Fixing a 7.3 that wont crank

[boggerted]

Well, for the meantime, can I take it apart and clean it up just so it will crank once or twice more? I mean, the starter worked fine when it was parked four years ago, I dont see how it sitting could burn out the starter.

 

[Agnem]

A slow crank can be bad cables. If the starter doesn't get good voltage, it will draw even more amps, and if the starter isn't bad now, it will be.

 

[boggerted]

Well, as I always do, I overlook the simplest of things. I decided to test each battery individually for carge and the one was at 6v and the other at 10v. Wow, I feel like an idiot. Im gonna charge em overnight and try tomorrow.

 

[boggerted]

Another question, do these trucks come stock with vacuum assist brakes or hydroboost? Because it looks to have a vacuum pump under the alternator mount, but it also has a newer looking M/C with lines going from the power steering pump to it. Also, will it harm anything to have the heater lines blocked off? Or should I loop them together for circulation?

 

[towcat]

f450's are hyrdo all the way
without hydro, it will take the truck forever to stop or when it hits something.
the MC is pushing some serious amount of fluid to all four calipers.
the vac pump is there only to run the doors for the hvac box.

 

[boggerted]

They have rear discs too? Damn this truck gets better and better!

 

[boggerted]

Well, after letting them trickle charge for three days and testing both batteries at 12.5v, it still wont crank. I removed all the battery cables and all were clean of corrosion. What I find odd, though, is if I turn the headlights on and turn the key to start, the relay clicks, but the headlights DONT dim whatsoever. Is this indicative of a starter probloem?

 

[BigRigTech]

Do a voltage drop test on the ground stud of the starter to the ground post of a battery. If there is more that .2V there then I bet you have a bad connection or a toasted starter. Is the solenoid on the starter clicking too?

 

[boggerted]

wheres the ground stud? Do u conduct the test in the crank position? I seems lik the starter mounted solenoid only clicks sometimes.

 

[typ4]

The brushes in the starter are bad , or the brush springs. Get a new azone starter and quit messing with it. You will more than likely need new batterys also. The more you try to start it with low voltage the more the starter burns inside, make sure all connections are clean and TIGHT.

 

[BigRigTech]

My bad, it probably grounds to the block which is grounded to the batteries and doesn't have a proper ground stud on it. Try the test while attempting to crank it. Try cleaning your battery ground on the block as well. Will the GP's cycle?

 

[boggerted]

I think the GPs cycle, the WTS light stay on for about 15 seconds and you can hear it click a few times. I cleaned the block grounds as well, no change.

 

[boggerted]

Is there any way to test that the starter is the definite problem? Id just hate to take the starter out since I cant even see the top bolt and one of the bottom bolts is rounded off, so it would be a huge PITA.

 

[sassyrel]

will it may be a pia--take the starter off now--your just going to spend a lot of time on other things---top bolt just takes the right combo of extensions--

 

[towcat]

f450's have more ground clearance to do the starter pull.
check out this thread to make the job less painfull.
http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=8928
the only tip I have to add to it is the top bolt reinstall is very easy of you jam the bolt head with some newspaper in the socket so it will stay when you start the thread.