Help fuel pump problem 2003 Minnie 32'

[Mashmaster]

I have a 2003 Minnie 32'. I was a bad RV owner and let it sit too long. It won't start, fuel definitely bad. Starts for a second with starter fluid.

Drained the tank, disconnected the fuel line under the doghouse and there was fuel in the input line Blue. Tried to run it but no fuel comes out of the line when attempting to start. Fuel filter seems cloggy, so I will replace that but no fuel when trying to start from the fuel line feeding the fuel filter assembly.

The only fuse I found was for the fuel pump relay. Is there another fuse, I see no reference to it.

Any ideas other than replacing the fuel pump?

[Eagle5]

Hi Mashmaster,
In reviewing the brochure for your 2003 Minnie 31C, I see there are three possible drivetrains:

1. The Ford E-450 with the 6.8 Liter V-10
2. The Chevy with the 6.0 Liter V-8
3. The Ford E-450 with the 7.3 Liter Diesel

What is it that you have?
How many years did it sit without running?

• I do not understand the "Blue" reference here:
  • "there was fuel in the input line Blue."

Thanks, Eagle5

[Mashmaster]

I have the E-350 with the 6.9 Liter V-10

It sat for a little over a year :-(

Under the doghouse, one fuel line have a blue color the other a green color.

[Eagle5]

I believe you have both a fuse, and a relay, which powers the fuel pump. My money would be on a bad relay.
There is also an impact disconnect switch which would shut-off power to the pump, located somewhere in the driver's footwell I believe.
Eagle5

[Mashmaster]

Yeah, I will check the relay.

[Morich]

This is one that falls more in the truck chassis info than in the RV info. If you can dig out some info on the Ford engine, it should give much better info than we can dig out on the Winnebago sites!
Sometimes that is hard info to get but it may be an idea to check a library for Ford service manuals.

I've not looked at one in a long time but it may be a case where there is a fuse that powers the relay to make it open and close but then also a second fuse that feeds the power the realys turns on/off.
I hope that makes some sense as I'm pretty well in the dark on what they really did, so it all needs checked before trusting!

Assuming it is an electric fuel pump, I might first want to see if the power is getting to the pump to make it operate. You may be right and the pump is bad but it might also be a good pump but not getting the signal to do the pumping!

Kind of like a fan that doesn't work? We need to make sure it is getting electricity before we decide if the fan is bad. Maybe the fan is good but it's not plugged in!

That might make checking to see it gets power lots easier than changing the fuel pump and finding out that was not the problem. Maybe just some wires corroded while it set?

[Morich]

As an added thought, this might be an idea to chase?

Not wanting to run you off, but the problem is more a vehicle than RV problem, so maybe a Ford truck site would get more truck trained folks?

https://www.fordforum.com/forum/

[Mashmaster]

Update: looks like it is the fuel pump. When attempting to remove the fuel pump one of the bolts snapped off. Since the bolts are apparently welded on , I need to replace the fuel tank. It is a 55 gallon tank, it is extremely pricey. Like $2100 for the tank alone. I find it shocking that they weld the fuel pump bolt to the tank.

[Morich]

I have never been big on the mechanical side of the issue but , I wonder if there is not something really wrong with what you are doing? Have you looked at any videos of the process or got hands on the new fuel pump to see what and how it is installed?
A permanent weld on one would seem hard to expect as they were always made to change on those I looked at way back? Pickups had flaps in the bed to access the pump without pulling the tank!
The Ford changes I have looked at online seem to be made more as a snap in type fitting rather than bolted?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rtrXZcAh8k

[Mashmaster]

Watched tons of videos and researched. It is now in a mechanics hands. The fuel pump sits in the tank and is connected via six bolts that are welded to the tank. Those bolts have a habit of rusting and breaking from my research. And one of mine did. it is a really bad design by Ford, the bolts could be replaceable but they made it so they aren't. Theoretically someone could cut off the existing bolt and weld a new one on, but no mechanic will with those gas fumes they will explode.

[Morich]

Yes, if it is welded, I would agree with the mech. not wanting to weld!
One of the things we are finding more and more on new stuff is that they tend to be built to break and not be repairable!
Modern business have found they make more profit by selling new, so design things to fail!
I've just gone through repairing a broken icemaker as there is a small plastic lever that is made with a notch in the arm to make it thinner than the rest of the arm!
The repair itself was pretty easy as it only required placing shims on each side of the break and using super glue to hold them together to make the arm three layers of plastic instead on one thin with a weak spot built in!

But it also took me lots of time and effort to tear it down, find the break and put it back together! A 20 minute fix but 3-4 hours over a couple days to do the whole job when two ounces more plastic and not cutting the break point in could have made the icemaker last nearly forever!
Notice how many TV are set out on the curb because one small capacitor is undersized and meant to blow?

What is scary is the same idea is used to build airplanes and space ships!

[Mashmaster]

Agreed