Ok, had my first and hopefully last breakdown/ bad towing/ nobody can fix it problem this week and now that the family and I are back home without our rv, Im looking for some good advice. I now know that my rv on the f53 chasis with the 460 engine is known for fuel pump problems and befoe the mechanic gets busy on it, I am wondering if the bad ford pumps are still a problem or should I tell the guy to use and aftermarket brand and if so which brand is a good one. I also read about some different "MODS" that can be done like removeing the pump from the tank alltogether. Anyhow, Im sure by now many of you rv guys out there have been through this, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
When the OEM in-tank fuel pump on my '95 F53 chassis died on a trip to Arizona, I bought an inline pump at NAPA along with some hose, clamps, and wire, and only lost about 1-1/2 hours of travel time. 4000 miles later, I'm still running the inline pump, and have no plans to remove or replace the in-tank pump.
Dutch_12078 wrote: When the OEM in-tank fuel pump on my '95 F53 chassis died on a trip to Arizona, I bought an inline pump at NAPA along with some hose, clamps, and wire, and only lost about 1-1/2 hours of travel time. 4000 miles later, I'm still running the inline pump, and have no plans to remove or replace the in-tank pump.
I'm planning on doing the same thing. Doesnt the fuel line have to be cut with a hack saw as it is (I believe)a steel line.. Also where did you connect the "hot" wire to. Thanks
Don
Dutch_12078 wrote: When the OEM in-tank fuel pump on my '95 F53 chassis died on a trip to Arizona, I bought an inline pump at NAPA along with some hose, clamps, and wire, and only lost about 1-1/2 hours of travel time. 4000 miles later, I'm still running the inline pump, and have no plans to remove or replace the in-tank pump.
I'm planning on doing the same thing. Doesnt the fuel line have to be cut with a hack saw as it is (I believe)a steel line.. Also where did you connect the "hot" wire to. Thanks
Don
I cut the fuel line on the tank side of the filter with a tubing cutter. I wired the hot line through an inline fuse holder connected to a hot terminal in the front fuse box under the hood, and then through a relay powered by the impact switch mounted on the steering column and on to the pump. The ground is attached to the frame near the pump.
Well, as a 20+ year mechanic, here are my thoughts for what its worth. I personally have a problem retrofitting an external pump in most situations. The reason for this is the external pump will have to work a little harder to draw fuel past the old pump assembly. What if the old pump failed because of contamination in the tank? What if the sock in the tank is plugged? This will only lead to another pump failure, and possibly some pressure and volume issues when the demand for fuel is high from the engine.
Second, if an external pump is installed, the power for the pump really should come from the original source. The process Dutch talks about will work... BUT the problem here is safety. Ford designs this circuit to shut off in case of an accident or if no engine speed signal is detected. This may seem small at first, but what if an accident occurs and a fuel leak develops? Most drivers won't be thinking about shutting off the key when the RV is laying on its side. If there's a fire, things could get really bad really quick.
I know this might seem like an acceptable risk to some, but for me who has worked the automotive repair line for 20 years, I found if it can happen, it eventually will happen. Stick with a good name brand OE type fuel delivery system.
To answer the OPs question concerning if the replacement Ford pumps are still a problem - the answer is no. Ford redesigned the pumps back in '98. The best replacement is an OEM Ford pump. If you are not in a hurry, you can save some coin by ordering from an online vendor like Rockauto.com. There is also a wiring adaptor harness that is required to connect the new pump to the old connection.
Good luck!
Nick
1995 Coachmen Santara MB360 w/slide
F53/460 chassis w/tag
Thanks to everyone, after Nick-bs comment Im gonna go with the oe repair, but also considering the other comments, Im gonna head out to the garage and get busy designing an emergency pump that I can install, in place of the inline filter, as a means of getting to or from the place Im going, cause it stinks being stuck, Any ideas where I might find the special tool used to pulling the quick disconnect fittings on the filter.
Mustang7370 wrote: Well, as a 20+ year mechanic, here are my thoughts for what its worth. I personally have a problem retrofitting an external pump in most situations. The reason for this is the external pump will have to work a little harder to draw fuel past the old pump assembly. What if the old pump failed because of contamination in the tank? What if the sock in the tank is plugged? This will only lead to another pump failure, and possibly some pressure and volume issues when the demand for fuel is high from the engine.
Second, if an external pump is installed, the power for the pump really should come from the original source. The process Dutch talks about will work... BUT the problem here is safety. Ford designs this circuit to shut off in case of an accident or if no engine speed signal is detected. This may seem small at first, but what if an accident occurs and a fuel leak develops? Most drivers won't be thinking about shutting off the key when the RV is laying on its side. If there's a fire, things could get really bad really quick.
I know this might seem like an acceptable risk to some, but for me who has worked the automotive repair line for 20 years, I found if it can happen, it eventually will happen. Stick with a good name brand OE type fuel delivery system.
A search of the forums will find that a number of us have made this same modification, with many miles of use to prove that it's effective. As far as the safety issue, did you note where I said the relay is controlled by the impact switch?
Yes, I read and agree about the safty switch issue, my idea is to just be able to get it home and not be stuck in a intersection in stark, fl. man that sucked, pardon my french. somthing i can flip a switch too and be able to bypass the orginal pumping system. although apparently the ford pumps after 98 dont quit on you like the earlier ones do.
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