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Fuel starved?

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Old Mar 20, 2010 | 04:19 PM
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Fuel starved?

97 7.3L I've been fixing this truck up for sale. Cleaning and repairing every little thing wrong with it. I've been driving it more lately and ran it out of fuel on the front tank the other night. No problem, switched tanks, bled system and there we go, 3 minutes max. Yesterday took the truck out to my shop to have my mechanic pressure wash the engine and then polish and get it ready to sell. Hit the road and 5 mile on the hwy she looses fuel. It had fuel in both tanks. Bled it on the side of the road and off we go. 2 min later, she died again. Took me 2 hrs to go 25 miles. Ran out of time yesterday. Put in new filter this morning and bled system. She ran perfect. Took off for a test run and 5 min in, lost fuel again. It seams to me to be either a pump or some kind of blockage. Any thoughts or suggestions boys?
 
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Old Mar 20, 2010 | 04:20 PM
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No codes with this problem.
 
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Old Mar 20, 2010 | 06:06 PM
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How do you bleed the fuel on a powerstroke?

If you just pressure washed it then you might want to go blow the water out of all the connections on the engine. Mine does this too after I pressure wash it. Usually at the valve cover wire connections it shorts until it dries out. It's not really good for it.
 
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Old Mar 20, 2010 | 06:08 PM
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when it dies try checking the filter housing and see if it has fuel in it, you might have a bunch of gunk in your FPR which causes it to have low fuel pressure and causing it to die
 
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Old Mar 20, 2010 | 09:02 PM
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Originally Posted by RRranch
How do you bleed the fuel on a powerstroke?

If you just pressure washed it then you might want to go blow the water out of all the connections on the engine. Mine does this too after I pressure wash it. Usually at the valve cover wire connections it shorts until it dries out. It's not really good for it.
Open the schrader valve and bleed the air out of the bowl and lines.

I have not pressure washed the engine yet, but I've never had a problem preesure washing a deisel pickup.
 
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Old Mar 20, 2010 | 09:06 PM
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Originally Posted by 97-psd
when it dies try checking the filter housing and see if it has fuel in it, you might have a bunch of gunk in your FPR which causes it to have low fuel pressure and causing it to die

Already did. The bowl was not empty, but it was not full. Another thing, when running strong, the schrader valve will release fuel under pressure. When it's acting fuel starved, it releases nothing.

How do I check the FPR and where is it. My guess in the incoming line to the bowl, but save me the search please.
 
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Old Mar 21, 2010 | 04:28 AM
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the fuel pressure regulator fpr is that thing the schrader valve is screwed into. Therre's a couple things you can do. there's a screen that might be clogged. 2 ways to do it, the easy way and the hard way. I always do it the hard way and take the whole thing apart. but if youwanna be smartr than me take the fuel filter out again you will see a hole up high in the housing on the drivers side leading to our friend the fpr screen. get some q-tips and pull the cotton off stick the stick in the whole and clean off the screen back an forth up an down. hose out the liile hole with a little wd40 or equivalent filter back in give it a spin. let us know
 
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Old Mar 21, 2010 | 10:01 AM
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Originally Posted by Jacksfirstdiesel
the fuel pressure regulator fpr is that thing the schrader valve is screwed into. Therre's a couple things you can do. there's a screen that might be clogged. 2 ways to do it, the easy way and the hard way. I always do it the hard way and take the whole thing apart. but if youwanna be smartr than me take the fuel filter out again you will see a hole up high in the housing on the drivers side leading to our friend the fpr screen. get some q-tips and pull the cotton off stick the stick in the whole and clean off the screen back an forth up an down. hose out the liile hole with a little wd40 or equivalent filter back in give it a spin. let us know
Thanks Jack, I'll try it and let you know.
 
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Old Mar 22, 2010 | 12:09 AM
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Here's a couple thoughts. You said you ran out of fuel. you may have sucked some crud from that fuel tank to the fuel tank selector switch or lift pump.Do you have clean fuel in both tanks? can you measure the fuel pressure at the schreader valve for both tanks? It sounds sort of like an intermittent problem. just trying to figure out which part of the fuel system is involved. I don't know if it would be advisable (kinda makin' it up here) to backflush the fuel lines with some gentle air pressure. guys? little help please? I wouldn't want to risk damaging the selector switch.
 
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Old Mar 22, 2010 | 08:50 AM
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Originally Posted by Jacksfirstdiesel
Here's a couple thoughts. You said you ran out of fuel. you may have sucked some crud from that fuel tank to the fuel tank selector switch or lift pump.Do you have clean fuel in both tanks? can you measure the fuel pressure at the schreader valve for both tanks? It sounds sort of like an intermittent problem. just trying to figure out which part of the fuel system is involved. I don't know if it would be advisable (kinda makin' it up here) to backflush the fuel lines with some gentle air pressure. guys? little help please? I wouldn't want to risk damaging the selector switch.
I'm thinkin along the same lines. My plan is to clean the screen in the FPR, then check pressure. Next I will check my lines and check pressure again. If I can't get any pressure, I'm gonna gut it all and put in a new pump. I'll let you know how it works out. Thanks for the help.
 
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Old Mar 22, 2010 | 10:13 PM
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Ok boys, heres the skinny. I cleaned out the FPR screen. After pulling out the equivelent of a 3 day old kitten from the guts of the FPR, fuel pressure returned to normal and she "purrs" like a ......well you know. Question, how does hair get in the fuel system?
 
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Old Mar 22, 2010 | 11:16 PM
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fuel comes from the middle east-----hair comes from the middle east.....hence the furball in your fpr HAHAHAHAHA no offense out there in cyber space..... I'm just sayin'..........but really it's probly just cotton fibers from the fuel filter or some molecular biology experiment having to do with algea.(I'm just tapdancin' now so some terrorist doesn't get pissed for my offhanded comments regarding hair. so sorry Mr. hairy terrorist. it's cotton fibers from the filter over the years so relax ........ BTW er um........uh........... where are you from there sportsdad? (pleasebe irish pleasebe irish pleasebe irish pleasebe irish)

glad ya got the truck runnin'good
 
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Old Mar 23, 2010 | 07:14 AM
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It's good to start the day with a chuckle. I did give a little thought to pullin your strings. Sorry. Just a good ole home grown California farmer.

Thanks for the info on the "hairball". God only knows the last time that filter was changed. This truck has seen very limited use for the last 8 years.

Thanks again for the help.
 
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Old Mar 26, 2010 | 12:42 AM
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so how much are you asking?
 
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Old Mar 26, 2010 | 08:48 AM
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I don't know. It blue books around $7500, but I'm not sure the obamaconomy can bring those numbers. I guess if I could get 6 I'ld be happy.

Hey Jack, how about a hand with my P0380 code?!!!
 
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