Can add fuel
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Cross-Country
Joined: Dec 2020
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Can add fuel
Hi guys. 2014 E350 Cutaway. This is one of my work trucks. Ever since I got it, adding fuel was difficult. You had to go very slow, but it always filled. For the past few days I can’t get any fuel in it. I spent 35mins yesterday to get 3 gallons in it so I could make it home.
should I be looking at my emissions canister? At first I checked for blockages and when I ran a snake in the fill hole I can only get about 10-12” in before hitting something? Not sure if it’s an inline screen/filter, but it’s solid.
just looking for a little guidance. I called a few shops and the truck is either too heavy or too tall for their shop. The truck center is booking 3 weeks out. I need to work and can’t wait that long. What do you guys think I should start focusing on? It’s in the mid 20s so I will be doing this in the cold.
should I be looking at my emissions canister? At first I checked for blockages and when I ran a snake in the fill hole I can only get about 10-12” in before hitting something? Not sure if it’s an inline screen/filter, but it’s solid.
just looking for a little guidance. I called a few shops and the truck is either too heavy or too tall for their shop. The truck center is booking 3 weeks out. I need to work and can’t wait that long. What do you guys think I should start focusing on? It’s in the mid 20s so I will be doing this in the cold.
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Joined: Dec 2011
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A blocked vent line can also interfere with fueling.
As for your snake striking something within 10" to 12", it is hard to say, since all E-350 cutaways are incomplete vehicles from Ford, and are finished by a final stage manufacturer.
One of the elements that Ford leaves up to the final stage manufacturer is the fuel filler port and connecting lines. Ford provides the materials in a dunnage bag for the upfitter to use, but obviously Ford has no way to preinstall the final length, angle, orientation, routing, and height of the fuel filler location and lines, as the body isn't on the cutaway when it leaves Ford's factory.
Hence, there is infinite variability in how any given fuel inlet arrangement can be installed in a service body or motorhome body in the completion of the cutaway.
I suggest that you get a creeper, and get comfortable under the rear end of the chassis, where the aft of axle fuel tank is located, and look up at the driver's side frame rail aft of axle, where the fuel inlet and vent lines are attached to the fuel tank. Remove the clamps for the larger fuel fill line, and smaller fuel fill vent line, from the tank itself. This may be tricky, and there is no way to tell you how tricky, since it is impossible to know what the underside of your vocational body looks like.
One thing that I have found is that depending on the clock orientation of the clamps, one might be able to use a nut driver extension in between the side of the fuel tank and the inboard lower flange of the frame. Or, if there is a sufficient gap between body sill and top of frame, one might be able to use a stubby nut driver, and reach through that gap.
Whenever I have assembled, or serviced and reassembled fuel lines to an incomplete chassis, I always clock orient the fastening heads in such a manner that they can be accessed by common tools with the body fully installed. Hopefully, the installer of your body follows the same philosophy.
Once the fuel vent and fill lines are released from the fuel tank, you can then run your snake ALL THE WAY THROUGH the vent and fill lines to clear the obstruction, if any exists. It could be that your snake merely got hung up, and couldn't negotiate a 90° elbow in the fill line assembly, which can come with a mix of metal elbows as well as formed rubber elbows, especially if the fuel fill port is located in the wheel well over axle, which is ahead of the entry nipples on the fuel tank itself. It takes two 90° turns to negotiate that fill path over the left rear leaf spring and shackle, so your snake could have gotten stuck in that double directional changing path.
However, with the fill and vent lines removed from the tank nipples, you can use all manner of supple snakes, mig welding wire, solid single strand building wire, speedometer cable, weedeater string, and old transmission dip stick, braided aircraft cable... anything handy to determine with certainty that paths through your vent and fill lines are unobstructed.
It doesn't take a shop, or a shop lift to do this. If you have any physical impediments that would make you less inclined to do this investigation yourself, a mobile mechanic can do it for you in your driveway. If more ground clearance is needed under the truck, a floor jack and jack stands can be used. The driver's side rear dually pair of tires can also be removed for improved access.
As for your snake striking something within 10" to 12", it is hard to say, since all E-350 cutaways are incomplete vehicles from Ford, and are finished by a final stage manufacturer.
One of the elements that Ford leaves up to the final stage manufacturer is the fuel filler port and connecting lines. Ford provides the materials in a dunnage bag for the upfitter to use, but obviously Ford has no way to preinstall the final length, angle, orientation, routing, and height of the fuel filler location and lines, as the body isn't on the cutaway when it leaves Ford's factory.
Hence, there is infinite variability in how any given fuel inlet arrangement can be installed in a service body or motorhome body in the completion of the cutaway.
I suggest that you get a creeper, and get comfortable under the rear end of the chassis, where the aft of axle fuel tank is located, and look up at the driver's side frame rail aft of axle, where the fuel inlet and vent lines are attached to the fuel tank. Remove the clamps for the larger fuel fill line, and smaller fuel fill vent line, from the tank itself. This may be tricky, and there is no way to tell you how tricky, since it is impossible to know what the underside of your vocational body looks like.
One thing that I have found is that depending on the clock orientation of the clamps, one might be able to use a nut driver extension in between the side of the fuel tank and the inboard lower flange of the frame. Or, if there is a sufficient gap between body sill and top of frame, one might be able to use a stubby nut driver, and reach through that gap.
Whenever I have assembled, or serviced and reassembled fuel lines to an incomplete chassis, I always clock orient the fastening heads in such a manner that they can be accessed by common tools with the body fully installed. Hopefully, the installer of your body follows the same philosophy.
Once the fuel vent and fill lines are released from the fuel tank, you can then run your snake ALL THE WAY THROUGH the vent and fill lines to clear the obstruction, if any exists. It could be that your snake merely got hung up, and couldn't negotiate a 90° elbow in the fill line assembly, which can come with a mix of metal elbows as well as formed rubber elbows, especially if the fuel fill port is located in the wheel well over axle, which is ahead of the entry nipples on the fuel tank itself. It takes two 90° turns to negotiate that fill path over the left rear leaf spring and shackle, so your snake could have gotten stuck in that double directional changing path.
However, with the fill and vent lines removed from the tank nipples, you can use all manner of supple snakes, mig welding wire, solid single strand building wire, speedometer cable, weedeater string, and old transmission dip stick, braided aircraft cable... anything handy to determine with certainty that paths through your vent and fill lines are unobstructed.
It doesn't take a shop, or a shop lift to do this. If you have any physical impediments that would make you less inclined to do this investigation yourself, a mobile mechanic can do it for you in your driveway. If more ground clearance is needed under the truck, a floor jack and jack stands can be used. The driver's side rear dually pair of tires can also be removed for improved access.
Thread Starter
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Cross-Country
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 55
Likes: 3
That’s is such great info. Thank you for taking the time to write that out and share with me (us). I will attempt to get this resolved on Monday. I will report back on the results. My fear was having to remove the gas tank, but I am very hopeful that wont be needed. Thank you again!
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Joined: Jul 2013
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