30 degree cold start (opinions wanted)

[rreegg]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

A real gooder

He swears constantly just so you know…

“Truckin old slave lake”

Well now that it’s January guess it’s time for the annual viewing of this one again

 

[Brian VT]

Unless it's been changed from stock, it's automatic.

I believe that to activate the start/high idle mode you push the fuel pedal to the floor. At least that's how it is on my '87.

 

[Clb]

It's temperature activated, the solenoid is normally relaxed/extended till I think 125 degrees of h2o temp when it then gets powered and pulls in the plunger.
You could run a hot wire thru a switch to run high idle for say a hydraulics pump,or inverter ect.

 

[Brian VT]

My throttle linkage trips a lever/switch when I push it to the floor.

 

[Cubey]

Ford instructs you to hold down the pedal fully while cranking, when it's below 32°, and half way for above 32°. That would also set the cold idle advance, if operational.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[PNW_noob]

Unless it's been changed from stock, it's automatic. There's a sender that is a switch. It sends power to the fast idle solenoid and the timing advance. It's stops doing that when the coolant temperature reaches about 120*. The sender is not gun to get to on a truck, much less on a van. It's underneath the thermostat housing, the part that the upper radiator hose attaches to on the engine side. There's a plug that attaches to the top of the sender. Sometimes, they can be unplugged or have a bad connection. The one on my current 1985 wasn't working when I got it in 2013. I just unplugged it and the plugged it back it. It's worked ever since.

Thanks!
I'll add it to my list.
Yeah, it's always slightly depressing looking into the engine bay of a van...

 

[PNW_noob]

Ford instructs you to hold down the pedal fully while cranking, when it's below 32°, and half way for above 32°. That would also set the cold idle advance, if operational.

You must be registered for see images attach

Oh this is great!
I haven't been touching the throttle on startup. Thanks

 

[BrianX128]

Oh this is great!
I haven't been touching the throttle on startup. Thanks

For what it's worth, I don't think any of us actually floor the things when we're cold starting them. I'm more of a 1/4 or 1/3 throttle person. I'm not sure how many PSI of oil it will take to blow the seals in my oil cooler or shoot off my oil filter gasket, but I'm not really interested in finding out. I've always thought those were some super strange instructions to be honest. Almost like Peg from zip ties wrote them himself, though to be fair he doesn't have to worry about what I just mentioned as I'm not sure when the last time was Slave Lake had actual oil in it.

 

[Cubey]

Thanks!
I'll add it to my list.
Yeah, it's always slightly depressing looking into the engine bay of a van...

It's easier to get to the transmission to engine bolts, due to the unobstructed access to the back side of the engine via the doghouse, if you have to remove the transmission.

And you don't have to drop the engine to do the oil cooler.

It's good a bit annoying doing injector return line o-rings, but it could be worse.

The only real headache is if you need to pull the engine out.

 

[Cubey]

Oh this is great!
I haven't been touching the throttle on startup. Thanks

I dunno when they began adding those instructions, maybe with the 7.3? The 87 6.9 F250 I had, didn't have those on the driver visor.

The RV had custom fabric on the visors to match the RV cushions and door cards, so of course they wouldn't.

The photo is on my 89 E350.

 

[Cubey]

For what it's worth, I don't think any of us actually floor the things when we're cold starting them. I'm more of a 1/4 or 1/3 throttle person.

Yeah, I do maybe 1/3 to 1/2 for cold starts. But for most? I just press and release once while the glow plugs are running. Although, my cold idle advance isn't operating right now. But it wasn't on the 87 F250 and it seemed fine.

 

[Rdnck84_03]

I think my 83 and 84 both have those starting instructions on the visor.

I agree that I don't normally go much more than 1/4 throttle, I did have a few days last winter when it was around -15 F that I was probably around 3/4 throttle while cranking. As soon as it caught I let go of the pedal so rpm wise it wasn't any different than starting without touching the throttle.

James

 

[franklin2]

I think if you look up the operation of the injection pump, more throttle when cranking adds more fuel. That aids in starting. My 89 f250 has those same instructions on it's visor.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I believe that to activate the start/high idle mode you push the fuel pedal to the floor.

Yes, but the rest is automatic. Just like a carburetor with an automatic choke.

Oh this is great!
I haven't been touching the throttle on startup. Thanks

It may be working.

I don't think any of us actually floor the things when we're cold starting them.

I do, but mine doesn't start the best. Even the different IP that's on it doesn't cold start the best. I also know the that the timing is slow so it should start better after I set that.

I dunno when they began adding those instructions, maybe with the 7.3?

My 85 has those.

 

[Brian VT]

Yes, but the rest is automatic. Just like a carburetor with an automatic choke.

Yup. I press it to the floor to activate the cold start. Then I hold my glow plugs button for 7-8 seconds. Then I hold it to the floor and crank until the engine fires. Mine cold starts pretty quickly (1-3 seconds) even in single digit temps. After the engine starts to warm up (4 minutes?) the high idle turns off and the RPMs drop to normal. My tach. doesn't work so I don't know what the high idle rpms are. I'd guess maybe 200-300 rpm more than warm idle?