I found a 96 250 w/PSD and 5 spd fairly cheap. It has 250k on it. The only problem that it has is that it runs rough when it is first started and has no power. But after 2-3 mins. it runs fine and runs strong. It isn't hard to start, so I wouldn't think it is the glow plugs. Maybe the HP oil system?.

Thanks for any help and info on this.

 

Ford had a problem w/ the injector o-rings. since psd's came out they updated the o-rings 5 times. the latest one has a pink or-ng in the center and has seemed to fix the problem. you can check for failing o-rings by removing the fuel filter, draining the fuel from the bowl and checking for oil in the housing. if you run a clean rag or just rub your finger against the side of the bowl and you get a bunch of black off of it this is oil and is coming from leaking o-rings. I would still check the glow plugs though just having one bad one could make it run rough but could also still start fine.
hope this helps

 

Having been around deisels for nearly 45 years I have learned a few things and ALL deisels depend on heat to operate. A gasser will run cold because it is spark assisted, not so a deisel. The typical deisel sound is nothing more than super compression which causes explosions thusly producing power. A deisel starts by heated probes (glow plugs) and that's just what they do GLOW RED HOT and assist the initial fuel burn because the compression (engine speed at start) is notat a high enough speed. When the deisel starts the glow plugs DO NOT ignite the fuel anymore, SUPER COMPRESSION does and thats the noise a deisel makes, its like the little remote controlled airplane engine(the glow plug starts it with a battery assist and then you remove the battery to the glow plug, it stops working and compression ignites the fuel). Replacing a glow plug because of rough running after start is like pissing in the ocean to raise its level, it does nothing. The reason deisels loap, cough and run rough after start is because more so than gassers a deisel is TOTALLY dependant on heat to operate. Smoke is spouted out because the combustion cycle is glow plug started and a cold engine trying to maintain it after the glow plugs are out of the picture, the fuel is not totally burned UNTIL the engine warms up. HEAT is created by friction within the engine and when totally warm the deisel runs fine. All deisels run a little rough at start, some more than others dependant on location. As I said before a deisel in Alaska will run a little rougher than one in Florida. You have to understand deisel technology and how they are engineered to work. Plain and simple its the MAIN reason someone that only drives a couple of city miles a day is looking for serious problems with a deisel...they are not designed for commuter driving they are long distance vehicles at a CONSTANT speed. The popularity of desiel trucks for run-around driving will rear its ugly head someday. Anyway that's why it loaps and runs rough...its a deisel. If there is a doubt in your mind, put it in a warm garage and wait til morning and watch the differance. And the cold dosen't have to be 20 degrees it can be much warmer.
Hope this helps.....Russ

 

I think if one glowplug was bad (or the electrical connection to it)
then this cylinder will not fire when then engine is started cold.
So, it will have a "dead mis" initially, running on 7 cylinders...

 

but only until the rpm reaches idle at which time compression will take over and the roughness caused by cold.

 

Howdy Yall,

I totally agree with Bob on this one.
I had one glow plug go bad and it ran
like a sack of bolts when I first started
it up. I replaced the glow plug, went
out the next morning exactly the same temp
and it started right up and ran like a champ.
So yes in my opinion one bad glow plug makes
a huge difference.

Gr8ride

 

Well this is what I came up with. I finally went and took a look at it, I haven't bought it yet.
It is somewhat hard to start. But it doesn't white smoke while turning over.
Once it does start it runs like it running on 4 cyl. And the Check engine light is on. I have no idea what code it has though.
When the check eng light is on it will hardly increase rpm when accelerator is depressed. It will eventually but it takes 10-15 seconds to get to 2000.
After a 2-3 min. the check eng light goes out and it runs fine.
This happens almost everytime I shut it off and restarted it. It was up to operating temp by then too.
I figure that the problem lies within the code(s) it has. But my autotap is for GM only so I don't have a real easy way to find out what the codes are. I thought maybe someone would have had a similar problem and maybe shed some light on it for me.

Thanks for all the replies

 

Now you tell us the CHECK ENGINE light is on! The other item is simple pure mechanical physics, plain and simple in non-arguable fact. Deisels start with red hot probes(glow) at the moment it starts the glow plugs are OUT OF PLAY 100% deisel fact, plain and simple. If you think these glow plugs continue to operate after start then for your safety NEVER work on your engine, let someone else do it!

Some times the simple truths cause the most excessive thought!

 

The glow plugs on a psd are on for up to 2 min. after the key is turned on depending on temp. If a glow plug is not working an a psd it will miss on that cylinder for a couple of seconds. I have seen it many times where the engine has run rough at cold startup or as gr8ride explained it "a sack of bolts". w/ only one bad glow plug. repalced the glow plug and it ran fine.

 

The Powerstroke's glow plug system is dependant on oil temp and altitude. The glow plug module/controller comes on between 1-120 seconds and not at all if oil temp is above 86 degrees F. At 30 deg f of engine oil temp (EOT) the glow plugs will be energized for 120 seconds, @ 40 deg abt 90 seconds,@ 60 deg abt 30 seconds. The Wait To Start or Amber Coil Icon (2002 m/y and up) lamp (1-10 seconds) is independent from actual glow plug "on" time. Add 5 seconds of on time when above 7,000 feet alt , not to exeed 120 seconds though. I hope that clears things up. I don't know how the systems are on Detriot, Cummins,Duetz, or the others for sure, but thats how the powerstroke is.

 

Jeff, first thing first. Find out what code is stored in the computer, there are many causes that will turn the check engine light on. If you get the code ( a P series code) I'm sure someone here can lead you in the right direction.

 

Thank you PSD TECH for setting the story/operation straight of the time cycles for the glow plugs after start-up!! For Jeff, all the sugestions have been very good, however, you may have to conclude that the high mileage engine that your talking about relates back the the gent that points out the relationships between diesel fuel flash point and comperssion ratio. As air is compressed while decreassing the volume, the temperature must rise, physical law of PV=nRT. To cut to the point... You may have to accept the fact that you have a bad set of rings. After the engine gets to operating temperature the thermal expansion cause the compression to near reach acceptable levels to combust diesel. This can also cause the engine light to come on due to confused sensors, like excess fuel in the exhaust, etc...Hope this helps.Sorry about my conclusions, it can be expensive.

 

Absolutely, when the avenues of diagnosis have left you with no answer,you always have to keep a base engine concern in the back of your head. Even more so on a diesel, because it uses the heat of compression to fire the fuel. Low compression=less ability to properly ignite all of the fuel in the combustion chamber resulting in a no start, rough idle, no/low power,partial misfire, smoking exhaust,ect... However, the PCM on the powerstroke does not recognize any fuel or oxygen in the exhaust like a gasser does, nor does it have the capability to set a misfire code. The 6.0 may have that ability, as that system operates on a controller area nertwork protcol, unlike the 7.3. I will find out. Thanks for being the voice of reason, bposnich.

 

It sounds to me like your exhaust back pressure (EBP) device in the turbo is closing too tightly strangulating the engine until it warms up enough to let the engine breath. If the EBP sensor were reading incorrectly on the low side, that could cause the check engine light to come on, then when the engine warms up and the EBP sensor warms up it could be falling into the parameters set in the ECM, and the check engine light goes out. Another thing to check is the EBP tube and fitting on the exhaust manifold. If either of them are plugged with carbon or any other crap that prevents the EBP sensor from getting a proper reading, that could also cause the symptoms you describe and cause the check engine light to come on (although it would probably stay on if that were the case). The key to this mystery is to get those codes that caused the check engine light to come on.

 

Well? I've all of a sudden come into this very same problem on my 94. Gotta fess up, this is a work truck around my "farm" that is used once or twice a week, mostly on the weekends. I will also confess that it's been since last summer that oil was changed (but less than 3K miles). I am eagerly awaiting what the code might be. In the interim, I just spent $85 on filters and oil to see if it clears it up. What's the possibility that it's an intake sensor problem, and can that be cleaned rather than replaced?