Extremely demoralized and have been stranded on a godforsaken property in the woods for about a month now. Please help!!! Not good with electrical systems either.
I bought a 1985 Ford e350 a month ago and drove it back to Oregon from California. Only real problem was the heater core copping out so I bypassed it. Ended up to be like a scene from dumb and dumber with it getting colder and colder the further up I drove.
Anyways, was driving the truck on the freeway after coming back and the truck died as if it were out of gas.
Had to tow it back with money I didn't have and figured it was a fuel pump gone bad.
i took it out, tested it and sure enough it was bad.
Put a new one in but no fuel came out of the hoses. I disconnected the hoses from the rear tank before AND after the fuel tank selector valve doing two tests but, there was still no fuel coming out.
Also please note that it is a dual tank system. I never used the front tank since the person I bought it from told me it doesn't work and he did not know why.
I had a friend come who bypassed the rear fuel pump all the way to the fuel selector switch with a single wire. The truck ran but there was gas spewing out of the carb. (I believe this was a wiring issue which I'll explain later).
I then tried it again the next day and the truck started and this time there was no gas coming out of the carb... but it idled for about 10-15 mins but cut off.
I'm also assuming there might have been too much gas? Since I told the dude to connect a fuel return line from the engine back to the tank, but.....
Anyways, I went on what has evolved to an extremely demoralizing search for frayed wires. I found a purple one rubbing up against the engine that led to the carb and assume this might have created the carb circuits to go haywire spewing the gas out when the dude bypassed the fuel pump. I reset everything the guy did and put a jump wire where he spliced the power line to the fuel pump.
I also used a volt meter and test light to test the tank selector switch (where the dude plugged the bypass wire to supply power to the fuel pump), one of the relays that leads to the fuel tank selector valve (located under the hood on the driver side coming out of the cabs dash gauge. It's the only relay in between the fuel selector valve and wires going into the cab. Wonder which relay this is called?), and the fuel selector valve. ALL 3 tests had power going through it at one of the points/wire.
I was going to test the power at the back where the fuel pump was but something came up with the dogs and I closed the hood. After closing the hood, no power goes to any of the previously tested plugs/wires.
The interia switch was also discovered to be popped up, but couldn't reset since it wouldn't stay down, so I cut it and connected the wires.
I also jumped the oil pressure switch for a troubleshoot and heard a click behind the dash assuming it was the relay.
I'm trying everything and no Christmas miracle came. I'm still stuck here with limited supplies. Even had to mcguyver my test light. Please help or any suggestions would be super useful.
I'm guessing with my limited knowledge that there is something wrong in between the battery and tank selector switch since it once did get power, but no longer after I closed the hood. The only fuse that is blown is the heater/ac fuse.... as I said, totally stranded in a cast away type situation so couldn't find a 30 amp fuse for it but inserted a 20 amp fuse for ****s and giggles. Do I need to start dismantling the dash to see what's wrong? Thanks again and omg, at this point, the guru who can fix this problem will get so much love. Just need to get mobile and all appreciation and thanks will be sent asap!!!