Hello All:

I want to take a moment and first say hello and thanks for all that you guys do...hopefully, one day I can be of some help to others here. I am not new to FTE, but I am new to this forum (since I just bought my first diesel truck).

I apologize for my ignorance, but I understand gasoline engines and only have driven diesels engines (military), never worked on them (the 7.3L doesn't seem bad though, from the limited reading I've done so far).

What did I just buy?
1993 Ford F350 Dually, 7.3L IDI (NA)
Axle Code N5 - 4:10 limited (?)
E4OD Tranny
268,xxx miles
$1,800 price tag (is this good?)

Repairs right before I picked it up:
1. New windshield wiper motor
2. Two new batteries
3. New brake lines, in the back (replacing the ones that broke/rusted/rotted)
4. Oil change and filter replaced
5. Fuel filter replaced
6. Push-button **** installed for starting (steering column ignition issues)
7. Fuel additive added (for water and such, will totally replace fuel once it's burned of course)

(All work done by a friend who is a certified diesel mechanic for the past 40 years, but he's waaaayyyy busy and hard to talk with right now, winter time diesel issues of course)

What I know doesn't work:
1. None of the glow plugs work (but the controller does cycle and stops cycling)
2. It seems the block heater doesn't work (plugged it up last night and checked this morning and nothing under the hood was warm).

A couple issue I noticed as I was driving home and don't really know how to deal with (this truck sat for three years in a yard before now):

1. Around 40mph, the truck shakes fairly well (does it a few mph before and a few mph after 40 mph) and the engine bogs down like it's starving for fuel. The shake feels like it's in the torque converter. It may not be, but that's where it feels like it is (no steering wheel shake and no shake in the seat so I figure it's not the tires, even though it does need tires)

2. The brake pedal is mushy and falls slowly to the floor when the truck is running (moving or sitting still). All new brake lines have been installed on the truck and the brake system was bled by machine before I picked the truck up. I assume this in not a vacuum problem since the pedal is not hard to press (except when the truck is not running).

Answers to these issue are probably somewhere on this board and I apologize for wasting space and time, however I don't want to die driving this truck if these are signs of something terrible. Please advise as time allows?

Doc

PS, sorry for the long message and I have an F100 I need to get rid of now, haha.

 

Hi F100, and welcome to the IDI forum!

Are you sure the axle code is N5? I can't find that anywhere... You're reading that from the sticker on the drivers door jamb, right?

The shake is a classic symptom of bad u-joints in the driveshaft... It could also be worn splines in the slip yoke.
Does the OD Off light and button on the end of the shifter work? That light flashing is how the computer indicates a trans problem.

There are several threads on the brake issue here, search is your friend.

Read the sticky thread on the new style glow plug system. That will help you diagnose & repair that system. Only use Motorcraft ZD9 glow plugs!

Make sure the block heater cord is good. The heater is on the passenger side of the block, and a PITA to change...

Sounds like a wiring or ignition switch (actual electrical ignition switch, not the key cylinder) issue if the key operates everything correctly except the starter.

The u-joints are probably the most urgent issue, followed by the brakes...

Good luck, and keep us posted!

Phy

 

Hi Phy...thanks for the response, it's been a while since I turned a wrench.

The axle code is D5 not N5, bad typo. I will go get new U-Joints and prepare for installation this weekend. I drove the truck for the first time last night and there was no blinking light on that OD button/switch, the dashboard or anywhere and I did not press the button while I was driving.

Will look for the glow plug text.

Will check chord on block heater.

Also, will try and figure the brakes out, I will attempt to bleed them again...probably need to replace them anyway (whoa is me on the dually back wheels). So, it looks like changing coolant, replacing u-joints and working on brakes is what my weekend entails. Heck, might as well change the tranny fluid as well since the truck sat in a yard for three years.

Will get back and let everyone know how things went as soon as I get them done.

Thanks,
Doc

 

Shaking at one particular speed often times has to do with alignment or tire issues. As a very general rule (I do emphasize very) before 30 mph shake: out of round tire, between 45-55: alignment, 60 mph +: tire balance.

You may have an alignment issue, although I'm not sure on how exactly smaller trucks are affected by such issues. Is there any goofy tire wear?

 

Hi Adam...no, the tire wear is very even on all six tires. When I drove it home yesterday, it didn't pull in a huge way to either side and did not pull when I pressed the "spongy" brakes. The steering wheel is slightly "crooked" when driving straight though, and I'm sure a wheel alignment is necessary after this many years.

Speaking of that, the 1993 Ford F350 just has toe alignment and no camber or caster right? Thanks for that thought.

 

It should be toe only that im aware of 2wd or 4wd. The vibration is interesting, and not knowing first hand what im talking about, could be the converter shuddering trying to lockup or something (i know theyre prone to converter problems)

Brakes sounds like a master cylinder to me, but could be soft rubber lines.. doubtfull. These trucks have "soft" brakes" but the pedal should not keep sinking.

Check the u-joints before jumping in and replacing. Set the e-brake or block tires etc. and shimmy under there. Basically you want to check for any kind of looseness in the u-joints or slip shaft, there should be none.

As for glow-plugs, best bet is to read the sticky.

If your electro-savvy you can check the resistance to the block heater and that will tell you if its working or not. but if in doubt, change it when you do the coolant flush.

With the mileage on the beast, i would do like youre saying and change the trans fluid, but i would have shop flush it vs. just dropping the pan and changing the filter as that only replaces around 40% of the fluid.

1800 is a pretty good price for it, assuming the body / interior is in mostly decent shape.

 

Welcome f100 to the diesel side of fte!!!! Post some puctures we like them!!!

 

While you are checking U-joints, check the rear axle yoke. First generation sterling 10.25 axles famous for this. My truck has one with yoke wobble, and it makes a pretty strong vibration at about that speed also. Requires new pinion bearings, or if you can find a cheap 2nd generation sterling at a junkyard... (2nd generation has longer yoke splines and is stronger and less prone to failure). Welcome to the IDI forum!

 

Vfelix...I was about to upload some photos last night, but when I clicked on the photo button, it wants a url...things have changed at FTE I see, it's been a while.

If there is another way, beside having the photos resident at a url, I will do it fairly quickly. Otherwise I have to wait until I create a photobucket account or something like that. Thanks for the welcome.

I actually have a photo I would like someone to look at, or maybe I can describe it. There is a wire that goes into the top of the housing for the fuel filter (right side, top of engine). Does anybody know what the wire does, mine is broken, I assume some kind of sensor for water or something and I don't have a manual yet?

 

...will do on the yokes and splines. My intention actually is to replace all the U-joints, even if they are good I'll just keep the old ones somewhere for spares (I got four different sizes yesterday when I bought them, we shall see if that's correct). I don't it as a waste of money to replace them, I look at it as a safety precaution since I'm going to use this truck to pull heavy trailers.

 

Wire on top of the FF head would the fuel heater, which is unnecessary in most cases anyway.

With your truck being a 93, it should already have the 2nd gen Sterling axle.

Im guessing youve never done u-joints..? IDK i sure wouldnt put a used one back in. Change em if thats what you want, but junk the ones that come out. Buy quality joints, not some cheapies at shmucks

 

When I added this message I realized it was a mistake and couldn't figure out how to delete just this one message from the discussion, sorry. Any administrator can surely delete it if he chooses.

 

If the flush will get out the old then sure, do it. But i would still drop the pan and change the filter.

 

Thanks Hairy, I thought it was a stupid question and got rid of it...so, that means I need to do it myself or find someone who will do it all since Valvoline will not drop the pan for the new filter.

 

...thanks for all the help guys, it's been priceless!!!

Well, this morning, after an extremely hard time staring at 60 F, I went for a long drive to actually see what the truck is doing. I went to the parts store and bought a remote starter, crank if with the relief valve on the fuel filter housing pressed and air came out for about 5 seconds before fuel (got a leak somewhere do I?)

1. Put the master cylinder on (after bench bleed) and the brake pedal is hard like it's suppose to be, haven't actually driven it yet running (hard to start even with ether).

2. Between 37 mph and 41 mph exactly the truck shakes terrible in the floor/seat...I got the drive shaft u-joints just haven't put them on yet.

3. There is a little play in the steering wheel, to be expected from the age, hopefully just tie rods and a wheel alignment (might try and do it with a string and a ruler, haha, that should work since there is no camber and canter).

4. This never happened (I've only had the truck 4 days), I drove the truck for about 30 minutes (between 20 mph and 65 mph) and while I was talking with a friend with the truck idling, I got in a pressed the accelerate and let off quickly to have him see if there is any smoke from the tailpipe (there is none)...but the truck stalled when I did that?

OK, will try and get to some of the other things this weekend if it doesn't get too cold).