How'd it go today?

Still thinking about that Stig.

Just about bought a couple Akbash and Great Pyrenees pups last year.

Didn't get to buy the sheep, so we could not justify buying the dogs.

So, a tough dog can take a pack of coyotes?

Not usually by itself.

The big guard dog breeds can kill them well enough, one or two at a time. A large pack would be difficult.


This coyote was trying to get my dogs to follow. They will lead a dog over the hill to the pack so they can kill it easier.

Butch, there was a study made in Central Europe where they monitored wolf packs.
If a pack came up to a herd of sheep, guarded by Pyreneeans ( Or any of the other breeds, there are about 30 different ones, all bred for the same purpose), the old wolves would simply move on.
They'd been there, done that, and knew the cost.
The only wolves that will attack a guarded herd, are the young and stupid ones. Then they'll learn, and stay away next time.

This was wolves, not coyotes.

What do you figure the chances are for Coyotes, when wolves and bears give up.

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Nice Jim!

They have that problem around my parts, dogs are lured away and then pack attacked.

A question for the house on my 94 F350 7.3 IDI. How good is the factory block heater? I've always been under the impression that the freeze plug block heaters tend to leak after some use. Now, I'm assuming it's a freeze plug type. I haven't had the chance to look under the truck for it, quick google search said it was above the oil filter?

F350 is very grumpy starting up. Easy when I have help spraying some starting fluid, not so much solo.

I have had good luck with the factory heater. I do believe it is a freeze plug style.

In winter, I never unplug it. None of this "couple hours" before trying to start it.

It takes good batteries and a good starter to get them going in winter.



Sometimes though, at 40 below they just dont like to start! Running some cetane booster with your anti gel helps some.



Have you checked your heater cord plug for continuity?

What kind of shape are your glow plugs in? Does your "wait to start" light stay on a while or does it turn off quickly?


Ether and glow plugs can be a bad mix.

Wait light goes on for a while, say 5 or more seconds. Haven't had the chance to check the glow plugs.

Ether was just one time this morning.

Battery terminals do need going over.

I have added some additive that was as close as I could find. Last time it was fuelled was late october, I need to get some fresh fuel in. Not sure when they make the switch at the gas station... If they do...

I'd feel better if I get a magnetic block heater, probably pick up one tomorrow. I can understand if it's just in my head about the freeze plug type.

Summer diesel is actually easier to start with....it has more Cetane in it.

A good anti gel will have some cetane booster in it. Hopefully getting you back to a decent cetane number.


These engines are terribly dependent on glow plugs.


The old system in these pickups use several temperature senders to tell the controller to cycle the glow plugs.

I had a sender fail and the damn pickup would not start this summer! It was 90 degrees out. The pickup would not start without the glow plugs.

5 seconds does not sound like enough on time to me.

Once you start loosing glow plugs the light on the dash will stay lit for a shorter amount of time.

It has something to do with the resistance. I think that these glow plugs are a positive temp coefficient type. The fewer plugs working will show a high resistance much sooner than if they were all working....as the same amount of current is applied regardless of how many plugs are available in the system.

Or something like that! Probably ass backwards.....

I have used ether in an emergency as well. Safest thing to do is turn the key on and wait for the plugs to stop cycling before you give it a shot.

The plugs cycle regardless of whether you are cranking the engine or not.


Typically, with a full complement of glow plugs, a functioning factory block heater, decent batteries and connections, and a decent starter....these old pickups will start to 50 below.

There are several ways to check a glow plug system, but the easiest and quickest way is a battery and a test light. This test does not tell the whole story, but it will tell you if a glow plug is burned out or not.

Good info, thanks!

I'm not familiar with the ID but on the powerstroke the glow plug light is a 'dummy' light. It only stays lit a short period of time but the glow plugs will activate for much longer if just left with the ignition keyed on. Something like up to 3 min depending on the temp if memory serves? Been a bit since I messed with mine. I plug my 99 7.3ps in overnight too and it starts no problem. Done if for the last five years and had no issue with the block heater.

Again could be different on the idi but on the powerstroke the solenoid that lights off the glowplugs is notorious for going bad. There is a upgraded one you can source I guess but I just jump the solenoid with a screwdriver under the hood if I need them. I only need glowplugs to start if the truck hasn't been plugged in. If it hasn't been plugged in about 20-30 seconds of jumping the solenoid and then jumping back in the cab will start mine right down into pretty cold temps. I haven't bothered changing my solenoid out this last time because like Jim I just leave it plugged in.

Basically keyed on check if you have power on the glowplug side of the solenoid. And if the solenoid trigger wire gets hot. If you don't you can simply jump the solenoid say 15 sec the first try. If it starts up glowplugs are working. If it doesn't or starts hard they aren't working or some of them aren't working.

I know with the powerstroke you can test the glowplugs by disconnecting the wiring harness rather than pulling the valve covers, don't know about the idi. Another super handy trick is a hair dryer in the intake, because of the compression ratio, the more you heat the air the better, because of the heat of compression. Helps it warm up faster too. Sounds stupid, but it works. In fact that was the improvement Ford made on the 2nd gen 7.3 powerstroke for cold starting, and I think that's how dodge approached the problem from the beginning.

The AIH as I understand doesn't actually help with cold starts according to the forums I haunt.

This is the most common explanation I find of how/what the aih is and how it works. Mine is disconnected and removed from the intake.


FAQ: What is the real purpose of the intake heater, and when does Ford say it will operate normally?
"To reduce white smoke during long idle periods at low ambient temperatures, the PCM will activate the intake air heater. Specific conditions must be present before the heater is activated: "
• ambient temperature must be below 0 deg C (32 deg F)
• engine oil temperature must be below 55 deg C (131 deg F)
• vehicle power must be between 11.8 and 15 volts
• parking brake must be applied on manual transmission vehicles
• the transmission must be on park or neutral on automatic transmission vehicles
• glow plugs must be off

This came in the mail today...I won an online competition from the dealer!!
Woo hoo, free Silky saw Merry Christmas

Awesome!

I've read extensively on this as well, and the people saying that they don't work are biased because of those requirements. Heating the intake air is a very common way to get cold blooded diesels going in cold weather, in fact the Cummings motors traditionally only used a grid heater, no glow plugs. Everything I've read about it makes me believe that glow plugs aren't as effective, because they just add barely enough heat to make the fuel air mixture fire (kinda like a spark plug), nothing more. Heating the air however raises the entire charges heat to fire by compression, rather than the glow plugs making it fire. I'm sure I'm saying it wrong, and I'm no diesel mechanic, but personally the hair dryer works for me, and since the idi has an even higher compression ratio, it should work even better.

As far as I know, the 7.3 Powerstroke was the only Direct injected diesel used in pickups that utilized glow plugs.

Very common with the pre cup engines.

I'm not saying heating intake air doesn't/won't work. I'm aware of the dodge setups, but only vaguely, that's about how aware I like to be of dodges. Was just saying on the powerstroke it isn't doing anything for start up, that factory aih setup on the 7.3ps. I removed mine about three years ago, zero starting difference as countless others have reported. I removed it and put a plug in place to read boost. It's a common spot to do so.

On the powerstrokes the solenoid for the glow plugs is a common failure. Often the trigger wire can go to. So a easy spot to start at is the solenoid. My truck could sit unplugged for a couple of days and you could kill two top of the line Agm batteries trying to get it to fire if the glow plugs aren't getting juice. 20 sec of jumping the glowplug relay and it'll fire up like brand new.

The 7.3ps is very dependent on glow plugs for cold starts. All diesels are different. I had a Brazilian built 6.6 in a Ford f700 had no glow plugs at all. One of the easiest starting diesels I've ever known.

squisher said:

The AIH as I understand doesn't actually help with cold starts according to the forums I haunt.

This is the most common explanation I find of how/what the aih is and how it works. Mine is disconnected and removed from the intake.


FAQ: What is the real purpose of the intake heater, and when does Ford say it will operate normally?
"To reduce white smoke during long idle periods at low ambient temperatures, the PCM will activate the intake air heater. Specific conditions must be present before the heater is activated: "
• ambient temperature must be below 0 deg C (32 deg F)
• engine oil temperature must be below 55 deg C (131 deg F)
• vehicle power must be between 11.8 and 15 volts
• parking brake must be applied on manual transmission vehicles
• the transmission must be on park or neutral on automatic transmission vehicles
• glow plugs must be off

Click to expand...

Sounds like the old STC (step timing control) set up on Cummins 855's.

It was a little piston inside each injector that would be filled with engine oil at start up. Once the piston was filled, the timing would be advanced at startup.

It was a complex system....and sounded cool. All it was for was to limit white smoke at a cold start!


It was garbage and was usually replaced with good old fashioned Top Stop injectors.


Anyway....back to your regularly scheduled programming.....

Exactly. Lol.

Just was pointing out the aih isn't for cold starts in the ps it's for cold idling. It won't come on until the glow plugs are off. If you're cold starting right it's the moment the glow plugs turn off that you crank the sucker to life.

I've heard of people trying to use the dodge system on a 7.3. Never really looked into that much myself. But obviously heating the intake air works as Kyle described. And could certainly help Peter get his idi started.

Hell I know squat about the older idi really. For all I know everything I typed about the PS doesn't even apply.

I'm blessed to live in a quiet enough neighbourhood I can actually hear if my glow plugs solenoid has worked or not. I can hear the difference in the electrical load.

For me it's a moot point for the most part. As I mentioned mine lives plugged in. I've mostly always plugged my vehicles in and never had an issue with a block heater not once myself. If I was Peter and that truck has a block heater I'd be plugging it in myself. But I'd sure feel bad now if he did and then had some sort of issue.

Well, I hope his glow plugs are not burned out.

After they burn out they tend to mushroom and make removal difficult.


Its best to have your system working properly.



Yes, some engines use a manifold heater quite successfully. Like a Duramax......which is easily the best diesel......

Hey y'all, thanks for this discussion, imma buy a heat gun tonight for tomorrow morning, the kubota doesn't have a plug in, it started this AM but supposed to be colder tomorrow. The other 3 engines can be plugged in so the generator gets it done.