Long story, so here goes. Around 2-3 months ago my truck was getting hard to start when it was getting colder. For good measure I put a new fuel filter, fixed the fuel heater leak and put 8 new motocraft gps in. Still hard to start after it sat for a few days. Been wanting to do the carrier pump so got one and installed it, figured my lift pump was crapping out anyway by the way it was acting trying to start. After installing the carrier I took her up the road and my fuel filter light would pop on when I got to 23-2500 rpm wot. I resealed my fittings with thread locker. Still popped on but no power lose or missing. For peace of mind I put a new fuel filter on and some power service in the tanks. Still popped on. So yesterday I did some investigating and checked to see if I had fire to the gps and that checked out ok. My carrier acts like it's not pulling fuel good, like it's trying to suck air, so I stuck a fuel line in a diesel jug and got the same thing. So bled the air off and took it to town and filled the tank. Fuel filter light doesn't come on now unless I hold it to 3000 rpm wot but it acts like it's running out of fuel sometimes. If you're going 55 cruising, it takes spells of goosing, like you pressed the pedal down. It idled rough a couple of times at one red light and once after I started it and was pulling out onto the road. The ip and injectors are a little over one year old and right at 20,000 miles on them. Also did the return lines at the same time. Could I have a return line problem after the engine toward the tanks? This things got me stumped. It turns over several times before it starts too. Once started it starts super great. Overnight it takes several revolutions, a couple of days its a no go. Thanks for reading my long post. Just wanted to get everything in to clear up what's been done. Any advice will be GREATLY appreciated.

 

It sounds like you have an air intrusion problem due to the surging and hard starting. You may want to check all of your steel lines, there is a possibility one has developed a crack or pinhole allowing your carrier pump to suck air. One way of pressure testing your fuel system is to put a cheap electrical pump (temporarily) inline right after the tank or selector. This will allow you to pressure test your entire fuel system.
Edit: If you installed an electrical carrier pump you could move it temporarily for a pressure test.

Otherwise it could be one of your injector o rings has a nick in it allowing the air intrusion? It is really easy to nick one as you are installing them.

 

then it's the inlet fitting leaking on the pump.with a properly sealed inlet fitting,she can't suck anything in but fuel from a diesel jug (with a good new temporary fuel hose.) you did everything via process of elimination and found the problem.

with this fuel pump hooked up and sucking from a sealed line from the tank,there are no common idi air intrusion symptoms........ever.not even if after the carrier/duralift because this pump has a built in check valve.meaning if sealed at the pump,the fuel can't drain back to the tank.after the pump such as the fuel filter,header,and return line caps and line,none of that matters if it leaks (as far as engine running goes) all that would happen would be fuel dripping.a lose of suction up here couldn't release the fuel from the carrier/duralift due it's check valve.
so it's either the fuel tank pickup,the line from the pickup to the tank selector valve,the selector valve,the line from the selector to the carrier/duralift and or the fitting on the carrier/duralift.

so if you hook up the carrier/duralift from a jug of diesel and it sucks air from that,then by process of elimination (well.at least for now.) you pointed the problem to 3 possible issues at hand.
1.the temporary fuel hose has a hole in it (or you didn't have the hose fully submerged.)
2.the fitting on the carrier/duralift isn't properly sealed.
3.the carrier/duralift pump you got is bad.- everything has a failure rate.we don't hear about these pumps being bad out of the box very often,but it's got to happen sometimes just like anything else.
these are the only possible things that could cause your pump to suck air directly from a jug of diesel.if she can't draw up fuel without air from a diesel jug,then she can't do it from the tank(s) either.this would cause those running rough symptoms,draining back fuel,poor priming results (rather than just about instant) even with this pump,and the fuel filter light.

 

Thread in a line to where the shrader valve is and check the fuel pressure. if you put a long enough line on it you can tuck it out the hood so you can read the pressure when you are WOT. Your filter lite comes on when it feels vacuum in the fuel system.

 

but racer,the results of that are already known = failure.

since the pump is verified to be sucking air,causing the truck to run rough,poor priming results (that of a mechanical lift pump) and with the filter head pulling vac (causing the fuel filter light to turn on) it couldn't possibly have good pressure with those symptoms.

 

I was thinking the same thing 250. It just isn't pumping right, simple as that. The hard starting issues began before the carrier, so I assumed that this would fix it. It sits and idles fine after you get it started. The fuel bowl on the pump will get an air pocket in it even with the line in a jug. I got new fuel line for the test. I put thread locker on the fittings, all of them. I did have to use a 1/8 90 with 1/8 female threads that accepts the 3/8 barb fitting. That's all I could get at the hardware store. All of it is sealed with thread locker. The hard start issue was fuel related to begin with is what I come up with. Guess it's my luck that I got one of the few bad pumps! I want to be certain before I try to get another one though. Thanks for the advice. It seems to be getting worse. I'm not driving it much at all, just mainly test runs. I can bleed it at the Shrader valve and the pump bowl will get an air pocket in it but not every time. That's what makes me think that the pump might be bad.

 

ah!! like this?
Threadlockers : Permatex® Permanent Strength Threadlocker RED


this is what you should be using:
Thread Sealants : Permatex® Thread Sealant with PTFE

which reminds me,im just about out again.i get it from amazon.
edit;
ok ordered some more.so iv been using the permatex 56521 specifically,just fyi.
http://www.permatex.com/products-2/p...sealant-detail

 

Doesn't the thread on oil burners have regular thread locker?

 

oh well i'll be a son of a gun.yes he sure did.i see that.clearly shown in a pic!not the proper stuff for this application.
man,none of us caught that in his thread anywhere and corrected it? that stuff is like like "loctite" brand red/blue.all great stuff (either brand no doubt) but it's not meant to be used to seal threads...though im a little surprised it didn't actually anyway for ya.at least for a little while.thats intended to hold nuts/bolts from backing out,not sealing like what your after.
well,if he didn't have any trouble with it,he just got lucky is all lol.
yeah you can clearly see the red stuff everywhere on the threads right into the filter head.....i can't believe someone didn't catch this.i wonder how many people copied that already.
edit; yeah,i see nothing in that whole thread.no one caught thread locker was instructed to use instead of sealant.

 

Think thats causing my issues?

 

They may have, but you will be much better off with thread sealant.. I agree with Fordf250hdxlt that it sounds like the threads around the pump are leaking or you have a bad pump.. I am just wondering why it began before the new pump unless your lift pump was actually failing.

 

That's why I went ahead and done the carrier. Was going to do it anyway, just thought it would fix it. I will reseal the lines, again! Thanks guys. I'll keep you posted with the results.

 

yup.use some sealer rather than locker,and she'll pull nothing up but pure fuel and hold it right there for ya.she's about to start and run like you've never seen her do before.

i sent a mod on obn a pm that the article needs to be amended to make sure sealer is instructed to be used rather than locker.

 

Thanks 250. I was getting discouraged and REALLY frustrated. I'm no dummy to diesels, but I have never really messed with e-pumps. Thanks a million to all of you for the help. I'll get some thread sealer tomorrow and hopefully the weather will hold out for me.

 

She's pumping great! Sealed the suction side on the pump. Took her for a spin and still getting the fuel filter light. Gonna reseal all of the other fittings tomorrow after work. Was short of time and daylight today. Starts much better, but it was 65 degrees hear today too. Gotta love Tennessee weather. It was 24 this morning and 65 this evening. Been in the teens and twenties lately! Thanks 250.