dual fuel tank system ford E series

[fraz627]

Does anyone know about the dual fuel tank set up on a Ford E-150 2001 
It is a factory conversion call "Aft of Axle fuel system"
my questions are
Are the tanks common to each other in the terms of fuel pick up and gas guage readings, or is there some sort of switch. There are separate filling necks.

Thanks

 

[highdesertranger]

Yes there is a switch somewhere. It looks like a standard toggle switch. It should be labeled. Highdesertranger

 

[Scott3569]

I had a 92 f150 probably the same chasis, the switch was on the lower left side of the steering column.. May or may not be the same in your van

 

[Scott3569]

does that van have the straight 6 in it? if so, that is a darn good engine

 

[Doubleone]

Dual tank systems use separate tanks, pumps, pickups, and gauge senders. There should be a switch on the dash adjacent to the steering column. The switch operates a tank selector valve that swaps fuel and vapor lines, and gauge to the tank in use.

 

[bullfrog]

I seem to remember a Ford truck that had dual tanks and one leaked so the owner tried just using the good tank but for some reason maybe a bad valve the excess returning fuel ended up in the tank that was leaking! Lol!!! I always wondered after they got older if the electric switching valves would become prone to malfunction.

 

[Uncle Todo]

It should have a switch somewhere to go between the tanks.
If you ever run into a sitchiation where the van doesn't start, check this switch!
My dad had an 80s F250 that he had a dump mechanism installed for the bed and they had to remove the front tank. A couple buddies and I were out tooling around and it died all of a sudden like. Short story long, after a couple hours of diagnosing and troubleshooting, I reached in to grab something and noticed the switch was set to the missing tank!
The switch here was in the middle of the dash by HVAC controls, dude in the middle knocked it with his knee...

 

[Doubleone]

@Bullfrog -- Yeah, the electric switching valves and electric pumps are the usual failure points. When I was a pup, an old-timer mentor of mine showed me how he installed a manual valve to switch fuel tanks, and an electric switch under the dash to change the fuel sender. The fuel valve extended through the floor and he had to reach down to the left of the drivers seat and turn the handle a quarter-turn to change tanks.

 

[eDJ_]

In my experience Ford's fuel systems have always been a pain in the butt.

My 90 E 350 Hiigh top Van gave me problems with the single 22 gallon tank.  I purchased a new in the tank fuel pump assembly (tiny pump) and it lasted about a year. 

So I spoke with a friend who had a business with some F 250  Pickup's that had dual tanks. He had had nothing but problems with the factory system.  Even a couple of years ago a new member joined this forum and had a Class C built on the Ford platform and was having troubles with the same.

My friend with the business explained that they solved the problem and had me talk with his shop mechanic who explained how they put external (generic) pumps on both tanks and skipped the maddening automatic valve which switched tanks as one neared empty.

The mechanic told me that they left the original tank pump assembly in the tank and the external pumps just drew trough them and supplied the high pressure fuel system pump better than those factory tank pumps ever could and the trucks would run better than when new. 

I paid about $12 bucks for a universal pump and spliced in to the wires that went to the tank pump.  A visit to the junk yard got me some tubing from a wreck to adapt the pump such that my install was easier.  (no leaks)   The pump was loud as I had it bolted to the frame ahead of the tank....so I found some rubber material and loosened the clamp to mount the pump in that rubber.  Problem solved.  Now when I turn the key on I hear both pumps come up and go quiet.  Barely hear either of them once started and running.

I don't know if you have the system that automatically switches one tank to the other or the switch system with two gasoline gauges like some.  But that automatic switch is a nightmare for anyone who has ever had one and had to deal with it jamming and neither tank supplying fuel. 

This is the pump I installed in mine.  And photo below, the pump my friend used on his F 250's. (which could pump higher volumes of fuel to the high pressure pump which supplied the fuel injectors)

My E 350 Van has better take off now than ever before.

[img=340x267]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/...hmnD4qMOlJ2dzhhl_hmdEAS5FL577A&usqp=CAU[/img]

[img=200x200]https://d2b9or7vx86h3k.cloudfront.net/cache/400-400-/catalog/graphics/40105.jpg[/img]

 

[sub2rainEN]

Ugh, the tank switch valve got stuck open on my 1990 E350 on a cross country trip 2 years ago. Fuel was going from the rear to front tank and out the fuel neck.

My switch is at the bottom of the dash to the left of the steering column, above the fuse box. It’s a little too low for me to reach while sitting in the van, but easy to see when standing on the ground.


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