Truck help please

[Big Bri]

I've got a 97 F350 7.3, The rear tank has not worked for the last two years, and i haven't worried about it as i just drive the truck around the small town i live in. Well today i drive down the road and the truck dies. Was on a test drive as i have the truck for sale. Check the a few things out and see that the Switch on the dash was switched to the back pump. . . I cleaned the truck real good after my last drive and must have flipped it. Anyway i switch it back to the front tank but it doesn't register, kinda like it is stuck on the back tank. I know this because the back tank has less than 1/4 left and i filled the front tank on my last outing. So my question is where is the valve located, and does this sound like a good place to start?
Flipping the switch on the dash does nothing and i don't hear any pumps come on in ether position.
Thanks for any help.
Brian

 

[56FordGuy]

You might want to check the switch with an ohm meter, it could be as simple as a bad switch. Naturally, check all your fuses and relays as well.

You shouldn't hear any pumps, your truck should have a mechanical pump mounted on the engine between the heads and below the turbo.

 

[Milton Burro]

You might want to check the switch with an ohm meter, it could be as simple as a bad switch. Naturally, check all your fuses and relays as well.

You shouldn't hear any pumps, your truck should have a mechanical pump mounted on the engine between the heads and below the turbo.

+1 What he said.

 

[powerstroke444e]

If the switch is working some times you have to tap on the valve its under your feet on driverside frame rail have someone flip the switch and tap lightly with a wrench. It has worked more times than I want to admit.

I believe there is also electic lift pump also, if you just tap the starter it will run for 15-20 seconds. Open the fuel drain and see if you get any fuel out when you do this. Make sure you didn't blow a fuse.

 

[Big Bri]

Thanks for all the advice guys. will try the tap trick tomorrow. really thought it had electric pumps. i wonder why the rear tank hasn't worked.
thanks again.

 

[not2old]

If this truck has electric lift pumps, they are probably similar to my 460 gasser. I know several of my parts are listed in the books as being for a diesel. I've had to replace fuel pumps located inside the tanks, relays located on the driver's side inner front fender, the dash mounted fuel switch, and the adapter pigtail attached to it. Luckily when the relay went, it wouldn't shut off, so I carry it as a spare. This fuel system has check valves installed to prevent pumping fuel into the un-used tank

 

[Builder]

I had same problem with my current F-150 gasser. I stopped using rear tank for years because it was too expensive to fix and the truck was rusting badly. Bad news is about 2 weeks ago it started leaking fuel. Had to have tank replaced. It was north of $450 in parts alone. I prefer one big tank over the 2 small ones. Less parts to go bad.

 

[crashz]

Builder,

Did you just say you currently have a Fffffffff....


a Fffffffff...


Ffffff... ord?

For shame sir! For shame!

JK Builder. I had to say something before DP gets here.


My father had a 95 F350 Dump and we had the tank selector valve get stuck between the tanks. Wouldn't run on either tank. Tapping, banging and cursing at it did not work. We replaced the valve. I beleive it was the one under the drivers feet, but can't remember now.

 

[not2old]

I prefer one big tank over the 2 small ones. Less parts to go bad.[/QUOTE]

You wouldn't say that when the in-tank fuel pump quits when you're miles from home.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Builder,

Did you just say you currently have a Fffffffff....


a Fffffffff...


Ffffff... ord?

For shame sir! For shame!

JK Builder. I had to say something before DP gets here.


My father had a 95 F350 Dump and we had the tank selector valve get stuck between the tanks. Wouldn't run on either tank. Tapping, banging and cursing at it did not work. We replaced the valve. I beleive it was the one under the drivers feet, but can't remember now.

I caught it a couple weeks ago when he was talking about taking it in to get the leaking tank fixed. :thumbsup:

I am still trying to stomach Dargo buying a GMC dump truck. Yes, its 30 years old but......

Chris

 

[Builder]

I can tell you guys read only what you want to read, not what I type. Once again, I've owned more Ford trucks than all other brands of trucks combined. I try to tell you I'm not brand biased, I just prefer GM & Dodge trucks for the last 5-8 years over Ford. Before that I liked Ford better.

Yes, I own an old F-150. Have owned a few F-800's and at least 12 F-150/250/350's in the past.

I'd appreciate it if you'd at least portray my truck ownership record accurately, not to the way the other guy here likes to portray me. :confused2:

 

[Dmace]

My old F-350 dump IDI non-turbo diesel had two tanks and the rear stopped working. Once in a while it would "switch" to the rear tank and die. I found that sometimes I would have to disconnect the battery for a few seconds before switching it back to the front.

 

[Big Bri]

Just wanted to tell ya'll that i tried tapping on the selector valve and like a charm it worked. . . . but looks like we drove it too long before shutting her down as i think i'm going to have to bleed the injectors as she won't start.

Just wanted to say thanks for all the Help, ya'll were great.
Thanks

Brian

 

[crashz]

Builder, just razzing you a little. Sorry if I upset you. Truely did not mean to in anyway.

Big Bri - Did you get fuel up to the lift pump? We had ours stick between tanks and it was not running or starting. If we filled the fuel filter housing, we could get a pop, but that was it. I can't remember if we had to bleed the injectors. In fact, I think you can't access them directly, but I really can't remember that far back. We sold the truck about 5 years ago, and it was aleast 5 years prior that we had trouble with it.

 

[Builder]

Builder, just razzing you a little. Sorry if I upset you. Truely did not mean to in anyway.

No problem. I have GM, IH & Ford trucks. I probably buy & sell 1 or 2 trucks on average every year. I just don't bother posting if I buy a $2,500 F-150 or K-2500, not much to get excited about. I don't avoid Dodge, I just don't come across many.

 

[mojoinco]

I can't help but post a woeful (how often do you get to use that word?) experience with an 84/460. Rear tank pump failed. Relays for the transfer switch failed in the rear position. Both at the same time (turns out the relays had likely been going for a month or so). The rear tank had just been filled. It was a sucky day fixing that one. Fixed the pump first, then the switch. No fires, except between my ears. Had the F.O.R.D. electrical repair manual handy and confirmed it had several flaws in the location of parts (oh, for accuracy in a factory manual). And disconnected the fuel pump cut off for low oil pressure (not much use on a carb engine).
Ok, that was all. Both relays on the firewall are the same. Worth having one in the glove box (they are not as well protected under the hood as one would think from water damage).

 

[Diamondpilot]

I can't help but post a woeful (how often do you get to use that word?) experience with an 84/460. Rear tank pump failed. Relays for the transfer switch failed in the rear position. Both at the same time (turns out the relays had likely been going for a month or so). The rear tank had just been filled. It was a sucky day fixing that one. Fixed the pump first, then the switch. No fires, except between my ears. Had the F.O.R.D. electrical repair manual handy and confirmed it had several flaws in the location of parts (oh, for accuracy in a factory manual). And disconnected the fuel pump cut off for low oil pressure (not much use on a carb engine).
Ok, that was all. Both relays on the firewall are the same. Worth having one in the glove box (they are not as well protected under the hood as one would think from water damage).

Thats the way it always works. Last pump I replaced for a neighbor lady was just 5 miles after she filled up her truck. Had a full 30 gallons or so in it. Never fails...:laughing:

By the way I was really impressed when I had to take my Nissan Titan in for a recall last spring. They were working on a 5 year old or so Nissan Car. It was the only other thing in the shop at that time. Just in casual conversation I asked what they were doing to that one? He said putting in a new fuel pump. I then noticed the rear seat was out and the mechanic was in the car. Long and short of it was there was a access panel under the rear seat. He said it was a 20 minute job to replace. Some go in though the trunk, ect but the trucks were still a drop out item like the domestics.

Why cant Ford, GM, Dodge, ect do this???? Seems so simple.

Chris

 

[not2old]

Thats the way it always works. Last pump I replaced for a neighbor lady was just 5 miles after she filled up her truck. Had a full 30 gallons or so in it. Never fails...:laughing:

By the way I was really impressed when I had to take my Nissan Titan in for a recall last spring. They were working on a 5 year old or so Nissan Car. It was the only other thing in the shop at that time. Just in casual conversation I asked what they were doing to that one? He said putting in a new fuel pump. I then noticed the rear seat was out and the mechanic was in the car. Long and short of it was there was a access panel under the rear seat. He said it was a 20 minute job to replace. Some go in though the trunk, ect but the trucks were still a drop out item like the domestics.

Why cant Ford, GM, Dodge, ect do this???? Seems so simple.

Chris

When I replaced my in-operative pump, I also replaced the one in the other tank because it had gotten noisey. I removed the pickup box in about an hour, suspending it from ratchet straps from the carport ceiling. It was then very easy to access everything without having to worry about pumping out the tank. This also allowed me to easily re-calibrate the fuel gauge sender on the tank that had never been accurate.

 

[Diamondpilot]

When I replaced my in-operative pump, I also replaced the one in the other tank because it had gotten noisey. I removed the pickup box in about an hour, suspending it from ratchet straps from the carport ceiling. It was then very easy to access everything without having to worry about pumping out the tank. This also allowed me to easily re-calibrate the fuel gauge sender on the tank that had never been accurate.

Only one I have ever done was in my neighbor ladies GMC 1/2 ton. It was full but pretty easy. He son came over and helped me. We pulled it up on 4 car ramps and used a floor jack to support the plastic tank. We loosened the two metal straps holding it up, dropped it 6", disconnected the fuel lines and wiring harness, the lowered it the rest of the way. She ran the jack while me and him balanced it. Once out we pulled the pump assembly, installed the new one, and back in. About a 1.5 hour job. That included getting the truck up in the air, tools out, changing it over, and clean up.

I have done 5 or 6 in cars. 4 GM's, 1 Lincoln, 1 Mustang, and I think there was one other years ago. By far the worst is the Corvette. Its a day job.

Chris