Shaking when cold
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Trailering
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 18
Likes: 1
Shaking when cold
So my 7.3 is still fairly new. It does great starting with 2 or 3 turns in the cold. But this morning I started it & it almost sounded cammed, going from like 600 to 700 rpm really quickly. I shut it off & started it back up & it stopped doing the first thing but it was still shaking weird. Any ideas?
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 27,346
Likes: 5,941
From: Lake Hartwell, GA
What was the ambient temperature? Is the oil 5w40 or 15w40?
Sounds like it was loping a bit until it was ready to wake up.
You could try plugging in the block heater a couple hours before you need to start it.
Sounds like it was loping a bit until it was ready to wake up.
You could try plugging in the block heater a couple hours before you need to start it.
Tuned
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 465
Likes: 53
From: Connecticut
Another +1 on this. I started mine dead cold a couple days ago on a 30F morning, after the prior day cold-soaking in the low teens. No block heater. Just wanted to see if I could count on her to fire up someday in case I needed her in a pinch (or I was out somewhere without access to an electrical outlet).
Oh, she was not happy; not happy at all. I'd let the glow plugs soak for about 30 seconds and it would fire, but die. It took 3-4 times before it stayed caught, and then it loped like a cammed engine for about 10 second before it smoothed out. She was not happy at all, but she did start.
I'm going to avoid doing that again. Getting that oil warmed up is a really good thing.
Oh, she was not happy; not happy at all. I'd let the glow plugs soak for about 30 seconds and it would fire, but die. It took 3-4 times before it stayed caught, and then it loped like a cammed engine for about 10 second before it smoothed out. She was not happy at all, but she did start.
I'm going to avoid doing that again. Getting that oil warmed up is a really good thing.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,712
Likes: 107
From: BoCoMo
You have no worries....
no truck likes the freeken cold.... gassers start easier than diesels (never use starter fluid)
Oil pressure opens up the injectors to get the fuel in the cylinders. Thick cold oil will cause some of the injectors to not fully open. Change oil to thinner oil. Cold cylinders from Glow Plugs not being on long enough will not fully burn the fuel in the/some cylinders (white smoke from unburnt fuel).
Test out your glow plugs to make sure that all of them are coming on.
Fuel bowl filter not clogged up??
Your fuel should also be a winter blend and may need an additive to thin it out. Frozen fuel don't burn very well
no truck likes the freeken cold.... gassers start easier than diesels (never use starter fluid)
Oil pressure opens up the injectors to get the fuel in the cylinders. Thick cold oil will cause some of the injectors to not fully open. Change oil to thinner oil. Cold cylinders from Glow Plugs not being on long enough will not fully burn the fuel in the/some cylinders (white smoke from unburnt fuel).
Test out your glow plugs to make sure that all of them are coming on.
Fuel bowl filter not clogged up??
Your fuel should also be a winter blend and may need an additive to thin it out. Frozen fuel don't burn very well
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 850
Likes: 114
From: Virginia
In my experience, old diesel's don't like cold weather. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Mine would lope when it was cold when I ran 15w40. I switched to 5w40 and that stopped the loping. If it gets to the point where it won't start, then I'd start looking at glow plugs, glow plug relay, injectors ect.
Also another question for anybody. Is starter fluid worse for 7.3s than other diesels or is it just a good idea to not use starter fluid on any diesel? Had a professor tell me that it'd be better to use wd40 than starter fluid...any truth to that? For the record, I've never used starter fluid on my truck and don't ever plan to.
Also another question for anybody. Is starter fluid worse for 7.3s than other diesels or is it just a good idea to not use starter fluid on any diesel? Had a professor tell me that it'd be better to use wd40 than starter fluid...any truth to that? For the record, I've never used starter fluid on my truck and don't ever plan to.
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I just brought my Florida Excursion up to Tennessee and she does not like the cold. The block heater is still coiled up where the factory left it. If it starts to lope like that I turn if off right away and try again. A couple quick start and stops warms her up a bit and then shell run good.
Another issue I found out about in the cold is the oil cooler. The o-rings shrink when they freeze and so when I first start her up the oil cooler spews oil. After she warms up though the o-rings expand a bit and the leak becomes a drip.
These trucks definitely run better in a warm environment.
Another issue I found out about in the cold is the oil cooler. The o-rings shrink when they freeze and so when I first start her up the oil cooler spews oil. After she warms up though the o-rings expand a bit and the leak becomes a drip.
These trucks definitely run better in a warm environment.
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,332
Likes: 442
From: Eastern Washington
Cold start worries.... search is your friend. The only 7.3 threads that have more hits than hard starts are no starts!!!
Good luck, there are more solutions here than you can imagine...
Good luck, there are more solutions here than you can imagine...
Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 850
Likes: 114
From: Virginia
Interesting. We've got a thoroughly "broken-in" farm truck with an n14 cummins that has quite a bit of blow by and does not like the cold. There have been quite a few occasions where one person is in the cab cranking and another person is shooting a large amount of starting fluid in the intake at the same time. And typically the battery charger is also hooked up and set to the 200 amp quick start setting. Hasn't blown up yet, however, I think that cummins have grid heaters and not glow plugs if I remember correctly.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,712
Likes: 107
From: BoCoMo
I just brought my Florida Excursion up to Tennessee and she does not like the cold. The block heater is still coiled up where the factory left it. If it starts to lope like that I turn if off right away and try again. A couple quick start and stops warms her up a bit and then shell run good.
Another issue I found out about in the cold is the oil cooler. The o-rings shrink when they freeze and so when I first start her up the oil cooler spews oil. After she warms up though the o-rings expand a bit and the leak becomes a drip.
These trucks definitely run better in a warm environment.
Another issue I found out about in the cold is the oil cooler. The o-rings shrink when they freeze and so when I first start her up the oil cooler spews oil. After she warms up though the o-rings expand a bit and the leak becomes a drip.
These trucks definitely run better in a warm environment.
The 7.3s run fine in cold weather.....
Sometimes a little hard to start, but usually boils down to lack of maintenance... ie, old batteries, bad GPR, very thick cold oil, ect.
Me thinks also that you need to overhaul your oil cooler.
Instructions and help from the Brotherhood are on this forum.
https://www.dieselorings.com/15-001-...4-03-7-3l.html