THE CREAM PUFF

1997 FORD F-350, CREW CAB, LONG BED,TEXAS TRUCK, RUST FREE (AND I MEAN 100% RUST FREE), AFTER A GOOD CLEANING THEINTERIOR IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION.

WHEN I WAS A KID I REMEMBER GOINGWITH MY DAD TO LOOK AT PURCHASING USED VEHICLES AND IF THE VEHICLE WAS FULL OFISSUES HE WOULD ALWAYS SAY “THAT THING WAS A REAL CREAM PUFF”. WITH THE ONGOING HEADACHES THAT MY TRUCK ISCAUSING ME I DECIDED TO CALL MY TRUCK “THE CREAM PUFF”.

I HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR A 95-97 LONGBED CREW CAB (DREAM TRUCK) ALL SUMMER. MY HUSBAND AND I DECIDED THAT WE COULD BUY A TRUCK FOR ME THAT HAD SOMEMINOR MECHANICAL ISSUES IF WE COULD FIND A RUST FREE TRUCK. WE WERE TRYING TO STAY UNDER $8,000.00 SO THATALONE WAS MAKING OUR SEARCH VERY VERY DIFFICULT. WELL WE FOUND A TRUCK TO GO LOOK AT IN SOUTHERNINDIANA (ABOUT A 4 HOUR DRIVE FOR US). IHAD SPOKEN WITH THE GUY NUMEROUS TIMES AND HE SEEMED VERY LEGIT. I MUST SAY THIS TOO….MY HUSBAND AND I HADALREADY MADE A TRIP CLEAR TO MISSOURI TO LOOK AT A TRUCK FORME AND IT WAS A NOGO. WE LOOKED AT SEVERAL OTHER TRUCKS ASWELL BUT THEY WERE ALL WITHIN AN HOURS DRIVE. ANYWAY, WE TAKE OUR 4 HOUR ROAD TRIP AND THE TRUCK WAS A POS!! MY HUSBAND AND I WERE FURIOUS THAT THE GUY WASN’THONEST AND WE DECIDED TO TAKE A DIFFERENT ROUTE HOME FOR A CHANGE OF SCENERY TOCALM OUR NERVES. WELL ON OUR WAY HOME WEWERE DRIVING THRU THE COUNTRY AND THERE, IN SOMEONES FRONT YARD, SAT “THE CREAMPUFF”. WE OF COURSE TURNED OUT, LOOKEDTHE BODY OVER GOOD THEN TOOK IT FOR A VERY SHORT TEST DRIVE BECAUSE THE WATERPUMP WAS LEAKING. WE PAID CASH FOR THETRUCK, HEADED HOME AND SO THE PROBLEMS BEGIN……..

*TRUCK ISSUES….

10/15/2016
ON THE WAY HOME FROM SOUTHERN INDIANATHE TRUCK DIED WHEN PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT WHILE MOVING MY FOOT FROM THEACCELATOR TO THE BRAKE. EVERY LIGHT CAMEON ON THE DASH AND IT STARTED RIGHT BACK UP. I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR APPROX 2 HOURS WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE TRUCK DID THE EXACT SAME THING IN ANOTHERPARKING LOT ON THE WAY HOME FROM PURCHASING IT AFTER APPROX ONE HOUR AFTER THEFIRST TIME. I HAD TO STOP TWICE ON THEWAY HOME WITH THE TRUCK TO CHECK THE WATER LEVEL FOR THE RADIATOR SINCE THEWATER PUMP WAS LEAKING WHEN WE BOUGHT IT.
10/16/2016
THE NEXT DAY WHEN THE TRUCK WAS IDLING A FEWMINUTES AFTER START UP THE TRUCK WOULD DIE BUT WOULD START RIGHT BACK UP.
10/20/2016
THE TRUCK HAS A ENGINE MISS THAT CANBE CLEARLY HEARD AT THE TAIL PIPE AND CAN BE FELT WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL ISON. WHEN AT A COMPLETE STOP AND THEN THEACCELATOR IS PUSHED TO THE FLOOR THE TRUCK HAS VERY VERY LOW POWER AND THERE ISA CUT OUT IN THE ENGINE AS IT SHIFTS FROM 1ST TO 2NDGEAR. THE CUT OUT IS NOT CONSISTENT THO ANDIT JUST HAPPENS RANDOM. THE TRUCK HAS AHARD COLD START. THE TRUCK HAS AWHINING/WHISTLING SOUND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS PUSHED AND CAN BE CLEARLY HEARDWHEN THE TRUCK IS SHUT OFF.
10/23/2016
DROVE THE TRUCK AROUND THE COUNTRYBLOCK AFTER IT HAD SAT FOR SEVERAL DAYS….LET THE TRUCK WARM UP AND WHEN I WAS AFEW MILES AWAY FROM HOME THE TRUCK WAS RUNNING SO ROUGH I WAS WORRIED IT WASGOING TO BREAK DOWN. ROUGH IDLE, MISS,ACTING LIKE IT WOULD DIE AT EACH STOP SIGN. THAT DAY IT RAN WORSE THAN IT EVER HAS.
11/11/2016
ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE MECHANICSHOP I WAS DRIVING DOWN BACK ROADS AND PUSHED THE OVERDRIVE BUTTON TO SHUT ITOFF AND IT DOWN SHIFTED SO HARD THAT IT FELT LIKE THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD BEENSTOMPED DOWN. SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE TRUCK DID NOT WANT TO SHIFT OUT OF 1STGEAR. IT EVENTUALLY SHIFTED NORMAL AND THEABNORMAL SHIFTING HASN’T BEEN AN ISSUE AGAIN. WE HAVE REPLACED A LOT OF PARTS ON THE TRUCK AS OF NOW AND THE TRUCKSPENT 9 DAYS AT THE MECHANIC. THE TRUCK IS STILL NOT RUNNING RIGHT.
11/26/2016
WHEN WE TOOK THE VALVE COVERS OFFTHERE IS ONE NEW ALLIANT POWER INJECTOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND 2 NEW ALLIANTPOWER INJECTORS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. ALL OTHER INJECTORS ARE STILL STOCK INJECTORS WITH 296,000 MILES ONTHEM. THERE HAS BEEN A OIL LEAKSOMEWHERE ON THE BACK OF THE ENGINE SINCE WE PURCHASED IT. IT WAS OBVIOUS BY THE ENGINE OIL ALL OVER THEBACK OF THE ENGINE. WE ASSUMED IT WASTHE VALVE COVER GASKETS BUT WE HAVE NOW FOUND THAT THE EBPV IS LEAKING A STEADYFLOW OF OIL. THE NEXT THING WE WILL BEDOING IS THE EBPV DELETE THEN WE WILL FOCUS AGAIN ON THE ROUGH RUNNING AND MISSISSUES ON THE TRUCK. WE WILL BE LOCATING THE IPR TO THEN REMOVE AND CLEAN ITOUT. WE WILL BE CLEANING OUT THE FPRSCREEN, CHANGING THE OIL/FILTER AND ADDING HOT SHOT STICTION ELIMINATOR TO THEOIL AND HOT SHOT DIESEL EXTREME TO A FULL TANK OF DIESEL. IF THE TRUCK STILL HAS A ENGINE MISS, STUMBLEAND VERY LOW POWER/PERFORMANCE AFTER DOING ALL OF THE THINGS LISTED WE WILL THENKNOW IT IS A FUEL INJECTOR(S) ISSUE.

*INJECTORS
1 YELLOW ALLIANT POWER ON DRIVERSSIDE. AP63800AA/80040071512
2 YELLOW ALLIANT POWER ON PASSENGERSIDE. AP63800AA/80040071512
BROWN INJECTORS-STOCK.AA1816187C3/18703181031

*PARTS REPLACED/THINGS FIXED

TURBO BOOT WAS OFF SOME AND NOTMAKING A GOOD SEAL…FIXED 10/17/2016

CCV HOSE WAS NOT FITTED PROPERLY INTOINTAKE HOSE….FIXED 10/17/2016

REMOVED TS6 CHIP FROM TRUCK/10/17/2016

REPLACED FUEL FILTER 10/22/2016

BORROWED A KNOWN GOOD IDM AND INSTALLED IT IN MY TRUCK WITH NO CHANGES. THAT SHOWS MY IDM IS GOOD. 11/14/2016

REPLACED WATER PUMP-OLD ONE WASLEAKING. HAD TO EXCHANGE BECAUSE IT DIDN’T HAVE A GASKET IN THE BOX. NEW WATER PUMP CAME WITH THE PURCHASE OF THE TRUCK 10/17/2016

REPLACED THERMOSTAT & GASKETWHILE WATER PUMP WAS OFF….$16.00 10/17/2016

DRAINED AND REPLACED OLD ANTIFREEZEWITH NEW….$26.00 10/17/2016

SERPENTINE BELT WAS RIPPED AND TORNSO REPLACED IT WITH A NEW ONE….$42.00 10/18/2016

REPLACED CAM SENSOR WITH A NAPASENSOR…..$30.00 10/18/2016

REPLACED NAPA CAM SENSOR WITH A FORDSENSOR (TRUCK WASN’T RUNNING RIGHT)…$33.00 11/11/2016

PERFORMED DIESEL DIAGNOSTIC ,REPAIRED SHORT IN FUSE DATA LINK, REPAIRED CONNECTION AT FUSE BOX UNDER HOODAND AT STARTER RELAY…MECHANIC $433.60 11/11/2016

PERFORMED DIESEL DIAGNOSTIC….MECHANIC$50.00 11/11/2016

REPLACED GLOW PLUGS….$109.20 11/26/2016 MOTORCRAFT

REPLACED VALVE COVER GASKETS….$173.50 11/26/2016 MOTORCRAFT

REPLACED UNDER VALVE COVER GASKETWIRE HARNESS ALL 4…$222.56 11/26/2016 MOTORCRAFT

HOT SHOT SECRET STICTION ELIMINATOR& DIESEL EXTREME….$80.00

EBPV DELETE BLANK TURBO PEDESTAL,HIGH FLOW OUTLET, ORINGS, DUMMY PLUG….$282.00 RIFFRAFF

MOTORCRAFT 15W-40 SUPER DUTY DIESELOIL….$63.75

MOTORCRAFT OIL FILTER….$15.50


TRUCK HAS NEW BATTERIES, ALTERNATOR, STARTER AND RADIATOR REPLACED BY PREVIOUS OWNER AND THEY PROVIDED RECEIPTS

 

 

HEADACHE RACK GONE....THANK GOD

 

Where at in southern in? That's where I'm at..small world.

 

The first truck we went to look at in southern Indiana was in Brazil but we bought our truck in Bainbridge. It is a small world lol

 

I guess it was more of a central/southern Indiana. We are up by South Bend

 

That looks like a good project candidate. Years ago, Cream Puff was the term for an extremely nice used vehicle. A well maintained vehicle with unusualy low mileage for the year and no signs of abuse or neglect.

 

FOUND THIS LIST ON THE FORUM AND WE ARE SLOWING MARKING THINGS OFF....


Common No Start
IPR VALVE, LOCATED IN THE VALLEY ON THE HPOP. these often stick, the sensors gobad
Or the wires get cut.

Common No start ……ALREADY CHECKED IT
IDM located on drivers side fender.
These could go bad and will cause a no start or ruff running and cut outs inrevving/rpm.


Common problems….REPLACED WITH A NEW MOTORCRAFT
Cps sensor. Causes the truck to cut out andevuantually die. Making it not start until it sits or is reset on thebatteries. Easy way to make sure yours is good; on OBS's check if you tachmoves while cranking if it does your cps is good. If not replace.

Common problem….REPLACED WITH NEW MOTORCRAFT
UVCH. Connectors, when these go bad orground out on your glow plugs they can cause horrible running conditions to thepoint where the truck sounds like ut has 17* timing and it lopes bad and willoften die. &sputter. Easy way to fix this or check for it , there are fourconnectors on your block /heads that are under the valve covers unplug them andcheck for cut wires or burnt connectors if there burnt Replace them. Its not tohard and the average joe can do it.

Common Problem….REPLACED WITH NEW
fuel filter clogged. Will often cause long cranking or semi loss in power ifthe injectors can't get the fuel they need the truck wont run its best

Common Problem
Lift pump failure, this will definitely cause a no start. One way to rule thisout is check the fuel bowl for fuel b4 and while cranking. If no fuel fill thebowl up and if it starts replace the.pump.

Common Problem…REPLACED RADIATOR, WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT AND COOLANT
overheating. This could be anything related to coolant. Radiator, thermo,waterpump, or bad coolant.

Common problem
Icp sensor. Causes thetruck to run but cut in and out and really roughly throttle it colander oftendie on you and or leave you stranded. Easy to do

Common Problem
Hissing from the dash when on "Max A/C" or "Defrost"selection is made on the Climate Control Selector. Open the hood and look tothe back left (as you are looking and the motor) of the Engine Bay. Near thefirewall and right fender there is a vent blending door actuated by a white(factory) 1/8" vacuum line. Inspect for dry/cracking/broken vacuum lineand replace. Hissing under the dash will go away.

Common no-start
Fuel heater - shorts out and blows maxifuse #22, disabling the PCM. Disconnectthe fuel heater, replace fuse, re-try start. Replacement cost $3 (?) for thefuse (always carry spare fuses, including maxifuses, in the glove box)

Common hard-start, no-start…REPLACED WITH NEW MOTORCRAFT
Glow plugs Usual tests for GP relay function, UVCH continuity, resistance ofthe glow plugs. Replacement cost - depends on what's found to be defective

Common cold-weather start issue…BLOCK HEATER IS WORKING
block heater. Usually it's just the cord, not the heater itself. Test with anohmmeter / continu

 

Raytash....we are alittle backwards where I come from lol

 

Looks good, my head hurts from reading your first post lol....

 

I never understood running different injectors. Typically, in these trucks, people treat the injectors like spark plugs. If one goes bad, you replace all of them. Of course they usually have a lot of miles on them by that point. Leaking o-rings can be causing some issues.

Any way to monitor the ICP pressure?

Pull the electric plug on the ICP and see if it has oil in it.

Check plug on the back of the IPR? Tin nut on the IPR?

Do all the lights work on the truck? Including the 3rd brake light?

Have you tried switching fuel tanks to see if that affects performance?

 

You read the first post? lol

 

It's funny how i starting yelling at myself when I read all caps and then I get a headache... the durn caps lock key

 

Wow!

I'm betting you've got some worn out injectors for one, but it sounds like there are other issues.

I would suggest you get the OBDII bluetooth dongle and the Torque Pro app to help with the diagnosis.

Good mechanics are hard to find for the 7.3 so get used to doing your own repairs.

I'm kind of in your area. I'm north of Fort Wayne about 20 minutes.

 

This is the scanner setup I have


https://www.amazon.com/Vgate-Bluetoo...rds=vgate+OBD2

Torque Pro
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...g.prowl.torque
Use the communication in the profile
SAE J1850-PWM
make sure you add in Ford PIDs


https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ch.CarGaugePro
people like it cause it will pull codes but i have no bought it yet


Some OLD PCM's have to be flashed before you can pull codes