fuel water drain dipstick??

rucan · 10-05-2009, 11:24 AM

i bought a 2000 e450 cube van for work it has a 7.3 litre diesel in it with 60.000 original miles on it.

I am new to diesels and learning...I know I am supposed to periodically drain the water out. So where do I locate the fuel/water drain valve, and what about the fuel/water dipstick? do I disconect it and pull it out??

Cuda_Jim · 10-05-2009, 11:45 AM

No dipstick. There is a Water In Fuel light that will come on in the dash.
Look for a yellow in front of the fuel filter housing. It's in the engine valley. Turn it 90 degrees to drain the filter.......with the engine off.

There is a metal drain tube that runs part way down the front of the engine. Place a container under it to capture the fuel or if you are really ambitious, you can stuff a rubber hose onto the end of it and wrap up the excess hose for next time.
It should be drained every oil change. The filter should be replaced every 3-4 oil changes. No more than 10K miles.

rucan · 10-05-2009, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuda_Jim

No dipstick. T

there is what looks just lke a dipstick right next to the tranny dipstick and is says fuel/water drain

Cuda_Jim · 10-05-2009, 02:59 PM

Doohh! you have a van sorry! I was referring to the (F series) above. I either read too fast...or not very well..your choice.
Pull on the lever, it's connected to the drain lever on the filter housing (that you can't see). Same thing will happen though, use a drain pan under the front of the engine or park it over the weeds you've been wanting to kill

rucan · 10-05-2009, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuda_Jim

Doohh! you have a van sorry! I was referring to the (F series) above. I either read too fast...or not very well..your choice.
Pull on the lever, it's connected to the drain lever on the filter housing (that you can't see). Same thing will happen though, use a drain pan under the front of the engine or park it over the weeds you've been wanting to kill

so you just pull it and voila it drains on its own? The drain dipstick is it spring loaded or something and it pulls back in and stops draining??

Cuda_Jim · 10-05-2009, 04:56 PM

Yep, Push it back in after the filter has drained.

rucan · 10-05-2009, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuda_Jim

Yep, Push it back in after the filter has drained.

thanks for the help

rucan · 10-24-2009, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuda_Jim

Yep, Push it back in after the filter has drained.

ok did this and something bad happened. I pulled the drain lever and the plastic clip that is attached to the metal bracket broke off and now the lever which looks just like a long bike cable is just hanging there and nothing came out.

Cuda_Jim · 10-25-2009, 03:25 AM

Does it leak fuel when the engine is running?

The drain valve lever on the end of the cable has broken. You can get one here: DRAIN VALVE. Not a fun job on a van but you really have no choice if it's leaking.
If the valve is stuck open and running fuel on the ground you can close it by hand....not a fun job either.

rucan · 10-25-2009, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuda_Jim

Does it leak fuel when the engine is running?

The drain valve lever on the end of the cable has broken. You can get one here: DRAIN VALVE. Not a fun job on a van but you really have no choice if it's leaking.
If the valve is stuck open and running fuel on the ground you can close it by hand....not a fun job either.

I dont believe it is leaking fuel because it never opened.the cable did not break at the end, the only thing that broke is near the top of the engine near the passenger front where the pull lever is beside the tranny dipstick. where the fuel/water drain lever is, it is held i place by a plastic clip. that clip broke. so the lever cable just hangs. I dont think it ever opened because i was pullin on it with enough force that it broke the plastic holding clip but it never opened. now i dont know if it will either way. And on this van, i dont know where the drain is. this is not a truck so I think it is on the drivers side. I had a flash light looking and following the cable and the cable looks like it over the the back side of the engine where it meets the tranny and down about under where the driver would sit, but that is as far as I could see. I dont know where the drain is. I have looked. would it be near the fuel filter? I have looked there too and cant find where the cable ends