[RC Ranch]

hey guys, new to the site, I've got alot of good advise in the past just readin threads.
Got a 94 pete 379, has dual 150 fuel tanks on it, I can't get it to balance fuel side to side. Fill it half full on the pass side and by the end of the day, especially if we're hauling grain to the bin it'll puke fuel outta the drivers side. Peterbilt keeps saying that its the balance tee. Replaced it afew times now. And fuel lines. Thinking of just making a hose to go between the two tanks like the old cabover does. Any thoughts of better ideas??

 

[9750saskatchewan]

Tank Breathers clean?

 

[krawler]

Yep x2, check your tank vents.

 

[SWFarmService]

There should be breathers on the tanks or in the fuel caps, seems to be where most of these probs come from, have seen some of these Petes with a tank switch but you would probably have noticed if you did

 

[RC Ranch]

put new breather on both tanks. The cap I'm assuming is good. It puked about 50 gallons of fuel outta both tanks one day.. Hate the tank shut off valves. Corn and sunflower stalks turn them off right now.

SWFarmService, It had the switch valves on it at one time, started to leak so i just put a tee in from pete. Too cheap to buy that valve. Love the truck but its got 2 strikes as far as fixing goes, The peterbilt name and its got a 3406E cat in it.. Sucks to buy parts, but love the ride and power

 

[SWFarmService]

Going back to that valve would most likely be the best cure if there is no crossover tube on the bottom

 

[Northern Farmer]

Is it possible that one of the ball valves, the bottom tank ones or the return top valves are not open fully internally and yet appear open to look at ?. Our truck is a little newer but just set up with the two lower suction lines connected with a T and the two returns also with a T. I could see if hoses were replaced and for some reason a different hose size or crimped on end was installed in one hose that restricted, the suction or return would want suck fuel easier out of a tank or push it easier into a certain tank that had less return hose restriction. Typically I try to fill our tanks to the same level but have filled one and left one half full and after a time its balanced out when running the truck. As to those valves turning on their own, I have all of them tied with zip ties so there is no chance of them changing position under normal circumstances at least.

As crazy as this sounds, you could experiment by partially closing the return ball valve on the drivers side to create a balance in return fuel volume to the tanks by keeping an eye on the levels and perhaps arrive at some setting that would help you considerably although I will admit not a great fix.

 

[386 pete]

some of the older fuel lines get rotten on the inside and collapse. an easy fix is if you dont need the capacity of both tanks just replumb it to draw and return on one side

 

[RC Ranch]

mine doesn't have valves on the return side. just suction, I've replaced all the fuel lines. Mainly because they either looked terrible or they were getting soft. I've used zip ties to tie up the valve handles before. I've been thinking of ether putting valves in the return side or just put a hose between the 2 tanks. I want to keep the capacity of both tanks. Mainly because when we haul barley natto beans or cattle I've got a 200 mile one way trip

 

[Northern Farmer]

If you chose to draw off one or the other tank as you mention yourself, yes you would need the return taps as well to do that and that certainly works but have to reach around the tank top/bottom to turn one tank off and the other on etc and have to keep remembering to do this and be stopped, that could become a pain in the rear to do all the time. If you went the cross hose method between the two tanks, putting a valve in the return line on the tank you won't directly be drawing from would do the trick on that end, then have to build a hose tray and plumb the fittings into the bottom of each each tank for the cross over hose. The crappy part about a hose tray/hose going across on tanks that tend to be on the low side is clearance if you are dealing with deep mud or driving in deep ruts but you may not have that concern. A IH body job we have is set up with cab step tanks and it only draws from one ( which also is the only one that has the fuel sender in it ) and then there is a tap to turn off to prevent the other tank from crossing over if for some reason one wants to draw from the so called main tank. Because of the crown in the highway if one is typically on the right side of the road, the right hand tank will be the one to best draw from as the left one will be able to empty all its contents into the RH tank.

 

[farmshop]

I would just put in the crossover line use a good bradied truck hose and run a good pipe or angle to support the hose and you are done

 

[CRToney]

Send ODR a pm he had a similar issue with his 94 Pete.

 

[RC Ranch]

clearance is my main concern with the pete. They defiantly were never made to be on the farm or ranch. Sunflowers and corn stalks I think will beat the heck outta that hose even in a tray. That and high to low approaches coming in and out of pastures with the pot. Be nice if peterbilt woulda just plumbed everything to constantly work the way it was suppose to. A buddy of mine has a 2015 Legancy I think is what they call the 379 body style now, anyways, his does the same thing. Did it from day one. Peterbilt of Wisconsin told him its just the way some of them are

 

[Northern Farmer]

I thought perhaps yours was a one off goofy design with some odd ball fitting on one tank vs the other within the plumbing causing this imbalance as I was shocked to hear new units are doing this. If the cross over hose just isn't a good method due to your terrain that you use the truck on, I still think you wouldn't be out much by experimenting like I mentioned before.

Even if you put 1 ball valve in the return line on the tank that always becomes over full and keep closing it down until the other tank now starts to become the one that raises its level ( check periodically as you drive with the fuel gauge selector assuming your truck is equipped that way ) . I would think at some point you would arrive at a setting that could give you better satisfaction then the mess your dealing with now, couldn't be worse !.

Is it possible that there is a hose bracket holder on either suction or return that is crushing a line and diverting fuel to the other tank ?