1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Topic: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question (Read 7955 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #100 – August 02, 2025, 10:05:23 am

Once you get through the floor you will have all the hoses and wiring in your way. I have pulled the
tank by myself. The only thing I have to have help with is removing and installing the door.

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #101 – August 02, 2025, 06:59:38 pm

There are no frame rails, so total thickness of the floor is about 2 inches more or less.

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #102 – August 02, 2025, 07:18:27 pm

Quote from: oldguy – August 02, 2025, 10:05:23 am

Once you get through the floor you will have all the hoses and wiring in your way. I have pulled the
tank by myself. The only thing I have to have help with is removing and installing the door.

And are you going to miss cutting any wires and hoses when cutting hole in floor?

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #103 – August 02, 2025, 08:00:25 pm

Quote from: turbojack – August 02, 2025, 07:18:27 pm

And are you going to miss cutting any wires and hoses when cutting hole in floor?

And the LP lines are in that basement ceiling chase as well. At minimum, shut off the LP tank. Get a sniffer to test the lines afterwards if you remotely suspect contacting them.

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #104 – August 03, 2025, 12:13:15 am

well , i hope i will not end up to replace the hoses, may be the splice done to the hose by previous owner can be the problem
the hose coming from fuel tank to the water separator has braided jacket on the engine side and the other end of it on the tank does not
so i assume the previous owner may have replaced a portion of the hose in engine bay due to some kind of burn or cut or damage , and has spliced a piece of jacketed hose on the existing hose to the separator
i lifted the mattress and didn't see the spliced section , tomorrow i will try to pull the hose out of the tunnel toward the engine hoping the spliced section will show up to be inspected

but to answer Michelle and turbojack, I am planing to slide a thin sheet metal piece ,narrower than the opening width of tank bay ,and long enough to pass the center of the tank between all the wires/hoses etc. and the ceiling (with fold over edges not to be sharp )
this is to protect any think from being cut by either kind of tool, jig saw with short blade , small router with adjusted depth or die grinder etc.

note , the reasons that is pulling me away from removing the tank is, removing the fiberglass on driver side over the tank end
i even don't see the tank's mounting bolts behind the fiberglass on the driver side?
can some one tell me how many bolts does a 98 model with 100 gallon tank have? (on one post some one said remove 6 bolts )
i only see two on passenger side
i have not paid attention to the mounting bolts yet, are they bolts and nuts?
or are nuts welded to the tank and bolts can be removed from under the floor? if so , one may remove the bolts from driver side without removing or cutting the fiberglass wall there and then pull the tank out from passenger side
plus, every body is talking about being careful of drain plug hanging below the bottom of the tank, that means the tank must be lifted up before pulling it out
but how to lift it? actually i don't see enough room above the tank and ceiling to lift it up, not only that, the driver side fiberglass is hiding the tank, can not be lifted or pushed from driver side
PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF AND HOW THE FIBER GLASS ON THE DRIVER SIDE CAN BE REMOVED TO ACCESS THE MOUNTING BOLTS, BEING ABLE TO LIFT THE TANK AND BEING ABLE TO PUSH THE TANK FROM DRIVER SIDE
yes if some one do damages to propane line or wiring when cutting a hole in the floor , that is to bad but what guaranties pulling the tank out will not rip off some of those anyway

everything would have been easy for all Foretravel owners if Foretravel had build the tanks shorter (may be with less capacity,) and had mounted all the hoses close to the end of the tank which
working on the hose connectors would only need to open the side door
does having 20 extra gallon of fuel worth all this headache?
any way we are hear now and we have to deal with this one way or another
does anyone know how much does a shop charge to replace these hoses? i dont have a foretravel dealer close to me
Edmond

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #105 – August 03, 2025, 12:47:41 am

If you search enough you can find all the info on the forum to answer your questions. Here is a start and I will find some more but the 6 screw question is answered here.

First step to fuel line replacement (Removing tank covers)

Fuel lines

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #106 – August 03, 2025, 06:05:45 am

I found this forum a year before I bought my coach. I continue to be astounded by the depth of knowledge and generosity of forum members willing to help and share with other FT owners. I would not have bought a FT without this forum. There is nothing like it in my opinion.

No matter what the issue chances are someone on the forum has experienced and resolved it.

Obviously there are various options for resolving any coach issue.

I'm certainly no expert but before I cut into my floor to remove a fuel tank I'd seriously consider studying what others have done to remove the tank. These folks have been through it and chances are whatever they did... worked. I'd search through the forum and look up every instance I could find for removing the tank to see what worked and didn't.

In your shoes I would make my decision based on how I could do the least damage to my coach to get the tank out.

Good luck and best wishes with your repairs.

Edited to add:

You mentioned:
"everything would have been easy for all Foretravel owners if Foretravel had build the tanks shorter (may be with less capacity,) and had mounted all the hoses close to the end of the tank which
working on the hose connectors would only need to open the side door
does having 20 extra gallon of fuel worth all this headache?"

Fuel lines may have to be replaced once during ownership and maybe not at all. Personally I'd rather have the extra fuel.

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #107 – August 03, 2025, 03:14:49 pm

Ok, just came back from the storage yard
And have an update for what i was supposed to do today
First step

1- disconnect the fuel line coming from fuel tank from fuel water separator
2- attached an 8feet pre made hose with one end connector to the water separator
3-place the other end of the hose in a 5 gallon diesel canister
4-went behind the wheel and started the engine after a couple of cranks it started, but it did not stay running
5-to me this tells me that the dyingproblem is not the fuel line coming from the tank
6- I tried to start it again, it didn't start before I go prime from the lift pump and from the water separator
But when it started, it died again in less than 30 seconds

I assume the engine dying may be from losing the 12 V power coming to solenoid from the ignition key being in on position
It supplies power to open the fuel valve in start position, but when the engine ran and let the key go back to on position it dies

But again, if that is the case, why it needs priming again? Where can she suck the air from there is only 8 feet of new hose submerging in in fuel canister

Could the overflow valve cause they are getting into the system?
Most of what I read about the overflow valve are talking about low power, not dying engine
I didn't read anyone talking about the same issue I have .

Read my following posting about what I found studying the tank removal on my Coach
Edmond

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #108 – August 03, 2025, 03:24:31 pm

Following previous post
Second step

1- opened side doors on each end of the tank
2- my question answered, I can remove four balls from under the body to free the tank
3- using a powerful flashlight, looked above the tank. Yes, you guys are correct. The wires and other lines running in a the tunnel , cross over the tank and jump to the next tunnel going forward
4- I could tell pulling the tank out, the hoses on top of the tank will not drag any of the other lines above them ( unlike what it was in my mind wrongly)
5- looking at the driver side, fiberglass covering the tank, I only see three screws on the right vertical edge
There are no screws around fitting
There is caulking on the bottom , and the left side and the top of this cap
Also caulking around the fuel tank neck
Apparently, that piece must be removable
But my question is how only three screws is holding it in place why no screws on the left edge
I can get some input from those who know

Conclusion
As some of you mentioned, maybe removing the tank it's easier
And I may do so if needed instead of cutting the floor
What appears hard is, get the tank empty and get the tank free specially from the driver side and the drain plug
I also noticed that if I am able to lift the tank from the passenger side, I may be able to push to three-quarter inch boards along the length of the tank
Basically to set the tank on those as rails
In the meantime to free the drain plug
The last hard part of the job is removing the door and the passenger side and the trims around the opening

Edmond

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #109 – August 03, 2025, 04:17:30 pm

Can air get in the fuel system after engine dies?
Funny question ha
Or if a bad overflow valve can let air get in fuel system and then the engine dies?

Please help me solve this
Edmond

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #110 – August 03, 2025, 04:52:34 pm

I did a 98 u270 36 foot and a late 97 u270. Both of those had to come out the driver side due to the drain plug being on the driver side. The fiberglass cover has screws and you also have to remove the vent tube at the top for the batteries. I bought a 12 volt fuel pump at harbor freight and a couple of 50 gallon barrels and pumped the fuel into them. The bolts securing the tank were 2 on each end from below. On some newer coaches the drain plug is on the passenger side and the tank has to come out the passenger side. If you tie the fuel solenoid in the open position will it continue to run? If it does that is the problem, but if not then you are not getting fuel to the injector pump. Have you followed that jacketed hose from the water separator to the bulkhead? Does it disappear into the coach at the bulkhead? You can remove the tunnel from the compartment directly in front of the holding tank compartment and see what the hoses look like there. Someplace there is a splice and you need to find it.

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #111 – August 03, 2025, 05:34:02 pm

Edmund, from your post "it will only run for 30 seconds" from fuel in a bucket have you checked the coolant level in the big black coolant tank and the sensor on the bottom of that tank. These will cause your symptom's Jim.

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #112 – August 03, 2025, 06:05:38 pm

in response to both of the two last posts
a- no, I forgot to do so, tomorrow i will use a zip tie and keep the solenoid valve open and check if it stays runing
thanks for reminding
b- was not able to get under the engine to look inside the tunnel for possible splice
because i can do so when engine run and the airbags lift up using the safety blocks i will try to check for the connection . hopefully is not too far deep in there and i can pull it out

still like to learn if a bad overflow valve will cause air getting in the fuel system ( because it did die even using a canister as fuel tank )
Edmond

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #113 – August 03, 2025, 06:12:34 pm

Answer to cooling system question?

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #114 – August 03, 2025, 07:04:24 pm

I had to turn the key at the dash on in order to start the coach from the engine compartment start button and keep engine running.

Might check to see if your filters are leaking air

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #115 – August 03, 2025, 07:28:57 pm

Quote from: rvquestion – August 03, 2025, 06:05:38 pm

still like to learn if a bad overflow valve will cause air getting in the fuel system ( because it did die even using a canister as fuel tank )
Edmond

I would say no. I replaced mine years ago with a Tork Tek adjustable chasing a power issue. Old stock valve had a broken spring without notable issues.

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #116 – August 03, 2025, 09:53:23 pm

It is full, but as far as I know, it does not have a sensor

Maybe you can help me search on that black tank if the sensor is there? I didn't see anything there.

[ quote author=fourdayoff link=msg=499367 date=1754259154]
Answer to cooling system question?
[/quote]

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #117 – August 03, 2025, 09:54:12 pm

Replace both filters two weeks ago

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #118 – August 03, 2025, 10:29:36 pm

By the way, I wonder why someone will try to pull the tank from the driver side requiring removal of those PVC pipes coming from wheel well two battery compartment
When there is no such a thing on the passenger side

Edmond

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #119 – August 04, 2025, 09:26:20 am

Quote from: fourdayoff – August 03, 2025, 06:12:34 pm

Answer to cooling system question?

1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

FASS fuel system install upgrade

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #120 – August 04, 2025, 04:03:00 pm

Quote from: rvquestion – August 03, 2025, 06:05:38 pm

...still like to learn if a bad overflow valve will cause air getting in the fuel system...

The answer to your question is "No". There is no way a bad overflow valve would let air into the fuel system.

The overflow valve has only one function: to control the fuel pressure at the injection pump inlet, by restricting the flow of fuel back to the fuel tank.

As Doug noted, even if the overflow valve was stuck completely open, there is no way for it to allow air into the fuel line.

Bottom line: In my opinion, the overflow valve on your coach, regardless of condition, is not causing your engine failure to stay running after startup.

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #121 – August 04, 2025, 06:01:48 pm

The drain plug location dictates which side the tank needs to come out. If it is on the driver side, needs to come out that side, otherwise you would have to put something under it to have the plug not dig into the fiberglass floor and also you want the maximum amount of space above the tank.

Also this is the mechanical engine and no low coolant sensor to shut it down.

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #122 – August 04, 2025, 11:54:29 pm

The drain plug on my tank looks exactly in the middle of the tank
And if time comes to replace the hoses i will pull the tank from passenger side

Today i didn't get a chance to use the zip tie test to check if solenoid is killing the engine
Instead, i washed all eight 2x2x11 3/4 steel tubing
( 1/4" wall ) which i had ordered, and then painted them yellow to use as safety blocks
Because in order to check , if there is a splice on fuel hose in the tunnel, i need to crawl under there to pull the hose out of tunnel
That requires engine to run and build air pressure, to raise the coach up, then i put the blocks to herp it high to do my research

Edmond

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #123 – August 05, 2025, 07:47:28 am

Your coach has a air fitting in the front passenger bay. You can make a hose adapter to connect an air compressor to fill the air bags.

I never tried in my 1997 U295 but it works in my IH

Re: 1998 Foretravel U295 - Air in fuel system question

Reply #124 – August 05, 2025, 01:26:32 pm

Hi Brett, it looks like I should've listened to you long ago when you suggested to get a voltmeter and check the power on my shut off solenoid
To be honest with you, I did not do that because I'm not very good using Walter knowing a lot of electrical volts, watts, ohms etc
I just know how to use a test light to find out if a wire is hot or not.

But to me, it sounds like more likely my problem is the solenoid first circuit in run position, which is supposed to hold the plunger up after starting the engine
I'm not sure yet I'm planning to go to the RV use a zip tie holding the plunger up and try to start the engine and see if it stays running or not
After I have done everything else, replacing both filters replacing fuel pump using a 5 gallon canister to start the engine from the Canister Fuel Suply engine still does not stay running it dies in less than 30 seconds

I also had replaced the solenoid with a new one from Larry's B

My question to you is that if I found out there is no power in the solenoid in run position. I am sure there is power in start position that makes the valve open and the engine starts.

But if there is no power in the ignition being in wrong position, where should I look for the problem?
I was thinking, maybe the electronic ignition switch below the key cylinder may not have a good contact inside to connect power to solenoid, but then, I was told that if that's the case, I would lose the power behind the dash as well.
Please advise if i test the three prong solenoid harness and there is no power coming to sit ,where should I look for to fix?
Thanks
Edmond

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