Drop tank or remove bed?

drop tank or remove bed

  • Total voters
    5
GotWood

GotWood

Sayer of Fact
Joined
Jan 12, 2007
Location
Maiden, NC
My 7.3 has lost power under load. It won't rev above about 2200 and then just falls out . I think it's the screen in the tank and of course it is completely full, 38 gallons! I need to change the sending unit anyway because the gauge doesn't work so I'll go ahead and do the Hutch mod while I'm at it.
So, what's your opinion.
 
Not familiar with yours, but many Chevy/GMs, like my 98 model, the bed gets pulled. Might be easier to drop the tank, If, you had a lift. But not laying under the truck, + having to drain the tank.
 
I just replaced my 98 S10s fuel pump and opted to remove the bed and afterward was damn glad I didn't drop the tank. It was 3/4 full and dropping the tank would have put stress on the lines/electric connections w not enough length to drop it enough to easily reach/disconnect them. I changed the fuel pump before disconnecting the fuel lines from the tank but still had gas leaking all over the top of the tank when I disconnected the fuel lines w the bed off. W the bed off everything was easy to access/ work on and I was able to catch most of the spilled gas w rags before it leaked all over the tank. I'm sure the Ford bed weighs 2-3 times my S-10s but I'd still pull it. If you do drop the tank I would suggest driving it till it's about empty or draining the tank first. I used toothbrushes and a leaf blower to clean the 16 years of crud/sand etc off the top of the fuel pump/tank before removing the FP and had 2 fire extinguishers and some canvas ready for extra safety.
 
The corollary to Murphy's law, paragraph 4, subsection II(b) states:

"In tank electric fuel pumps will only fail with more than 3/4 tank of fuel, over 300 miles from home, 50 miles from the nearest parts store, on the side of the interstate, in 90+ degree heat & 90%+ humidity, when you have no tools except a claw hammer and wore out vice-grips along, possibly with a very pregnant and soon to be pissed off wife along(in some cases the blistering heat will be substituted with monsoon-like blowing rain)."

From this wonderful experience years ago, everything I own now has some sort of access provision to the fuel pump, as well as a spare drop-in assembly and wiring pigtail under the seat. Roadside changes in 20 minutes or less.
 
Dropped tank when I first installed the airdog on my dodge. Pinched a line when I reinstalled it and didn't know. About a year later I starter smelling fuel. The line I pinched had put stress on the sending unit and broke the return fitting off.

I took the bed off to fix it and it was much easier than dropping the tank. I removed it himself with an engine hoist. To put it back on I had my wife help steady it to keep it from hitting the cab.
 
I usually tilt the bed up or something like that. I don't take it all the way off, just give myself enough room to get in there. Unfortunately, the sending unit location on my Silverado is directly in between the cab and bed, in the gap. So there's not a way to cut an access hole to get to it.

Those 7.3 fuel systems are pretty crazy...lots of screens, filters, and aren't there two lift pumps?
 
I had to replace my sending unit on my 12 valve truck and I did as Croatan_Kid did and tilted the bed. I was working by myself and didn't have any help to remove the bed. I took the bolts out on one side and loosened the other all the way. Then I put a board inside the wheel well and used my high lift to jack it up. Once it was up, I put a small jack stand between the frame and bed mounting point. Worked great and was done in under an hour.
 
I lifted up/tilted the bed on my Ram to install my FASS pump. I did it by myself. It was very easy and didn't take long.
 
If the tank liner is coming apart, as many of the Ford diesel tanks are doing right now, then you're going to have to get that fuel out anyway. Sounds like that could quite possibly be the problem.
 
A few years ago, I had a truck that had some rust. Fuel pump was bad, and I couldn't easily get the bed bolts loose, so I cut a hole in the bed, changed the fuel pump, and welded the piece of bed back on.
 
Plastic tank, no rust for sure. I'll probably just tilt the bed over to gain access, not completely remove it.
 
Have you changed the fuel filter up on the motor. Maybe it is stopped up then run the fuel out and drop the tank.
 
Filter is good. After much thought and research, I decided to take it to my local power stroke repair man. I'm sure I could do the repairs myself, but time is money, and lately I have too little time to mess with it. For a couple hundred bucks the shop will drop tank and install parts and have it back the next day and I won't have another project in the driveway for 2 or 3 day . I'll update on the outcom .
 
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