A buddy of mine is probally getting a diesel generator, we were thinking about plumbing it into his factory fuel lines/tank, I was just wondering if anyone had done such a thing, and where the fuel pump was (I'm hoping not in the tank) We would use some sort of disconnects with a shutoff valve.

It is an 01 7.3 Super Duty. (Please hold the anti Ford comments)

 

Good idea, but I'd bet the pump will be in the tank. Another thought though. I'm not aware of any generators having a pump. Most are gravity feed with the tanks on top, so I don't see how it would draw it out of the tank. Maybe just a simple 12 volt pump to fill the genny tank will get you by. I've got a deisel genny and it will run all day on two gallons so maybe just once a day he'd have to operate his pump to fill it.

 

That is actually exactly what I was thinking of doing, just not sure it would pump through an intank lift pump that was off...

 

drill the tank and use another fuel pick-up tube for the gen. only

brett

 

Yeah... Um... That is pretty obvious...

Why didn't I think of it?

Thanks Brett! Love the new sig BTW

 

This generator was converted from a stand-alone to a trailer mount. It had a 8 gallon internal tank that gravity fed the engine. When it was mounted to the trailer, the trailer had a 100 gallon tank slung inside the frame that the generator sat on top of. The lines (supply and return) were plumbed to the trailer tank, and the original tank lines removed.

AFAIK, the trailer tank did not have a pump. In fact, I believe the engine had a pump, a small cam driven pump (like an old carbureted engine, or a 12V) that moved fuel from the tank, through the filter, to the injection pump. It never had any problems running, or starting. It also had a rubber bulb siphon pump to prime the lines if it sat too long between runs. The engine on it was an 4 cylinder Kubota, that was all mechanical, no engine electronics whatsoever.

Here is a picture of it here:

 

what can i say...im here to help

brett

 

I thought there was another pickup tube in the tank for just that application...
What's that extra capped off line on the cluster for"???

 

I don't know. I've never looked at the tank on a Super Duty. I'll have to check that out.

 

Just make sure if you use another fuel pick up tube that it does not go to the bottom of the tank. It would be kind of embarrasing to suck the last of the fuel out of the tank to run the generator and then have to have fuel delivered to take the truck home.

Depending on the type of fuel system the generator has determines if it has an onboard fuel pump, my Onan has one and says to not draw fuel from more than 3 feet or exceed 1 1/2 lbs of fuel pressure. Granted it is an RV gas generator.

 

OOPs did not read ford,,,, don't know,

There is an extra on the dodge ( in manual )
I think the pickup on the dodge does not go to bottom of tank, leaves 1/4?1/2
for truck fuel

 

What kind (make/model/spec) genset are we talking about here? Some have a mechanical lift pump, some an electric, none that I know of use an in tank pump. A few other things to consider too, ventilation to cool not only the engine but the generator end too, be sure the pickup doesn't go all the way to the bottom of the tank so it can suck the tank dry and leave you walking. Most have a return line that also needs to go to the fuel tank. Consider a separate fuel tank, off road fuel....................

Do NOT tap into the trucks fuel supply line.

 

I thought you knew something about the Fords tanks... Maybe they have an extra too?

I'm not sure what kind it is... He told me but I forgot.

Why not tap into the truck's fuel lines? I would prefer to not anyway.

 

Here's a pic of the one in my 450,...It has a "Aft" tank.

Looks like the exter line will suck air around 1/3rd of a tank.

My truck started to run out of fuel a few months back at a 1/4 tank so I removed the white plastic thingie? I always take pic's......