Such an amazing community here. Just finished working on my truck with TorreadorDiesel. What a great guy. Comes over after working all day and spends 3 hours working with my truck.

Off topic a bit: but he is one more example of why I just can't ever believe all the political crap I read online that makes it seem like most Americans are mean hateful SOBs. Where are all of these racists and socialist rioters we see on the news? My experience is that almost everyone is damn good people.

Bad news is we didn't get my truck to run, but it did kinda start and chug for a few seconds, much closer to running that I've ever gotten it to do. He agrees that all the data looks fine. He thinks it's just still got air in the oil and/or fuel.

My batteries ran down so we went and bought the charger I went looking for last week but didn't pull the trigger on thinking I needed something stronger. This is a 30A and it makes a big difference over the 8A I had.

He had me loosen the upper fuel fillter cap and turn the key for a second to pump air out. Also disconnected the glow plug module to save the battery. Otherwise, we just cranked on it. After getting the new charger on and letting it charge for 30 minutes, he gave it a long crank and it made it past the sputtering stage I'd only seen - actually started and ran for a few seconds. He tried to give it gas and it died, then went back to sputtering.

So, he thinks I just need to keep cranking on it. I'm now letting the batteries charge up real good - one overnight and the other one in the morning.

Forgot to ask him - should I be worried about burning up the FICM? Do I need to take out the relay and just crank it a long time to get air out of the oil system? Of course, letting the starter cool off between cranks. 30 second cranks, 5 minute cool down?

Bad news, I broke the cap on my upper fuel filter. When he bled that filter, a lot of fuel spilled into the valley, and when we started cranking, it smelled like it was leaking. It was dark in my driveway, so I couldn't see well. Gave it another good tug with my ratchet to make sure it was tight. Then, when we wanted to try to bleed it again after it started, it was on so tight that it broke trying to take it off. Any tricks for getting it off other than driving a screwdriver into it with a hammer? I''m afraid of pieces getting into the bowl - on these Eseries, you can't see into that bowl to know whether you got all the pieces out.

Anyway, feel a little positive seeing it almost run, but the way it went back to sputtering makes me still worried. It just seems that I've already cranked so much that all the air would be gone by now.

NEW QUESTION: not urgent right now, but this truck also leaks a bit of oil out the bell housing. A tech told me it needed a new seal. Can that be replaced by one man with a floor jack? These trannies look stout - not sure I can handle it by myself lying under the truck, or whether there's enough room to get it out of the way. Maybe I need to put the truck up on jackstands under all wheels. Is the seal itself easy to replace?

Thanks again to Torreador Diesel. I'm taking him out for a steak dinner when I get this running and make some money.

 

Yes, pull the FICM relay during all of this cranking to avoid damaging the FICM. If you DO end up damaging it, we could certainly take care of you, but better to not damage it at all.

Just yank the relay and crank on it until you see your ICP numbers top the magical 500psi and see your corresponding IPR duty cycle numbers drop away from the 85%.

 

Razzi is good with a computer and has been around these engines for quite some time, it sounds like you are close to running. You need to get out more and get to know people like Ed, Anthony and Razzi....... We really do have a great community and dedicated owners.

 

And those fuel and oil caps, they are a compressed o-ring seal that only need to be tightened to the point of lip contact. Tight does nothing, except over stressing the plastic.

 

Yeah, it was a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth, being dark out, and not being able to see anything on these dang Eseries. I freaked when he kinda freaked and said we were leaking diesel - hadn't ever done that and we couldn't see in the darkness where it was coming from. It was just the drip from the fuel that came out when he cracked the cap to bleed air. I didn't realize how much had come out being the guy turning the key then. Now he's the guy on the key and I'm looking for the leak. So I reached in the darkness and gave the cap another good tug.

 

LOL - truth, and you don't know how much truth. Without the ugly details, in my heartbroken self-pity I hid in my basement for several years disappointed in the human race. My mom's Alzheimer's was a good excuse to escape with my dog to Houston where I know no one. Then switched careers, for a whole lot less money, to start driving around the country by ourselves. I have literally gone weeks at a time without talking to anyone in person. It was only the knowledge that I'd outlive my dog and end up old and lonely that got me out a bit - figured I better try women one more time. Dang, if the good Lord didn't lead a fine babe to my door. Still don't know anyone here, but I'm not hiding anymore. Introspection is not something I lack, btw.

Didn't see the Regional Chapters link here until last week. I'd heard about them and looked at all the Community links, but there's nothing there or anywhere in the forum top nav. Finally found it at the bottom of the forums tab on the site's top nav - it doesn't appear on my laptop's screen until I scroll past Diesel, which I had no reason to do. Someone tell them to elevate it.

Just missed the Texas Chapter meeting last month - aarrrgh.

 

Speaking of pulling the FICM power relay, I would find the ECM power relay and swap it with another relay. About every 3 to 4 months I swap all of my relays around. Some relays get more use then others so the contacts will get burnt and pitted more then others and that spells trouble. It is like rotating tires to get the best wear out of them.


Ed

 

I see Ed chimed in quickly. Repeated cranking is definitely what fried my FICM. Apparently past the point of no repair... damage to the entire module, not just the top shell? Mechanic said it wasn't repairable (???), bought a new module. Set me back $800.

 

Thanks, Ed, but that doesn't make me feel better. I've always gotten more than 500 psi, and no IPR problems. As I said, the data has always looked good. In the bright light of day, I'm not sure what we accomplished last night except getting a better charger and me breaking the fuel cap. Razzi kept thinking it was about to start, just needed to crank stronger longer, and we did get one mini-start, but I've felt like it was about to start for 3 weeks now.

Still, that Razzi showed up was a huge morale lift. People helping people is such a beautiful thing. Brings a tear to my eye. I've donated lots of time/money to local charities over the years and like to think I'm amassing karma bucks (more likely, just repaying a karma deficit).

But progress has been limited by my batteries discharging so quickly. This charger does get them going pretty quickly, so I'm just going to crank all day and see what happens. Just gotta be careful not to burn up my starter or FICM.

Since I'm getting IP pressure and no IPR problems, am I doing no good to crank without the FICM relay in? And with it in, I'll prolly end up burning out my FICM if it never starts? Dang, that will be my luck.

 

That sounds like good advice. Was going to swap the FICM relay, but it seems to be different than all the others, which all look the same.

 

Should I have any concern about leaving the GPCM unplugged as Torreador suggested? It's not cold here. Will that keep it from starting?

 

Glad you got connected with someone, I was getting worried when no one said anything in your post in the TX chapter.

I'm not going to call your guy wrong without seeing it, but is the leak FROM the rear main seal? Or the bed plate? Every 6.0 I've ever been under (except the brand new ones) had a drip or two clinging on to the bell housing, the oil plug, or somewhere underneath. Nature of the beast with so much oil out of the block up in the valley, it rolls off the back, plus the glow plug bus can leak from the rocker box.

If it's the bed plate resealing is not going to happen in-frame, the engine comes out. If it's the rear main seal, the transmission comes out. I would make really sure it's not one of the more common leaks before going down either of those roads.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...att66f100.html

 

Yeah, not sure. "My guy" was a tech at an independent shop hired by someone who was thinking about buying this ambulance when I first bought it. Have since decided to keep it for now.

He did inform me about the oil in the coolant. Honestly, just negligence on my part. The truck ran fine all the way back from Minnesota, and I was just going to flip it after a buddy hosed me into buying at an auction for him and then bailing on me.

It does have a bit more oil in the bell housing than I would think is normal, but not so much as to be dripping. Haven't really worried about it yet. Figure as long as I keep oil topped off I'm OK.

I was hopeful that someone would respond to my plea for help, but wasn't expecting it so much. It's a lot to ask for someone to come help. Especially from Texas - maybe Rhode Island or Hawaii, lol. Torreador lives more than an hour away, and came over after work. If he didn't have to work again today and have a wife at home, I expect he'd still be here. One helluva guy. I know he hated to leave without seeing it run.

 

Torreador texted to say he thinks I got air in the fuel lines. Wants me to remove cap, fill bowl, replace, KO to bleed air, crank. Wouldn't just cranking eventually clear out the air? How about cracking each fuel line to the heads and ko, then tighten and crank.

Next text: air is at highest point - top of bowl. need to fill to brim then put on new cap. Off to dealer for cap.

 

Wondering now if that injector I had to pull to replace the connecter isn't causing this. Just checked my oil and it's overfull. Not sure I didnt overfill it, when I topped it off after the cooler replacement. I got all new oil for a change once I got it to start, thinking I'll drain now, leave the plug out, turn the ko and see if fuel comes out that pan. Does that make sense? Maybe I didn't torque the injector down correctly (dang analog loaner torque wrench) and it's letting air in, fuel out? With fully charged batteries this morning, I'm still just barely getting more than 150rpm - maybe fuel filled cylinder?

Side question - where do y'all dispose of old coolant/water? Do the auto parts take that as well? Got 20+ jugs from my pre-flush and need a few for the old oil.