Hello,
I recently went across the United States in my 1990 E250 which has a little a over 200,000 miles on it. In the past about 2 years ago I was having issues with the van stumbling on acceleration and up hills. After replacing the fuel filter the van ran well again.

Now two years later I am having the same problem with the biggest difference being the speed at which the van has gone from running well to this stumbling situation. I would say in the about a week.

I have just replaced the filter again but this time with very little improvement to the problem. My question is...what do you guys suggest I look at cleaning/replacing to resolve the issue. Ideally I'd like to start with the cheapest options first before turning to a new pump or something more expensive such as that.

Thanks in advance.

 

Could be a gasoline issue. Make sure you use quality gas. If not gas then check the tank for sediment. It may be getting picked up and reclogging your filter. If the sediment is small enough it may clog your carb jets/injectors, depending on what engine. So cleaning them plus the carb bowl (if equipped) may not be a bad idea. Just a starting point. Hope it helps. Maybe someone else can give a different POV.

 

Thanks 98Econoline150. I also thought of this for the following reason. My van gets stored for 12-18 months at a time. I do add stabilizer but I usually only leave about 1 or 2 gallons in the tanks. I was wondering if perhaps I have a build up rust inside the tanks as a result. All this is soooo much easier to determine at home but being on the road adds a level of complexity.

 

It's useful to know what engine your van has - 300/4.9, 302/5.0, 351/5.8, 460/7.5...

How many miles on the plugs and wires? One trick is to run the engine in the dark to look for arcs from the plug wires to ground. You might have to remove the air cleaner for a better view. Some folks spray a mist of water to coax arcing. Make sure you're well isolated or the path to ground could include you Could also be a tired coil.

Sixto
93 E150 Chateau 5.8 191K miles

 

Is there a flow rate spec for fuel supply such as XX gal/min? If you can test and it's not up to snuff, scale in the tank might be clogging the strainer. A new strainer is relatively cheap but you have to drop the tank to replace it. Not that big a deal if you only keep a gallon or two in the tank

Sixto
93 E150 Chateau 5.8 191K miles

 

Hi,
Carburetor or fuel injection?
Carburetor I would suspect accelerator pump or vacuum advance.
Fuel injection I would suspect TP sensor or fuel pressure regulator.

If it runs at highway speeds evenly, I would not think fuel blockage would be the problem.

jim

 

The engine size is a 351/5.8 and is fuel injected. I was thinking about the fact that even immediately after I replaced the fuel filter it still stumbled on acceleration. If the cause was scale or rust in the tank I would think it would take a bit of time to accumulate in the filter. I leaning less towards that as an issue, unless as tabijan stated it possibly could be a strainer within the tank.

I can run at highway speeds but I notice if try to accelerate beyond a very very slow level it will stumble.

Coil is another item that has been on my mind but I don't know the characteristics of a bad coil. For example...I would think a bad coil would be a consistent problem...not just acceleration or going uphill. That to me seems to be more consistent with fuel issues. Any thoughts on those ideas?

Does this type of van have an EGR valve or an Air Intake Valve that could cause such an issue?

Anyone have any experience with the replacement of the tp sensor and fuel pressure regulator and their complexity level?

P.S Was able to drive about 4-4.5 hours today on business. Just babying her until I can get some more time to take care of this.

Thanks

 

A bad coil might work fine until it gets hot then start missing. Im not sure about a 90 injected engine but if its like my 78 or 85 the coil is energized with the key on whether the engine is running or not. They get too hot to touch if there's no airflow and eventually they go bad.

 

JUST had another thought: TFI module. It controls spark timing and if it is still mounted on the distributor, it has a history of failure. Ford moved the module off of the distributor sometime in the 90's following a class action lawsuit and relocated it to the fenderwell.
I moved mine to the airbox thinking that nowhere is cooler than that location plus if I ever do have to change it, I can avoid the pain of getting it loose from the distributor mounting (requires a special socket).
jim
https://picasaweb.google.com/jimandn...eat=directlink

 

Try this. While driving, turn the ignition key toward start. DO NOT ENGAGE THE STARTER. On mine I turn it until the ABS light come on and the blower stops working. When I hold the key switch like this the van runs great. It is not the ignition switch. The computer ignores certain systems while the engine is warming up. Turning the key toward start mimics this. I don't know what the answer is, all I know is when the stumbling starts, this key "trick" works (until you release it)

 

Another cheap test is to block off the egr valve diaphragm and drive it. You will get a check engine light, but if it runs better you know where to start looking.

 

I finally have the time to post again after this trip. The problem ended up being related an electrical issue. I replaced my plug wires and the problem went away.

 

Well that's nice. Easy fix.