Reasoning for Motorhome to quit running

[mgfiest]

Hello,
I got a question... hope it can be answered.
I have a 1990 Glendale Class C, (F350 chassis).

I just did a long run from Ontario to Savannah GA.
All was good going down, no issues at all.

The problem was coming back. It was a very hot day. I left from Roanoke Rapids,NC and was suppose to finish in Bedford, PA. I did not make it. The MH quit running in a middle of an intersection in Breezewood, PA.

The engine was hot, was running AC all the way, pushed the poor beast up those mountains, so when I came to an idle state, it quit running. I called for a tow but being a friday and a very hot day, the interstate issues were more important than me, so I had to wait.. it was about 4hours and I thought.. let's see if it would start.. much to my relief it did. the question is WHY. I was sure my engine or trannie was toast. BTW.. the oil level was good, battery charge was correct, rad fluid was up.... only thing I could not check was the trannie fulid.

If I remember my old vehicles from days gone by, I am guessing the gas lines got overheated and evaporated the gas, so that I was not getting no fuel. BUT.. this is just a guess.

Hope someone can help me with this mystery. and... should I take this to a mechanic to see if I really did damage.

Thanks

[mgfiest]

Another update... after doing all that work in 2013... it still manage to stop running after going on a hot day for about 1.5 hours... This time they found out it was the actual fuel pump and this time I have driven many hours in hot weather and the unit has not failed.... overall... when things go wrong on a old motorhome it could be anything.

[jdog]

Well did all those could be guesses do you any good? NO! There is no way people can tell you what is or what was wrong by not looking at your vehicle. They were guessing and they were useless guesses. Only way to solve problem is with a good mechanic looking it over!

[mgfiest]

Well I got an update on this overheating... it happened again... in May.. first it was a temperature sensor that was faulty... then the big hit... going up I90 in Mass. It was about 90degrees outside.. major overheating.. caused everything to shutdown.. just in time at a service center... walked away for some food and came back with trannie fuild all over the place... got it towed to the nearest mechanic and there the damage was... water pump, trannie cooler, oil cooler and transmission all had to be replaced.. they are certain the water pump started the chain reaction. Now I have... I think a new 20 year old RV.

[mgfiest]

Well, they did a total look at the engine and trannie area for any major or minor damages. The gas filter definitely need replacing, the mod was still functioning to spec and fuel pump was good as well. WHAT it really need was a major tune up, seem my previous owner held some important information... like never seen a tune up for a long time, so.. spark plugs, distrib cap, spark plugs wires.. all was done.

So until my next venture, I will know for sure if all is good.

[crawford]

including intermittent ignition module failure due to heat, been there and done it, must out side of gas tank fuel pumps leaks when they fail. But the ignition module early years were a major problem because of heat.

[mgfiest]

Thanks for all the responses... I will be phoning my local mechanic and see if they can do diagnostic on this beast. From what I am understanding.. fuel pump and filter.. replace... make sense.. 20yo.. things do get old.

[wcjeep]

Agree with likely bad fuel pump. At your vehicle age it's due. When it cools down the pump will work until it heats up again. Intank pumps can be limped along if you keep the tank above half way (emergency short trip only). You have been changing the filter on a regular basis? If the filter has been plugged by stuff or water it can also help the pump to overheat to early failure.

I have seen a Ford Fuel injected 460 Vapor lock. The guy used Arco gas. The higher alcohol content combined with high ambient temp and high altitude caused vapor lock while offroad. We removed the hood of the truck. What finally sorta fixed the problem was placing ice from our lunch coolers into sandwich bags and zip tie the bags to the fuel lines. Repeat every half hour.

[gregorymn]

I just experiened a very similar situation with my 89 E350 based motorhome. Last fall on a 2 week vacation, it quit one hot day but restarted after about 30 minutes and never missed another beat for the rest of the trip. Shortly after getting home, I put it away for the winter. This spring, I took it out for a shakedown trip pulling our boat a few weeks before planning to leave on a 1100 mile round trip fishing trip. It stalled 3 times that day. Each time it took longer to restart. I changed the fuel filter and went for a drive the next day. It lost power but didn't stall. Time for the pros to look at it.

I took it to a local shop that specializes in trucks and motorhomes. They couldn't get it to fail. I took it home and guess what, serious lack of power and it wouldn't start in the driveway 20 minutes after I parked it. Back to the shop. They eventually decided it had to be a fuel pump and replaced both to be sure. I left for the fishing trip the next day. It ran great the whole time. Must have been one of the pumps, likely the in-tank one.

I suggest you find a good reputable shop and have them check it over. Likely it is your in-tank fuel pump and that's not a job for the average shade tree mechanic. My research basically tells me that fuel pumps from that vintage will fail and that the sypmtoms we both experienced are the prelude to failure.

[j-d]

Does your Ignition Coil look like

Or like
???
The second coil, cylindrical "can" would overheat and stop the vehicle (at least it did that to me) then run when it cooled.
I don't know if the coil pictured first (which is not an oil-filled cylinder and IS the one I looked up for 1989 E350/460/EFI) tends to do the same trick.
We nearly canceled a trip, towing a car 200 miles in FL summer heat with A/C on. After it cooled, we ran the last 50 miles running the car separately and A/C off in the RV, with no problem. I replaced the coil before we ran back, and the problem never repeated.

[rehoppe]

x2 on the vapor lock. Not to worry unless it happens again.

Wondering if you are still getting some ethanol in PA? Might be a contributing factor.

[j-d]

Only a guess, but it's based on the most common thing we hear about Fuel Injected Ford chassis. Failing In-Tank Electric Fuel Pump. At least I'll say In-Tank. For most of the last 20 years, the Fords have had only one pump and it's been in the tank. In the late 1980s, maybe a 1990 chassis, they had a pump in the tank and another in the driver side chassis rail.
At a minimum, find the Fuel Filter and change it. Blow through a new one then your old one after the gas drains out and it dries. My guess is you'll experience a big difference. This Thread addresses changing the fuel filter in later model E-Series. EFI Fords have had similar filters since the 1980s. But a new filter will not restore a failing pump.

[Normk]

460 Ford with fuel injection?

Likely over heating of fuel and vapor lock. Lots of other possibles including intermittent ignition module failure due to heat, fuel pumps often behave in that fashion when about to die. A good tech will be able to use an oscilloscope to look at the current profile for the fuel pump which may point to a pump issue but these things are tough to diagnose if the problem is not manifest.

If fuel injected the possibility of vapor lock is less than that of a carbureted system because the fuel pressure is higher and therefore the fuel vapor point is also higher.

If you have not located the fuel cut-off intertia switch, now is the time to do so in case this happens on hitting a bump but will not be the issue in this case because it will not reset itself.