Can someone help me with my old 460?

[Farmlady]

Hi everyone, I just posted a short intro, and just found this site. I am hopefull that someone on here can offer some hope for my old FordF250 460 engine, who's been my faithfull truck for almost eighteen years. My mechanic just told me to give it away, and something tells me that maybe I can keep it going. As silly as this sounds, I am rather emotional about my truck, as it's been with me for many trips, and experiences, I know, stupid but true. I already bought another truck (Ford) but can't part with old Betsy just yet)
So, I hope someone can help me!! Here's the problem.
It's been running great for years, I regularly have the oil changed, and I have always liked my mechanic and trusted him . This truck is so rusty it won't pass inspection anymore but I hoped to keep it as a farm work truck, as I have horses.
Here's what happened. Out of the blue, just after filling it with gas at a station I have never been to before, two miles after leaving, it started running like it was choking, and stalled out. I had to wait about ten minutes before I could start it again, and it kept doing that all the way home, only going about two miles if that each time.
At first, my mechanic said it was probably water in the gas, and he put dry gas in it. But same thing, it ran better for a bit, then same trouble.
Now, laugh everyone, but I just came back from Walmart and the guy there gave me some STP oil treatment, which I just put in this morning. He also gave me two bottles of Fuel line antifreze-water remover-injector cleaner.
I've been running in it my driveway, and I could swear it's running better already, but it still stalls out.
My common sense tells me that if the engine is shot, which my mechanic told me, why would it start right up,and go two miles before it stalls, then start up again? he says the transmission is fine. oh, it's got at least 250K miles on it, but fellas, I love my truck!!! Is there hope for Betsy???
Thanks, please feel free to laugh at my emotional bond I have with this old truck,
Farmlady

 

[Fordzilla80]

There definitely could be.

Or, there might not be.

From what you describe, sounds like something is up with the fuel system. You're gonna have to trace the entire fuel system to find the problem. This includes your tank(s) which could have gunk in them clogging up the fuel filter/pump, your lines which could be clogged, your filter which could be dirty/clogged, your fuel pump which could be faulty, your injectors which could be faulty, etc. You definitely have some troubleshooting ahead of you. Now, is Betsy worth that to you?

If so, we're here to help.

 

[LEB Ben]

If rust is such an issue...I'd imagine there might be a little in that tank causing some blockages. Regardless, sounds like a fuel delivery issue to me, and definitely not an issue worth junking the truck over. Worst case scenario, you drop the tank, have it cleaned, pull all the fuel line and replace, new fuel filter(s) and a fuel pump for good measure. Not necessarily cheap, but not a vehicle killer.


There should be a schrader valve on your fuel rail, with the truck running, when it starts to die/stall, open that baby up and see if you're getting any fuel at that point.

 

[F 150Cobra]

it stalls when it gets hot right??

bad coil?? did you gave it a good tune up when i started doing this??

could be a bad coil or bad fuel pressure regulator

allot of things

start by cheking fuel pressure at rails
if the fuel pump was never replaced then its time!
then spark
etc etc

 

[john112deere]

There should be a schrader valve on your fuel rail,

Schraeder valve is what you use to inflate your tires, too, in case you aren't familiar with the term.

 

[Farmlady]

Thank you everyone, somehow I didn't understand how my post got here, I need to get used to this site.
I am no mechanic, but my gut feeling tells me that it's not ready to junk, so thank you UT for that.
I most likely will just park it for the winter, till I some cash saved to pay for this work in the spring. Should I pull out the batery if it sits all winter outside?
I just bought a 2003 F150 which I love, so that will get the garage.
All of this information helps me to talk to my mechanic, or whoever I get to look at Betsy, ya, it's worth it, I am always going to the lumber mill for free sawdust (which saves me a bundle, I never buy i) and where I buy my hay is bargain price since I have to pick it up myself. To have hay delivered, it's a huge cost, and you have to buy a lot at once, so this truck has earned its keep for a long time, and in that way, it's priceless to me.
My new truck has a shorter bed, and ok, I don't want to get it dirty ha
I"m a very "do it yourselfer" type personality, but I am clueless about most of what's been said, but I want to learn and understand all this.
If I was to put all this in order of troubleshooting, which would I do first?
Replace the gas tank, or the fuel pump? This is the rear fuel pump, which may be overworked and ready to quit. The front one quit years back, and I never replaced it. I live alone, and do all this farm work myself, and run a dog business, so this truck could not be replaced if I spent five hundred or so, which I don't mind. Does anyone want to venture a quess what kind of money it would cost me to have the gas tank taken out, cleaned, or a new one? And if that doens's do it, what would you guys pay for a truck that is running badly, but not badly enough to give up on??
I know , maybe not a fair question, but I am dissapointed in my mechanic, he says she's the money pit, and thinks I"m nuts to put any more into it.
So, will it hurt it to leave it in the driveway all winter? Should I start it up every now and then, till I can have someone look at it?
All this makes me feel more educated, so I can understand what's going on.
I really would like to learn more about my truck, so thanks everyone.
Farm lady

 

[john112deere]

I know , maybe not a fair question, but I am dissapointed in my mechanic, he says she's the money pit, and thinks I"m nuts to put any more into it.

Haven't seen your truck...but I do know a little about inspection laws around here...and road salt.

On the face of it, I'm inclined to agree with your mechanic REGARDLESS of what's wrong with it mechanically. Once the body and frame start to rust badly enough to fail inspection, it's hugely expensive (virtually impossible, really, unless you strip it down completely and totally rebuild it) to repair them...and once they start, they don't stop.

On the other hand, I'm at the same place with my '97 (268k miles, lots of rust and rot). Have exactly zero need for the truck- I bought my dream Ranger last December, and it does everything I need as well as or better than the '97 (better, in nearly all cases, when you get right down to it). But, that '97 was the first truck (or car) I ever owned. That truck and I have been a lot of places, done a lot of things, and had a lot of fun together...and the fact is, when I walk out my front door with a key to each in my pocket, I hop in the '97 a lot more than I do the '09, if I'm not going far.



Short answer, I guess, is this- if you've got the time, money, and desire to keep it going, do it...but do it knowing it's not the most financially sound choice. (Note that time and money are kind of a sliding spectrum...I haven't paid any labor rates beyond mounting tires and gluing an inspection sticker to the glass on mine for years now...but it's cost me a few weekends.)

 

[flareside_thunder]

My guess is going to be on a dirty fuel sock...my LeSabre did that until i replaced it.

 

[Farmlady]

Flareside, what's a dirty fuel sock? Right before it stalls, the fuel pump sounds very loud, like it's over working, then it quits. So maybe there is some kind of crap in there. Is that how it works, it gets sucked into the filter, so if
there's any gunk, and plugs up the filter, the engine quits? That is excatly what it'd doing.
Hi John, see, in New Hampshire, if you have a farm, you can drive a truck with agricultural plates within twenty miles of my driveway. The frame is not rusty, just the edges and enough to fail inspection, so all I care about is that it runs. It takes me to get sawdust, lumber, and hay, which I could use my new truck for, but it has a smaller bed.
Would you keep in on the road if it costs about five hundred bucks? (I'm guessing what it will cost to replace the tank and lines.
and pump most likely.
thanks so much

 

[flareside_thunder]

The fuel sock is kinda like a pre-filter that attaches to the fuel pump inside the tank. After time it can get more and more crudded. it's a good possibility that the station you fueled up at either has cruddy tanks or their delivery tanker had been there recently and stirred up the sediment.

 

[1985 Ford F-150]

It might not even be the tank or the pump thats bad since you filled the truck at a station your not familiar with you mightve just filled it right after the tanker left. Point being when the tanker comes to the station to fill up the under ground tank it stirs up all the crap in the bottom of their tank and goes right into your tank pluggin up your fuel filter and causing a condition similar to what your describing. Id get a few fuel filters, change the one thats in it, top it off with premium from a familiar station right before that tanker comes and try and burn all that crap fuel out of it.

 

[Farmlady]

HI- thanks for the explanation. You know I wish I knew how to fix it myself!! I can drive it with the rust, it dosen't have to have an inspections sticker, so it's a great truck if it would, um, run!
Is this normal stuff with a truck, all this fuel issue stuff? I can tell that I am hearing from very knowledgable people here, but you all probably know how to do the work yourselves, I am at the mercy of a mechanic charging me labor.
so, what should I start with? I ran it today, I think the tank is emptry.
should I fill it halfway to see if I first, took care of the water issue?
Or just wait till I can have someone remove the tank, so see what's going on?
Is that a big deal to do?
thanks for all you time
FL

 

[Farmlady]

woops, I read the rest of your post, didn't read the whole thing at first.
You know, I think yo're right.
Something is blocking the gas from going where ever it needs to go, because after ten minutes, or my foot on the gas to go uphill, it streses out, the pump gets very loud like it's trying hard to work, and then dies out.
I am going to do excatly that, and start with that.
I have gotten alot of help today, this is a great site,
thanks
fl

 

[1985 Ford F-150]

Definitly sounds like a plugged filter to me, it could also be the sock in the tank but I would try the fuel filter first as its the easier and cheaper than droppin the tank.

 

[Farmlady]

HI 1985- my mechanic replaced the fuel filter last week, he said it was gross.
Then looked at it again couple days ago, and said new one looks fine.
What is a sock in the tank? Is that lingo for crap?? This has to all tie in to the crappy gas station I went to, I feel like driving back there, but I can't prove anything.
Is there any way to siphon out the tank, so that crap comes out, or is the only way to take out the tank?
fl

 

[Farmlady]

Another thought, if the fuel pump was bad, would it still work the way it does now? The truck starts right up cold, and takes off like it always has, only quits when it starts choking and the pump is over working. then dies,
so does that mean the pump is ok, because to me, if its bad, it wouldn't work at all, right?

 

[crzybil87]

This sounds like what happened to me, i filled up at a station i never go to shortly after leaving, i could hear the rear fuel pump whining truck started to sputter and dead. waited about 20 minutes after kicking the tank itd start right up get a couple miles down the road.... same thing... so i would check your fuel filters and go from there

 

[crzybil87]

the pump could be working too hard and over heat and eventually die out

 

[john112deere]

What is a sock in the tank? Is that lingo for crap?? fl

No...it's literally a "sock" over the fuel pump to keep crud from fouling the pump. Made of fabric; looks a bit like a way oversized mantle to a Coleman lantern (at least on the newer EFI trucks, I'd assume yours is the same).

The only analogy I can come up with is the strainer in the bottom of your sink. Scrape enough food scraps into the sink, and the strainer will fill up and the sink won't drain.

 

[Farmlady]

THanks for explaining that. I'm guessing that the sock is there to prevent crap for lack of a better word, to get into the engine?
I sure am learning a lot today, thanks for your pic and explanation
I guess I"m assuming that it's all atached together, so when the tank is out, all that gets replaced the same time, makes sense.
I'm just wondering how pricey that is, and if I should do it,,
Ijust don't want to see someone else driving my truck, if I give up on it!!
thanks,
fl