Hey all, My 6.0 was cleaned up fluid filmed and parked for the winter a couple of months ago, or so I'd hoped, but the steering gear went bad on my gasser which I use to plow with so I had to dig out 'big bertha' to fill in while I was getting parts and repairing the gasser. I plugged in the 6.0 for a spell (it was around 0* and had been very cold these past few weeks) and she fired right up and I used it to plow for one storm. My gasser was fixed sooner than I expected so the next day I went to swap the plows back and much to my surprise the 6.0 starter would not engage, not even a click, I tried it several times and the dash lights would go out (if I remember correctly) when I turned the key to start. I lifted the hood and checked the battery cables, all looked good and got back in the truck turned the key and the second try it worked fine. I will also add that during this whole episode the scanguage said my volts were at and above 13 after the glow plugs shut off. and when it did fire up went to 14.4 like it always does. I parked the truck thinking I would deal with it in the warmer weather but I may need it again for plowing if my gasser lets me down and am thinking I should find out what happened now as opposed to when I get in a jam and need it quick. Any thoughts would be helpful. Sorry for the long post but I wanted to give you the whole story. I hate electrical 'ghosts' and don't have a lot of luck chasing them.

 

My gasser would do that when the solenoid was going bad, no clicking like a dead battery, just one click and nothing. Turn the key several times and it would catch. I'd clean the battery terminals as well.

 

The solenoid is on the starter correct? If so I may as well start thinking about replacing the starter.....I'm quite sure it's the original and I'm getting up close to 120,000. Thanks for the reply.

 

1. Check any wireing associated with the plow or that you may have distrubed while removeing the plow for shorts or chafes. A small short or draw if it's v/amp draw stays below the melt point of the fuse you can have a continual draw/drain on the system without popping the fuse on that circuit.
2. The battery sometimes takes a few minutes to recover after that type of draw is removed.
3. Check your batts and alternater charge rate and recovery time.
4. May noy be every possibility but a good start to begin checking.

 

Thanks Dannyboy950......I will check it out thoroughly when I get a chance, it's parked again for now......snowing and more Deep freeze on the way for the rest of this week (16* below for tomorrow night and cold during the days also) so hopefully I won't need it. If the weather doesn't cooperate I may end up at the shop that does most of my tinkering this time of year and just let them trouble shoot it ( don't have a garage big enough to get these behemoths in and close the door and the old bones don't stand the cold like they used to. But again, I thank you for the reply.

 

Solenoid on the starter, yes.

 

I priced starters on the net and found them to be around $100.00 give or take, does that sound right to everyone?

 

There was a thread awhile back discussing starters. Apparently NAPA carries a "heavy duty" unit for the 6.0 (in addition to their standard starter). A couple of posters were talking them up as far as being a little faster crank speed, good quality and a good warranty. I don't have one but kinda made a mental note to check one out if I ever had the need. Not sure about the price.

 

Throw a 6.4 starter on it, it'll spin!

 

You beat me to it.

 

The info on the Napa starter was also to buy a new unit, not a reman.

 

Tell me more...

Do they bolt right up?
What makes it a better upgrade? is it gear reduction?

Dont need a starter now, but I also like to file away pertinent information...

 

Thanks to everyone for the information, I appreciate it and will do some research to see what I can come up with in my area, When I buy things like this I try to buy local in the event that I need to use the warranty.......among the other obvious reason that local shops will only be around as long as we use them.

 

I would like to know what you find out on this. My '05 did the exact same thing twice when it first started getting cold this winter. It hasn't done it since but now when it's cold, only when the truck is cold and it's cold outside, when its cranking it'll kinda I don't know how to describe exactly but call it a skip or like its cutting out. It's kind like cranking one with real weak batteries but it doesn't do it the whole time it's cranking, just intermittently until it fires up. The batteries are good, always above 13 volts according to the torque pro and all the other vitals look good too. I'm leaning towards the starter but why would it only do it when it's cold outside and the truck is cold?

 

Yes, it will bolt in. It will spin faster than the stock unit. As far as price, from Ford they are priced about the same anyways. (SA-931 is the 6.0 starter, and SA-965 is the 6.4 starter)