Hey guys, I'm thinking of buying a cube van from this guy. It's an 88 with the 7.3. I haven't seen this yet, but wanted to run a couple of things by the experts first. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] It has a newer rebuilt tranny, but the engine won't start. This guy says he tried jumping it with a lone battery & it turns over but won't start. It also doesn't make any abnormal noises. My initial thought was there wasn't enough juice with just one batt. I had an '02 powerstroke 7.3 for awhile. My next thought was, on the '02 I had, the dealer told me when I bought it that if the oil was over 2 quarts low, it wouldn't start. Would the older 7.3 also have this feature? Any other thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, I realllly miss my diesel. grrrrr
No, the IDIs do not have a low oil switch other than the idiot light. You are on the right course with the single/dual batteries. One battery will not have the nut to both crank over at a decent speed, (150-290 rpms) plus heat the glow plugs, plus open the fuel shutoff solenoid. Then make sure the fuel system is free of air. Use the shraeder valve on the filter header. Then make sure all glow plugs and controller are working. It should start if everything is in order. If it won't crank fast enough with new batteries, have the starter tested. Good luck, Tim
If when you get the battery situation up to par and it still won't start, pull the glow plugs and see if they are Motorcraft ZD-9. If they are Autolite, get them out of there and replace with the Motorcraft ZD-9. Use ONLY Motorcraft. The Motorcraft will have the word BERU stamped on the side of a flat. OkieG
First off, the 7.3L IDI is completely different from the 7.3L PowerStroke you have dealt with before. There is not one single part common between the two engines.
Because of the design of the 7.3L IDI glow plug controller, if even one plug is bad the controller will not cycle long enough and the engine will not start easily.
My recommendation - if the engine block heater has been plugged in for several hours, it should start OK without glow plugs. It MIGHT even start OK with just one battery. I would go the block heater route before trying to fool with the glow plugs - after all, right now you just want to make sure it runs.
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1985 International rollback, 6.9L 5 speed "Li'l Big Truck"
Now that my 7.3 IDI has good compression, new glow plugs and injectors and a rebuilt IP, it starts within 1 or 2 cranks with only one battery. It is a far cry from when I bought it in March where It would not start without being plugged in. There were 2 bad glow plugs. I replaced them and it would start with maybe 15 second of cranking. It was after replacing the injectors (3 were bad) and a rebuilt IP (old one was weak) that it would start immediately upon cranking. It has a lot more pep, no smoke and a lot more fun to drive. Probably better MPG too but I have not checked it.
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88 E350 7.3 C6 154k
done: Remanufactured Inj pump, New Stanadyne injectors, Michelin M/S tires, ShellZone AF & Fleetrite SCA, replaced and relocated fuel filter assembly, elec fuel pump, no flying saucer, return lines/ o-ring kit, new heater core, 8 Beru glow plugs, oil & filter, stabilator on sliding door (plastic slider cracked in half)
Nubie, Great HiJack,
Do you need directions as how to determine Miles Per Gallon? Or still working on the lug nuts?
Yours
BB
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'93 F-250 IDI, 4x4, K&N, no soup bowl, stock, with 265,XXX miles 5 speed, 3.55, kind of new LUK clutch, runs great, starts great, it is great. The truck is getting old.
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