'97-'01fuel supply lines on econolines

Fredsvt · January 25, 2007

Has anyone else been seeing failures of the lines from the quick connects at the crossmember to the engine? I've only put on to '01 as I haven't seen any newer or older than that yet.

I'm now on set 2 in a week and have several more coming from our fleet accounts.

So far these have been so badly corroded that the quick connect lines have swollen and broken right off.

I'm replacing the line set on the engine and the supply and return lines that run to under the driver's door. The new ones don't appear to be painted or coated with any kind of rust prevention coating.

I can say the ones with the electric lift pump are SO much easier to do than the old tandem pump trucks.

I sure hope all those lines on the upcoming 6.4 are coated in some way, they sure don't look easy to get to in chassis.

Keith Browning · January 25, 2007

Fred, rust is an unfortunate symptom of working on cars and trucks in New Jersey. The salt on the roads in winter can turn our cars into giant rolling salt licks! My dealer has seen several late 90's trucks with the lines actually rotted through and leaking. Two just this past fall if I recall correctly... this along with the odd rotted out oil pan or two.

Fredsvt · January 26, 2007

Hi Keith,

Both the trucks I've done this week were leaking, one really bad from the supply line. Very messy. (was the electric pump truck)

I'm not so sure it's just from the salt in the winter.

I see many just rotten from the humid ocean air in the area where I work. It seems that an east breeze sets up all through the year at night. We've got a couple of customers that only use their trucks as pleasure use, weekend trucks that don't see snow.

If the car/truck sits outside at night, the underbody rust is horrible after just a few years.

Our shop sees quite a bit of rotten brake lines, and for some odd reason RABS valves rotting right off the frame, the fittings rot away. We also see many '93-'97 F series with rusted through and broken rear spring hanger brackets.

DamageINC · January 28, 2007

We get very heavy salt usage on the roads out here in the Chicago area, and on top of that MANY of our customers use their trucks for plowing so we see all sorts of rust-related failures. But I can't say I've seen these lines rot out.

I usually see at least one rotted oil pan on a 7.3 each month.

As far as fuel leaks go, I have only seen the fuel filter housings leak from the drain valve, we seem to see that a lot out here.

Dave

DamageINC · February 3, 2007

Well, just to add to this, today I had a 7.3 come in with a really nasty fuel leak. The 2 lines that deliver fuel from the filter housing to the cylinder heads were rubbing against each other at one spot and wore straight through them. Fuel was *everywhere*.

Dave

LARRY BRUDZYNSKI · February 3, 2007

We see a constant flow of rust problems, the oil pans and fuel lines are no brainers the real pain in the !@#!?$! are all the brake lines that rust out, of which Ford only services very few with having most of them being made up from bulk.

DamageINC · February 6, 2007

Oh god - If Icould only tell you how many times I've made brake lines for the older F-seires pickups... the ones that blow out way in the back by the axle...

But now I'm getting way off subject, heheh.

Dave

LARRY BRUDZYNSKI · February 6, 2007

O'k back to the subject, I just had the customer of the day come in. Has a 1994 F350 7.3 leaking fuel but couldn't tell me where from, I guess were all mind readers now. Needless to say convinced him to call and have it towed in.