Cascade Crew

Twilightoptics · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 7:15 pm Post subject: '97 Furd 7.3L Diesel

I know nothing about these.

Parked on kind of a slope. Fired up. Ran like a bag of as$ back home. Changed fuel filter, now it wont run at all. Seems like it tries to start. Oil level was a bit low. Topped it off, still wont start.

Just a combination of low oil for the high pressure oil pump to the injectors, and then air from the fuel filter?

I haven't touched the truck yet. Just trying to get my research done before hand! Thanks
-Paul

chevymad · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 7:29 pm Post subject:

Supply pump working? I've had a few diesels that ran until I changed the filter because the injector pump was doing all the pulling. As soon as I introduced air it couldnt purge it enough without the supply pump.

chevymad · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 7:45 pm Post subject:

Guess I shouldnt say injector pump on that one. High pressure pump anyway. It should have a low pressure supply pump and then a high pressure pump. I think you're probably just running on the high pressure and the low pressure pump is dead. Looking in the catalog the low appears to be a mechanical diaphram pump. Did you look to see if it had a priming button or lever? See if that works to fill the filter?

chevymad · Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 10:12 pm Post subject:

Any luck?

Twilightoptics · Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 12:37 pm Post subject:

Looking at it this weekend.

rjmcgee · The Hammer Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 2328

There is an oil resevior on the top of the engine for the high pressure oil pump. If it gets empty while trying to start it you will have to refill it. Would be a side effect of not starting and cranking the engine for a while, wouldn't make it run like crap.

When cranking watch the tach, if it doesn't register anything the Cam position sensor is bad. These go bad quite a bit and are about $30 from ford or international. Easy to change and can make it run wierd, although when mine went out it would just radomly shut off the engine.

The valve cover gaskets can make these run real strange. The injector harness and glowplug harness plug into the valve cover gaskets on the outside, then there are 4 harnesses inside the cover that plug into the valve cover. These melt over time and mine went radomly crazy. Like run on 4 cylinders for a bit then suddenly run perfect for a bit. The valve cover gaskets and harnesses are about $300 from ford.

Drain the water seporator at the fuel filter, and there is a small screen between the pressure regulator and filter. It can get plugged with debris.

Bunch of other stuff to, just got home and brain is fried. Feel free to call me Paul, I have done a fair bit of work on these things.

BluFbdy · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 1:57 pm Post subject:

check the fuel pump switch, theyre meant to disable the pump when theres an accident, and my dads 01 set itself off when i swapped his filter, if i remember correctly its on the passenger side of the dash, just a push button

rjmcgee · The Hammer Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 2328

97 is a mechanical pump ont top of the engine. No inertia switch,

rjmcgee · The Hammer Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 2328

So what was it? Question

Twilightoptics · Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 5:23 pm Post subject:

My friend's dad's truck. Had something come up last weekend so we weren't able to go out and look at it. I'll keep posted when I do.

Thanks for all the pre-input!

-P

chevymad · Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 7:17 pm Post subject:

So I have a 96 in today.. kicking back when you try to start it.. and running like absolute crap. Won't rev up.. can barely move it around the parking lot.

First thing wrong.. the cam sensor. That stopped the kicking back and makes it start alot better.. but still runs like crap.

Second thing wrong.. the harness and valve cover gasket on one side.. Melted and burnt. Got a code for a shorted injector harness. I hope thats just the gasket. Will find out when I get it off I guess..

So 2 for Rod on this rig! LOL

Twilightoptics · Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 7:39 pm Post subject:

Now truck doesn't crank. Put a starter in it and now it cranks. Fuel bowl does fill while cranking. Tire pressure gauge on the schraider valve had 18-20psi during cranking at the low pressure fuel check.

Used a meter and while during cranking, showing about 600psi oil pressure testing at the sensor. Which seems to be in spec.

Runs on "alternative fuel," with glow plugs disconnected.

Glowplugs seem to be working, amp draw was good, and relay works properly.

Cleaned the fuel screen out. It was clean anyways.

Oil level is good. High pressure oil reservoir is full. Cracked the rail lines and there was fuel getting there.

Lots of smoke, sounds of fuel knock. Kinda sounds like it's out of time like an old injection pump.

Without a scan tool, how can I check the IDM? Injection Control Module?

chevymad · Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 7:46 pm Post subject:

Does it have a tach? and is it registering like Rod suggested? This one today sounded totally out of time. That ended up being the cam sensor. A quick google shows that its a common fail point and the sensors been redesigned a few times.

Twilightoptics · Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 8:11 pm Post subject:

Tach moves. Owner tried his spare cam sensor.

chevymad · Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 8:13 pm Post subject:

Well, i'm out then. Laughing

Good luck, sucks to try and do things without tools.

chevymad · Posted: Tue May 10, 2011 8:46 pm Post subject:

Got the valve cover gasket in today. Gasket and connectors were burnt to shizzle.. inside and out..

Runs perfect! Very Happy

rjmcgee · The Hammer Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 2328

Cool Brandon, glad my endless hours of frustration were helpfull. Laughing

Paul, there is also a fuse that powers several vitals and powers a fuel bowl heater. That heater can short out and blpw the fuse, then that will cause all kinds of problems. I think it is fuse 19, but I'm not real sure on that.

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/index.php

Very good resource.