Rough/Disgusting Diesel Startup

[carringb]

I agree, that looks fairly expected for a 7.3L. Not much to worry at this point. Some good fuel treatment and/or injector cleaner might help a little. If it gets worse, you could run a cylinder contribution test, and see if an injector is sticking. But if it goes away when warmed up, I wouldn't worry about it. Do definitely get it good and hot periodically, and get on it to put it under load. Short trips without full heat cycles are hard on diesels. It probably takes 10+ miles for the engine oil in that motor to get all the way up to temp.

[BroncoHauler]

Originally Posted by carringb

... It probably takes 10+ miles for the engine oil in that motor to get all the way up to temp.

FWIW, on my 6.0L SMB, while swapping the AMSOIL hoses, I found it easily took 20+ minutes to warm up all the engine oil.

http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...html#post20444


Herb

[Orv]

Yeah, if it cleans up after it warms up I wouldn't worry too much. It looks ugly compared to a gas engine startup, but doesn't strike me as especially dirty. You're not exactly "rolling coal."

[2001chromo]

Originally Posted by maxswasser

I didn't look particularly hard for the block heater, I just don't park it in a place where I could plug it in unless times really were desperate.

I live in NYC and the trick for this is a 2,000W generator and I'd use a large cable lock to the front end and thru the handle of the generator.

My old 96 liked to be warm before starting for sure anytime it got cold. I'd leave it on that for an hour and a half and no issue regardless of how cold it was out.

HTH

[maxswasser]

Quick update. Took the van up to the mountains skiing two weeks ago. No problems (other than white smoke) starting at 20 degrees cold, and plugged in. Crashed at a friend’s house in Breckenridge and woke up to sun-zero temps. Someone needed me to move the van at 7, and i forgot to plug it in. Get in, and it miraculously starts - then sprays a van-sized cloud of thick black smoke. It slowly turns to white smoke and then becomes clear after a few minutes.

Today I checked my GPR and it’s blown! So I somehow started in subzero weather without glow plugs, which is a good sign I think! I guess I’ve been starting the van without glow plugs for a while now. But now I want to replace the GPR. Do I have to remove the alternator? I don’t have much in the way of tools other than a ratchet set.

Thanks for the advice y’all! Can’t wait

[saline]

Easiest way to reach the GPR on the 7.3 is to remove the alternator.
Remove air filter/intake
Release tension on the serpentine belt
Remove the 3 bolts on the alternator
Place a bright LED headlamp in there to aid in removal of the GPR
Stand in awe or curse the fact that they managed to cram a 7.3L diesel in there

Edit to add.. there are two relays in there that look identical. The rearmost relay is the GPR.

[maxswasser]

Originally Posted by saline

Easiest way to reach the GPR on the 7.3 is to remove the alternator.
Remove air filter/intake
Release tension on the serpentine belt
Remove the 3 bolts on the alternator
Place a bright LED headlamp in there to aid in removal of the GPR
Stand in awe or curse the fact that they managed to cram a 7.3L diesel in there

Edit to add.. there are two relays in there that look identical. The rearmost relay is the GPR.

Hmmm. What’s the front relay? I think that’s the one I checked. Should that one flip while the key is turned? I could only find the relay based off of some truck videos, not van videos.

[saline]

The truck and van relay locations should be the same. The forward one is the starter relay and the rear is the GPR.

[TomsBeast]

Originally Posted by saline

Stand in awe or curse the fact that they managed to cram a 7.3L diesel in there

My reaction about 3 hour in, each and every time I work on my 7.3 van

[pod]

If there are two relays on top of the engine, the forward one is the AIH (air intake heater) and the rear is the GPR. Also, the AIH looks more brown and the GPR is black.

On CA 7.3 vans, at some point they used a GPCM (glow plug control module) instead of that large relay. The GPCM is two plug (green and black) and is a finned aluminum rectangle object and sits under the resonator box.

There is also a fuse in F2.8 (30amp) in the CJB (central junction box) under the dash which protects the GP relay or GPCM along with a couple other items like the IDM...