I just picked up a '93 ford f-350 7.3 non turbo service truck with a 157,000 on the motor. When I first start it up it runs pretty rough and puts out heavy white smoke till the motor warms up good...even then when I go to shift it will puff a little white smoke...but once the motor gets to full operating temps it seem to do alot better, it still smokes just a bit but not nearly as much and it looks a bluish then....
thanks for any help....

 

it sounds like the motor is normal. a diesel will blow white smoke when cold and bluey black smoke when hot if it's air fuel ratio is high to fuel. where in tn are you.

 

3 should have a 7.3 unless someone swaped out a 7.3 for 6.9

 

Thanks guys...My son told me that he thought it should be a 7.3 also. The guy that I bought from just told me that it was a 6.9 so I took his word for it. Its supposed to be the original motor...how can I determin which is which for sure?
I honestly am not that farmiliar with em, this the first ford AND the first diesel truck that I put into service. I do have a Cat motor in my dump truck, a toyota diesel skid steer and a duetch diesel in my welder....

Thanks again for the help....
pup, I am in knoxville

 

I think the valve cover should have a sticker on it, but I've been wrong before.

 

the 6.9 has smaller head bolts. the easiest way to tell if the head bolt takes a 7/16 in 12pt socket its a 6.9 if the head bolt takes a 1/2 in 12pt socket its a 7.3.
or you can look on block on drivers side on edge of oil filler cover and it will tell you there as well. theres a flat spot on block between filler cover and head that has the info stamped into block

 

Ok,...thanks to all your guys help I atleast know what under the hood now!
the heads bolts are 1/2 and danged if there wasn't a sticker on the valve cover... It took me about five minutes to find the thing and about another 10 to clean it off with starter fluid. ....

It says that its a 7.3 model A185....So am I better off than I thought I was or worse?...and what would the best route to take as far as giving it a bit of a fine tuning and maybe helping out the smokin situation a bit?.....I am trying to locate a manual for it right ...I know I need to put a new muffler on first...

I have changed the fluids and filters...all but the fuel filter...The guy that I bought it from inadvertanlty put gas in the front tank..so I drained the tank and filled it up with diesel...I haven't ran the front tank since but I am on my second fill up of the rear tank....

I have noticed that the battery indicator clicks and jumps back and forth like a clock keeping time for about 15 or 20 seconds, even after the wait to start engine light goes off...but it shows good charging. It turns over for quite a bit on initial start ups even if its 85 degrees out side...but once it has been warmed up it chranks right away.....
Thanks again, you guys have been a great help....

 

the battery gauge keeps clicking for a while because the glow plugs are cycling on and off for 15 or 20 seconds after the engine starts. this keeps the engine running smoother till it warms up a bit and is normal. Thats what the glow plugs are supposed to do.

 

It sounds like you have a few dead glow plugs. The motor should start pretty smooth with only 1-2 seconds of white smoke upon firing though you can expect a little more when it's really cold out. Go get yourself 8 new motorcraft glow plugs and I bet your truck will start up cold a lot easier. Avoid other brands of glow plugs as they have proven to burn out rather quickly and then swell up inside. Then when you remove them the tip breaks off into the motor and you get to possibly pull a head.

 

beru glow plugs are also good. i would get some diesel kleen and add to front tank.