1988 Ford F-250 7.3L IDI non-powerstroke 4X4

[Mikey141414]

This is my first Post!!! Not to be the last...

So, I have been a VW owner for over ten years. I own a 2003 Jetta TDI which I love, but it just doesn't hold enough or tow enough. So, I bought a 1988 f-250 4X4 diesel.

Driving it home was fine, but after the first day, starting became an issue.

Ether was the only way to get it started. Then I learned the evil ether is, and stopped using it except for emergency situations.

So I am using this thread to document my adventure and help any that happen to come behind me.



mikey

[Mikey141414]

So, to update the work I have done thus far:

Day after driving it home it would not start. The temp outside was around 50 degrees and I had not plugged in the block heater.

i went up to my auto parts place and got some windshield wipers, and a Haynes manual. I began by checking the glow plug system.
I checked all GPs for proper power and resistance. I checked the wiring harness, all good. My supply voltage was 12.99. I have since gotten a charger and cleaned contacts to jump that up to around 14.99.

The control unit ground test yielded 1.7 ohms. After cleaning the ground and connections, I was down to .8 ohms which is in spec with the manual.

I am rather confused with the control unit functional test. The manual says to hook up a test light to the test terminal of the controller and count the seconds it stays on after the GPs have been activated. I could never get a light to turn on. My interior GP light comes on for the proper time, but the test light never turns on.

I noticed oil in the coolant which has really freaked me out. I was thinking head gasket, but I just did a compression test to find all cylinders good (395-410). My new suspect is the oil cooler gasket.

Many of the coolant lines have begun to ballon up and get really weak. I assume this is from the oil breaking down the inside of the lines. No bueno!

I also am having some issues with the fuel tank selector switch. Maybe a pick-up tube issue as well.

Stay tuned for more updates tomorrow!! Sorry no pics yet.

mikey

[cdnsarguy]

If you replace the coolant hoses ensure you retain the spring on the lower one for reuse..... unless of course the new one comes with one.

[Mikey141414]

Have a couple questions about the oil cooler. I picked up the gaskets, but where do I get the O-rings from? I don't see them in the LMC catalog and I haven't been able to track them down at my local parts places.

Is there a part # for them?

mikey

[Mikey141414]

Alright, so today was spent tracking down the o-rings for the oil cooler. Finally had to go to the steal-ership to get them. Damn! $60 for six pieces of plastic. I am amazed that a single ring can cost $10. oh well,

So went home and started draining coolant and oil. Couldn't find the drain plug shown in the manual for the radiator, so I just cut the hose to release the deluge. Realized Autozone had given me the wrong lower hose.

So, a trip to the parts store yielded me a new magnetic drain plug, new radiator hoses, overflow radiator hose, oil, coolant, hose clamps, filter, and 1 less $100 bill.

too dark to work on it tonight. resume in the morning.

First thing I will do is to tackle the oil cooler.
Questions:
Is it necessary to create a bench "vise" to reinsert the o-rings?
Any tricks to getting that thing out of there?
I have looked over the R&R article from Cdnsarguy, Thanks alot!
Looks pretty straight forward. I will go ahead and put on both rings at the beginning.

Then to flush.
I bought some radiator flush stuff, but I like the idea of using dish detergent. I don't have the little pressure bulb thingy, but I do have a garden hose.
Will this work OK?
Should I remove the thermostat?
Can I get away with not touching it? (Can of worms)

Thanks as always for the help...
mikey

[Mikey141414]

So, today I replaced all the coolant lines and radiator hoses. I put in a magnetic drain plug. New coolant and new oil. I decided not to do the oil cooler after drining the coolant and not seeing an excessive amount of oil. I figure I will keep a hold of the seals and watch it. If it gets bad I will tackle that.

Took it for a drive, and I am pleased. All the hoses are good, no leaks and the truck seems to be running pretty well.

I spent a good amount of time powerwashing the underside and any areas that were really gunked up with sludge. There was alot of it!

As I was cleaning, I noticed the front lower leaf spring is kinda outa wack. It looks like it is shifted over about 1/2 inch. front to the left and rear to the right. Have to get that looked at.

I took it for a drive and I started to notice some white smoke coming in through the defrost vents. ANy ideas?

Also going up a hill I looked back to the stack and the smoke was a little white. Not the pitch black I was hoping for. Ir wasn't completely white, but there was a tinge of white to it.

ANy thoughts?

thanks all~
mikey

[zpd307]

oh, the joys of resurrecting someones old pos. they always say runs good when they are selling it. i am in the same boat. so fari have replaced all battery cables, starter, starter relay, drag link alt belt, shocks, swaybar bushing, fixed broken sway bar mount ubolt, rebuilt rear axle- also installed posi, all brake lines, wheel cylinders, calipers, front wheel bearings, front axle ujoints, kingpin bushings, alt belt, headlight switch and connector- headlight relay mod while i was at it, fuel filter, tranny fliud and filter, transfer case fliud, fipl, tires, sare tire carrier-added spare tire that was mia, and exhaust. i bought the truck in april but didnt start driving it until july, after i sold my 03. there is still plent to, return line are leaking, injectors and ip- both look original with 180k on them....... good luck with yours

[Mikey141414]

Hey all~
So I was out of town a few days hoping to come back to a fully operational truck. But without working on it, I guess that was silly. I went out to work on it, threw on the block heater, and the battery charger. Came out an hour later and started it!! 25 degree weather and it started... with a bit of ether...

I let it run for a while and I started to notice a few things

1. After warming up by driving around the block a few times, some white smoke/haze started coming through the defroster vents.

2. The lights on the instrument panel were "pulsing" Not sure what they were pulsing to, but it seemed in time with the engine.

3. When I was replacing my return lines, I added in a short piece of clear fuel tubing left over from my Jetta so I could observe air in the line. Every time I come out to a cold engine, there is no fuel at all in this line. Could this be a small air leak somewhere? or possibly the FSS?

4. Tilt steering wheel is "limp." The wheel is floppy and will not stay in an upright position. Is there a fix for this, or should I start looking for a whole new column?

I locked in the hubs and put in 4H. Everything seems to be working OK.
I let it idle for about 20-30 minutes with a few short trips around the block every so often. The temp gauge began to climb, but it never got into the "normal" range.

List of things to still do on the truck:

1. Change valve cover gaskets
2. Troubleshoot/test fuel selector switch, valve and low pressure pump.
3. get all interior lights working
4. Figure out "mystery" after market toggle switch on dash.
5. Hook up the aftermarket fuel gauge to read from "empty to full" instead of " Full to empty"
6. Fix emergency brake pedal mount and tighten all cables.
7. Finish hooking up exhaust into the bed stacks or take out stacks and find a camper shell.

A reply to the mystery questions would be great, but once again, I am using this as a history for myself as well.

back to the search bar...

Thanks,
mikey

[suv7734]

Mikey,

Is that mystery switch a regular toggle or a momentary contact toggle? If you follow the wires from it and they go up to the glow plug controller you may have found your cold start problem. Someone may have wired in a manual glow plug switch (usually momentary contact type). If that's the case the next time you go to start it cold just hold the switch on for about 8 seconds and then crank her over.

Ths haze from the defrost is most likely a blown heater core. Pretty cheap for a new one and probably one of the easiest jobs to do on these trucks (~1/2 hour)

[Mikey141414]

Thanks SUV.

I will check it out tomorrow. Is there a good test for the heater core? Other than seeing smoke coming through the defrost?

Thanks again,
mikey

[suv7734]

Originally Posted by Mikey141414

Thanks SUV.

Is there a good test for the heater core? Other than seeing smoke coming through the defrost?

Thanks again,
mikey

Are you losing coolant? Is the floor on the passenger side damp?
Sometimes the clamps at the heater core are loose or the hoses are bad and the coolant will leak from there but in most cases it's the core itself that is leaking especially since it's 'misting'. It's pretty easy to pull the glove box door, remove the front cover from the plenum and see for sure.

[Kaliburz]

I'll second the "mystery" toggle switch.... ya never know.

So, when you were testing the GP relay, did you verify that power was getting to the relay itself? On my van, the OEM wire that is suppose to be "hot", supplying current all the time to the relay was bad. It was intermittent. I had to run a bypass- new 4 gauge supply line. Boy, does she start now...

When your defrost mists... what does it smell like? If it smells 'sweet' then it's possibly antifreeze.

[Mikey141414]

I haven't noticed any passenger side wetness. I will check again tomorrow (today). I just replaced the heater hoses. I might just try bypassing the heater core all together and see if that stops the misting. I will go ahead and do a visual inspection of the heater core as well.

I will also check the wires from that toggle switch. It is a regular two position toggle. Not a momentary, hold down, switch. I will track down the wires all the same.

Thanks guys!!

mikey

[Mikey141414]

so, in tracking down that switch, I came up to the vacuum pump. Or, at least, that's what I think it is. up against the firewall on the drivers side with vacuum lines coming out of it. there is a plug at the rear that has some wires barely connected and others not connected at all. I will try and clean up that mess, but does anyone have a wiring diagram for where those wires are supposed to go?

Man this truck needs some TLC...

mikey

[Kaliburz]

Originally Posted by Mikey141414

so, in tracking down that switch, I came up to the vacuum pump. Or, at least, that's what I think it is. up against the firewall on the drivers side with vacuum lines coming out of it. there is a plug at the rear that has some wires barely connected and others not connected at all. I will try and clean up that mess, but does anyone have a wiring diagram for where those wires are supposed to go?

Man this truck needs some TLC...

mikey

Hummmm....... vacuum pump is on the engine. The only ting that I could think of that would have vacuum lines and wires would be the cruise control.