Mr. Bill Hewitt, as a 7.3 owner, I have watched your videos practically religiously and followed every guideline you point out in regards to care and maintenance for these engines. I have to say if it wasn't for you, I'd be up the creek without a paddle but a monster of a repair bill instead. I wanna say thank you for all the knowledge and guidance you have shared over the years for the benefit of Powerstroke owners everywhere and I hope to keep seeing more of you in the future. That being said I just want to know one small thing. When it comes to cold starts, in regards to glow plugs, how can you tell when your glow plugs have gotten weak and need replacing? I know this seems minuscule, but I've only owned my 7.3 truck for about a year and a half only which I purchased at 217k miles and it now has 257k miles and I'm still learning about it as you can tell. Any light you can shed on that would be awesome, and thanks again!
tips for 7.3 owners. 1. When you start your 7.3 keep the foot off the brake this takes the load off the engine from the power steering system. Note only do this if you have a hydroboost. 2. To keep the rpms from going crazy on cold starts put your foot on the gas pedal about half way once it starts hold the pedal in place for about 7 seconds then release pedal slowly this will keep the rpms from going crazy.
the word of the day is maintenance..... my duramax starts super easy it's got 300k on her, winter time i use stanadyne every tank, seen -30 here in earten NB, now that is fcking cold! but i do the maintenance... maintenance is cheep., this includes testing batteries and fuel filter when it starts to be cold
love the videos on all the powerstroke motors! I'll be traveling to Stone Mtn pulling a 40' 5th wheel from Oklahoma on the 23rd. I would love to swing by your shop just to shake the hand of the man that gives great advice on these motors
+buster kellar Have a good trip- I'll be stoppin by to see Bill when I get down that way to visit family and friends- Take care n God Bless your journey- Paul
It's the simple things that a lot of people over see and you are absolutely right about using archoil. I have turn some of my big customers that run diesel equipment like off road fork lifts and big big 30,000-75,000 capacity forks lifts, to archoil. They have noticed a huge difference in the way their equipment runs and how it starts during our winter up in the Pacific Northwest. Also has fixed a couple sticky injectors on some Perkins and Cummins ISX motors. And the injectors in my 96 powerstroke. Archoil helped get rid of some stiction I had going on too. Thanks again bill for the hard work and R and R you and your team do at powerstroke specialties. Merry Christmas.
Here's a lil tip I've done for years to get a little more battery life. I'd say every 3-4 months when I'm tinkering on my vehicle I throw it on a float charger and let it top off. On average it takes about 20 minutes of run time to recover the charge used on a cold start. That's with good batteries. And the thing is, alternators charge, yes, but it's "dirty" power. Every few months , throw it on a 2 amp float charge overnight. Not a ps owner but a diesel/gen tech and diesel driver for over 20 yrs.
I have to admit hearing that engine come to life was very cool. I love the way old diesel engines start in cold weather. Just something exciting about it.
Great advise as usual! Can I add a few more tips for traveling in the cold North? My 01 7.3 has never failed me working it 15 years, down to -60F in Alaska. Staying healthy in these conditions means planning ahead for as many things as you can. Mr. Hewitt is dead on, maintenance can mean life or death to us and you. Follow his suggestions but if you are coming to cold country add block, tranny, and battery plug in heaters. Anytime it gets below freezing I plug in and as Bill suggests I cycle the key twice. Also after starting I let the truck idle for 3 to 4 minutes for every 10 degrees it gets colder than freezing, before I driving it. I have only had to cold start mine once at -43F because the generator did not start to plug it in a few hours. It started about like spot did in the video. Bottom line, listen to Mr. Hewitt advise on maintenance, plan ahead, and be safe.
BILL...... WHO MUCH LONGER YOU STRETCH THE OIL CHANGE HAVING USE ARCHOIL ON A 6.0L ? I'm now on a 7k miles oil(with the ARCHOIL on it) and the oil just got black a week ago, cuz with 6k+ miles was still honey-like. -the truck is used on light duty most of the time I should add-. thanks for your videos
Sir, I just want to say thank you for making these videos and for supporting veterans. Your passion for powerstokes is fun and educational. Thank You! Nate
Sounds like the hpop see better days by that lope. Also the glow plug don't shut off after the wait to start light shut off, they stay in for anther few minutes. Turn the key, count to 15 after the light shuts off and give it a shot
Well the only problems I ever had starting my jetta diesel, I had the car for 19 years would be when the glow plugs would burn out! On a minus 35F day I would just cycle the glow plugs three times and not problem with starting- Winter in Fairbanks Alaska were I was living working at the time is pretty tough on things! I used Power Service fuel additive for years- keep those injectors working ! And because of my work my boss would let me fill my car when ever I wanted with Jet-A no jelling problems in the cold, and a lot of the times I would not even have to plug in the block heater, I did anyway along with a oil heater just to keep from wear do to cranking to long! A diesel will work fine in the cold, you just have take some steps- that you may or may not do with gas! Block heaters are a must for the most part!
My dad has a Diesel Fordson major Tractor. full engine overhaul in 1959 , no glow plugs, lives outside, oil change in 1999 and new battery in 1989 started at -19DegC without any special additives, super battery or any other assistance. It is crap, cheap and nasty build quality that plagues modern engines. This old stalwart tractor regularly starts the modern machinery and vehicles. I have been a life long Ford man but their vehicles of the last 15 years have utterly cleansed me of this bias.
Glad Bill and archoil came together. my 7.3 excursion and I have been using archoil fuel and oil additives for about 2 + years. I am from minnesota. cold start at 20 below, no plug in, fires up quickly, no stiction. 35 below I don't get a wait to start light. not sure why, but it does still start. great product, and bill is a great guy.
GP relay mod would probably help that poor start. My high mileage 7.3 starts at way colder temps perfectly with rotella 15W40. But rotella T6 helps on the -22F days and a block heater I might add! -7 F is asking a lot with no block heater though, but it'll start in the same way spot does.
Bill I love it!. 25 above is Spring baby! LOL. -40 below brother, now THAT is winter in Montana. Try bending wrenches in that stuff...hurts. Love your videos. Keep it up. Thanks for helping my brother vets.
hey buddy I have a question..I just bought my first diesel it's a 2003 7.3 powerstroke my block is cracked and one of the engines I'm looking at buying to replace it is put of a school bus with 116k on the clock and it's from Indiana my question is is this a good motor to replace mine or should I go a different route..hope to hear from you soon
When I did a year in the former Soviet Union working a flightline, we would not shut off our 7.3L Ford bobtail, 6.5L Chevy box truck, detroit powered aircraft tug, or DT466 deicer truck when it went below -30. Down that cold the only thing that would start was the gas powered Ford Ranger. My deicer went 5 weeks straight with totally dead batteries until new ones showed up. Love your "cold start" video!
+Chris D You should always let your truck idle until the coolant gauge moves. This is especially important on cold days, cold oil is thicker and does not provide the lubrication to rotating engine parts and is harder on oil fired injectors. Plus your truck will use more fuel when cold versus hot, so letting your truck idle until the gauge moves is easier on it, and more efficient MPG-wise
good lord. my 6.0 starts easier at 4F than that. but it has set a while and lost of miles on that thing. I always turn the key on and wair 1.5 minuites and then key off and back on for 30 sec. then start. im sure i read this was the "ford procedure" somewhere. anyways always seems to fire the first time like that.
Never heard of this. Interesting !! I will try this Monday night when I get off work. I have a 2002 7.3 currently having cold start issues only leaving work at 1am, plugged in at house starts like it is summer day.
hi Billy quick question I have a 01 excursions that I just roles Over 100000 and it cranks hard and lopes like that any thing I can to to help it out thanks
I'm having cold start issues myself. I've used Hot Shots, Rev-X, and I've done the Archoil Challege (Ordered from PowerstrokeHelp.com) and nothing has helped. It has a bad miss until the engine temps go up to about 130. I can't figure this thing out and all Ford says is "it needs new injectors ($5500). Is there something I'm missing before I throw injectors at this thing? Here are some vids I shot of her during cold starts. ua-cam.com/video/rfuhKMK1g30/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/SWiXx1rub0I/v-deo.html
I love the 7.3's but they can't start up worth the fuck in the cold tbh... I always had to plug mine in every night if it was below 40-30 degrees but my dad had a inline 6.7 and the glow plugs never came on only if it was 10 below
780,000 miles and still running strong my dad hates on the truck and tell me its trash, a peice of garbage and tell me to get rid of it and like why should It still runs and starts everytime and drives me to my destination whether its 30 miles away or 300 miles. It's all hate and jealousy my own dad is jealous and always talks shit about it and hes been a mechanic and truck driver all his life but he wont help me ever I see that he notices the problems the maintenance that it needs but he doesnt mention in because deep down he wants to see it die. He doesnt want me to be happy or own anything good.
Im getting tons of black smoke 💨 when starting enough to make me want to go buy an electric truck like yesterday. Are there any good additives or is my turbo about to go?
ya ill say that things tired. for 25 out, with as many miles as it has on it, ( even though the block is newer, heads, some gaskets and oil pump) using other parts that have over 900k on them is impressive. my late 99 doesnt normally have a problem with one glow plug cycle at 0* out, unplugged, with 15w40 in it still. it will grown a bit but after about 10 seconds or so it will fire up and go straight to high idle and not even lope. this year it hasnt gotten down to cold it was 25 out here this morning and it started a little rougher than i was expecting it to, probably batteries are getting a little old possibly a few glow plugs could be getting weak. never the less it didnt miss or lope either. i have been getting some blue smoke on start up for about 10 seconds or so, which its never done in past years, while i know a lot of diesels will have some blue smoke mine hasnt done it in the past, but only does it when its cold below 50 recently. even possible that ive got a slight injector issue. i have had some slight rough idle after warm up. either way 7.3s are good old engines, mine gets me to where i need to go and gets the job done, and only has 192k on it, im either the second or 3rd owner. so however it was treated before i got it is unknown, it did have a up to date oil change date in it back when i bought it of course that was a long time ago and ive changed it plenty since then along with the fuel filter and have ran good ole arch oil through it. no tuner on the truck running stock besides a 6637 filter. but ive thought about getting a hydra. just dont know if i want to invest in that since it does what i need it to already and i get 18 to 20 mpg.
the odometer may say 900,000 miles but the motor got replaced at 798,000. don't try and tell us that the motor is tired with only 100,000 miles on it when you say that 7.3's can go for 800,000 miles.
+Mike Ferris The block got changed but the crank shaft, cam shaft, 6 pistons and rings are from the original engine on purpose. I did use the newer (330K) heads with new valve stem seals. But outside of a new oil pump and gaskets, most of the parts were from original motor.
+powerstrokehelp I should call bullshit. I dought that 7.3 has that many miles on it. I like the 7.3 myself but they will not go that far. gravity kills v8 motors in a funny way. the most miles I've seen on a 7.3 is 500,000 highway miles and that was on a 97 owned by a equipment salesmen. I'm not calling you a lier man. that many miles on a v8 motor is almost unheard of period.
You don't need to cycle the key, the manual clearly states that the glow plugs will stay on for up to 2 minutes after the wait to start light goes out.
I mentioned bill to the boys at smoke em diesel in Regina. They said he was an idiot.... Honestly bill has a lot of helpful tips and solutions for your powerstroke diesel. I wish he lived here is Saskatchewan where it's cold lol. But I could use a good diesel tech.
hey buddy I have a question..I just bought my first diesel it's a 2003 7.3 powerstroke my block is cracked and one of the engines I'm looking at buying to replace it is put of a school bus with 116k on the clock and it's from Indiana my question is is this a good motor to replace mine or should I go a different route..hope to hear from you soon
Saw first a few videos of yours today on 7.3 issues. I like what i see. But i can't believe you didnt mention plugging these bad boys up for a few hours at these cool temps to help out.
Dear Mr. Mike Ferris, So We know You have NO idea about Mr. Bill or the history of SPOT The Truck. No need for "explanations", you may do your own research, be for makeing very questionable statements. We are not here to "spoon feed" you. Sincerely, NAWALT.
Just started my 07 6.7 Cummins in 20f didn't even stutter started as if it was 70f I run archoil fuel additive, t6 oil, and I've got nmf in it. First year with the truck so no idea how old the batteries are..
What is your opinion of amsoil synthetic good or bad also what do you think all there fuel additives. Just wanted your opinion a friend of mine is using it in his duramax. I heard the oil will have a longer life so it can be changed at every 10,000 instead every 5,000 like I have been doing
I used to cycle the glowplugs on my old 94 diesel Jetta a few times before starting it in cold weather. Of course, cold weather up here we're talking about 15 fahrenheit or less. 25 F is t-shirt weather lol. My Jetta had maybe a third of the mileage as this truck though.
that old beast lit off pretty easy ,, i wish mine would do that I don't own a powerstroke but i do have several diesels ,, cummins powered ford ranger and a couple cummins powered generators and my old faithful detroit powered Jeep J30 , and a 1978 K3500 chevy which has a 6V-71 TA detroit 2 stroke ,, that damned thing won't start below 30F without help it's a case of spin it till it lights ,, feed it some ether , turn it some more and eventually it will rattle to life , clattering and knocking about 5 minutes idling and it smoothes out and purrs any one of the cummins engines will crank right up in the cold though about as easy as Spot the shop truck did today i drove my 1983 nissan 720D and it started just as easy as Spot just did hit the glow plugs 2 times and turn the key ,, it came right to life ,, hasn't ran since halloween still has the original engine with just short of 850,000 miles ,,and it's got 600K miles since the engine was worked on way back in 1992 , that was a head gasket ,,since then i have replaced clutches 3 times and 1 turbo which had a seal failure ,, no runaway though because the engine has an air flow cutoff
I Archoiled my nephews 7.3 and it starts easier and is quiter than his dads that has 40,000 less miles. It's worth the $$. Especially f you live in cold temp places.
Hi Bill, I have a 2002 7.3 with 230,000 kilometers. The truck has been sitting for about 2 and a half years. I'm going to put the truck back on the road but I was wondering what servicing you'd recommend for something like this? It's been parked outside and has spent a lot of time under snow.
i got this problem with my truck 05 ford f350 6.0 the electrical where on my wheel i have the radio volume up and down and sometimes when u click the volume down it turns it up and when i click the volume higher it changes the station any way you can tell me wats up with it ? pls and thanks
Billy, This is a pathetic cold start at 24*f. I'm from northern Minnesota and my 7.3 doesn't start that hard at 0*f. I run the same interstate batteries, rotella t6, original starter, and a western plow solenoid to replace the garbage stock glow plug relay. The plow or stancor relay mod can not be overlooked if you deal with sever cold starts on a regular basis.
has anyone done a compression test after using 9100 this stuff might be reducing friction but adding a layer between the metal and oil im concerned aabout the cross hatchs in the bores
Along the lines of getting electrons flowing (to starters, glow plugs, the list goes on), having clean battery terminals & bigger wires (I use 1/0 from the alternator to the battery & 4/0 between the 2 batteries; when it warms up Ill be running 4/0 from the battery to the starter) -It'll help out alot
I met a guy that said he added gasoline to his Diesel and his 7 3 liter has three hundred thousand miles on it and runs like a champ should I start at and gasoline to my 6.0l 2003 f350
i got everstart (walmart) batteries in my truck and they have been in there for over 5 years and never had an issue out of them so... ill change them when they get tired but the still holding like brand new.
You know if we're talking about a cold start, especially under the pretense of education this is kind of pathetic. A) Thats cool, not cold. B) Thats ROUGH as hell All those EXPENSIVE additives and synthetic oil sure don't make that truck start worth shit. If anybody wants education on cold starting a 7.3, go to my channel and watch the video's I've posted about it and the video descriptions say whats done to make it start so well. Hint : No synthetic oil, no additives, and no block heater are required, even at -30C :D Hell even at -40C our trucks up here start way easier than that. The goal of this video isn't to teach you how to cold start your 7.3. It's to get your to spend more money.
Aww, did it chilly in Hotlanta :) I'm in Albuquerque and my 2000 7.3 loves the cold, got down to 9 degrees for several nights... I plug her in every night! 262,000 and runs great.
I lived in Cumberland Maine for most of my life (near Portland Maine). I live in Utah now (I’m 20). Now I’m going to North Dakota with my 99 powerstroke to go work on the oil pipeline.
Can anyone tell me when the engine would lope like that? My 96 does the same thing cold, warm, or hot. If it's under 40 and not plugged in she wont start either
I still love the videos, I need to try the archoil, my truck fires up instantly even below zero, but smokes like a 50s housewife for 3-5 minutes. 03 with 330k.
I did a cold start on our 7.3 this morning it started very hard it loped like yours did when i moved it i noticed it had a puddle of oil underneath it It only leaks on cold starts and stops any idea why it spits out oil on cold starts?
Compared to my nearly 500000km driven volkswagen 1.9 diesel this truck started surprisingly poorly. I get start like that when its colder than -25C and no block heater is used.
Without a doubt. But these trucks do have gigantic starters and two batteries compared to my single 55Ah battery and coke can sized starter. Mine doesnt crank over any faster but it fires right away and runs without smoking. Seen same thing with PowerStroke motors as well.
But it doesnt have 900k original miles on it. It was partially rebuilt at 798k and has gone through more than one set of injectors and things like that. Still i would be sad if my diesels started like that.
+Kizmox Your engine have a 22/1 compression ratio while turbo diesel direct injection have around 16 or 17/1. they will start less easily since they compress less,so make less heat. it's a 4, way smaller cylinders,small displacement compared to this. vw 1.9 idi are very good and built to last. i have had the 6 cylinders version of yours.
We saw you sneaking the can of ether around ;)
In Utah, during winter I plug my truck in every day when I get home from school.
Mr. Bill Hewitt, as a 7.3 owner, I have watched your videos practically religiously and followed every guideline you point out in regards to care and maintenance for these engines. I have to say if it wasn't for you, I'd be up the creek without a paddle but a monster of a repair bill instead. I wanna say thank you for all the knowledge and guidance you have shared over the years for the benefit of Powerstroke owners everywhere and I hope to keep seeing more of you in the future.
That being said I just want to know one small thing. When it comes to cold starts, in regards to glow plugs, how can you tell when your glow plugs have gotten weak and need replacing? I know this seems minuscule, but I've only owned my 7.3 truck for about a year and a half only which I purchased at 217k miles and it now has 257k miles and I'm still learning about it as you can tell. Any light you can shed on that would be awesome, and thanks again!
tips for 7.3 owners.
1. When you start your 7.3 keep the foot off the brake this takes the load off the engine from the power steering system. Note only do this if you have a hydroboost.
2. To keep the rpms from going crazy on cold starts put your foot on the gas pedal about half way once it starts hold the pedal in place for about 7 seconds then release pedal slowly this will keep the rpms from going crazy.
the word of the day is maintenance..... my duramax starts super easy it's got 300k on her, winter time i use stanadyne every tank, seen -30 here in earten NB, now that is fcking cold! but i do the maintenance... maintenance is cheep., this includes testing batteries and fuel filter when it starts to be cold
love the videos on all the powerstroke motors! I'll be traveling to Stone Mtn pulling a 40' 5th wheel from Oklahoma on the 23rd. I would love to swing by your shop just to shake the hand of the man that gives great advice on these motors
+buster kellar Have a good trip- I'll be stoppin by to see Bill when I get down that way to visit family and friends- Take care n God Bless your journey- Paul
It's the simple things that a lot of people over see and you are absolutely right about using archoil. I have turn some of my big customers that run diesel equipment like off road fork lifts and big big 30,000-75,000 capacity forks lifts, to archoil. They have noticed a huge difference in the way their equipment runs and how it starts during our winter up in the Pacific Northwest. Also has fixed a couple sticky injectors on some Perkins and Cummins ISX motors. And the injectors in my 96 powerstroke. Archoil helped get rid of some stiction I had going on too. Thanks again bill for the hard work and R and R you and your team do at powerstroke specialties. Merry Christmas.
Here's a lil tip I've done for years to get a little more battery life.
I'd say every 3-4 months when I'm tinkering on my vehicle I throw it on a float charger and let it top off.
On average it takes about 20 minutes of run time to recover the charge used on a cold start.
That's with good batteries.
And the thing is, alternators charge, yes, but it's "dirty" power.
Every few months , throw it on a 2 amp float charge overnight.
Not a ps owner but a diesel/gen tech and diesel driver for over 20 yrs.
Btw I've gotten 11 years out of an optima on the wife's car using this method and I'm in upstate ny.
Thanks for the vid, from Canada we get cold weather
Hey Bill, love the videos! I'm very impressed by that 7.3 and can't wait to get one and put my own million miles on it!
I have to admit hearing that engine come to life was very cool. I love the way old diesel engines start in cold weather. Just something exciting about it.
"I see cold as punishment"
Me too bud. Me too
Great advise as usual! Can I add a few more tips for traveling in the cold North? My 01 7.3 has never failed me working it 15 years, down to -60F in Alaska. Staying healthy in these conditions means planning ahead for as many things as you can. Mr. Hewitt is dead on, maintenance can mean life or death to us and you. Follow his suggestions but if you are coming to cold country add block, tranny, and battery plug in heaters. Anytime it gets below freezing I plug in and as Bill suggests I cycle the key twice. Also after starting I let the truck idle for 3 to 4 minutes for every 10 degrees it gets colder than freezing, before I driving it. I have only had to cold start mine once at -43F because the generator did not start to plug it in a few hours. It started about like spot did in the video.
Bottom line, listen to Mr. Hewitt advise on maintenance, plan ahead, and be safe.
Great advice. Thank you.
BILL...... WHO MUCH LONGER YOU STRETCH THE OIL CHANGE HAVING USE ARCHOIL ON A 6.0L ? I'm now on a 7k miles oil(with the ARCHOIL on it) and the oil just got black a week ago, cuz with 6k+ miles was still honey-like. -the truck is used on light duty most of the time I should add-.
thanks for your videos
Sir, I just want to say thank you for making these videos and for supporting veterans. Your passion for powerstokes is fun and educational. Thank You!
Nate
Sounds like the hpop see better days by that lope. Also the glow plug don't shut off after the wait to start light shut off, they stay in for anther few minutes. Turn the key, count to 15 after the light shuts off and give it a shot
Is it normal for the rpms to jump like that when it first started up? Mine does the same on a cold start
It's Nice too see that a Mechanics trucks start this rough. It makes me okay about my 7.3 not firing in -10 degree weather.
Well the only problems I ever had starting my jetta diesel, I had the car for 19 years would be when the glow plugs would burn out! On a minus 35F day I would just cycle the glow plugs three times and not problem with starting- Winter in Fairbanks Alaska were I was living working at the time is pretty tough on things! I used Power Service fuel additive for years- keep those injectors working ! And because of my work my boss would let me fill my car when ever I wanted with Jet-A no jelling problems in the cold, and a lot of the times I would not even have to plug in the block heater, I did anyway along with a oil heater just to keep from wear do to cranking to long! A diesel will work fine in the cold, you just have take some steps- that you may or may not do with gas! Block heaters are a must for the most part!
My dad has a Diesel Fordson major Tractor. full engine overhaul in 1959 , no glow plugs, lives outside, oil change in 1999 and new battery in 1989 started at -19DegC without any special additives, super battery or any other assistance. It is crap, cheap and nasty build quality that plagues modern engines. This old stalwart tractor regularly starts the modern machinery and vehicles. I have been a life long Ford man but their vehicles of the last 15 years have utterly cleansed me of this bias.
Glad Bill and archoil came together. my 7.3 excursion and I have been using archoil fuel and oil additives for about 2 + years. I am from minnesota. cold start at 20 below, no plug in, fires up quickly, no stiction. 35 below I don't get a wait to start light. not sure why, but it does still start. great product, and bill is a great guy.
GP relay mod would probably help that poor start. My high mileage 7.3 starts at way colder temps perfectly with rotella 15W40. But rotella T6 helps on the -22F days and a block heater I might add! -7 F is asking a lot with no block heater though, but it'll start in the same way spot does.
did you really just call 28 deg a cold start? HAHAHAHAHAHA
+mitch bradley thats a tired ass truck
Bill I love it!. 25 above is Spring baby! LOL. -40 below brother, now THAT is winter in Montana. Try bending wrenches in that stuff...hurts. Love your videos. Keep it up. Thanks for helping my brother vets.
Maine! hell yeah. cold sucks but my good old obs 7.3 always starts up all the way up here
Bill where did you live in Maine? Im there
hey buddy I have a question..I just bought my first diesel it's a 2003 7.3 powerstroke my block is cracked and one of the engines I'm looking at buying to replace it is put of a school bus with 116k on the clock and it's from Indiana my question is is this a good motor to replace mine or should I go a different route..hope to hear from you soon
When I did a year in the former Soviet Union working a flightline, we would not shut off our 7.3L Ford bobtail, 6.5L Chevy box truck, detroit powered aircraft tug, or DT466 deicer truck when it went below -30. Down that cold the only thing that would start was the gas powered Ford Ranger. My deicer went 5 weeks straight with totally dead batteries until new ones showed up. Love your "cold start" video!
Wow!!
On that 24 degree day how long would you let the truck idle or what coolant temp before you started to drive? Same for a 6.0?
I have a 6.0 and I usually wait till my oil and coolant are both above 100°f. otherwise my stiction is too much to get it to run and shift properly.
Good 20 mins the hotter the better
+Chris D You should always let your truck idle until the coolant gauge moves. This is especially important on cold days, cold oil is thicker and does not provide the lubrication to rotating engine parts and is harder on oil fired injectors. Plus your truck will use more fuel when cold versus hot, so letting your truck idle until the gauge moves is easier on it, and more efficient MPG-wise
Im watching this from Gorham, Maine. 8 degrees here right now
This is crazy I'm in Gotham watching this for the first time. I'm looking into buying a diesel so I've been doing a bunch of research on these
good lord. my 6.0 starts easier at 4F than that. but it has set a while and lost of miles on that thing. I always turn the key on and wair 1.5 minuites and then key off and back on for 30 sec. then start. im sure i read this was the "ford procedure" somewhere. anyways always seems to fire the first time like that.
Never heard of this. Interesting !! I will try this Monday night when I get off work. I have a 2002 7.3 currently having cold start issues only leaving work at 1am, plugged in at house starts like it is summer day.
I like your attitude you seem like the kind to beat the livng shit out of someone to make them buy a truck from you lol.
hi Billy quick question I have a 01 excursions that I just roles Over 100000 and it cranks hard and lopes like that any thing I can to to help it out thanks
I'm having cold start issues myself. I've used Hot Shots, Rev-X, and I've done the Archoil Challege (Ordered from PowerstrokeHelp.com) and nothing has helped. It has a bad miss until the engine temps go up to about 130. I can't figure this thing out and all Ford says is "it needs new injectors ($5500). Is there something I'm missing before I throw injectors at this thing? Here are some vids I shot of her during cold starts.
ua-cam.com/video/rfuhKMK1g30/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/SWiXx1rub0I/v-deo.html
25 degrees isn't cold.
I love the 7.3's but they can't start up worth the fuck in the cold tbh... I always had to plug mine in every night if it was below 40-30 degrees but my dad had a inline 6.7 and the glow plugs never came on only if it was 10 below
Always informative. I'm a farmer and use many of his advises on my equipment.
love 7.3 over half million km still going strong
Dang Bill...why do guys always have to bust your balls? A guy offers a sh@tload of FREE information and this is what you get...good lord
780,000 miles and still running strong my dad hates on the truck and tell me its trash, a peice of garbage and tell me to get rid of it and like why should It still runs and starts everytime and drives me to my destination whether its 30 miles away or 300 miles. It's all hate and jealousy my own dad is jealous and always talks shit about it and hes been a mechanic and truck driver all his life but he wont help me ever I see that he notices the problems the maintenance that it needs but he doesnt mention in because deep down he wants to see it die. He doesnt want me to be happy or own anything good.
Im getting tons of black smoke 💨 when starting enough to make me want to go buy an electric truck like yesterday. Are there any good additives or is my turbo about to go?
What about the Lucas oil heavy duty and synthetic oil stabilizers? How do they compare with the rest?
I tried Lucas oil stabilizer in my 04 6.0 and it made it start worse because the Lucas made the oil thicker...
do not start when its cold!! 6.7 diesels aren't any better!! small kids and wife in a mess today because of this. Brand new truck!
Bill, why do you use imperial units and not IS units?, you should help educate the people in the US by changing since you have a wide reach on people
on our powerstrokes most people use 0w-40 oil up in canada
ya ill say that things tired. for 25 out, with as many miles as it has on it, ( even though the block is newer, heads, some gaskets and oil pump) using other parts that have over 900k on them is impressive. my late 99 doesnt normally have a problem with one glow plug cycle at 0* out, unplugged, with 15w40 in it still. it will grown a bit but after about 10 seconds or so it will fire up and go straight to high idle and not even lope. this year it hasnt gotten down to cold it was 25 out here this morning and it started a little rougher than i was expecting it to, probably batteries are getting a little old possibly a few glow plugs could be getting weak. never the less it didnt miss or lope either. i have been getting some blue smoke on start up for about 10 seconds or so, which its never done in past years, while i know a lot of diesels will have some blue smoke mine hasnt done it in the past, but only does it when its cold below 50 recently. even possible that ive got a slight injector issue. i have had some slight rough idle after warm up. either way 7.3s are good old engines, mine gets me to where i need to go and gets the job done, and only has 192k on it, im either the second or 3rd owner. so however it was treated before i got it is unknown, it did have a up to date oil change date in it back when i bought it of course that was a long time ago and ive changed it plenty since then along with the fuel filter and have ran good ole arch oil through it. no tuner on the truck running stock besides a 6637 filter. but ive thought about getting a hydra. just dont know if i want to invest in that since it does what i need it to already and i get 18 to 20 mpg.
Do you depress the gas pedal when you start your 1999 f 250 7.3 ?
the odometer may say 900,000 miles but the motor got replaced at 798,000. don't try and tell us that the motor is tired with only 100,000 miles on it when you say that 7.3's can go for 800,000 miles.
+Mike Ferris The block got changed but the crank shaft, cam shaft, 6 pistons and rings are from the original engine on purpose. I did use the newer (330K) heads with new valve stem seals. But outside of a new oil pump and gaskets, most of the parts were from original motor.
Oh OK, that was my misunderstanding. Sorry about that bill
+Mike Ferris troll
+powerstrokehelp I should call bullshit. I dought that 7.3 has that many miles on it. I like the 7.3 myself but they will not go that far. gravity kills v8 motors in a funny way. the most miles I've seen on a 7.3 is 500,000 highway miles and that was on a 97 owned by a equipment salesmen. I'm not calling you a lier man. that many miles on a v8 motor is almost unheard of period.
+powerstrokehelp Do you recommend a heater for the fuel filter? I live in minnesota and regularly see -15 F.
You don't need to cycle the key, the manual clearly states that the glow plugs will stay on for up to 2 minutes after the wait to start light goes out.
I mentioned bill to the boys at smoke em diesel in Regina. They said he was an idiot.... Honestly bill has a lot of helpful tips and solutions for your powerstroke diesel. I wish he lived here is Saskatchewan where it's cold lol. But I could use a good diesel tech.
Starts exactly like my '99 7.3 when it's too cold out. is that opening due to an ICP issue?
Idk I hope he can tell us
hey buddy I have a question..I just bought my first diesel it's a 2003 7.3 powerstroke my block is cracked and one of the engines I'm looking at buying to replace it is put of a school bus with 116k on the clock and it's from Indiana my question is is this a good motor to replace mine or should I go a different route..hope to hear from you soon
Saw first a few videos of yours today on 7.3 issues. I like what i see. But i can't believe you didnt mention plugging these bad boys up for a few hours at these cool temps to help out.
Dear Mr. Mike Ferris, So We know
You have NO idea about Mr. Bill or
the history of SPOT The Truck. No
need for "explanations", you may
do your own research, be for makeing
very questionable statements. We
are not here to "spoon feed" you.
Sincerely, NAWALT.
Question. How many gears does the trany have. And if your going at 70 mph what number is your rpms at. Is it 2500
Just started my 07 6.7 Cummins in 20f didn't even stutter started as if it was 70f I run archoil fuel additive, t6 oil, and I've got nmf in it. First year with the truck so no idea how old the batteries are..
What is your opinion of amsoil synthetic good or bad also what do you think all there fuel additives. Just wanted your opinion a friend of mine is using it in his duramax. I heard the oil will have a longer life so it can be changed at every 10,000 instead every 5,000 like I have been doing
I used to cycle the glowplugs on my old 94 diesel Jetta a few times before starting it in cold weather. Of course, cold weather up here we're talking about 15 fahrenheit or less. 25 F is t-shirt weather lol. My Jetta had maybe a third of the mileage as this truck though.
that old beast lit off pretty easy ,, i wish mine would do that
I don't own a powerstroke but i do have several diesels ,, cummins powered ford ranger and a couple cummins powered generators
and my old faithful detroit powered Jeep J30 , and a 1978 K3500 chevy which has a 6V-71 TA detroit 2 stroke ,, that damned thing won't start below 30F without help
it's a case of spin it till it lights ,, feed it some ether , turn it some more and eventually it will rattle to life , clattering and knocking about 5 minutes idling and it smoothes out and purrs
any one of the cummins engines will crank right up in the cold though about as easy as Spot the shop truck did
today i drove my 1983 nissan 720D and it started just as easy as Spot just did hit the glow plugs 2 times and turn the key ,, it came right to life ,, hasn't ran since halloween
still has the original engine with just short of 850,000 miles ,,and it's got 600K miles since the engine was worked on way back in 1992 , that was a head gasket ,,since then i have replaced clutches 3 times and 1 turbo which had a seal failure ,, no runaway though because the engine has an air flow cutoff
I Archoiled my nephews 7.3 and it starts easier and is quiter than his dads that has 40,000 less miles. It's worth the $$. Especially f you live in cold temp places.
FYI interstate was bought out 3 years ago and there batteries are now junk. I buy deka.
Hi Bill, I have a 2002 7.3 with 230,000 kilometers. The truck has been sitting for about 2 and a half years. I'm going to put the truck back on the road but I was wondering what servicing you'd recommend for something like this? It's been parked outside and has spent a lot of time under snow.
Man my obs 7.3 starts way better than that in the cold. It was 19 here last week, 2 keys cycles and it cranked right up like it was 70 degrees
I was wondering how hard is it to change seals o rings on a 94 F350 oil cooler? it's a 7.3 idi diesel.
i got this problem with my truck 05 ford f350 6.0 the electrical where on my wheel i have the radio volume up and down and sometimes when u click the volume down it turns it up and when i click the volume higher it changes the station any way you can tell me wats up with it ? pls and thanks
Billy, This is a pathetic cold start at 24*f. I'm from northern Minnesota and my 7.3 doesn't start that hard at 0*f. I run the same interstate batteries, rotella t6, original starter, and a western plow solenoid to replace the garbage stock glow plug relay. The plow or stancor relay mod can not be overlooked if you deal with sever cold starts on a regular basis.
has anyone done a compression test after using 9100 this stuff might be reducing friction but adding a layer between the metal and oil im concerned aabout the cross hatchs in the bores
also I really want to get that archoil to fix my stiction problems in my 99 7.3 but I live in british Columbia Canada what are my options??
Along the lines of getting electrons flowing (to starters, glow plugs, the list goes on), having clean battery terminals & bigger wires (I use 1/0 from the alternator to the battery & 4/0 between the 2 batteries; when it warms up Ill be running 4/0 from the battery to the starter) -It'll help out alot
Pennsylvania here, had our coldest day of December today, 47*. I wish it was 25* and snowing. Mother nature is off her rocker this winter.
I met a guy that said he added gasoline to his Diesel and his 7 3 liter has three hundred thousand miles on it and runs like a champ should I start at and gasoline to my 6.0l 2003 f350
Perfect example of why the 7.3 is so popular. A Cummins is a great motor but I'd take a 7.3 or 6.0 over one any day of the week.
I wouldn't run Rotella if it was free. Motorcraft and Interstate are the best batteries though. I think Johnson Controls makes both.
You could also give 1/4 throttle that’s helped out my dad’s power stroke 7.3
i got everstart (walmart) batteries in my truck and they have been in there for over 5 years and never had an issue out of them so... ill change them when they get tired but the still holding like brand new.
You know if we're talking about a cold start, especially under the pretense of education this is kind of pathetic.
A) Thats cool, not cold.
B) Thats ROUGH as hell
All those EXPENSIVE additives and synthetic oil sure don't make that truck start worth shit.
If anybody wants education on cold starting a 7.3, go to my channel and watch the video's I've posted about it and the video descriptions say whats done to make it start so well. Hint : No synthetic oil, no additives, and no block heater are required, even at -30C :D Hell even at -40C our trucks up here start way easier than that.
The goal of this video isn't to teach you how to cold start your 7.3. It's to get your to spend more money.
Aww, did it chilly in Hotlanta :) I'm in Albuquerque and my 2000 7.3 loves the cold, got down to 9 degrees for several nights... I plug her in every night! 262,000 and runs great.
I don't miss that shit at all...praying it starts when I'm out somewhere then it starts I go inside and look out 20 minutes later and it died...nope
What about the fresh engine at 798xxx miles
of course now I hear you lived in Maine...it's -3 today! Hoping my truck will start without an issue this morning. 2004 F350 6.0L
I lived in Cumberland Maine for most of my life (near Portland Maine). I live in Utah now (I’m 20). Now I’m going to North Dakota with my 99 powerstroke to go work on the oil pipeline.
Can anyone tell me when the engine would lope like that? My 96 does the same thing cold, warm, or hot. If it's under 40 and not plugged in she wont start either
What cause a 7.3 powerstroke die when the engine is still cold? Doesn't die when the engine is warmed up. Would it be a cps?
HolEEE FUCK...loaf tune on that MUV!
I have never heard of doing 2 cycles before starting. Is this something You recommend when Very cold out on 1st start of the day ??
Interstate batteries are the worst batteries you can buy!
You dont see any problems with T6 oil in the middle of 100 degree summer. Far as low icp
I have a 2000 f-250 how much would it be total for a 2011-2015 front end conversion ?
What was that romp in the beginning when it starts? My truck does that, I have to bring up the rpm for a little bit before it stops and idles smooth.
I still love the videos, I need to try the archoil, my truck fires up instantly even below zero, but smokes like a 50s housewife for 3-5 minutes. 03 with 330k.
I use motorcraft batteries in my 6.0
I did a cold start on our 7.3 this morning it started very hard it loped like yours did when i moved it i noticed it had a puddle of oil underneath it It only leaks on cold starts and stops any idea why it spits out oil on cold starts?
My 7.3 idi pops right off at 0 degrees and above. I'm not very impressed with the powerstroke.
You would be if you expierenced more than 125 hp in a 8000 lb truck😂
I know you work on Power strokes but for a 16 hp yanmar diesel what you recommend for oil?
Pretty cool you used to live up in Maine! Was your father based at Brunswick or Loring AFB?
Compared to my nearly 500000km driven volkswagen 1.9 diesel this truck started surprisingly poorly. I get start like that when its colder than -25C and no block heater is used.
Without a doubt. But these trucks do have gigantic starters and two batteries compared to my single 55Ah battery and coke can sized starter. Mine doesnt crank over any faster but it fires right away and runs without smoking. Seen same thing with PowerStroke motors as well.
That little 4 banger will start easier than 7.3 litre v8 with substantialy more milage on the engine.
+Kizmox 7.3's are not the best for cold starts, to say the least! My 5.9 Cummins starts right up in any condition.
But it doesnt have 900k original miles on it. It was partially rebuilt at 798k and has gone through more than one set of injectors and things like that. Still i would be sad if my diesels started like that.
+Kizmox
Your engine have a 22/1 compression ratio while turbo diesel direct injection have around 16 or 17/1.
they will start less easily since they compress less,so make less heat.
it's a 4, way smaller cylinders,small displacement compared to this.
vw 1.9 idi are very good and built to last.
i have had the 6 cylinders version of yours.
Bill I watch ur vids weekly and every week you make me change my fuel filter on my 99 7.3. What gives.
-25c today muskoka ontario canada, and its time.to start the beast 2003 6.0
25F in Georgia. Its mid 30s up here in the SE corner of WA state.