almost bought truck BUT idiot uses starter fluid!!!!

[GenLightening]

You may want to try (or have him try) to remove a couple of the glowplugs and see if they've swelled at all. If it ever took a bit to start it, and the gp's were on the whole time.....

 

[tonkadoctor]

well, first of all he only had it for 10K and the original owner had all maintenance done at dealership.
and, he did put a new glow plug relay (the manual type, basically a starter solenoid) but the dumb thing he did was connect the starter solenoid and the glow plug relay both to the same momentary toggle switch so you had to crank the engine while the glow plugs were heating up - then once it fires you let go of the switch. Not a bad setup for summer days but really poor for cold weather - hence the ether.

Paul

I personally still wouldn't touch it but that's me and my peeve about cobbed wiring. I absolutly will not buy a vehicle that anybody has chopped into a single wire in the factory harness. It's about the first thing I check when looking at used trucks and cars...... I pop the hood, look under the dash and look at the harness for the tail lights..... If I find one chopped/spliced wire, I leave.

Good luck

 

[Cheaper Jeeper]

A little ether is OK, as long as you aren't using GPs - just like 6 Nebraska IDIs said.

HOWEVER, with the way he has it set up, he's been using BOTH. Trouble is with GPs and ether the ether fires off too soon in the compression stroke (piston still traveling upwards) and the EXTREME pressure blows head gaskets.

First think I'd do is get under it with a bright flashlight and look at where the heads mate to the block. Look for ANY signs of oil or coolant seepage from the headgaskets. If it runs good and isn't leaking anything at the headgaskets, he probably hasn't hurt it.

If you buy it, the FIRST THING you do is get the starter and GPs on separate switches - whether that's replacing the bad ignition switch or installing another pushbutton for one or the other of them. Just make sure that when you're starting it with ether you aren't using the GPs too. That's the quickest, easiest way there is to blow a head gasket on these engines...

 

[towcat]

I personally still wouldn't touch it but that's me and my peeve about cobbed wiring. I absolutly will not buy a vehicle that anybody has chopped into a single wire in the factory harness. It's about the first thing I check when looking at used trucks and cars...... I pop the hood, look under the dash and look at the harness for the tail lights..... If I find one chopped/spliced wire, I leave.

Good luck

tonka-
I differ with your views there.
I currently don't own a ford that doesn't have a modified wiring harness.
All running lights are on a relay system and the alternator pos to battery have a 4ga cable. That is the absolute minimum. With the towtrucks, there more to do.
If the additional wiring is done neatly and cleanly, I have no issues with it. If it looks hacked, I will run.

 

[cleithau]

Ford didn't do the most quality job wiring these old IDI's. And they are really only a few wires needed to mke the diesel glow, start and run.

I got mine and some idiot had installed a keyless start/lock/security system. Not designed for a diesel so it didn't glow the glow plugs. And he wondered why he went through three starters in a year.

That said it was easy to get the wiring back in good working, not cobble order. All you need is a test light, some good water-proof butt connectors, and a good splice/crimp tool. And some wiring loom to keep any wires safe and protected.

 

[gamudslinger88]

id stay away from it becuase you never know what the dude probabbly hilbillied to get it to run...

Hey I take offence to that...... the correct term is redneck enginering!

When we have problems with starting we just use gas on a rag and put it over the intake hat or filter opening and have someone turn it over. Less stress on the engine since gas burns slower than ether! That being said we have a bobcat at work that they fire with ether everytime and that thing is in ruffffff shap. rattles and pings and smokes like hell. ether+diesel=bad news

 

[FordGuy100]

We have an late 40's/early 50's CAT D2, and to start it you have to use either, that is how its recommended to start it cold. Hit the starter, and while turning over hit it with a half second or less shot of either and it will come to life. It doesnt ping, or smoke, or knock or anything. Diesel+either+idiot=bad news, diesel+either=a nice easy starting up of a diesel.

 

[gamudslinger88]

All I know is just here say, factory ether injection is a new one on me. Theres another wrinkle in the ol'brain!

 

[tonkadoctor]

All I know is just here say, factory ether injection is a new one on me. Theres another wrinkle in the ol'brain!

Oh yeah, they work good too.

You can still get these kits new. These systems give a measured shot of ether. Size of the shot is determined by the using the correct nozzle for the size of the engine.

I can remember using ..........er... or is that abusing some of the older systems using propane bottles instead of ether to get more power to climb hills grossing 80k with my '79 cornbinder and a flying 290 cummins

Just keep pushing the button, she'll get over the hill so you can put it in Georgia overdrive to hit the next hill

 

[KR69IDI]

My truck has a fitting on the cover of the air cleaner lid that looks like it is there for an ether line to run to. I never understood why it would be there when these rigs have GP's. I do not know, but I just always thought that in the heavier Int. trucks, maybe they didn't run GP's and that was the way to fire them up, but still didn't make any sense why Ford would use an Int. air cleaner?????


Just my confusion out loud.....

 

[MUDKICKR]

i beleive if it has new glow plugs and it starts up well in cold weather, the engine should be fine, but that all depends on how it starts up. if you have to cycle the glowplugs a few times then the rings are prob not up to par. but if it starts up good then id go for it. the best way to tell if a diesel engine is getting tired is trying to start it in cold weather.

 

[9073]

My truck has a fitting on the cover of the air cleaner lid that looks like it is there for an ether line to run to. I never understood why it would be there when these rigs have GP's. I do not know, but I just always thought that in the heavier Int. trucks, maybe they didn't run GP's and that was the way to fire them up, but still didn't make any sense why Ford would use an Int. air cleaner?????


Just my confusion out loud.....

that fitting is for diagnostic purposes. the international air cleaner is bigger, and all 7.3 and 6.9s ran glow plugs regardless of what vehicle they were in


matt

 

[7.3shrk]

If the seller is such a good mechanic, why is he rigging so many things? What else is rigged on the truck? Look at what else he told you? Why does he take a loss on all the trucks he sells. Is it because he has rigged them too. I would not trust the work.

 

[BigRigTech]

Ether is for women, a real diesel wrencher uses the nastiest brake cleaner you can buy....Works much better.... It won't hurt anything, we use it all the time to get engines started or primed.

 

[KR69IDI]

that fitting is for diagnostic purposes. the international air cleaner is bigger, and all 7.3 and 6.9s ran glow plugs regardless of what vehicle they were in


matt

Thank You, now I know more than I did yesterday!!