99 & up 7.3L Power Stroke Engine and DrivetrainDiscussion of the 99 & up 7.3L Power Stroke diesel engine and drivetrain in the 1999-Up Super Duty trucks and Excursions. No gas engine discussion allowed except on transmissions and drivetrain that pertain to all models. Please confine discussion of topics in this forum to those items that are specific to the 7.3L Power Stroke engine.
I helped my dad get one of his old tractors running a couple weeks ago & we had to use some starting fluid. Today I happened to look at the can & noticed it says "For gas and diesel engines". I've always read on here that we should never use starting fluid on our 7.3s, & I'm pretty sure that I've repeated that in a few of my posts.
Why shouldn't we use it if we need it? Is there any real info that supports the "never use starting fluid" crowd? I know a couple of diesel mechanics & they use it when needed (bigger engines than ours) & say it doesn't/won't hurt anything. I've never used starting fluid on my truck.
Curious!
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2002 F350 XLT, CC, SB, 4x4, Auto, AIC, DiabloSport Predator, BD X-Monitor, Kenwood TM-V7A, Pioneer 7400MP3, Infinity 5.25" Components, Infinity 10" Sub in a Q-Logic Box, Heated Mirrors, Gentex/Mito Auto Dimming Mirror, Rear ID Bar, Uniden PC78 Elite CB, Clifford Matrix RS3 Alarm/Remote Start, Keypad Entry, Homemade "Tymar", custom, muffler back exhaust, 6 Whelen LED's in rear window, 6 Whelen Strobes in the Front, Rears still not installed...
The reason is simple. Our engines use glow plugs which can ignite the ether at inopportune times. If it hits on a piston upstroke, it could drive a rod through the side of the block.
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2003 F-250 XLT Crew Cab 7.3L, Chrome BigTex Grille Guard, Quad pillar - 3 ISSPRO gauges (trans, pyro, boost) and DP-Tuner F6; Roush fuel pressure / temperature / oil pressure gauges, Ford Severe Duty AIS, 31 row 6.0 transmission cooler, ScanGauge II, Marinco mod, Walker BTM
"IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU’VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM"
If your Glow plugs are working and you spray ether (starting fluid) into the intake, it's quite possible that it will ignite before the piston is in the proper position, and the force of the explosion will drive the piston in the reverse rotation while the starter is trying to go forward. You can experience a violent result.
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1994 F-350 7.3 IDI Turbo, crew cab, E4OD,4:10 L/S, LB, Dually Photos
ATS Turbo upgrades: 3" DP with 3" exhaust Magnaflow XL muffler: Pictures Here
2012 Copper Canyon 273 FWRET w/2 slides, Air Lift 5000 bags
Pillar pod: Autometer C2 Series gauges: pyro,trans, boost, water, oil pressure
Hypermax Cowl induction, K&N air filter, flex-a-lite 26K trans cooler with fan,Tekonsha prodigy
Train Horns: Pictures here
I should've clarified that if I was going to use it, it would be because the glow plugs weren't working. Even if they were working, as long as you sprayed some on the air filter, would there be enough get into a cylinder to cause an issue if it did light off early? I've had a hard start issue before when my GPR was bad and heard a muffled pop when the glow plug lit off diesel that was in the cylinder from the previous start attempt.
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2002 F350 XLT, CC, SB, 4x4, Auto, AIC, DiabloSport Predator, BD X-Monitor, Kenwood TM-V7A, Pioneer 7400MP3, Infinity 5.25" Components, Infinity 10" Sub in a Q-Logic Box, Heated Mirrors, Gentex/Mito Auto Dimming Mirror, Rear ID Bar, Uniden PC78 Elite CB, Clifford Matrix RS3 Alarm/Remote Start, Keypad Entry, Homemade "Tymar", custom, muffler back exhaust, 6 Whelen LED's in rear window, 6 Whelen Strobes in the Front, Rears still not installed...
Its a little like Russian Roulette. Maybe you'll get lucky - maybe you' won't. I'm not trying it on my motor. Now -if you disable the glow plug system first - then spray away...
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2003 F-250 XLT Crew Cab 7.3L, Chrome BigTex Grille Guard, Quad pillar - 3 ISSPRO gauges (trans, pyro, boost) and DP-Tuner F6; Roush fuel pressure / temperature / oil pressure gauges, Ford Severe Duty AIS, 31 row 6.0 transmission cooler, ScanGauge II, Marinco mod, Walker BTM
"IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU’VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM"
i will NEVER use starting fluid AGAIN. i found out how bad it can be. when i had starting problems in the past i used it and i heard the exposion in my engine like i never heard b4, i thought i blew up my engine, after spending a few thousand bucks to fix it. after i tried to fire it up the engine was starting to crank REALLY SLOW i had used about a can in less than 1 week of trying to get it started. SO after that experience NO MORE START FLUID FOR ME.
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1999 f350 7.3 6spd; 243k miles no mods
new timing cover
K&N air filter
replaced injectors
new HPOP
new ecm & idm
Too much starter fluid in a non glow plug/non air intake heater engine can wash the lubrication off the cylinder walls and cause the compression rings on the pistons to wear prematurely and you will lose compression. I've seen some old Detroit Diesel two cycle engines ruined so bad that they just will not start cold without either, no matter what the outside temps. Warm, they'll fire, cold absolutely no.
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Early 99 F250 PSD (XLE4) XLT, Extended Cab, Short Bed, 4X2, BTS Trans/TC, 3.73 Limited Slip, Transfer Flow 48 Gal. Mid-Ship Tank
Western WA - Member since August 2001
My 96 had no problems with ether in 640k miles. We was usually on the road and had no plug-in.
I've used it on my truck rarely (weak batteries) and it revved up real high off of the ether. I got my glow plug relay on a switch now so I can disconnect the PCM ground to the GPR.
And yes, use it modestly
Sent from my DROID RAZR using AutoGuide App
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2001 F350 7.3 4x4 CC SRW/ Aeroforce Interceptor/ BD Thruster II/ Bellowed Up-Pipes/ 4" turbo back straight exhaust / CCV Mod /DIY 6637/ TS chip reburned with PHP tunes (Stock, 40 Tow WITH Whsiper tune, 80 Daily Driver, 100 Race, 140 Extreme, 140 smoke show)//Recon smoked cab lights/MM Hubs/Hood/HPx/FRx/GPR switch-Indicator
First vehicle (still driving): 96 F250 XLT 2x4- All factory (injectors & turbo) except straight exhaust. 570k miles
I too have seen a Detroit that was ruined by starting fluid. Now you pretty much have to use it until its in the 80's outside. Granted this machine was abused for many years. I think if used in moderation it would have been fine but it was used as a mechanic when there were actually other problems.
It keeps needing it because there is something else wrong with the engine, not because the ether somehow lowered the compression. Fuel in the cylinder is fuel in the cylinder. Just my opinion.
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