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I have a 97 F-350 200,000 plus miles; the truck runs great pulls strong. If I park the truck facing up hill or move the truck just a few seconds after starting the engine runs for a few minutes then dies. For me to start the truck again I need to tow it in order to build up oil pressure before it will start. Bases on what I am seeing it appears that if I move the truck quick or have it facing up hill that some how it is being starved for oil, and some sensor is telling the injection pump to shut off. I have 20 psi at a idle warm and 40 plus while over 1300 rpms I have taken the truck to an injection specialist he sold me new injectors saying mine were weak, while the truck runs better it still has the same problems. I have racked my brain over this one. If I park the truck facing down hill or level or wait until I have oil pressure I have no problem. The fuel does not have air in it, I have been down the path of fuel filter sucking air thinking this was the problem.

 

Welcome to FTE,
too bad you didn't come here before the "injection tech" sold you something you may not need.

You may have a crack i the oil pick up tube or you are very very low on oil.

There is a test to prove out the cracked tube...it's exactly what you are experiencing.
Jack up the rear of the truck with an over filled oil pan....if it starts there is a problem with the oil geting to the oil pump. When the oil pump (LPOP) doesn't feed oil to the Hi Pressure Oil Pump (HPOP) the injectors can not fire.

 

Did you check the engine oil level?

 

Too slow for Jim....

 

Ha! first time this week Tim---->

 

This has been an on going problem for the past 8 months, the oil is to the top of the add line or a little over. I have a quart of the Lucus oil stablizer in the oil also.

I agree with the oil pick up theory, Is a cracked pick up tube common, also as best I can tell I would have to pull the engine to get at the oil pan to get it to drop. I own a construction company and have a mechanic, it was his advice that we went the route of the injection specialist,

I wish I had found this site earlier, it may have saved me $3000 for something I really did not need


Is there a sensor or just a lack of oil that is keeping the injectors from firing, When the truck is parked up hill, it does fire right up, even in sub zero weather, it runs the few seconds, maybe 10 and then dies, it will restart for a second then die. To get it started I have to tow it so at about 20 mph, I am trying to figure out what is happing both to cause it to fail and then restart. Is the pump being turned fast enough to create suction when the engine is spining fast or is something else going on.

Thanks for the welcome to the site...Bob

 

The Lucas is known to aerate the oil...not god for the injectors, this is as bad as running non-diesel rated oil. Look HERE <---click. You might be able to see if it's aerating by holding the throttle to the floor for 2-3 minutes (hot engine)...shut it down then pull the dip stick real quick. You may see frothing (aeration) on it. Either way I would change the oil & filter. Diesel rated only, ie. Shell rotella 15w40

Yep, cracked tubes have happen, I don't know if i would call it common though.

No sensor that would cause your symptoms.

The stalling is caused by the HPOP running out of oil due to the LPOP not feeding it. The next time it doesn't start, check the level in the HPOP at the front center of the engine...... below. Needs to be about an inch from the top. Fill it and start er up.

 

Get it to start then die. before you pull it to start pull the HPOP reservior plug and see if the reservoir is full. It should be within and inch of the top. My guess is that Jim is right on with the pickup tube and the reservoir will be empty.

 

Dang it!! Jim is kicking my rear end this week!

 

Thanks guys for the info, I will give you an up-date, thanks for the illustration and pictures it makes this a lot easier.

currently using Kendal 15-40 and there is about a 1,000 on the oil, thanks for the link about the Lucus, my only concern with the demo is that it is staight Lucus and not a mixture, I have played with the litle gear things in the store myself, never thought of testing it your way.. good way to think outside of the box as they say

Not sure I am going to mess with taking the engine out to repair the pick up tube. My guess by the time I do bearings and oil pump clucth and preasure plate, Just to be safe, it will be a expensive process. I may sell the truck the way it is or part it out. I have more money in new parts lately than the truck may be worth.

I have already replaced this truck with a 02 F250 7.3 4x4 I could not afford for the truck to let me down when I needed to be on a customers job site, I was hoping to find a quick fix so I could sell the truck to help pay for the other one or justify keeping it I cant do that and spend that kind of money, I am not sure what it is worth but my guess is that with the mileage this would not be a good investment

Thanks guys for sharing your wisdom...Bob

 

He he he!

 

There was another article on the Lucas Engine additive too but couldn't find it. It said the same thing, aerated oil.
Is the Kendal diesel rated??? These injectors (HEUI) are very particular about oil. Even old/dirty oil will make them angry.

That truck still has a lot of life in it with only 200K miles IMO. Value too since it's a stick shift (desirable). If you decided to part it out or sell it...post it here in the classified section. The $3K for injectors would leave a bad taste in any body's mouth but is a good selling point.

You could always jack up the back of it or just keep the pan overfilled...not!

 

Jim do you think changing the oil will make any difference, if the pick up tube is cracked and I am losing oil pick up. The Kendal is diesel rated. Having been a loyal Ford man for years, I have had 8 new ones over the years and this has been my first used truck, I bought it 3 years ago to be a spare truck to pull a trailer when we got busy. Since I have owned the truck I have done new computer, new turbo, new injectors. Just recently did the brakes and front end, last summer I did new front and rears changing them to both to 3.77 s built a steel body for the truck and put new tires on it this fall. My lively hood has always revolved around owning a truck, the business I am in mandates that I have something dependable enough so I have always had a spare truck, n all of the years of owning trucks I have never had one seem to get the best of me.

At this point I think I am going to part out the truck, and post it here in the classifieds. I am not sure someone would want to mess with changing an engine, the trans has synchronizers gone in 2 3rd and 4th I have always double clutched so it was never a problem with me but in all honesty I don’t think I could sell this as a running truck if the trans and engine both needed work/

Thanks again for all of your advice, your wisdom and insight is very much appreciated …Bob

 

Jim explain to him about removing the crossmember to drop the pan instead of pulling the engine. I think this would be the best way to go probably make it easier for him to sell if it was running. You have the experience doing this. Just my .02

 

From what I heard becaues it is 4x4 I had to pull the motor to get to the oil pan?