hole in steel line leading from?sensor

[komasands]

Hello
I'm a newbie to forums and I'm female so please bear with me and I will try not to say (thingamajigs to often.) I have a 99 super duty power stroke with 600k miles on it and I love my truck, but it won't start. I have been having trouble starting it for about a year now, first I had to recycle the glow plugs because it would not start in cold weather, (someone told me to do that) Then I had to plug it in if it got below 50 degrees, ( worked for awhile ) then I had to pump the pedal three or four times and hold it in the middle, (worked for about 4 months that way). Shut it off after a day of shopping at different stores, went to start it 3 hours lat er and it has not started since, except with starting fluid, it ran after starting but would not start again without starting fluid, I had someone says he ran a scan on it and that the icp sensor, icpregulator, and icp pump had to be changed he thinks, but he's not positive. What do you guys think? well any way i decided to see if I could locate the icp sensor and found a hole about the size of a pea in a steel line, the line is attached to a sensor ( not the ipc sensor I found that though) Its in the front of the engine just behind the serpentine belt and it looks like it goes to the exhaust manifold. Could that be my problem? what might have caused it to get a hole in it?
Koma

 

[BamaSixGun]

cant really say about your problems, i do hope your truck gets fixed soon.

i know nothing about the 7.3's, just wanted to say

 

[komasands]

thanks

 

[Got Diesel]

That line is the Exhaust back pressure tube. The hole got there from a little thing called rust. It happens not that big of a deal. Mine was bad enough that the front of my engine was covered in soot. I actually bent myself a new one. Otherwise you can pick one up from ford for pretty cheap.

Now back onto the starting problems. How are the batteries? That can have an effect on starting. With 600,000 miles the compression can't be to great. That could have some sort of effect. There are lots of things to check. UVC gaskets maybe. That's all I got for now. More will be along later.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

That line is the Exhaust back pressure tube... I actually bent myself a new one. Otherwise you can pick one up from ford for pretty cheap.

Or you can pull the rusty tube out, plug the hole in the exhaust manifold with a pipe thread plug from the hardware store and install a EBP Sensor Code Eliminator .

 

[komasands]

Thanks, the hole is so completely round like a large bb, and there is no rust on the line, so I didn't think of that, but i live in florida so thats very possible.
batteries are 6 months old, new cables, but i do have to replace batteries every year.( i use a converter for lap top and other luxuries a lot.) whats uvc gaskets?

 

[DaveBen]

Under Valve Cover gaskets.

Dave

 

[fordtrucker4life!]

You say that truck has 600,000 miles. Wow. Is that the original psd? I know the 7.3's run for a long time, but longest I have heard was 350,000 and it went out. Your starting issues sound like fuel issues to me, but I may be wrong. The 7.3 probably needs to be rebuilt with that many miles compression is low, everything is worn out.

 

[komasands]

Thanks DaveBen!
Yes! Fordtruckerforlife! It has that many org miles, mainly towing miles,( small campers, under 10,000 gross) I've been using it for 5 years, towing rv's, The only problems I've had are a transmisson, rear end seals and bearings, cam sensor 2 times, axle replaced on pass side, alternator a few years back, a battery blew up once, and batteries every year, and of course the starting problems (off and on )for a year or two. When it was starting it ran like a top , no problems, had no idea it would do this no start thing. Always been somthing simple before.

 

[komasands]

I can't seem to find anything on a icp pump, what is it and where is it? was told it would run $750.00, plus labor by ford tech.