93 F250 7.3 IDI non-turbo 4x4, 5speed / "131k" miles

[trucknorris]

Vacuum pump is on, brakes are much better, however, I am still battling a hydraulic gremlin. The brake booster helps with first push of the brake, if I were to let go of the brake, and push again, I do not feel the buster engaging. My initial pedal feel is still way too soft...

air?
bad m/c / booster combo?

 

[cpdenton]

I wish I knew. I have the first push and brakes seem ok, but pedal fades to the floor the longer I hold it. All new parts except booster, rabs valve, and vacuum pump.

 

[trucknorris]

We had some major rain this weekend. I last drove the truck Saturday, and parked it facing down hill. Come Monday truck would not start. It has been freezing cold, so I figured the batteries are dead. Pop the hood open, and one of the negative terminals came loose -- wonder how? It shivered off.. lol. I re-installed the negative terminal, crank, and truck shook like a dog shaking off water.. ha??? ********* smoke, white smoke, and a ********* bear came out of the exhaust coughing up chunks of liquid.... Water somehow got into fuel.

The intake drum had some standing water on top of it, so my guess is, some water made its way down the little nut/spindle that holds the cover. The filter was dry, and now water was pooled below the filter.

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Should I be concerned?

 

[trucknorris]

bump

 

[trucknorris]

With microsquirt project out of the way, it's time to focus some of my attention on the truck. We had some strange weather in Arkansas and it was getting harder to start. Sure enough, stone cold motor, and I am barely getting 0.8v to the glowplugs. Once the relay got warmed up (not by engine or running), it started providing higher voltage to the glowplugs at 8.8v. WAIT TO START light no longer works. I wonder if it is the controller or the relay that's going out?

 

[trucknorris]

Today, RLDSL helped me replace the stubborn fuel filter. Once off the truck, we found a colony of algae living inside the filter. We primed the new filter with Diesel Kleen. Thanks for your help RLDSL!! That thing took a pounding to get off. lol

 

[RLDSL]

Today, RLDSL helped me replace the stubborn fuel filter. Once off the truck, we found a colony of algae living inside the filter. We primed the new filter with Diesel Kleen. Thanks for your help RLDSL!! That thing took a pounding to get off. lol

Anytime.
That sucker was STUCK. We had to pull the filter head and poke it in the bench vice and go caveman on it I sure wish folks would learn to oil the blamed filter gaskets and not overtighten the things. ( that one was done at a state maintenance facility .. go figure)

 

[trucknorris]

Argh!!! Something has developed with my truck, and it shuts off immediately after it starts. Recently we replaced the fuel filter, and it was starting and running fine. I also replaced return fuel lines, and it started and run fine. This just started happening yesterday. I start the truck, it runs for 2-3 seconds, and then shakes off to halt. This first happened last night, and I had the hardest time restarting the truck after it happened. This morning I started it again, nice healthy start at 50F, and it run for 2-3seconds, and she shook off to halt. I was not able to restart the truck this morning, and had to ride one of the dirt bikes to work

Full tank of diesel which I run for last 4 days without issues. Bought at Kroger Pump.
New fuel filter. 15 days ago
New return fuel lines. 5 days ago

 

[Bowtech28]

The "runs for 2-3 sec then dies" is the tell tale sign of air intrution in the fuel system. unfotunatly its not always easy to find. On my 94 the filter housing was leaking a tiny bit (o-ring fix), also the scrader valve on the housing was leking Just a bit I pulled the fitting and cleaned the little plastic ball off and pulled the actual stem (like in your tire stems) out and cleaned the seat and lubed it up and worked great, that along with new return lines and tighting up all the injector lines including to the pump (witch is aPITA) fixed my problem. good luck.
.
Ps. it starts and runs on the fuel that has stayed at the top end of the motor andin the IP then dies because the mech. pump dose not have enough run time to bring fuel up from the tank so it dies. then you crank and crank until it is able to draw fuel up to the engine and BINGO it fires again. that is if your batterys arn't dead first . Keep lookin you'll find it and when you do you will love that truck.

 

[trucknorris]

oh snap..

 

[Bowtech28]

oh snap..

I can feel your pain my truck wold run fine somtimes depending on the length of time between use and then would STB on me out of the blue. Didn't get it fixed until I found this site took almost a year. thease guys know more about thease truckds than FORD dose.
The best thing I did after reading all of the threads i could was use enough degreaser to clean the titanic on my engine and the pressure wash the you know what out of it . All the little leaks became apparent and I started in on them. filter housing, tighten fuel lines, return lines, check hose clamps on the lift pump and from the filter to the IP and the other thing to ck is the drain at the bottom of filter (little round one on bottom) mine leaked past the rubber seal inside. Bottom line is, IF FUEL COMES OUT AIR GETS IN. the good news is almost all of thease fixes are cheap or free.
Just wondering if you got the 8 volts to the glow plug thing figured out?

 

[trucknorris]

I'm not finding a leak on the top of the motor. Could it be that the lift pump decided to take extended leave / absence without leave ?

 

[Bowtech28]

That il do it!

 

[trucknorris]

The truck is parked up hill... I wonder if it is not providing sufficient lift.

 

[trucknorris]

** Update: Fuel filter has fuel in it, but the pump may not be providing sufficient pressure. Should test pressure next.