Hello I have a 2000 7.3 X and I'm not getting enough fuel.

I don't have a fuel psi gauge.

I have stock fuel system with new fuel filter. So I'm assuming it's my in tank filters, or fpr needs rebuilt or maybe weak pump.

I want to fix my fuel system and upgrade at the same time without spending a ton of money.
I cannot find any helpful info using google.

I would love a sump but since I have a skid plate on my X that is not an option for me.
I was going to do the hutch mod but I would hate to do all that work just to have factory size pickup line and I cannot find a 5/8" hutch mod kit.

Any recommendations.

 

I just finished my Hutch Mod and pulled my 6,000# pound camper 500 miles ...I had purchased the Driven Diesel kit 3 years ago and just installed it last weekend, it comes with 3/8 line...and it delivered plenty of fuel for my stock twigs...in fact it has never ran so well...Others here will chime in for you as well...jmho

 

Driven Diesel's kit gets my vote as well. In the F-250 with stage I injectors that has spent the majority of its time pulling our 31' 5th wheel and also in our Excursion with 160/80 injectors. Dennis makes some quality products.

A fuel pressure gauge is almost a necessity when it comes to troubleshooting IMO. Driven Diesel's reg return kits come with one if you decide to go that route as well.

 

I was looking at it but I can't see 200$ for a filter and a few fittings. If I did want to go bigger fuel in the future that whole 200$ kit that uses factory pickup would go in that garbage. I wish they offered it in 5/8" that way in the future I could expand on it instead of throwing it away.

 

As far as total potential flow is concerned....which would be more restrictive, the 3/8 inch pick-up/plumbing or the stock fuel pump fittings?

I have done some math and I think that I have an answer. Can someone else assist?

The answer to this may help the OP with his decision..

 

Figure everything you need drive around town get the parts and roll with it.

You can upgrade the size of the lines all you want but it's not going to do you any good because the port on the fuel bowl is still only 5/16 if I recall right.

You need a fuel pressure gauge... How do you know for sure you're not getting enough fuel? If you're running stock fuel system you're not going to help yourself at all. If you were running 250/200s then I would point you in a different direction.

 

John is right (as are the other inputs you've received).

Not only is the pump's inlet port smaller than your fuel line from the tank, the fuel then passes through an internal screen in the suction of the pump which is, IIRC, 72 mesh. In other words, you are going to get most of your suction side fuel pressure drop from the inlet port diameter and the inlet screen inside the fuel pump which cannot be removed or changed without destroying the pump completely... I've personally done the tear down to confirm all of this, and there is no way to change those conditions. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-and-pics.html

Also, consider this, you have a fuel return line coming from the valley because your existing pump provides way more than enough fuel for your injector demands, and this is regulated by the pressure regulator built into the side of the fuel bowl, so it will adjust accordingly as your injector demands increase or decrease. If you have not made significant changes in injector capacity and/or chip/programming, your stock fuel delivery system provides more than what you need.

Now let's get a little more real world experience for you to consider.

I have also personally gone through several episodes where I was convinced that the tranny was slipping because it would show itself badly in a high-demand steep uphill climb, but otherwise run great. In each case for me, it was either a pump suction filter pluggage or pump suction line pluggage problem.

This last time (less than a month ago), I simply removed the suction line from the inlet side of my pump suction filter element (a very large Baldwin screw on element with plenty of flow capacity), hooked up my air compressor to the fuel line, and blew it out backwards into the fuel tank. I could hear when the pluggage blew free and the air started gurgling in the tank. Now, I made a mistake when I did the Hutch/Harpoon mod in this vehicle ('03 Excursion, 7.3) by removing the screen from the pickup foot inside the tank, and I will be correcting that very soon.

Knowing that I have received some "dirty" loads of fuel, I now need to empty and drop the tank again to clean it back out because I'm beginning to feel some shuddering under loaded steep hill climbs after only a month of running with a clean suction line. Having also seen that the pickup foot can easily begin to degrade and crumble over time, I've already purchased a replacement foot and screen assembly from Bob at DieselOrings and will be restoring that portion of the system when I drop the tank next month. I'm also going to manually clean out the hard suction tubing with a long piece of weed eater line on a drill (similar to the way we do when cleaning out the EBPV tube).

The point of all of this is simply this:
1) Your stock system has plenty of design capacity for you unless you have made serious modifications which have significantly increased fuel demands to your engine.
2) A fuel pressure gauge is a HUGE friend for you and is WELL WORTH the investment to purchase and install... just make sure to get a reliable electronic gauge in the cabin... a cheap manual gauge under the hood is NO help when your running under load.
3) Fuel line pluggage can mask itself as a tired pump or even a transmission issue, and it is a lot cheaper to make sure that your tank and lines are clean and free-flowing than to take it somewhere and have them end up pushing you to replacement sticks or transmission work which may very well be neither necessary nor a solution.

Hope this helps.

 

Excellent post Pete.......

 

Thank you John2001 and F250 for adding your knowledge to the equation...excellent points all.....

 

This begs the question: Just exactly how big are you planning to go with the injectors? If you need a 5/8" fuel line to feed the motor - a wasted $200 is the least of your worries. A stock OEM pump with a proper Hutch mod (3/8" line) and a pre-pump screen (not filter) is plenty for 160CC sticks. To do 160/100s, you'll need a minimum of $5K - new sticks with intake, turbo, CAC, and exhaust upgrades - then the transmission will be the next weak link. You can't even consider these upgrades without gauges - lest you have an affinity for engine replacements (plural). If you click the Custom Tunes link in my signature, you'll get an idea of what I'm talking about.

That example above was Stage II sticks. Once you go 250/200s to 450/400s, you no longer have anything resembling a stock fuel system, nor do you have an Ex with street manners. You also lack $10K - $15K that was once in your possession. $200 seems like a lot of money "for a filter and a few fittings" - welcome to diesel.

This was my answer to the Hutch mod with Stage II sticks and an OEM fuel pump, and my results:

 

I will be purchasing a fuel pressure gauge for sure. Does anyone know of any good kits I would rather get a kit than round up all the fittings.

I'm pretty confident I'm having fuel issues not only from the opinions on this forum but because I fixed everything else lol. Last days off I installed:

Bellowed up pipes (mine were leaking)
All new CAC Boots, plenum reinforcements, all new t-bolt clamps ( leaking also)
Blank pedistal and high flow outlet
(again leaking)
Wicked wheel 2
4" turbo back
OEM ICP SENSOR (mine turned my valley into a pond)
OEM Ebps and tube

I also installed 6637 intake when I first bought it.

After these repairs my excursion idles and runs like a dream except it's still a dog.

My turbo spools quick and hits 20psi boost but the top end power is just not there.
I have no blow by and the turbo is in excellent condition.

I have another stock same year 7.3 truck I drive regularly so it's easy to tell my excursion has better low end power but top end is just not there.

This is why I believe I have fueling issues. So I will be getting a fuel gauge to help diagnose but I want to get some upgrades as well so that way if it wasn't the problem it's an upgrade not just throwing parts at it.

After everyone's helpful posts I will be purchasing the driven diesel pre pump kit unless riffraff releases theirs in the next couple weeks. Even if it's not my in tank screens causing my problems it's still a good mod. Along with fuel pressure gauge (not sure which one yet) is there anything else I should consider?
I been thinking about riffraffs FRX

 

Yeah the Torque App and an OBDII dongle, if you have a smart phone. Then with that you can start asking about why your ICP pressure drops off at the top end and you'll be able to say you know for sure it's not a fuel pressure problem because your new gauge says you're making XXpsi at WOT

 

Now we are getting into some good details about your setup:

1. If you hava a chip - which tuner? Do you have a boost fooler? If the PCM detects over 22 psi boost from the MAP sensor it will defuel. This could be a possible source of the top end power loss.

2. Did you rebuild the turbo since you had it all apart to add the wheel & high flow outlet? Have you changed or adjusted the wastegate on the turbo so it builds more boost - if that is what you are after. In the stock setup the wastegate will open to prevent an overboost condition. To get more boost some will shorten up the wastegate actuator rod or replace it all together with something like the Big Head Actuator to increase boost performance. But you don't want to play too often above 27 psi.

I did the same turbo mods to my Excursion before the current setup. Worked well.

 

Ah.... Like mentioned - this could be an ICP problem, a chip problem or a defueling problem.

 

No worries though - there are ways to get that 8,000+ lb, shaped like a brick, SUV to launch