I've been having a problem with my '88 F250. It would not start after sitting overnight unless I took the fuel filter off and topped it off with diesel. Or it would start and run long enough to get me at the end of the driveway and then it would stall.
The return lines were leaking so I replaced them and the filter today. I started it and it cranked a few times and ran. I drove it a few miles and it was surging every 1/4 mile or so. I came home and noticed it was idling weird ( sounded like it did right before it would die).
So I shut it off and put some diesel in it because I figured I would be driving it the next day. I got back it, turned key on, after glow plugs shut off cranked and cranked and wouldn't start. I didn't even pop the hood I was so pissed off and it started raining so I went in the house.
It had a new lift pump right before I bought it this winter.
Any ideas? This is my only vehicle right now (tranny is out on F150, suburban needs throttle cable)

 

did you run it low enough to run out of fuel i no on mine i switched to the rear tank when i got it to see if there was any fuel in it and it was empty i swtched it back to the front and shut it off started it back up and it died cuz the air finaly got to the injetors i know mine surges like that when i am low on fuel and if i go around a corner fast or stop fast it will die on me

 

Check the rubber seals on the fittings on the hard lines from the lift pump to the filter head and from the filter to the injector pump. Examine the filter housing for any signs of fuel leakage in case it is cracked or porous.
Check that the water drain is not leaking.
Or you may have a bad lift pump.

 

I'm not seeing any leaking. I took the line off going to the filter head and cranked it and there's definitely plenty of fuel. I put the line back on and took the one off the other side and there's plenty of fuel going to the injection pump. I'm thinking IP might have gone. I haven't checked for fuel at injectors yet.

 

How much fuel in the tank?

Sounds like you are sucking air somewhere before the lift pump.

If you have any Diesel Kleen, remove the fuel filter and drain it.
Now refill with Diesel Kleen and start the engine.

 

Double check Your work on the return lines. ALL of the caps should be seated within 1/8" or so of the injector shoulder.

 

This sounds very limilar to the problem I have been having. If I let the truck sit for a few days, when I go to start it it will fire right up, run a bit, then quit.Crank and crank. Then get the other truck to jump, get the wife, bleed any air out at top of fuel filter. Crank some more, then eventually it will fire up. It runs fine after that. Only until I let it sit for an extended period will I have to go through this routine again.

New fuel filter, no effect.
Return lines, no apparent leaks.
Fuel pump was replaced a few years ago. When I did replace it it was not from symptoms like this.
I know a leaking return line will cause it to run rough but not stall it completely like this. And a leaking return line is usually very obvious. Hot fuel on engine, stinky, or puddles on the ground under truck. All of which I have seen before.
How could air be getting into the fuel system without leaking fuel out?

 

I think I found my air leak. There is a brass T fitting in the fuel line from the tank that went to a fuel tank in the bed. The lines are damp around it.

 

You have air intrusion!

Diesel molecules are larger than Air molecules!

Therefore you could very well be getting air intrusion without leaking fuel!

If you have fuels leaks you most definitely have the conditions for air intrusion.

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

So should I be looking on the suction side of the fuel pump?

 

Next time the truck sits for a couple days, before you try to start it, remove the fuel filter.

My guess is it will not be full.

So you start the engine, it runs till it burns the fuel in the IP, which is replaced by the air that was in the filter.
Now you have to crank the engine over till all of the air in the filter goes through the injection system before it has fuel again and can restart.

When the engine is not running, any air leaking into the return lines breaks the vacuum and lets the fuel drain back to the tank.
It will even drop the level of fuel in the fuel filter a couple inches.
The fuel system is like sticking a straw in a drink glass, put you finger over the end and lift the straw out.
The drink stays in the straw.
Remove your finger, the drink goes back in the glass.

With the fuel system, it is all above the fuel level in the tank.
So any air leaking in, lets the fuel return to the lower level in the tank.

Air will leak in places that fuel will not leak out of.

When you replace the O rings and return lines, do all of them at one.
Then make an effort to not disturb the return lines.
If you move them after the engine has been at operating temp a few times, they probably will not reseal, so they will need replaced again.

 

I have had problems with the return lines on the fuel rail in the past. I have relaced items on a piecemeal basis. Do you thing this is the source of the problem?

 

Two check valves to look at in the low pressure fuel system.

1; located at the fuel return line of the injector pump (top cover)

2; located at the fuel return line of the fuel filter head. This one is what connects the filter to the closest fuel injector.

Carefully remove both of these fittings and see what they look like inside. My bet is you have a small piece of dirt stuck in there that is preventing one or both of the check valves from closing off properly. Also check the operation of the valves when they are out to make sure they still work.

 

My friend has a 88 7.3 IDI and he remedied this problem by installing an inexpensive inline electric fuel pump on the frame of the truck. He has it protected with a fuse and powered by a RIB off an exising solenoid. It has worked well for him for a couple of years now. Our 89 began starting hard a few months ago and has progressively gotten worse to the point that we intend to install one ourselves.

 

Iowaharry,
If you replace return line parts a few at a time, you disturb the rest still in place.
Since all it takes is to disturb the return lines to get them leaking, you will be chasing leaks forever.

Best proceedure is to replace everything at once.

You may get by just replacing one entire side since the cross over line is usually long enough that you will not disturb the other side, but all at the same time is still the best.