Need help finding an in-tank fuel pump for 91 Ford Econoline

In our 1991 Tioga E-350 a Ford dealer in Bakersfield said that the in-tank fuel pump was no longer available from Ford. They put in a CARQUEST FL3040 E2060S FP replacement which has worked fine.

You're describing your RV as

"1991 Ford Econoline 350 Tioga RV"

We need to know the Model Year of your Ford E350 Chassis. I looked up AutoZone and found a number of stores within a few miles of Zip 34653.

Chassis Year is really important because the Chassis is as often as not a Model Year OLDER than the "Coach Year."

We also need to know the Production Date of the Chassis. In that AZone lookup, there's a date of 5/22/90 that affects the model of pump.

Finally, How many Tanks and What Size(s) are they? If it's a two-tanker, which pump are you trying to change?

With more info I think we can locate the correct pump within a few miles and a couple days or less from you.

Also, don't forget about NAPA. They generally have experienced parts people. People who weren't asking "Do you want Fries with that?" last week.

Just visit any auto parts on an off day/off time. If it's tricky, you don't want the counter in a time crunch serving a backlog of Saturday DIY customers.

I am quite surprised that the dealer cannot locate a fuel pump. Maybe they seek a OEM Ford pump, not an aftermarket source.

We've had Fords with:
1. Carburetor and In-Tank Electric Pump. These low pressure pumps WOULD allow fuel to be pulled through them when they were not running.
2. EFI with In-Tank AND Frame-Mounted Pumps. This is what I think you have. I'm pretty sure the Frame-Mounted Pump would NOT allow fuel to be pulled through but I am not sure if the In-Tank would or would not.
3. MPI with only High-Pressure In-Tank Pump. This pump WILL NOT let fuel through when not running.

Vehicle (1.) above was a 1983 E350 with two tanks and carbureted 460. I wish I could find it, but I remember that...

...there was a RESISTOR in the running power feed to the Fuel Pump Motor. In the 1983 chassis, the pump ran at reduced voltage when the key was in RUN due to the Resistor. In START, the Resistor was bypassed. This was common with Points/Condenser Ignition back in The Day, but the trick was also used with these fuel pumps. So...

...very possible there was a change-over and the pump supplied in error was what I'll call "Low Voltage" and meant to be used with the Resistor, when the chassis in question had had the Resistor deleted and needed to run on "High Voltage."

I went through some serious******with my 1990 E350 Winnebago Warrior with the same problem. Not sure you will have it with 1991 Ford but if so I can spare you some trouble.

My fuel pump burned up in my RV about a year and a half ago. The trip before that the solenoids and fuel safety cut-off switch burned up. This must have been a precursor to the pump itself burning up.

When I say "burned up", I mean "burned up". The entire top of the electric motor was burned/charred away, and the spade connector that went to it was a molten metal blob. It is amazing that this can happen in a tank full of gas with no fire. But that's lack of oxygen for you, I guess.

I had it towed to a shop, and they replaced the pump via my VIN, and my gas gage no longer worked. We assumed that something electrical had happened to it and burned it up. My home mechanic found the real problem:

They installed the wrong fuel pump.

Ford changed fuel pumps mid model year in 1990. Check the VIN number on your CHASSIS, not the RV.

The problem is that the shop went to Auto Zone, and Auto Zone's computer did not know about the change and got the wrong pump. The pump looks fine and will install, but the problem is that the sending unit is reversed. So the gage reads backwards.

I was very close to suing the shop that installed the wrong fuel pump as they insisted it was not their fault. I said for $800 that I paid to have the vehicle fixed correctly it certainly was not *my* fault. However as I got to digging to get my paperwork together to sue I found that there really was no way this guy could have known. Unless he had bothered to go directly to Ford and do some serious investigative work. But who would not trust what the AutoZone computer said? And even if you went to the Airtex web site, their own product configurator spit out the wrong part number for my VIN!

Eventually the Airtex people sent me a replacement pump for free. But I had already spent $800 having the pump replaced ,and then another $300 when my home mechanic debugged the fuel gauge discovering the real problem. It will cost another $300 to have the pump replaced even when I provide the replacement pump. So I have not done it yet. Right now we gauge gas by the mileage rather than the gauge.

So. Moral of the story: Be careful and be certain when you are looking for the right fuel pump for that 1991 Ford! And if, after replacing, your gas gauge seems broken, they put in the wrong pump! Make sure they make it right.!

Steve

Sea Dog wrote:

kaydeejay wrote:
Why not simply add an external pump (mounted to the frame rail)? It will draw through the dead in-tank one.

Indeed.
Much less expensive way to go.

Make sure, if you do go with the inline pump,
that it is specifically for carb or EFI
depending on which you have.

Fuel pump and fuel gauge are the same unit. It is probably a rotted hose from pump to outside of tank and not the pump. If so the pump is pumping gas back into the tank.
Carquest has the pump or can get one. I would never take a '91 to a Dealer because they will nail you with high prices.

Do you have a 40 gal tank? If so then yours is the same as mine. You should have two fuel pumps and in tank and one on the frame rail. The in tank model should be E2071S by air tech. Just make sure they check the ohms on the sending unit so it reads correct. Ford changed the way they read sometime in the late 80s. If you get the wrong one it will read backwards on the fuel gauge. Ask me how I know. Dropping fuel tank is not fun doing it twice sucks.

Jkaz

I learned many years ago that mechanics have 'their' parts network. They will not search outside of their network. Since its at a Ford dealer - they will only use the genuine ford pump, which may not be available anymore. There are likely many aftermarket pumps that will work, but they aren't allowed to source it.

Our family van had a bad fuel pump when we were in Lake Havasau. Shop said it would be 2 days before they could get a pump. We went down the street to the auto part chain store and bought the pump. Shop installed it that afternoon. That was in a '93 Dodge Grand Caravan - not exactly a rare vehicle.

kaydeejay wrote:
Why not simply add an external pump (mounted to the frame rail)? It will draw through the dead in-tank one.

Indeed.
Much less expensive way to go.

Make sure, if you do go with the inline pump,
that it is specifically for carb or EFI
depending on which you have.

Why not simply add an external pump (mounted to the frame rail)? It will draw through the dead in-tank one.