F250 not running right.....calling all mechanic types

[Ashful]

You could just try running the thing with the gas cap off completely to see if it acts up.

I think that's what I'd have done on day 1 of this trouble. Gotta find out if it's a venting problem, or something entirely different.

 

[fbelec]

does the truck blow black smoke out of the exhaust when this is happening or no smoke? if so that would be to much fuel and it's drowning itself. if this is a carb engine and not a fuel engine you could have a bad float in the carb bowl. if this is a variable venturi carb it could be time to replace it. those carbs were trouble.

 

[TMonter]

does the truck blow black smoke out of the exhaust when this is happening or no smoke? if so that would be to much fuel and it's drowning itself. if this is a carb engine and not a fuel engine you could have a bad float in the carb bowl. if this is a variable venturi carb it could be time to replace it. those carbs were trouble.

Pretty much all of the carbureted F250's of this era are standard 4-Barrel Holly carbs (4180) with a few autolite versions of the Holly around.

 

[muncybob]

No smoke, it's a Holly 4 bbl. If the garage has not yet taken it inside by this afternoon I'll be picking it up to run w/o the gas cap to get some top soil..

 

[tekguy]

dont over look the fuel filter, might be clogged now since you have been disturbing stuff (if someone else already didnt say so)

 

[muncybob]

Fuel filter was changed last week. Drove her yesterday w/o the gas cap on and it acted up as usual but even sooner. Use to get about 5 or 6 miles out of her before runing like not getting any fuel but w/o the cap on it ran that way within 2 miles. Was able to get a load of topsoil and barely made it home. After sitting for a few hours while I unloaded the soil(in 90+ heat!!) I drove it back to the mechanic's garage(about 7 miles away) and it ran fine. He'll probably get to it this week and I'll let ya'll know what he comes up with.

 

[Ashful]

Sounds temperature dependent? Acting up faster when it's under load on a hot day?

 

[TMonter]

I'm betting on either a bad in-tank pump or the frame rail tank switch. Both are notorious problems with this year of truck.

If you do end up having an in-tank pump, make sure the mechanic installs an airtex or motocraft unit and not the Carter pump. This particular series of carter pumps has a design flaw that causes them to grenade quite quickly. The Ford Truck forum I frequest for advice had literally dozens of people with the carter pumps lasting less than 6 months.

 

[muncybob]

I'm betting on either a bad in-tank pump or the frame rail tank switch. Both are notorious problems with this year of truck.

If you do end up having an in-tank pump, make sure the mechanic installs an airtex or motocraft unit and not the Carter pump. This particular series of carter pumps has a design flaw that causes them to grenade quite quickly. The Ford Truck forum I frequest for advice had literally dozens of people with the carter pumps lasting less than 6 months.

Since it has a mechanical pump on the engine there would not be another in the tank, right?

joful, temp is not the factor...ran like this on a low humid 68* day.

 

[TMonter]

Since it has a mechanical pump on the engine there would not be another in the tank, right?

joful, temp is not the factor...ran like this on a low humid 68* day.

Not necessarily some of the carbureted trucks did have both although from my understanding it was pretty rare. When you removed your front tank did it have a pump or just an open fuel pickup?

 

[muncybob]

No pump in front tank, just sending unit.

 

[muncybob]

Got her back and she is running good again. Apparently the guy that removed the rear tank to do the frame work really messed up the plastic lines above the tank and they were kinked...this along with needing to completely seal the front tank lines seemed to be the problems.

 

[TMonter]

Got her back and she is running good again. Apparently the guy that removed the rear tank to do the frame work really messed up the plastic lines above the tank and they were kinked...this along with needing to completely seal the front tank lines seemed to be the problems.

Good to hear that it was fixed, never good for someone to kink the poly lines.

 

[semipro]

I'm glad you got if figured out and hope it didn't cost too much.
Seemed like it had to do with removal of the old tank somehow.