Very Interesting..Hmmm

 

What problems were you having with your sending unit? I think mine needs to be replaced also, where did you get the replacement?

 

You know,,, this whole SAD story deserves it's Own Thread.... :wink[3]:

http://www.powerstroke.org/forum/99...ussion/811946-fuel-sending-unit-did-i-just-pay-250-10-rheostat.html#post9872098

 

I got a short bed 01 lariat (4door) and last time my gas light went on I filled it up with about 20 gallons of fuel. Short beds have the 29 gallon tank I was suprised the light came on at 9 gallons left (meaning about another 145 miles!). Doesn't seem right. Not gonna test it, is it really true that if you run out of fuel you have to Bleed the system for air? What if you don't?

 

In our trucks, because the fuel rails and injectors are in the head, you can't really do much about it if you run dry (unlike conventional diesels where you would "crack" the lines to bleed air). To complicate this, those rails are Dead Ended so there no where for that air to go but out the injectors. So, there's not much you can do about it other than cranking it on the starter to push the air out unless you have added a Regulated Return of some sort.

If you want to know exactly what you have left, do what I described above and pump the tank dry, with the trucks fuel pump and drain tube, into a can as soon as the light comes on.

 

HAS ANYBODY ON HERE EVER RAN THEIR TRUCK OUT OF FUEL RIDING DOWN THE STREET?....

IF SO.....WHAT DID IT TAKE TO GET THE TRUCK STARTED AGAIN?....

PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT PROCEDURE YOU USED TO GET IT STARTED.....(LONG CRANKING ON THE STARTER.....CYCLING THE KEY.....ETC.).....

THANKS.....

 

I ran mine out. Loosened the fuel filter cap. Filled up the bowl and a few long cranks and it started

 

This is interesting "food for thought". Here's my thought:

Knowing actual fuel remaining at a given gauge indication, or illumination of Low Fuel will come into play if one is needing to calculate "can they make it to the next opportunity to re-fuel?" Under normal circumstances, one should have a good idea of how what their normal endurance is, and we refuel regularly and accordingly.

If you're in Green River Utah (the next opportunity to fuel is Salinas, 105 miles West) and the power is out so the pumps aren't working, you could make an intelligent decision as to go anyway (you know you have the fuel), wait for the power to come on, or go back to Grand Junction and fuel there (you know you DON't have the fuel). In this scenario, you save time by making the correct decision. Pilots call this get-there-itis. The best way to deal with this is the conservative way: Go get fuel, or wait. At least the truck won't stop rolling if it runs out of fuel, the way an airplane stops flying if IT runs out of fuel.

I have a 58 gallon tank. My endurance towing is 650+ miles, and interstate cruising non-towing with the Gear Vendors is in excess of 1,100 miles. If I run out, I DESERVE to. I never have. BUT: Because I frequently travel long distances, sometimes at night in remote areas, and usually with time-constraints, I ALWAYS carry 5 gallons of fuel in the bed. Just in case something goes wrong with the gauge, a fuel leak, something that even with good planning leaves me coming up short, I have a contingency of not having to call for a service truck. IF there's even cell service.

My .02

 

I ran it down to the idiot light last time and it took 31 gallons to fill a 36 gallon tank, so there's quite a bit left in there once you reach that point. Most vehicles are designed like this. I only ever ran out of gas once in a late model Mercedes Benz. When it pointed at "E" it meant it. I figured there had to be a couple gallons left but, nope! (Damn literal Germans.)

 

True, but I expect the light at say 10% remaining, not 30%...

 

The other thing is that Ford probably just made in-tank sending units that fit all the tanks they put on that truck, which was several, so YMMV (literally)

 

Are there aftermarket sending units that can be adjusted?


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I stripped the entire fuel system out of my truck and installed DIY Efuel and custom 60 gallon tank with a 6 gallon sump. No more problems filling the tank to full and I fill around the 700 mile mark with about 15 to 18 gallons left in. What I did do is fill when the gauge stated 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 and E. Now I hve a very close "IDEA" of how much is in the tank at each increment. I reset the trip odometer on each fill up and all things are good.

NO, I didn't resell the stock fuel puking tanks which were from New Mexico and had zero rust. I wouldn't do that to another 7.3 guy. I literally ran them flat with my 1947 Allis Chalmers and took them to the salvage yard with the rest of my scrap steel pile. I did save the second fuel sender for a spare.