Changed fuel filter, now no fuel to engine

[W4RLR]

Big problem with the wife's grooming truck.

I changed the oil filter and oil, no problem, good pressure and the engine worked fine. I changed the primary fuel filter, the previous owner obviously did not use the proper tool to remove the cap. The hex on the cap, being plastic, is deformed and while I can remove the cap, I cannot seem to get the cap tight enough because of the deformed hex. The filter does not get saturated with diesel, and the fuel system beyond the FCM is bone dry.

Anyone know if the cap is replaceable, or am I stuck with getting a rebuilt FCM. My WAG is that there is not enough pressure exerted by the cap to compress the spring in the FCM, and so all I get is a drip instead of fuel flow.

Any guidance or pointers would be appreciated. The truck is how we are now making the money to keep our head above water, and I have to get it running by our next appointment on Wednesday.

 

[Tbar]

Not sure whats she is driving but I am going to assume its a 7.3.

Normally the 7.3 will reprime on its own by cycling the key 5 or 6 cycles.

If you have already done this then you have a large air bubble that the pump is having a hard time pushing back to the tank.

Give it a little help. Loosen the cap and cycle the key to get the fuel bowl filled. Tighten it up and see if she starts.

If you are going to have a problem with a bad cap or oring you will find out in short order when it pressures up.........be ready to shut it down if it starts spraying.


Tbar

 

[W4RLR]

Not a 7.3, but a 6.0. Unlike the fuel conditioning modules in our pickups, this one is mounted vertically.

All I get is a drip. I've tried cycling the pump several times, no luck in getting the filter saturated. I put the old filter back in, it had fuel in the filter material, but still no fuel flow. I cycled the pump several times with the cap off, again, no fuel flow. There's a quarter tank of diesel in the van's tank.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'm going to the dealer tomorrow to see if I can get a replacement cap. I think that I'm not getting the cap tight enough.

One thought does come to mind. Does the fuel from the tank go through the filter from the outside in, or is is forced through the filter from the inside out. The cap and the filter stay dry no matter what. I'm guessing that I am not getting enough seal on the cap for the pump to draw from the tank.

Could I be right?

 

[F350DRW1]

In an emergency you could tighten it with a band style oil filter wrench. Caps mangled anyway. The filter needs to be indexed, IOW you want to push and turn the filter until the internal tab seats, then install the cap. Try this, then try cycling the key 3-4 times.

 

[Potentialbuyer]

Your 6.0 fuel pump draws fuel through the primary filter from the tank and then sends it to the secondary filter and heads at 50 psi. If you say that the cap for the primary filter is mangled, it is probably drawing air and can't prime itself. There is no low pressure pump in the fuel tank to prime the system. The HFCM has to suck the fuel out of the tank. I believe that you can get parts for the HFCM. When they first came out, you couldn't but I think that has changed. Good luck

 

[W4RLR]

Went to the dealership this afternoon, glad I did. There was a change in the FCM mid year, I have the earlier design with a built-in water sensor in the cap. The newer design is the same cap that is on the pickup's HFCM. The dealer is getting a replacement cap in overnight, even with the discount, it was nearly $60 for the cap.

Thanks to all of you for your help. I'll let you know if the new cap does the trick.

 

[W4RLR]

It's FIXED!

Many thanks to all who gave me some good advice. Now I am out of the "doghouse".

Rule number 1: "Never mess with the wife's van unless you can fix it that day."
Rule number 2: "If you do make the van inoperable, send an SOS to the folks on SuperDutyDiesel.com."

Everyone on this board are aces in my book.