How many cranks to start??

[arbuck]

Hey all,

Thanks to all that post there knowledge on this site, it is awesome!!

This is my first time posting but I have been reading for a little while. I am looking at buying my 1st 7.3. I have driven one in the past (company rig) but this may be the 1st I have owned. A little background, it appears to be a mid year 99. It seems to be a 99.5 motor with an E99 truck.

I test drove it today and it was about 65 degrees here, he had it started and running when I showed up, so the motor should have been warm. I drove it out to my place (about 5-6 miles) and temp gauge was reading "normal". I shut it down and looked around it for about 15min, went to start it, let the "wait to start" light go out and it took about 5 cha cha cha cha cha's to start. Is this normal??

From what I remember it usually is a couple of cha cha's and then I would get the varoom.

If this is not normal, what would I be looking at, Injectors, glow plugs??

Thanks all!!

[arbuck]

One other concern I have about this is, I pulled the top off the air cleaner and there was dust on the clean air side of it, it has a K&N filter in it......Is this a REALLY bad thing??

[03_Turbo7.3]

not good, about the K&N, fire it up, take the oil cap off, any blow by?

check the piping right to the turbo, dirt in the whole thing?

also sounds like the starter may be wearing out, mine used to go CHA CHA kapoweee..now it goes CHA CHA CHA CHA kapoweeee..starters original..shes tired lol

[thebierguy]

Off topic but: I know what blow by is but what does it mean?

[Dietoremain]

Originally Posted by thebierguy

Off topic but: I know what blow by is but what does it mean?

the amount of combustion gasses getting by the piston rings, aka the more blow by the less the seal, and of course you have an issue... diesels have more blow by because of the higher compression.

[nine6stroker]

My truck cranks longer when I shut it down hot, and then start it again within 10 or 15 minutes. Not really longs cranks, just longer than when it's been sittin for an hour or more. Don't know why, it just always has. Fires right up when it's cold though

[Dietoremain]

Originally Posted by nine6stroker

My truck cranks longer when I shut it down hot, and then start it again within 10 or 15 minutes. Not really longs cranks, just longer than when it's been sittin for an hour or more. Don't know why, it just always has. Fires right up when it's cold though

mine did that the other night didnt wanna crank up right away near as fast. really weird.

[nine6stroker]

Well the starter still spins as fast, it just makes a couple extra revolutions before the motor fires. When it's cold, it starts within 2 or 3 revolutions of the starter, and when it's hot, it's probably like 6 or 7.

[charlie-2]

Originally Posted by nine6stroker

Well the starter still spins as fast, it just makes a couple extra revolutions before the motor fires. When it's cold, it starts within 2 or 3 revolutions of the starter, and when it's hot, it's probably like 6 or 7.

same with my 7.3

[Zaairman]

Sounds about normal... it's a 12 year old motor and I'm guessing the batteries aren't new either.


As stated earlier, K&N = bad, check the turbo for signs of wear.