Very Expensive Preventative Maintenance

[mlh]

For anyone that will be replacing the drive belt on a Ford V-10 anytime soon: If you happen to remove all the plastic trim and air filter housing, etc., please be aware of how you put it back together. I recently took a trip and when I got on the highway, I hardly had any power. I could barely get to 60 and could not muster up enough speed or acceleration to pass anyone. I would slow down considerably on overpasses. I unhooked the Jeep to see if it improved. It didn't. I figured it must have been the fuel filter. I stopped at the nearest Auto Zone and they sold me a fuel filter for a 2010 E 450. I get out in the parking lot and could not find it. I checked the manual and it said that the filter was located in the tank. I guess the guys at Auto Zone didn't know that. I went back inside and returned it. Got it home and ordered a new fuel pump assembly since you can't order just the filter. Dropped the tank, replaced the assembly and back together. This was not an easy task by the way. I let it get down to a quarter tank. I can't imagine if it had been full. Anyway, I took it on a test run. It seemed better, but not much. I got out on the highway and things did not improve. I pulled over to disconnect the battery to see if resetting the computer would help. While the battery was disconnected, I decided to check the air filter just in case although I had recently replaced it. I removed the first section of the housing. When I went to put it back on, it would not go on quite right. There was a flap that was positioned the wrong way almost blocking the entire intake. I corrected the flap, reassembled everything and got back on the road. It ran perfect. Oh well. At least I have a new fuel pump that should last me for quite a while now.

[pnichols]

This fuel pump/fuel tank discussion above reminds of a forum thread sometime back.

We were discussing having double fuel pumps for double reliability installed in fuel tanks by the manufacturers as an option, since a bad fuel pump can make an RV dead in the water in inconvenient places a long way from home, and since it's so much hassle and/or money to replace an in-tank fuel pump.

BTW, how does a repair shop return to the customer all the gas that might be in one's tank before they dropped it to install a new pump? Or do the repair shop employees get all your gas as a freebee and then bill the customer for another tank fill-up as part of the repair bill?

[falconbrother]

I bought a fuel pressure gauge at Harbor Freight some time back. Before I'm going to drop a gas tank I want to check the pressure. In so many vehicles now you have to drop the tank and that is no fun at all doing it in the driveway. I'm also a freak for changing out fuel filters. On my GM P30, 7.4 chassis I change the fuel filter every two years even though the mileage isn't even close. Dropping that tank would be pretty impossible for me to do by myself. Heck, I'd cut a hole in the floor and weld it back before I'd drop that tank.

[BTPO1]

navegator wrote:
I have been a mechanic for a very long time, when something like that happens, the first thing to do is "what was the last thing I did" and start recheking all that was done backwards until you find the culprit rather than assuming everything you did was correct and start speculating with what if and trying to diagnose a problem that was non existing prior to the last event.

My income depended on doing the job once, now and then there was one that bit hard, those were the lessons of the job.

navegator

I agree with this. When I was working and something did not work right after someone repaired something I always asked what they did. Normally I would just undo it and things worked great. Even in the electrical field this will work at least it did for me. JMO

[navegator]

The KISS principle, what did I do last, if that is not it what did I do before that, it has saved me a lot of time and money, I owned a repair shop and some of the mechanics that worked for me wanted to go off on a tangent, that is when I would ask them what was the last thing you did, check that out and if that was not it the one prior, never fails, vehicle came in for regular maintenance and now has a big problem that was not there, what did I f'd up?

We all learn something new every day in life.

navegator

[mlh]

navegator wrote:
I have been a mechanic for a very long time, when something like that happens, the first thing to do is "what was the last thing I did" and start recheking all that was done backwards until you find the culprit rather than assuming everything you did was correct and start speculating with what if and trying to diagnose a problem that was non existing prior to the last event.

My income depended on doing the job once, now and then there was one that bit hard, those were the lessons of the job.

navegator

Yep. You are correct. I did not see it that way because I took it on several drives to and from the storage location and my house without noticing a problem. It only showed up when I got on the highway. I thought about the last thing I did which was change the belt and air filter. I knew in my mind that it couldn't be the filter since it was new. My next step was to put the old belt back on, but I had no idea how that would cause my issue. I guess I trusted google too much. Everything pointed to the fuel filter.

[navegator]

I have been a mechanic for a very long time, when something like that happens, the first thing to do is "what was the last thing I did" and start recheking all that was done backwards until you find the culprit rather than assuming everything you did was correct and start speculating with what if and trying to diagnose a problem that was non existing prior to the last event.

My income depended on doing the job once, now and then there was one that bit hard, those were the lessons of the job.

navegator

[mlh]

cgmartine wrote:
You mentioned the drive belt....and cautioned about being aware how to put it back, but was that only because you removed everything above it in order to remove the air filter?

I removed the air filter housing and all the plastic to be able to see and get to the drive belt easier.

[mlts22]

You definitely came out ahead. It likely was time to replace the fuel pump anyway, and you saved yourself a side-of-the-road breakdown.

[gbopp]

Yep, at least you got a new fuel pump out of this experience.
And, we all learned something.
That's why I take pictures of everything as I take it apart.
I'm glad you found the problem and, it was a cheap fix. Except for the fuel pump.
You said it seemed a little better after installing the new pump. Maybe the old one was going and this saved you a break down along the road?

[cgmartine]

You mentioned the drive belt....and cautioned about being aware how to put it back, but was that only because you removed everything above it in order to remove the air filter?

[ScottG]

Amazing it would make that big of a difference. Glad you found it!