I have a few questions about my 1990 7.3

[condor74]

I recently got my 1990 F250 7.3 4x4 super cab back from the transmission shop. It runs good now. I have a few questions on other issues with the truck now.

When the truck sits for a for 8 hours in colder weather like in the 40s or low 50s the truck is dificult to start. I turn the key, the wait to start light comes on. I wait for it to go off. I will then crank it and it will start right away and run for a couple of seconds then die. It then takes a lot of cranking to get going again. I picture it losing prime from the fuel tank. It only seems to do it in cold weather though. Early this week it was in the mid 70s and it started and ran just fine. Even when I was starting to get it ready to go to the transmission shop after sitting for 6 months it started on the first few cranks. The temperature was mid to high 70s that day.

Another problem I notice is when I set the cruise control while going down the highway at 55 to 65 mph, the cruise surges up and down. Not noticable on the speedometer but you can definately tell by the seat of your pants.

I also notice that the trans shifts smooth and crisp but it stacks the over drive lock up right after the 2 to 3 gear shift. The trans shop says this is normal on these transmissions. He said they made a different trans controller that would correct this but it is no longer available. The trans is an E40D.

The last issue I noticed is the front suspension seems to ride really close to the bump stops. I am wondering if the front leaf springs could be colapsed. It makes taking it down rough roads a very rough riding experience. The springs seem to be arched backwards from traditional leaf springs. I dont know if they are collapsed or if this is normal. The truck has 33 inch tires and has a slight rake from the rear to the front.

Thanks for any replies or opinions.

 

[jonathan]

i your first issue sounds like a air leak. do you smell any fuel around motor? your last issue isnt a issue the ttb uses reverse springs. as far as the ride experience its a truck not a caddy lol but it does ride better then my 2wd dodge....

 

[condor74]

I understand it is not a Caddy. I am not expecting a smooth car like ride. It would be nice to hit bumps off road and not jar your teeth out though. I have driven in many a dodge both 2wd and 4wd. They ride 1000% better offroad than this thing. I just feel that if I was to level the truck out with a stiffer pair of springs that the ride might improve. It doesnt feel like the suspension is too stiff. It feels like the suspension is too soft and that any slight bump bottoms the suspension out causing the front end to rebound very hard. I hope that describes it better.

On the other issue. There is no diesel fuel smell around the engine. I know it may still have an air leak in the fuel system though.

 

[Brianedwardss]

Air leak is my guess on the start - then stall condition. Something that I check on almost every 7.3L IDI start/stall issue is the little brass check valve on the fuel filter housing. It's what the little return hose is clamped to on the engine-side of the housing. It's easy to check too. Unclamp the return line, then get a socket or wrench and unscrew it out of the housing. Once it's in your hand, try to see if you can see daylight through it. You may need to take a rag or something and dry it off. But if you can see daylight through it, it's bad. If your a bit more adventurous, you can try blowing through it from the return hose side towards the filter side, and if you're able to, it's bad. This little valve keeps the air in your return system from getting into your filter, and they seem to be a common cause for a start/stall condition when they're bad/stuck open.

 

[jonathan]

I understand it is not a Caddy. I am not expecting a smooth car like ride. It would be nice to hit bumps off road and not jar your teeth out though. I have driven in many a dodge both 2wd and 4wd. They ride 1000% better offroad than this thing. I just feel that if I was to level the truck out with a stiffer pair of springs that the ride might improve. It doesnt feel like the suspension is too stiff. It feels like the suspension is too soft and that any slight bump bottoms the suspension out causing the front end to rebound very hard. I hope that describes it better.

On the other issue. There is no diesel fuel smell around the engine. I know it may still have an air leak in the fuel system though.

try new shocks that should help the ride and maybe a add a leaf. are the injectors wet looking? also see if the fuel filter wet at the botom and check the fuel pump too

 

[condor74]

Thanks for the advise. I will check these things. Funny thing is I went to start it this morning at 4:00 am. It had been sitting for 8 hours and the outside temp was at 33 degrees. It started right up and idled. I put it in gear and drove away. I hate intermittent problems.

I agree that adding a leaf or 2 and possibly having them arched may help the ride. One other observation that i have is when it is sitting on flat level ground i have a small amount of negative camber on both front wheels. If the truck was lifted up 2 or 3 inches in front, the camber would be 0 degrees and the truck would sit level.

I really like this truck and now that it is running and shifting good I am looking forward to spending some quality time behind the wheel. Other things I need but not really an issue is the foam door handle on the drivers door, the entire passenger door panel. A new passenger door power window motor, I would like to put a new front bench seat in it. The current driver and passenger seat are out of a newer truck 40 20 40 split bench with a fold down center counsel. The seat is not in the greatest shape and it doesnt move with the power switches while someone is sitting in it. Also the air conditioning doesnt blow cold so I have to fix that too.