Diesel Newcomer on Cold Starting - Diesel Forum

P-ROY · 10-13-2009, 10:21 PM

Hey

folks,

I bought a 1989 7.3 F250 XLT (wrongly perhaps) this summer and discovered that it has one cracked/seized glow plug and a wavering rpm needle when at idle and when driving. It starts rough in the morning at (40F) (i have to pump accelerator) but starts fine all day at less than 2 hour intervals.
I suspect it is leaking air somewhere in the system or it is an injector. Winter is coming up and it is fierce where i live (-4F), i am worrying about morning starts (even if i plug the block in). If i fix the glow plug, it won't necessarily solve the problem.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

branmala · 10-13-2009, 11:49 PM

Well if you have a air leak it is going to have to be taken care of as far as the glow plug that is stuck search for zigsters posts he will explain how to fix that without having to pull your head. I would post the link but I am on my phone and can't do that. But for a piece of advice if you take off your intake and have any fuel/wet spots on your injectors or lines you need to buy you a return line kit with injector orings and new plastiv caps (about 45bucks us) but that's just my 2 cents.

branmala · 10-13-2009, 11:52 PM

Oh and by the way you didn't make a mistake buying a 7.3 idi. Trust me, just have patiance that truck will get you through when your buddies are in the shop.

P-ROY · 10-14-2009, 10:09 AM

Thanks for the advice. I do indeed have wet spots at my injector lines, around the bottom of the cylinder head. Will see if i can buy a return line kit
in my area.

RLDSL · 10-14-2009, 01:11 PM

If the GP is stuck, get a set of these things and a can of aero Kroil. Bring the piston to tdc as in Ziggs article.
Spray it down with the kroil and let sit over night. Turn out till it stops insert the tool in the threads and soak overnight again. next day spray again and work it up a but till it stops then spray again and workthe plug up and down spraying liberally to work carbon off the edges, then soak overnight again, next day go after it again with the tool, time is your friend here. The tool gives you an extension of the threads to keep the plug going out straight. DO not force anything and do not twist anything, always gently. It may take a week, but if you follow the pattern It should come out I have yet to loose one that way. I invented a homemade tool for removing stuck plugs from european diesels before I knew these things existed and their tool is exactly like what I came up with ( great minds think alike

so I know the design works. Just don't get in a hurry.

RLDSL · 10-14-2009, 01:13 PM

Here is a link to Ziggs article

P-ROY · 10-16-2009, 09:25 PM

Thanks RLDSL, that is a really good tip. I still have some hex to grab onto so I will try and ease it out slowly with the kroil over a few days if need be.

P-ROY · 10-20-2009, 05:06 PM

I havent had the time to tinker with the stuck glow plug yet.

However, I did bypass the glow plug control module and the truck started up

fine this morning after a 28F night! Safe to say that a hard start is most

likely glow plug related, just not necessarily the glow plugs themselves.

Do any of you know where to buy this part for a fair price? I've been quoted

in the $300 range. Thanks