question, how far have you guys driven after ur fuel light has come on and the dash chimes at you telling you that the diesel tank is runnin low? and or how low do you let the gauge read before filling up again?

 

I do not let the tank get below 1/4 - Especially in the winter - too much chance for moisture. I almost never see the fuel light (I think I saw it the day I bought the truck - cause the dealer didn't give me any fuel).

There is also something to do with the pickup and how it can feed air when below 1/4 tank (Can someone elaborate?). This can cause extra loud injectors.

 

2002 F250 Crew, 7.3L, 118,000 miles - Birmingham, AL.

I have been letting my gauge run down to the point of the fuel light coming on, and then for maybe one more day before refilling. I am typically driving roughly 20 miles per day (total) to work and back. What I've discovered is this... when I fill up the tank, it typically takes 20-21 gallons in my 28 gallon tank. That means that I typically have about 7-8 gallons of fuel left in the tank. Note, though, that at the level to which i am responding, I am not hearing the chiming, and the level is a rough indication only due to the varying degrees of "tilt" at which I park each day in the parking lot and in my driveway (yet another reason why I run for an extra day beyond the light).

It hasn't been too cold here yet, today being the coldest thus far at about 35 degrees this morning when I left for work. Based on Dsl Lover's comments, I may modify my fill-up approach to minimize water infiltration. By the way, I have only seen the water in fuel light once for a short while, and that was at least four tankfulls ago. I haven't paid attention to the level of noise with the injectors at low tank levels, but I'll keep my ears open now.

Like 2002f2507.3LPS, I would like to hear more comments Bout these issues from some more of you more experienced PSD owners/drivers/mechanics.

 

ya at quarter tank i can usually get like around 21 gallons back into the tank. i have only had i chime once at me, i also like to keep it on the full side of things. but was wondering what amount of gas was usually left when the light comes on was all. 5 gallons? more? iv read on here about some people getting more then 29 gallons into there SB trucks. so i was just wondering.

 

are there some good water seperators at a good price and are fairly easy to install? iv seen two different once, but there both like 700 dollars, way more then i want to spend right now. and one has a fuel pump on it as well. though no doubt im sure there worth the money. and if i wanted to try and get the water out of the tank without taking the tank out, couldnt i just run a small hose down into the tank, kind of like some sort of model air plane fuel pump and suck the water out of the tank?

how often do some people drain there diesel tanks of water anyways?

 

since on the topic, does anyone know how big the fuel tank is on a 99 extended cab short bed? the owners manual says 29 gal, but i have put 29 gals in on a fill up even when the gauge was not completly on E.....thanks
-Kurt

 

To help towrig and elaborate on the others here.

The small fuel tank (found on short beds) is 29 gallons, and if filled to the neck can actually hold in the vicinity of 31 gallons, give or take.

For those of you who are driving until it's completely on E, your actual amount of fuel left in the tank might be less than you think. Here's why:

1) I've drained my tank out and removed it when it was empty. The fuel gauge registed at E, and the fuel light was on. There was about 2 1/2 gallons of fuel left in the tank.

2) The reason you are only filling with 21 gallons of fuel when filling from completely empty is because of the diesel foam. The stock tank has vent tubes that in a bad design prevent the tank from being completely filled with diesel fuel. When the pump automatically clicks off indicating a full tank, it's actually registering the foam at the top. If you dribble in small amounts of fuel for several minutes, you can continue to add several more gallons of diesel in the tank.

What I did was the "Harpoon" mod, which is cutting off the vent tubes to keep foam from prematurely clicking the pump off. With the gauge registering about an 1/8th of a tank left, I can typically fill up with 24-25 gallons of diesel. If it runs to empty and the fuel light comes on, I'll put in about 28-29 gallons. BTW, cutting the vent tubes does not increase the capacity of the fuel tank. It just helps you fill it completely with fuel and not foam.

The lesson here is, when your truck shows empty..... better find a station soon.

 

This is where the design of the fuel pickup, mixing chamber, and fuel return lines inside the tank allow air into the fuel lines. The duck-bill looking inlet allows air to be sucked into the fuel lines when the fuel level drops below that inlet, usually under 1/4 a tank. The "Hutch" mod, or in-tank mod, removes the mixing chamber and duck-bill and replaces it with a solid feed and return line.

 

..??..

Where can we find more details on how these mods are performed?

Any way to see if the in-tank mod?

What are the downsides, if any, of either or both of these mods?

Being newbies, what other types of good mods are there that we can benefit from? (not trying to go to a racing performance level, just good rational improvements to simplify operability & maintenance)

 

My early 99 will let me go about 60 miles after the light goes on. That equates to about 4 gallons in my truck.

I run mine nearly empty every time. I've been doing this for 200,000 miles. If you notice a change in sound when you get below a quarter tank, you're sucking some air into the fuel in the tank itself. You are a prime candidate for the hutch mod. Mine sounds the same, but I have done the mod.

 

Some sites like ITP and Diesel Innovations sells the in-tank and pre-pump kits. They come with good instructions on how to install them. As for the Harpoon mod, just do a search and there's lots of info. I just don't have the link handy anymore for a good writup of the harpoon mod.

The actual labor to do it. It's kind of a pain to drop the tank, work on it, close it up, and hang it. Once it's done, that's it. Job over, enjoy less air in the fuel lines with the in-tank/pre-pump mod, and easier fill ups with the harpoon mod.

 

Here's the best link on the web for doing the 'Hutch Mod'

http://guzzle.rbmicro.com/hutch.html

Guzzle has some awesome information on taking care of our PSD! i'd be lost with his website!

 

the large fuel tank is 38 ga i got that on my truck but i dont like letting it get below 1/4 tank mainly cause of moisture and im used to intank pumps and thats how they are cooled and plus its just good practice. honestly how often do you see a fleet owner let a truck set with a 1/2 full fuel tank. never they fill it up every night.

 

I agree with Pocket on both his points with 1 addition the intank mods (aka Hutch) are excellent PM for the injectors. The more air you keep out of the injectors the longer it will last

 

I got down so low that there was probably a quart and the pickup was touching the bottom of the tank. This was intentional since I needed to lighten it for the hutch and harpoon mod