PowerStroke hill stutter

[CHOP SHOP]

My nephews neighbor is handicapped and has a PSD ford van to haul himself around.

He was on the road and called me and said it was losing all power and stuttering when traveling uphill. After getting on flat ground it will clear up and run OK. back to the hill and it pukes and belches white smoke.

Other than checking the filter for water, what should be looked at next?

Am I on the right track with the water in the filter? Whats the easiest way to drain it?

 

[ain'tstuckjustresting]

I'll say he's handicapped. He's driving a PSDuke:
Any idea on the year?

 

[Bodaciouscj7]

My nephews neighbor is handicapped and has a PSD ford van to haul himself around.

He was on the road and called me and said it was losing all power and stuttering when traveling uphill. After getting on flat ground it will clear up and run OK. back to the hill and it pukes and belches white smoke.

Other than checking the filter for water, what should be looked at next?

Am I on the right track with the water in the filter? Whats the easiest way to drain it?

Don't know if you are on the right track or not but there is a lever on the fuel filter for draining the filter bowl. On my OBS truck it is on the passenger front lower corner of the bowl and has a yellow end on it for id.

 

[zukkev]

My nephews neighbor is handicapped and has a PSD ford van to haul himself around.

He was on the road and called me and said it was losing all power and stuttering when traveling uphill. After getting on flat ground it will clear up and run OK. back to the hill and it pukes and belches white smoke.

Other than checking the filter for water, what should be looked at next?

Am I on the right track with the water in the filter? Whats the easiest way to drain it?

There's a drain on the side of the filter housing; a bitch to get at in a van...
There's another possibility that could be happening, and it too is a bitch to get at in a van, but on the back of the high pressure oil pump (buried under and in front of the filter housing-bolted to the backside of the gear housing) is the IPR solenoid, and sometimes the little thin nut that secures it can rattle loose and fall off---when climbing a grade, the solenoid slides back, causing the computer to think the oil pressure dropped off to the injection system, and the rig will fall flat on its face/stutter/possibly blow smoke like you described...you can see if its loose by getting a look at the back of the solenoid for the nut, or feeling with your finger if the solenoid slides back and forth...if it does, the nut is laying in the engine valley somewhere....

 

[zukkev]

The other possibility is the UVC harnesses could be schaffed somewhere...or melted at the connection(s), and when additional load is requested to climb a hill the resistence is too high for the current to get thru the plug to the injector...hence the stutter/misfiring/white smoke....seen that a fair amt as well...

 

[CHOP SHOP]

Any idea on the year?

its a 2000.

 

[ain'tstuckjustresting]

Yep on a 2000 the water drain is the yellow lever on the filter housing but the WIF sensor is pretty sensitive on those so I doubt that there is enough water to cause the issue. All the info Kev stated is good, there were also problems with cracked p/u tubes in the tank so if he was low on fuel he could start sucking air. I'd start with a new Motorcraft filter it may just be starving for fuel under load. Don't use a napa/wix filter if it has one that may be the problem too.

 

[zukkev]

Usually if it's starving for fuel, there won't be any white smoke (unburnt diesel)...but the cracked pickup is another issue in the trucks (haven't run across one in a van yet..)
EDIT: after thinking of past rigs in the shop, yes a cracked pickup could cause the smoke concern....but you say it runs good (or at least ok) on flat ground...I guess the question that needs answered here is how much fuel was in it when it acts up???

 

[ain'tstuckjustresting]

Hmmm. On a lot of our diesels if the filter is plugged the injectors don't fill fully causing low injection pressure and poor atomization thus resulting in power loss and white smoke. Not a specific PSD problem just general diesel.

 

[zukkev]

Yeah, but it only happens when climbing a grade as brad stated...but I suppose it could happen.....I'd certainly try a new OE (Or Baldwin) filter because in a van, they are OFTEN overlooked/neglected....:awesomework:

 

[ain'tstuckjustresting]

I try not to get stuck on the uphill grade as the issue. It may be only under load and going up hill is the only time he works it hard. I think we agree a new filter and drain the bowl is the 1st step though:awesomework:

 

[Damnyankee]

low on oil. not allowing the injectors to fire properly?

 

[CHOP SHOP]

So my nephew and his buddy pulled the wheelchair lift off and removed the fuel tank.

Turns out the fuel talk was coated with some kind of sealer inside and it was peeling off like rubber paint. It was like chunks of slimy latex gloves.

They just used a pressure washer to remove the rest oof it and it was alll clean when done.

Free fix besides labor. The dealer said 600 just to drop the lift.

Good cheap fix.

One to keep in mind you diesel ford guys.

 

[zukkev]

definitely not something common you'd find as the issue...glad it's fixed. What tipped 'em to that---was the filter housing full of crap?

 

[CHOP SHOP]

definitely not something common you'd find as the issue...glad it's fixed. What tipped 'em to that---was the filter housing full of crap?

they googled it. :redneck:

 

[zukkev]

they googled it. :redneck:

:haha: