# 4.9L 300 engine gasps for gas at half tank, 1983 F-250 Explorer **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** explorer, f250, ford\ **Created:** [May 8, 2016, 7:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/4-9l-300-engine-gasps-for-gas-at-half-tank-1983-f-250-explorer/93237 "2016-05-08T07:34:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 12:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/4-9l-300-engine-gasps-for-gas-at-half-tank-1983-f-250-explorer/93237/21 "2016-09-09T00:46:26Z")
> [@Rod\_Knox](#): > > If the OP’s truck has a carburetor, and that appears to be the case, the fuel pump is mechanical. Not necessarily. My '72 Vega had a carb and an electric fuel pump. Electric fuel pumps became commonplace (although not universal) in the early '70s. Electronic fuel injection didn’t become commonplace until about 1990. The real fuel delivery difference will be the pressure. Carbs usually ran 3 to 5 pounds of pressure, just enough to keep the float bowl full. Fuel injection runs 40psi and up. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 12:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/4-9l-300-engine-gasps-for-gas-at-half-tank-1983-f-250-explorer/93237/22 "2016-09-09T00:48:47Z")
Have you worked on a Ford lately? All the Fords in our fleet have EFI and the pressure while idling is in the low 30s GM EFI uses a higher pressure . . . it’s in the 50s ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/4-9l-300-engine-gasps-for-gas-at-half-tank-1983-f-250-explorer/93237/23 "2016-09-09T00:57:56Z")
Fair enough. Between all the different makes and models available, multiplied by all the different years and powertrains available, it’s pretty much impossible to make a universal statement that covers everything, but you got the idea so I think my point was made. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 12:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/4-9l-300-engine-gasps-for-gas-at-half-tank-1983-f-250-explorer/93237/24 "2016-09-09T00:59:13Z")
Well I owned a 72 Vega and I owned at least a dozen Ford pickups and Econolines with 300 engines and worked on hundreds so I just fell back on the skinned knuckle history. I don’t recall Ford ever using an in tank electric fuel pump on a carburated 300 I6. If they did it was a limited production @tsm. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 1:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/4-9l-300-engine-gasps-for-gas-at-half-tank-1983-f-250-explorer/93237/25 "2016-09-09T01:05:27Z")
Fair enough. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 4:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/4-9l-300-engine-gasps-for-gas-at-half-tank-1983-f-250-explorer/93237/26 "2016-09-09T04:16:07Z")
> [@Rod\_Knox](#): > > Congratulations. Now we must award the winner and it seems that @asemaster has again taken First Prize… And the prize is in the mail @asemaster. Trust me. Oh I don’t know about all that, @Rod\_Knox. But I’ll check the mailbox every day for that prize. It won’t suffocate in there, will it? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 2:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/4-9l-300-engine-gasps-for-gas-at-half-tank-1983-f-250-explorer/93237/27 "2016-09-09T14:29:26Z")
Odd, I never thought this was some sort of competition. I always thought it was an open discussion where everyone’s opinions should be respected even if disagreed with… for that matter, even if erroneous. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/4-9l-300-engine-gasps-for-gas-at-half-tank-1983-f-250-explorer/93237/28 "2016-09-09T17:31:39Z")
Oh, I’m not looking for any prizes. Just trying to help out a little where I can. But just in case, my favoite gin is Beefeater. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 6:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/4-9l-300-engine-gasps-for-gas-at-half-tank-1983-f-250-explorer/93237/29 "2016-09-09T18:29:59Z")
I couldn’t find any Beefeater, but I found some bud lite and some thunderbird 🍺 🍷 ---
**Author:** ![sgtrock21](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/sgtrock21/32/246_2.png) [@sgtrock21](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sgtrock21)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/4-9l-300-engine-gasps-for-gas-at-half-tank-1983-f-250-explorer/93237/30 "2016-09-09T20:27:06Z")
Thank you for triggering some memories. I could never stand gin and the only wine I ever sort of liked was Blue Nun. When wine “experts” I have known tell me I should try an excellent wine that is a bargain at only $30 per bottle I inform them I would not be able to tell the difference between it and a $1.49 bottle of thunderbird. ---
**Author:** ![sgtrock21](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/sgtrock21/32/246_2.png) [@sgtrock21](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sgtrock21)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 8:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/4-9l-300-engine-gasps-for-gas-at-half-tank-1983-f-250-explorer/93237/31 "2016-09-09T20:51:08Z")
Not sure about my 1971 Vega. The engines never lasted long enough to wear out a fuel pump. ---
**Author:** ![sgtrock21](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/sgtrock21/32/246_2.png) [@sgtrock21](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sgtrock21)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/4-9l-300-engine-gasps-for-gas-at-half-tank-1983-f-250-explorer/93237/32 "2016-09-09T21:05:25Z")
In my commercial driving days in the 1980s I drove E150s a few times. The 300 cu in I6 seemed to have more power than the 302 cu in V8. I hope the OP solved the problem. It could be a great old truck. Even older than the original date of this thread. I don’t care about that. It was still interesting. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/4-9l-300-engine-gasps-for-gas-at-half-tank-1983-f-250-explorer/93237.md?page=1)