I have just finished installing a new left rear wheel bearing, and replacing a few new control arms and bushings. After that I moved on to the the non working fuel gauge issue which I assumed just needed a good cleaning and I found out that the guage didnt work because the sender was broken.the previous owner had back it over a stump or something and the bottom of the tank is stoved in just enough to crush the end of the sender. So I took a clean piece of wood and and beat the bottom of the tank from the inside out to try and restore it to its normal shape. I must note that the bottom of the tank seemed to have alot of sedimate. So after all of this I think its time for a test drive. This is only the third time I have driven the car, the first being the 200+ mile drive home form where I bought it, the second was a 30 mile drive to my father in-laws shop where I could do the wheel bearing and it never skipped a beat. The suspention and wheel bearing job went perfect, no nioses no sway just a nice quiet tight right. So I dicided I could push the car alittle bit. Thats when it started to sputter and fall on its face. The car would return to idle but would not take any throttle and then shortly after it stalled. the good news is it always fires back up, but than drives another couple hundred feet and then does the same thing. I spent the rest of the ride waiting till it stalled putting it in nuetral cycling the key a couple of times firing it back up and then driving a little further just to do the same thing again. I can still hear the fuel pump whine but to me it sound more like a low pitch groan. I'm going to start with a fuel filter but what do you guys think? sorry for the long rant

Check to see if the fuel pump is coming on properly, other than that it sounds like a classic fuel filter issue. When was the last time it was changed?

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

the previous owner said he just did it but it looks old and he was a lying thiefing SOB! he also said he replaced the wheel bearing that I just did. at least he took $700 buck off the price when I jacked up the car and wiggled the rear wheel around 3/4 of an inch in every direction worst wheel bearing I ever seen in my life man. The pump I can hear run all the time as well as when I cycle the key.

No luck. I pulled the old filter off and blew through it with little resistance. I still replaced it for piece of mind and took it for a ride. Same thing. The only difference I noticed was that the fuel pump sounded nice and crisp after I did the fuel filter and then after it started to stall the pump sounded gravely and angry. I think I will change the fuel pump next. The car will idle forever but as soon as it is under a load for any length of time it stalls. I also pulled out the ovp relay I read about, and it does make noise when I shake it. I think I will replace that too. Anybody run into this before. I have done a couple of searches but none of them seem to come to any conclusion.

"Fuel and spark"

Pull the fuel line at the FD and check volume. Should be around 1/2 gallon per minute.
You should also check the signal the ECU sees from the flapper. If those are okay, it's time to pull more. Other than hard rubber you should not need to buy anything.

Is there a possibility the pickup in the tank is a little unhappy after you got in there to push out the dented tank? Checking your flow at the distributor (as mentioned in a prior post) should rule this out.

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88 300e
89 300e
93 400e
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77 308 GTB

There is a very good possibility that the tank screen is in rough shape I just really dont want to remove the tank I will take another look when I install the new sender.

Dude, it seems quite logical that the gas tank work shook up the sediment and caused the fuel delivery problem. So, you are probably on the right track.
You might pull the fuel delivery line loose under the hood and run the pump a bit to be sure it's getting plenty of pressure and volume. Seems the filter would be clogged if it's sediment, but maybe not.
Also, there is another small filter right on the fuel distributor fuel inlet fitting.

So, how did you get the wheel bearing to loosen? I hung the big special castle socket on mine, and bent three lug bolts and a breakover bar trying to budge it a couple years back.

DG

So, how did you get the wheel bearing to loosen? I hung the big special castle socket on mine, and bent three lug bolts and a breakover bar trying to budge it a couple years back.



OXY-ACETYLENE BABY!!! and a BF Snap-On Impact at 160psi for the nut. I pressed the rest apart with a big bench vise. That big snap ring can turn into quite a projectile.

I have a new to me sender coming form David Hendy, I have a new fuel pump coming, and I picked up an OVP Relay just because it seems like it would be good to have a spare of. This thing better ****** run soon or its getting a Diesel. It will probably get a Diesel regardles but the state of CT frowns upon fuel changes for emission purposes. The good thing is that its exempt once its 25 years old. 2013 there is a project awaiting you.

Ok so new pump installed, new OVP relay installed, still same issue. I do have a checkengine light. I pulled the code and got 8 blinks in a row. Altitude malfunction? would this cause my stalling issue? Also the vaccume line was disconnected from fuel pressue regulator and I cant find where it plugged in. Im going to do some more searching here and on the car. feel free to comment.

If I recall correctly, the vacuum line for the pressure regulator goes to a nipple on the big rubber hose that goes from the valve cover to the air cleaner.

You never said what model the car is, doesn't it have two fuel pumps?
Also you mentioned that you installed the pump and ovp, but what about the sender?
If there was a lot of sediment, and you beat on the tank, some of that loose debris could be the cause somehow. If the sender was crunched bad enough maybe it is possible that the tube cracked or broke and when the fuel level gets low enough it sucks air along with an insufficient amount of fuel, or sucked in some sediment that bypassed the screen and partially clogged the line or unit. Maybe the fuel pump check valve or accumulator is faulty or even the pressure regulator.
Definitely check the fuel pressure/flow to rule some of these out.

I would first suspect anything you tinkered with between the last good ride and the when it went bad. Besides the tank, did you mess with anything under the hood while it was down?

it is a 88 300TE it does have two fuel pumps. I did find the port for the vaccume hose thanks. I also found that the junction to the ignition control module was rotten so I replaced that. I went for a ride and it seemed alittle better but while it was acting up I did gett a wiff of very bad gas. I put a few gallons in and it drove much better but did stall at a stop sign. Im feeling rather silly right now but I would still like to get the check engine light out. I already did a redneck code clear "pull a battery cable" but the CE light came on almost instantly and gave me the same code 8. I am going to fill the tank and attempt the 30 mile ride home. Bad gas though it makes me look like a fool is and easy enough fix

I dove it all the way home and it still does stall but not nearly as much. I filled the tank and added some dry gas and it does seem to be getting better. I still think I may have a tank screen issue. I really was hoping I didnt have to drop the tank but for matinence sake and for piece of mind I feel that that is the next step.

I just wanted to take the time to follow up. I did remove the tank screen from the bottom of the tank as well as the fuel pump that I did not replace and gave them a good cleaning. The car runs strong now with no hint of hestitation or stalling.