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Intl 4900 sucking fuel out of one tank

A

Abun

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Aug 22, 2016
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Texas
I have a 2002 international 4900 with a DT 466E. My fuel gauge jumps around from 3/4 to full...about where the level is in the passenger side tank. I rarely drive this truck and ran out on the left side tank. Lucky I coasted into a fuel station, opened the driver side tank cap and it either had pressure or a suction on it as I heard air rushing. Put in 10 gallons got it going with ether and drove fine after that.

Any idea why it would only be sucking out of the left tank only?
Right side is about 3/4 full. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
 
C

Ct Farmer

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Dec 8, 2016
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Check for a clogged cross over line. Being the lowest point in the system all sediment, rust and algae can collect there and clog the line. Especially in a rarely used truck with little use and flow between tanks a lot could collect. Could be a lot of rust from condensation.

If there is a valve between the two tanks make sure it is fully open and not corroded or broken.

There might be a strainer or screen on the bottom of each tank outlet. Junk and algae can clog them also.
 
DMiller

DMiller

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Funny memory, guy had a truck would run for days then have a bout of dying or not crossing over on fuel. Turned out had four Heat caps, misc Heat bottle tin foils, a couple odd style pop off caps and some other floating junk in BOTH tanks. Had been using Tank Filler lip to pop off caps and just squeezed the bottles to disrupt the foil seals for years no problem, never once considered caps entering tanks.
 
kshansen

kshansen

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My one experience with running only on one side was either a White RoadRanger or maybe the IH we had. That one turned out to be , as I recall, a plugged vent in a cap on the left tank. I may be missremembering but seem the supply and return came off the right side and the left tank just gravity flowed to the right side. Then again it's been a few decades and my brain is getting a little cloudy these days!
 
A

Abun

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Texas
Thanks for the help guys. I will check the vents and valves.
These tanks don’t appear to have a gravity flow connection between them.
All the line go over the transmission.
 
DMiller

DMiller

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Pete has a similar set up. almost ran the unit I was driving last year out of fuel due to NOT drawing off right tank. Owner took to a shop did not want to pay me to repair never heard what found.
 
GregsHD

GregsHD

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I know International had an overcomplicated electric transfer pump setup in some trucks, used two fuel gauge sending units, a controller and an electric pump mounted above the trans to keep the fuel tank levels even. It would only draw and return the left tank, right tank had one fuel line out the top to the electric pump.

I know they had them in 2005, not sure about 2002..

Edit: After Googling it, they may have drawn from the passenger (RH) tank. It's been a while!
 
Last edited:
kshansen

kshansen

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kshansen said:
My one experience with running only on one side was either a White RoadRanger or maybe the IH we had. That one turned out to be , as I recall, a plugged vent in a cap on the left tank. I may be missremembering but seem the supply and return came off the right side and the left tank just gravity flowed to the right side. Then again it's been a few decades and my brain is getting a little cloudy these days!
Click to expand...
I told you my brain was cloudy! RoadRanger is a transmission the truck was a Road Boss! I'll go crawl back in my hole and be quiet now!
 
R

RZucker

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DMiller said:
Funny memory, guy had a truck would run for days then have a bout of dying or not crossing over on fuel. Turned out had four Heat caps, misc Heat bottle tin foils, a couple odd style pop off caps and some other floating junk in BOTH tanks. Had been using Tank Filler lip to pop off caps and just squeezed the bottles to disrupt the foil seals for years no problem, never once considered caps entering tanks.
Click to expand...

I've seen the same thing before, Also had a Kenworth come in with a draw tube plugged with sunflower seed shells, when the driver showed up to pick up the truck he was spitting shells on my floor... We may have had some words.
 
R

RZucker

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Abun said:
Thanks for the help guys. I will check the vents and valves.
These tanks don’t appear to have a gravity flow connection between them.
All the line go over the transmission.
Click to expand...
One other thing to check is the vent fittings in the top of the tank, some of those have a float to keep fuel from running out of an over filled tank. Those can plug up or stick too.
 
Truck Shop

Truck Shop

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One problem that has risen in past years is oil distributors buying fuel hauled by rail cars that had crude and or bunker oil in them. The diesel breaks down the crude/bunker into
little round globs of gray brown goo that will plug just about anything. We had issues a ways back on refer units, had to pull tanks and steam them.
 
R

RZucker

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Truck Shop said:
One problem that has risen in past years is oil distributors buying fuel hauled by rail cars that had crude and or bunker oil in them. The diesel breaks down the crude/bunker into
little round globs of gray brown goo that will plug just about anything. We had issues a ways back on refer units, had to pull tanks and steam them.
Click to expand...

I have an angry story about that stuff too. It involved a Grove crane with an 8.3L Cummins with a 52,000 load... IN THE AIR. It would barely idle and didn't have enough power to even set the load down. That goo had packed into the transfer pump check valves and swelled the rubber so badly it wouldn't pump fuel. Nearest pump was in Yakima and good 'Ol SuperFord made a 90 MPH trip down and back to get a pump. Threw an inline filter on it to get the load down and did some major remodeling before it went back to work.
 
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