Last week I installed a used fuel tank in my 93 w350. The next day I was driving up a steep hill on the interstate and the engine began surging and lost almost all power. I had to drive the rest of the way up the hill on the shoulder of the road and noticed blue/white smoke puffing out the tailpipe. Once I reached home I bled the injectors hoping the would solve the problem. The next day the engine was fine at interstate speeds and didn't have any issues, until I had to go up the same hill on the way home from work. Again bled the injectors and ran great the next day. Today things are much worse. Now the engine dies on the surging problem begins and I'm having trouble just driving around the neighborhood. And once the engine dies it takes 2-3 attempts at starting before the engine will idle.

Lift pump maybe? Just find it hard to believe the I would have mechanical issues the day after I installed a fuel tank.

 

Was the tank empty...and totally clean? My guess is that the installation of the tank dislodge a mess of guff in the tank...and your fuel filter is now plugging up.

 

Yes the tank was empty. To me the inside of the tank appeared to be very clean. But something could have been hiding where I couldn't see it.

I did install a new fuel filter tonight and it didn't make any difference.

 

I'd guess you're getting air in the fuel. Could be between the tank and the lift pump, or inside the tank in the dip tube.

 

Did you swap over your existing sending unit/canister assembly into the used tank? Is it possible your used tank is a different size than the old one and now the strainer does not contact the bottom of the tank? Or if the canister assembly came with the tank, possibly there is a leak in the inlet that becomes exposed to air when the truck points uphill and the fuel moves to the rear of the tank.

 

could I run a hose from the lift pump into a container of diesel to eliminate something wrong with the fuel tank? I just used my original sending unit and didn't even remove the return/fuel lines the connect to the sending unit.

The tank came out of a 92 W250.

Also, how do you edit your profile signature? haha. I cannot figure that out.

 

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Check your pickup. I had the same problem with an 81 gasser. On level ground it was fine, start up a hill and it would loose the fuel pickup.