I've got an 89 F250 that sat and didn't run for about 8 years. Over the last few months I've been getting it going again.

I had all fluids changed, tanks drained and refilled with fresh diesel. Cleaned the IP out good with a heavy dose of Stanadyne. The rear fuel tank developed a bad leak so it had to be replaced as well.

The truck has always been difficult to start. My Dad has owned it for about 15 years now and it has never liked cold weather. But now it's worse.

I started reading here and checked for air intrusion. The petcock on the lower fuel filter housing was leaking, so I replaced that with a solid bottom filter. Then the return lines started leaking, so I did the return line and o-ring kit.

After that I noticed that the fuel element heater has a slight leak.

Today I replaced all eight glow plugs with new motorcraft plugs. They hadn't been changed in our 15 year history with the truck so it was time.

It's got two new 850 cca batteries, but the cables are old and the insulation is cracked in a few spots.

I have a few questions....

- How difficult is it to fix the fuel element heater leak? I found the pic thread detailing that, but is it something that a newbie should tackle? Does the part need to be replaced, or can I get by with just new o-rings?

- The block heater doesn't work at all. This one has three posts and the wires are clamped to the posts. The green wire isn't attached well so that could be the problem. I'm thinking that if I go to the trouble of taking the starter off to fix it I should go ahead and drain the coolant and replace the heater and then put fresh coolant back in after flushing the system....good plan???

- How can I tell if the glow plugs I took out were shot? They were motorcraft and I noticed several were swollen slightly in the middle.

This truck HATES cold weather. It was 19° this morning and it took three cycles of attempts to get it started. Hopefully the new glow plugs help. This thing is a daily driver now so I need to get it as dependable as possible.

Thanks

 

try to repair your block heater, you will be glad you did. when the glows come on do they come on for more than 4 seconds? should start to 0 with out block heater, how ever much better with heater, about $19 for a timer so you can save power. there are several watt rating's for new block heater's research be for you buy.

 

Wait to start has been coming on for 10-11 seconds on cold mornings, but it will crank and crank without starting.

I will pick up a block heater tomorrow. That may be my weekend project.

If this doesn't help I will be back to suspecting air intrusion.

 

the bad battery cables are your first priority.pretty much all these trucks need new ones if they haven't been changed out by now.you can tell when they're shot.they appear black at the pass side post and in your case,they are actually cracked.you don't want a fire and burn her up.so you've got to get some new cables.she'll turn over way faster with a fresh set.
im in the process of doing this again with my new to me f450 but i get side tracked with deer hunting and football lol.

the fuel filter heater,you can just jb weld that if you want.if you want a fuel heater,a much more affordable solution would be to install a coolant filter and wrap both filters together,or simply install an aux fuel filter blanket.i had one gel up but it was due to water in fuel in the winter and it froze.if the filter heater worked i suppose it may have thawed and not been an issue,but i never had it happen again,so i didn't install a filter warmer.i don't think the heater on the 450 works either.i felt the top and it didn't feel like it ever got warm so i guess it doesn't.

 

Well it did something different this morning. 21 degrees and the WTS light stayed on 15-16 seconds which it had never done before with the old plugs. It started 3-4 seconds into the second attempt so maybe if I get the air leak fixed it'll get better still.

Do you mean jb weld under the hookup to the fuel heater, or cover the entire hole and remove the hookup?

Ill price out new battery cables today as well as pick up a block heater. I need to read through the FAQ thread again to see what kind of coolant to put back in after changing the heater.

 

I bought a new positive battery cable last week at O'Reillys..$88.00; this is one continuous cable from driver's side battery through passenger side battery, starter solenoid and starter motor. Well made and worth the money!

I also bought a fuel filter heater at the local Ford Dealership...$155.00 plus tax. My personal recomendation is to use the black Permatex gasket sealant rather than JB Weld. The previous owner JB Welded the heater connection which forced me to buy a new element because the old repair started leaking again. Permatex can be removed and cleaned up if you want to tackle the o-ring repair. I also need the pig tail that plugs into the heater now because he JB welded that too...NLA at the dealership. Anyone have a spare from an old wire harness or know where I can get one?

Cheers,
Fred

 

For a stock positive cable replacement oreillys auto parts sells a direct oem replacement for the negatives a few replacements are available any 0/2 cable replacement that is long enough will work with no problems

 

i got about 2 10ft 2/0 + cables off bmw's from the yard $10 in mint condition, there are other the same way with the battery in the trunk.

 

My factory starter finally kicked the bucket a few weeks back. 255k on the ticker. Bought an aftermarket high torque starter. Crazy difference. Just a quick bump on the ignition and it's fired. Even in the mornings when cold. I can give you the info on it if you like.

 

Yeah I'd like the info on that starter. My starter has been replaced but it will probably need replacing again.

I found the leak in the fuel element heater....looks like a mouse chewed the black plug on top and put a pinhole in it. I've got permeated on it now but it probably needs some jb weld to seal it up.

 

Here's the info on the starter. It's not that much more than a OEM but this thing seriously cranks. Like I said, all I do is literally bump the key and shes running. Double check your spec year and model to make sure it fits. I can't say anything about the longevity of it as I've only had it in for a little over a month but so far I'm nothing but impressed.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PWM-9050

 

You should also consider replacing your stock mechanical lift pump with an electric one. With the electric, it is running while your glow plugs are warming up, so it is priming the system and pushing any air out. Mine would start well if you started it every day, but after a week of sitting, then it would take several cranking sessions as yours does. Now with the electric pump, it can sit for a week and still starts on the first go.

With regards to the heater, mine leaked too, but i just replaced it with a 1/2" pipe plug. I live in Texas, tho, so gelling fuel is not an issue for me.

 

How big of a job is the electric pump mod? Do I replace the mechanical pump, or is the electric only used prior to startup and then the mechanical takes over after the engine is running?

 

im right there with ya now rock.going through the f450.
just finished up installing new battery cables,ripped out the stock lift pump and tossed that thing in the scrap pile,blocked it off with a plate,and installed an dura lift electric pump to run off a relay triggered via the fss.
my metal bowl was leaking.i jb welded it for now.iv got a clear bowl replacement coming,and now i see it's fuel heater is leaking.i'll see about plugging/jb welding that now too.id replace the seal if the heating element worked,but it doesn't,so she's getting plugged.
she starts easy now!

someone here did a nice clear detailed write up on the dura lift install,but i be danged if i can find rock.i'll keep looking.i thought i subscribed to it but i apparently not.
..........ah dangit.i know it's here on this site and in this section.i know obn has one,but i know someone did a a real good one here too and just can't find that sob thread! lol.


crew,
that starter looks good.i see she's warrantied for 1 year.
don't forget though that auto zone has remans of the factory units priced real good and they include a lifetime warranty.

 

Either way is acceptible but most folks just run on the electric and do away with the mechanical. That's what I did, however, I left my mechanical in place as a backup should the electric fail. I put the electric close by so I could re-route the hoses to the mechanical on the side of the road should that ever happen.