Help Needed Fuel Filter issues

[addicted]

Well I had my new injectors installed and everything was great. Then my wife was driving and the fuel filter light came on. She made it another few miles and it completly crapped out on her. I brought a new filter to put in it but the one in there wasn't that bad (only 100 miles on it). Still no start.

I had it towed to a shop (something I usually don't do) and they said they were not getting any fuel pressure out of the pump. I figured a clogged tank screen but I bought a new pump and put it in anyway. The other one was good by the way. After that I still couldn't get it to start. Then I looked at the small screen on the FPR and it was clogged. I think this is my FPR screen???? I'm not sure. It is that screen at the top of the fuel bowl as part of that regulator on the top drivers side of the fuel bowl. None the less I cleaned it. Then I had my neighbor hold the schrader valve until all of the air got out and then it ran fine. About 100 miles later and light comes on. No issues at all and then all of the sudden it died and I'm not getting fuel into the bowl again. Fuel filter is clean.

Anyone have any ideas? I'm leaving on a 2500 mile road trip towing a trailer in 2 days and need to get to the root of the problem. This is our first vacation in a couple of years and will be the last and it is quickly going down the drain.

All 3 of my tanks doesn't help with the issue so I don't think it is a clogged tank screen though it could be. Should my fuel lines drain from the stock tanks if I unhook them? Becuase they don't.

Thank you for any help.

 

[DaveBen]

Could you be picking up water that is in the tank?

Dave

 

[addicted]

Anything is possible but would that create the conidition I have? Even with the fuel filter out and cranking I can see that there isn't any or at least much fuel comming into the fuel bowl.

Here is a learning question. When I cleaned that FPR screen last time I couldn't get it off and only cleaned one side. Should it be hard to take off and does it go back on easily? I figure I need to clean both sides.

Also that line at the bottom of the FPR that goes back into the bottom of the fuel bowl had come out. It snaps back in with a metal on metal sounds. I'm guessing there is a rubber o-ring in their maybe? Maybe it is not sealing? It does not leak fuel though. I'm not sure if this would give the same condition, as I'm not exactly sure what the point of that line is? Is there more than one retun off the regulator? I don't knwo why the fuel system seems so complicated to me. I understand how it works on the basics level but there is a lot of lines and parts to make these puppies work.

Thank you for the help. I'm going to go back out and work on it here in a couple hours.

 

[DaveBen]

I don't have any information on the '97 trucks. Sorry I can't help more.

Dave

 

[BIG JOE]

With 3 tanks.. what kind of selector valve (manual~electric) do you have ?

If you are trying to drain fuel, at a Low Point, lower than any of the tanks....... You should, see fuel.

Try draining fuel from each tank.. BEFORE the selector valve, That should eliminate, or trouble shoot the valve working or not.

Put a little pressure on each tank ? Like from a Shop-Vac ??

 

[94f450sd]

id start with replacing the rubber fuel hoses between the pump and filter.could have one collapsing in on itself.dont think it would matter with the 3rd tank but how much fuel is in the tanks?

 

[addicted]

I did a bunch of diagnosing this afternoon. Final determination is brand new fuel pump went KAPUT after fuel restriction of 4 miles.

I started by checking how much flow I was getting from my fuel tanks. Both were relatively little but draining on their own after the fuel switching valve. I blew air back up thru it and (with fuel caps off so no pressure build) I doubled my fuel flow. Fuel looked clean in both tanks. Next I checked my 3rd tank selector valve. No problems or restrictions there. Finally I took off the fuel pressure regulator and blew air up thru the line. Plenty of fuel blew out and no restrictions issues.

Prior to this I screwed on a fuel pressure gauge on the schrader valve and along with my Pella pump used it to try and releive the air pressure that was conitinually comming out of it. After 15 different attempts to start the car it would not even remotely start running. And this was after I had cleaned out the screen on the regulator.

I took off the regulator and was checking for fuel pressure from the pump when very unexpectatly only after about 2 seconds this happened (See Video) YouTube - MVI 2329

On another forum someone mentioned that there is a rock type filter on the bottom of the regulator. I took off the snap ring and it was very dirty. So much so that after I tried to blow air in reverse thru the opening no air would go thru. The filter shop up into the air. Even holding it down all air pressure would return out the port I was filling it with.

I'm going to see if I can get a new one of those mesh type filters from ford. But until then I will run without one. I beleive this is what is responsible for killing both of my fuel pumps in less than 50 miles each. Even though the fuel filter light only came on approx 5 miles before destruction.

I've read thru multiple forums and never found anyone mention this. So hopefully this #1: fixes the problem and I will update #2: helps someone else in the future and saves them 230 bucks in fuel pumps and a lot of diagnosing time.

Does this make sense to anyone? I'm thinking my logic is there.

 

[DaveBen]

Looks like you solved a brand new problem. Congratulations on your research and your conclusions. I think you are correct in your solution of no filter at the regulator, for now.

Dave

 

[BIG JOE]

Looks like you solved a brand new problem. Congratulations on your research and your conclusions. I think you are correct in your solution of no filter at the regulator, for now.

Dave

X2

Good thinking, Good results

 

[94f450sd]

forgot about that secondary screen.instead of that steel wool looking thing what about seeing if one from a 95 wil work?

heres the one out of my 95
95 PSD FPR secondary screen,spring and canister. pictures from trucks photos on webshots