White Powder clogging my Fuel Filter! WTF?

Fordfanatic89

New Member
May 28, 2011
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Ok need your help once again Stangnet! So I got my car about a month ago. 1992 SSP Mustang coupe 5.0 5spd. The motor is stock, save for a E cam and a cone filter. It has stock headers with flowmaster 40s.

Last week the car was running great. Decided to take it to the track for test adn tune just for a base time. I turned the timing up to 12. Ran the tank down to about 1/4 - 1/8th tank of gas put in some 110 cam II. The car ran pretty good. No traction off the line and high in the RPMs I think I was hearing some pinging but I don't believe the timing was set to high. So I only make two passes and decide to quit for the night and check the timing when I got home. At this point the car is running good other than the pinging when I'm really on it. The car sat as I watched the other cars run.

So there is where it goes bad. I drive it home and start to get on it just a little bit and I have zero power past 3500 rpm. its like I am running out of fuel or something. I then filled it up with regular fuel (93 octane) and still the samething.

Today I pull the fuel filter, on a hunch, as I ran the tank low. The fuel filter doesn't look terribly old. I dump the contents and out comes milky white stuff. This stuff dries into a fine white powder, WTF?! So I replace the filter. Drive the car runs great. I double check the timing, it is 12. All good, decide to drive the car around alittle more and here we go again no power past 3500 rpm.

I haven't pulled the filter back out, but I can only assume it is clogged up again. So I am thinking I am gonna have to remove the tank and wash it out. I can only assume the filter sock on the pump is also clogged. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. I am also thinking I wanna replace the fuel pump. Not sure what to put in.
 
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@ LarsD I don't really think so. I blew the contents of the flew filter onto a soda can. When it dried it was almost like I had spray painted the can white. I took my finger and rubbed it off. It is almost like a thick white chalk. Not sure what this crap is!

Anyone have suggestions on cleaning the tank. Also a suggestion on a new/upgrade fuel pump? I was thinking a 190lph mostly stock motor but plans for upgrades (HCI) in the next year.......hopefully.
 
my 77 tbirds gas tank started leaking and i changed it out for a new one and the old tank had that white stuff in it, it looked like thinned out white paint. I guess years of gas additives and moisture settling through the years, as far as sugar goes i once put sugar in a jar and mixed it with gas and the sugar stays perfect looking it doesnt melt or crystalize, it stays granulated, so you would have seen sugar,if it was that.
 
I appreciate the replys guys.

So I took the Fuel Filter back off this morning. It was pretty clean. I removed the fuel tank and the fuel pump. The problem appears to be the fuel pump sock. The inside liner of the sock is completely disentigrated. The bottom of the fuel pump was completely clogged with debris from the filter sock.

So I am going to replace the fuel pump with Walbro 190lph kit.

I also found the baffle the fuel pump sits in inside the tank one side weld is broken so the baffle is rattleing. So do you guys think I should replace the tank as well??