01 7.3. Cranks, won't start. Tank was at 1/4 but is full now. The lift pump runs, I can feel and hear that the motor is spinning when I cycle the key. I removed the fuel filter and cycled the key and get no fuel into the bowl. It looks like the lines are stainless from the pump to the tank so I doubt it is sucking air. I pressurized the tank with a shop vac and I get fuel coming into the filter housing. Am I missing something obvious? I have never seen an electric pump that would run and not pump fuel. I removed the suction line at the pump and don't feel any suction there.

 

Use a Gallon Gasoline/Diesel Container filled 3/4 way with Diesel. Place a Fuel Line from the Container to the Pump and see if it starts, lifts, and runs AND that you have 50 psig at the Fuel Bowl. If not, the pump is most likely the culprit. Just because the motor runs is not an indication the impellers or seals are good.

If so (it does lift and supply 50 psig), then, there is most probably a blockage in the mixing chamber in the pickup unit in the tank. If this is the case, do the Hutch Mod to correct.

 

I was going to do the fuel line into a fuel can test but didn't have any 3/8 fuel line. I will have to search the Hutch mod, I'm not familiar with this era truck. Is there a Schraeder valve at the filter to hook a pressure gauge to?

 

I'm not sure that you can remove the fuel filter and try get fuel in the bowl I believe there is a check valve in the bowl that the fuel filter opens when installed.

 

FiznUKa: You can take the fuel filter out. Suck out all the fuel. Leave the lid off. Turn the key on and it should fill the fuel bowl in 12 seconds or less. At least that has been my experience.

 

I've been trying to figure out the hutch mod in the stickies but most of the pictures are gone and thy are talking about several different mods. Is it just the air intrusion at the quick connects that is the problem?

 

No, it's a whole design problem.

• There is a mixing chamber in the tank. Once air gets in the fuel, the foam returns to the mixing chamber and is fed to the fuel pump inlet.
• There are screens in the tank to pre-screen the pump. Not exactly an easily serviceable item.
• The quick-disconnects on the supply line at the tank and the pump have O-ring seals. O-rings suck at suction sealing.

 

Below are two links concerning the hutch mod. One is from Guzzles page and the other is my experiences with the hutch mod. Between the two you should have enough information and images to figure out your next step. Keep the questions coming if you have them.

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

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ne-almost.html

If it were me though, I would get a fuel can and use that to figure out if the pump is working correctly or not. This will either rule out the pump as the faulty part, or the screens/sending unit as the faulty part in just a few moments and without dropping the tank.

 

I'm starting to think it is a restriction in the tank. When I pressurized the tank the only fuel I saw coming into the filter was through the orfice at the top, which I believe is the return. The truck is an hour away and no real rush to get it running so I'm not sure when I will mess with it. Too bad we filled the tank all the way.

 

bashby: Was your fuel filter discolored the color of dark brown tea per chance? (I can't believe that it would be silver, because it should not be a steel tank but should be a plastic tank.)

 

Sounds like a fuel pump issue. Please buy OEM.. it will save you some anger in the end. Clay @ Riffraff has a great price on OEM fuel pump.

Then drop the tank and clean it and do the hutch mod... or go one step further and put a sump from Bean's Diesel on it.

 

I'm not sure. It's my brothers truck and he replaced the fuel filter trying to fix the problem so it is new. It is a plastic tank.

 

Take pictures when you drop the tank of the inlet screens and the screen in the pickup foot before you clean them.

 

Take the line off the pump and shoot a little shop air back to the tank, usually will blow some crud off the mixing chamber screens and free up some flow if that is your problem. I can think of 4 trucks I've done this to on the side of the road to get it to limp on home. You need to get rid of that crap in the tank anyway, it's a joke.

 

I've even had this work on my Excursion after doing the Hutch/Harpoon mod. I forgot to re-install the plastic screen in my pickup foot , and some junk evidently got sucked up into the pickup tube and was plugging at the bend on top of the tank ...Once pressurized, I could hear when it cleared and the air started gurgling loudly in the tank... VERY noticeable performance increase, and the pump cavitation noise went completely away.

Now it's coming back again, so I must drop and clean the tank all over again, and this time I'm going to replace the pickup foot with a new one.