens) I connected the fuel hoses back up yesterday and it did not make a difference. I put a full 1 quart bottle of fuel treatment in 25-30 gallons of fuel. The truck ran better for about 2 miles, then the loss of power came back and max rpm dropped again. I left the truck in the Wal-Mart parking lot overnight.

This morning

The truck started right up this morning with no problems. I drove it for about 20 mins without any issues. I drove over speed bumps at about 20 MPH and no issues appeared.

The only difference between today and yesterday is I have only started it up once today, and the temp. was low this morning. Yesterday the truck did not have any over heat or cooling problems but I did sit in the parking lot for 15 mins with the engine running and AC on max waiting on my wife it was about 100 degrees yesterday.

Yesterday the truck ran fine for the first crank up also. I hope everything is fixed, but if the problem comes back it is properly electrical or a sensor. The paper work from Ford says that the fuel tank screens were cleaned less than 1,000 miles ago. The fuel filter was also changed recently. I don’t think the tank fill hose would cause a problem either. If I don’t have any issue with the truck after getting lunch,
I plan to drive it home today 45 miles.

If anyone has any ideas I am all ears.

Thanks,

 

it drove fine again for lunch only about 5 miles total

 

No expert here, but the screens inside the tank, relieved itself, thus, driving properly, forthe moment. You can also remove the "return" line and shoot air thru it (not much psi), maybe help relieve any restriction there too. Also, from sitting, maybe sediments worked loose, and now traveled back thru the return, blugging up the screen inside tank. Not knowing the complication of removing the tank from a van, but our trucks, its somewhat simple. If thats the case, it wont take long, grab 1-3/8 compression union, 1-5/16 compression union, some 3/8 aluminum and 5/16 aluminum bar stock from a hobby store, and build you a "hutch mod' system. Hit up NAPA for a good in-line filter and about 10ft of 3/8 30r7 or 9 fuel line, and have at it for a couple hrs.

 

Maybe you could do the in-tank mods without removing the tank by just cutting a hole in the floor right above where the unit goes in the tank.

 

Drove the truck and it did good for the first 20 miles, then it made one romp like when it's really cold out. The Service engine light came on without any power loss for about 5 miles, then I loss power after that. I cycled the engine and let it idle for 5 mins parked, it ran good after I cycled the engine. I drove it again and it ran perfect for about 5 miles and then loss power again. I did this two more times and the last time it drove 10 miles home without problems.

It seems like a fuel issue to me. I just hate to drop the fuel tank if ford supposedly did the same work 1000 miles ago.

The tank has about 30 gallons of fuel. I will see how bad it is to drop the tank tonight.

Do I have to remove the fuel pump to get to these screens.

I still don't fully understand the purpose of the hutch tank mod.

Thanks everyone,

 

The hutch mod does several things:

1. Eliminates air intrusion. The ford fuel line connections are great for pressure, but this is a suction system until you get to the fuel pump.
2. Provides filtration before the fuel pump so debris cannot get to the fuel pump and damage it.
3. Eliminates in tank screens, which are easily clogged (a concern in your case).
4. Bypasses a fuel inlet, which can make it difficult to get the last 1/4 tank of fuel out and lets air into the fuel system.

Air intrusion will cause poor performance and can damage the engine (through cavitation and pitting), so it is always worth it to eliminate it as much as possible.

 

Hey, when it looses power again try disconnecting the ICP sensor on the driver's side front of the head. This will force the PCM to use a default injector pressure and otherwise allow the engine to run just fine - if this is the problem. There might be some oil on the middle of the sensor and if so, that points to a suspicious bad sensor.
If you are hitting bumps and it looses power, then that could be a sign of the UVCH (under valve cover harnesses). The plug portion on the inside of the valve cover can work itself loose and exhibit intermittent problems.

Good luck,

 

If you got an SES light, you need to find out the code, your issue now kind of sounds oil related.

 

Has the oil been changed at all since this issue started? Could it be wrong grade of oil/low oil?

 

I believe some of the vans had a coating on the inside of the fuel tank that can delaminate and clog the fuel pick up screen causing the symptoms you describe. I'm not sure how you diagnose or fix this, but it may be worth looking in to.