[Max2025]

Greetings,
Have an f-250 1986 with a 7.3 IDI NA engine. The engine it’s not the original. I bought the trucks a couple weeks ago and when I try to crank up the engine not only won’t start but smoke comes out of the starter solenoid. The cable attached on the battery seems to be the problem. Any idea what’s going on? I’m new to diesels, thanks!

 

[bugman]

The electrical on a diesel works just like it does on a gas vehicle for the most part.

If the solenoid is smoking it could be a loose connection, bad connection, or the solenoid itself.

 

[Max2025]

The electrical on a diesel works just like it does on a gas vehicle for the most part.

If the solenoid is smoking it could be a loose connection, bad connection, or the solenoid itself.
.
Thanks for replying. Now it’s the red cable coming from the battery as the one getting hot and smoking.

 

[bugman]

That's the one that is carrying all the current to run the starter and the rest of the electronics on the truck. It could be a corroded terminal on the end of it that is bad.

Take it off and look at the eye terminal and the copper wire going into the eye. If you see any green crud or greenish wires then odds are that is your problem. You can also take a volt/ohm meter and measure the voltage from the battery ground to different spots on the cable such as the terminals. With a digital meter you might see the voltage drop from one spot to the next. Voltage drop is bad.

 

[Steve83]

Now it’s the red cable coming from the battery as the one getting hot and smoking.

Remove that stack of ring terminals, clean each one down to flat, shiny metal, and clean the relay stud & nut so that every surface in-contact makes a good electrical connection, as this page explains:

(click this text)

 

[Max2025]

Thanks guys for the help, I’ve cleaned up the connections and the problem was solved. Now I’m trying to figure out why the engine won’t start so I’ve been working on the glow plug relay which seems to be working fine, now I’m going after replacing all the glow plug and water/fuel separator. I need to install the CDR valve, I have checked for power on the glow plug connections and they all seem to be receiving power. I’m attaching a picture of the engine in its current condition.
Also, if anybody know on the second picture I’m attaching, the tube connection that’s loose...what goes connected to it? And the disk looking part...what goes connected to it? The truck has a 7.3 IDI Non turbo on a 1986 f-250

 

[Steve83]

How exactly are you checking "power" to the glow plugs? Have you checked resistance through each glow plug?

 

[Max2025]

How exactly are you checking "power" to the glow plugs? Have you checked resistance through each glow plug?

I have checked the resistance of each glow plug and they all seem to be working fine. Tomorrow I’ll change the glow plugs along with the fuel/water filter and see sto crank it up again.

 

[klhansen]

Are you sure what you have? That square piece directly above the engine at the rear of the engine sure looks like the inlet to a turbo (exhaust side). I'm not familiar with the IDI, but I'd guess that's for a turbo.

 

[Max2025]

Are you sure what you have? That square piece directly above the engine at the rear of the engine sure looks like the inlet to a turbo (exhaust side). I'm not familiar with the IDI, but I'd guess that's for a turbo.

It is indeed the pipe to connect the turbo. The previous owner was planning to install a banks turbo but never completed it other than installing the pipe. The 7.3 in the pic it’s confirmed a non turbo.