Bought the IDI! Starting issues.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,481
Likes: 5,542
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
you want to start the engine cold, not hot. if the wait to start light comes on for around 10 seconds and it starts, that is usually an indication of someone that takes care of their equipment. if it will not start, starts for a second and dies then needs to crank over for a minute or so to refire, or needs ether to cold start, these are indicators of bad glow plug circuit and air intrusion.
another thing to check is oil level and oil condition. if it is milky or smells like diesel fuel.
coolant condition. is it nice green color, or milky.
milky oil or coolant is a sign of leaking oil cooler.
fuel smell and overfilled oil on the dipstick is a sign of a leaking fuel pump that has diluted the oil.
pull the oil fill and look for excessive blow by.
engine running look for smoke from exhaust on warmed up engine. if it smells sweet it is burning coolant. also check to see if it smells like burning oil.
look at the engine for leaks. minor seepage from valve cover gaskets is normal.
there should be no leaks from the injector pump, or on top of the injectors.
coolant from the bottom of the water pump or at the front crank pulley is a bad water pump. oil leaking from the front crank area is a bad front main seal, oil dripping the bell housing is a bad rear main seal.
look for cut and spliced wires under the hood and under the dash.
another thing to remember is the speedometer resets to zero at 100,000 miles. there is no way to tell actual miles once it rolls over except to trust what the seller tells you.
my 88 currently has a little over 494,000 miles on it.
once i put the new cab on it i could easily pass it off as a 94,000 mile truck.
another thing to check is oil level and oil condition. if it is milky or smells like diesel fuel.
coolant condition. is it nice green color, or milky.
milky oil or coolant is a sign of leaking oil cooler.
fuel smell and overfilled oil on the dipstick is a sign of a leaking fuel pump that has diluted the oil.
pull the oil fill and look for excessive blow by.
engine running look for smoke from exhaust on warmed up engine. if it smells sweet it is burning coolant. also check to see if it smells like burning oil.
look at the engine for leaks. minor seepage from valve cover gaskets is normal.
there should be no leaks from the injector pump, or on top of the injectors.
coolant from the bottom of the water pump or at the front crank pulley is a bad water pump. oil leaking from the front crank area is a bad front main seal, oil dripping the bell housing is a bad rear main seal.
look for cut and spliced wires under the hood and under the dash.
another thing to remember is the speedometer resets to zero at 100,000 miles. there is no way to tell actual miles once it rolls over except to trust what the seller tells you.
my 88 currently has a little over 494,000 miles on it.
once i put the new cab on it i could easily pass it off as a 94,000 mile truck.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 20,357
Likes: 813
From: Mi'kma'ki
when looking at a 7.3l idi truck,i focus my attention to the truck not the engine.whatever the engine needs (as long as it starts,run's and sounds decent) probably fails in comparison to what the rest of the 20+ yr old truck will need (even when considering complete engine replacement) so if the truck is sound and doesn't need much,or it's priced accordingly to it's condition and state of disrepair,the odds are high the legendary powerplant will be one of, if not the least of your concerns.
there are no dead giveaways that the truck is worth running away from engine wise,so long as the truck is priced accordingly..........idi engines are not expensive,nor complicated engine replacements.diesel engines changed drastically after this one however.
i should add,
there's nothing cheap about the cheapest diesel option (idi) for the f-series pickups.
every 100k the injection pump and fuel injectors should be replaced,along with being properly timed (you can't find anyone to do this anymore,so tools are needed)
plan of a grand or more for this because the odds are high,it's been neglected.just because it runs,doesn't mean it's running like new anymore.if the truck can hardly get out of it's own way, let alone attempting to tow anything,this may be the most likely reason......aside from it not being turbocharged if it isn't.
there are no dead giveaways that the truck is worth running away from engine wise,so long as the truck is priced accordingly..........idi engines are not expensive,nor complicated engine replacements.diesel engines changed drastically after this one however.
i should add,
there's nothing cheap about the cheapest diesel option (idi) for the f-series pickups.
every 100k the injection pump and fuel injectors should be replaced,along with being properly timed (you can't find anyone to do this anymore,so tools are needed)
plan of a grand or more for this because the odds are high,it's been neglected.just because it runs,doesn't mean it's running like new anymore.if the truck can hardly get out of it's own way, let alone attempting to tow anything,this may be the most likely reason......aside from it not being turbocharged if it isn't.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 913
Likes: 7
you want to start the engine cold, not hot. if the wait to start light comes on for around 10 seconds and it starts, that is usually an indication of someone that takes care of their equipment. if it will not start, starts for a second and dies then needs to crank over for a minute or so to refire, or needs ether to cold start, these are indicators of bad glow plug circuit and air intrusion.
another thing to check is oil level and oil condition. if it is milky or smells like diesel fuel.
coolant condition. is it nice green color, or milky.
milky oil or coolant is a sign of leaking oil cooler.
fuel smell and overfilled oil on the dipstick is a sign of a leaking fuel pump that has diluted the oil.
pull the oil fill and look for excessive blow by.
engine running look for smoke from exhaust on warmed up engine. if it smells sweet it is burning coolant. also check to see if it smells like burning oil.
look at the engine for leaks. minor seepage from valve cover gaskets is normal.
there should be no leaks from the injector pump, or on top of the injectors.
coolant from the bottom of the water pump or at the front crank pulley is a bad water pump. oil leaking from the front crank area is a bad front main seal, oil dripping the bell housing is a bad rear main seal.
look for cut and spliced wires under the hood and under the dash.
another thing to remember is the speedometer resets to zero at 100,000 miles. there is no way to tell actual miles once it rolls over except to trust what the seller tells you.
my 88 currently has a little over 494,000 miles on it.
once i put the new cab on it i could easily pass it off as a 94,000 mile truck.
another thing to check is oil level and oil condition. if it is milky or smells like diesel fuel.
coolant condition. is it nice green color, or milky.
milky oil or coolant is a sign of leaking oil cooler.
fuel smell and overfilled oil on the dipstick is a sign of a leaking fuel pump that has diluted the oil.
pull the oil fill and look for excessive blow by.
engine running look for smoke from exhaust on warmed up engine. if it smells sweet it is burning coolant. also check to see if it smells like burning oil.
look at the engine for leaks. minor seepage from valve cover gaskets is normal.
there should be no leaks from the injector pump, or on top of the injectors.
coolant from the bottom of the water pump or at the front crank pulley is a bad water pump. oil leaking from the front crank area is a bad front main seal, oil dripping the bell housing is a bad rear main seal.
look for cut and spliced wires under the hood and under the dash.
another thing to remember is the speedometer resets to zero at 100,000 miles. there is no way to tell actual miles once it rolls over except to trust what the seller tells you.
my 88 currently has a little over 494,000 miles on it.
once i put the new cab on it i could easily pass it off as a 94,000 mile truck.
Will be looking at it after 12 or so today.
when looking at a 7.3l idi truck,i focus my attention to the truck not the engine.whatever the engine needs (as long as it starts,run's and sounds decent) probably fails in comparison to what the rest of the 20+ yr old truck will need (even when considering complete engine replacement) so if the truck is sound and doesn't need much,or it's priced accordingly to it's condition and state of disrepair,the odds are high the legendary powerplant will be one of, if not the least of your concerns.
Truck was bought at auction as a repo.
Bed was taken off and placed on another truck, the other bed (damaged) placed on this one.
I'd hardly consider the IDI to be legendary but, ok.
there are no dead giveaways that the truck is worth running away from engine wise,so long as the truck is priced accordingly..........idi engines are not expensive,nor complicated engine replacements.diesel engines changed drastically after this one however.
i should add,
there's nothing cheap about the cheapest diesel option (idi) for the f-series pickups.
every 100k the injection pump and fuel injectors should be replaced,along with being properly timed (you can't find anyone to do this anymore,so tools are needed)
plan of a grand or more for this because the odds are high,it's been neglected.just because it runs,doesn't mean it's running like new anymore.if the truck can hardly get out of it's own way, let alone attempting to tow anything,this may be the most likely reason......aside from it not being turbocharged if it isn't.
Truck was bought at auction as a repo.
Bed was taken off and placed on another truck, the other bed (damaged) placed on this one.
I'd hardly consider the IDI to be legendary but, ok.
there are no dead giveaways that the truck is worth running away from engine wise,so long as the truck is priced accordingly..........idi engines are not expensive,nor complicated engine replacements.diesel engines changed drastically after this one however.
i should add,
there's nothing cheap about the cheapest diesel option (idi) for the f-series pickups.
every 100k the injection pump and fuel injectors should be replaced,along with being properly timed (you can't find anyone to do this anymore,so tools are needed)
plan of a grand or more for this because the odds are high,it's been neglected.just because it runs,doesn't mean it's running like new anymore.if the truck can hardly get out of it's own way, let alone attempting to tow anything,this may be the most likely reason......aside from it not being turbocharged if it isn't.
I've never heard of replacing every 100K for the pump..
Then again my experience with mechanical diesels is based in Europe.
Truck price is 600$, E4OD, red interior (CLEAN!) no saggy headliner.
Seems the truck was maintaned fairly well before being repo'd
(I pulled the VIN, ran it across a couple sites. Went across the block in June so It hasn't been sitting long.
Here's some win:
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 3,146
Likes: 32
From: Maryville, TN
Drive the truck for a while until it gets good and hot under the hood. Then let it sit for about 20 minutes. If it has a hard time starting, the injector pump is on its last leg. You can get it restarted by pouring some water on it, but it's life will soon be over. Injector pump is probably the most costly repair on the engine, other than a rebuild.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 913
Likes: 7
Drive the truck for a while until it gets good and hot under the hood. Then let it sit for about 20 minutes. If it has a hard time starting, the injector pump is on its last leg. You can get it restarted by pouring some water on it, but it's life will soon be over. Injector pump is probably the most costly repair on the engine, other than a rebuild.
Edit:
Pics of the batteries im gonna use
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,481
Likes: 5,542
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
i think you will need at least 4 more batteries to get it started.
for $600 you cant really go wrong. you can part it out and still make money on it if it is not worth putting on the road.
cab looks like it is in good shape. that is a F-250 2 wheel drive, correct?
for $600 you cant really go wrong. you can part it out and still make money on it if it is not worth putting on the road.
cab looks like it is in good shape. that is a F-250 2 wheel drive, correct?
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 913
Likes: 7
Ill go get a few more from the patch.
Cab looks great, going to check underbody when I get there.
5th wheel/GN I typically walk away, tell tale sign of abuse to me.
Yes, 250 2 w d.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 913
Likes: 7
Bought the truck guys!
Red bed was off an F150 with 26K miles from the rust belt.
I honestly feel sorry for you guys.
Bed is trashed, both from the wreck and the rust. Tailgate is still savable.
Under side of cab is absolutely immaculate, body (white) is awesome, core support is mint, body mounts in front are in good condition.
Onto the first problem - Wouldnt even try to turn over right there. No clunk, no clink, no thud, no grinding, nothing.
Heard the G.P.R. doing it's thing, and the ignition relay in its box is clicking over.
I'll have to invest more time when it gets here.
Im thinking somewhere between ignition relay and starter there's some silly thing going on.
I was told is was running yesterday - albiet "roughly" and that somewhere there is diesel leaking.
Red bed was off an F150 with 26K miles from the rust belt.
I honestly feel sorry for you guys.
Bed is trashed, both from the wreck and the rust. Tailgate is still savable.
Under side of cab is absolutely immaculate, body (white) is awesome, core support is mint, body mounts in front are in good condition.
Onto the first problem - Wouldnt even try to turn over right there. No clunk, no clink, no thud, no grinding, nothing.
Heard the G.P.R. doing it's thing, and the ignition relay in its box is clicking over.
I'll have to invest more time when it gets here.
Im thinking somewhere between ignition relay and starter there's some silly thing going on.
I was told is was running yesterday - albiet "roughly" and that somewhere there is diesel leaking.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,481
Likes: 5,542
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
with trans in park step on throttle to the floor and release, turn key and let glow plugs cycle then jump the solenoid once the glow plug light goes out.
if it starts, this tells us either the ignition actuator is bad, the ignition switch is bad, or the neutral safety switch is bad. or the shifter is not completely in park,
my money is on a bad ignition actuator though. common replacement part with these trucks.
if it starts, this tells us either the ignition actuator is bad, the ignition switch is bad, or the neutral safety switch is bad. or the shifter is not completely in park,
my money is on a bad ignition actuator though. common replacement part with these trucks.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 913
Likes: 7
with trans in park step on throttle to the floor and release, turn key and let glow plugs cycle then jump the solenoid once the glow plug light goes out.
if it starts, this tells us either the ignition actuator is bad, the ignition switch is bad, or the neutral safety switch is bad. or the shifter is not completely in park,
my money is on a bad ignition actuator though. common replacement part with these trucks.
if it starts, this tells us either the ignition actuator is bad, the ignition switch is bad, or the neutral safety switch is bad. or the shifter is not completely in park,
my money is on a bad ignition actuator though. common replacement part with these trucks.
I tried jiggling the shift lever around, pretty familiar with MLPS failure/sensitivity.
No change there.
Makes me wonder if there wasnt something janky going on before hand.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 913
Likes: 7
Got the truck today.
Checked out all the fuses - 7 were blown, looked to be some rather cheap fuses (think: bottom of the harbor freight).
Replaced with quality fuses.
Radio works, lights works (minus corner/turning lights - idk about that yet)
Power windows/locks work. seat lumbar pump works.
Tried starting it on one battery only - no dice, just a clunk when I jumped the solenoid.
Put the battery from my '88 5.0L - a more solid clunk, no crank however.
bought another battery exactly like the one from the '88, tied it down, jumped solenoid, solid thunk.
Decided to continue jumping solenoid a couple times, after about the tenth bump on the 'noid it turned over... and fired up in a half second.
I scrambled into the truck and turned it off, added water to the coolant system, double checked it was in park, and tried it again... started even faster, hardly a half second from initial contact to starting.
Decided why stop here, jumped in and rolled it around my yard... NO POWER BRAKES. glad niether of the KIA's were in the way. Pulled it back in, turned it off by the key.
Looked underneath the truck, and it's leaking diesel, somewhere up top. Probably inj. pump.
TL;DR:
Got it started, key start still not working, truck runs but leaks diesel, truck will not shift out of first, speedo/odo not working but tacho is. trans fluid smells and looks great.
Edit1:
Went back out there, turned it back on.
Looked around for the leak, found it at the injector on passenger bank, furthest forward. Is this Inj#1?
Checked for blowby, did the kettle test. No movement at all, barely a whisper out of the oil fill cap.
Popped off the air filter, clean. Someone has already performed the soup bowl modification. Looks like they used a plasma cutter.
Checked out all the fuses - 7 were blown, looked to be some rather cheap fuses (think: bottom of the harbor freight).
Replaced with quality fuses.
Radio works, lights works (minus corner/turning lights - idk about that yet)
Power windows/locks work. seat lumbar pump works.
Tried starting it on one battery only - no dice, just a clunk when I jumped the solenoid.
Put the battery from my '88 5.0L - a more solid clunk, no crank however.
bought another battery exactly like the one from the '88, tied it down, jumped solenoid, solid thunk.
Decided to continue jumping solenoid a couple times, after about the tenth bump on the 'noid it turned over... and fired up in a half second.
I scrambled into the truck and turned it off, added water to the coolant system, double checked it was in park, and tried it again... started even faster, hardly a half second from initial contact to starting.
Decided why stop here, jumped in and rolled it around my yard... NO POWER BRAKES. glad niether of the KIA's were in the way. Pulled it back in, turned it off by the key.
Looked underneath the truck, and it's leaking diesel, somewhere up top. Probably inj. pump.
TL;DR:
Got it started, key start still not working, truck runs but leaks diesel, truck will not shift out of first, speedo/odo not working but tacho is. trans fluid smells and looks great.
Edit1:
Went back out there, turned it back on.
Looked around for the leak, found it at the injector on passenger bank, furthest forward. Is this Inj#1?
Checked for blowby, did the kettle test. No movement at all, barely a whisper out of the oil fill cap.
Popped off the air filter, clean. Someone has already performed the soup bowl modification. Looks like they used a plasma cutter.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,481
Likes: 5,542
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
yup, either the orings under the return line cap are ripped and leaking, the line was cross threaded on causing a leak, or someone loosened the line to bleed air out and forget to tighten it back up. my bet is a bad oring under the return cap though.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 913
Likes: 7
Seems to be seeping from the ends of the plastic cap.
Is it possible to strictly change the o-rings on just this injector? I really dont want to spend 50$+ on a whole return kit just for one injector. I have both HNBR and nitrile based O-Ring sets available, I'm going to try fixing it with that before the full blown kit. Any input?