the real kicker is this...

Put new batteries in the thing...

Next day when it was 54.... started very hard, and idled rough rough rough...

 

welcome to power joke joke jokes, they don't start very well when cold if they start at all, i guess you can keep throwing parts at it, maybe try a new starter, those sometimes help

 

no more throwing parts...
Can't afford that anymore...

Besides, got guns and such to buy...

Started rough today also, seems more like an idle or sensor isssue now

starts, just idles rough..

 

I am also experiencing the same cold temp start, 45 degrees and below. I have replaced glow plugs and relay. Have to plug truck in at night. I may be able to explain why your truck has no throtle responce when it first starts. This most likely is due to the exhaust back pressure valve. It is a butterfly valve in the rear of the turbo which closes in cold weather to help build heat in the engine. Much like shoving a potatoe up your tail pipe. The valve is actuated by a piston located in the turbo pedistal. The sensor which activates the valve is located at the front of the engine sitting on a tube below the HPOP resovior. The tube snakes around the front of the engine and is connected to the front of the passenger side exhaust manifold. Crud builts up in this tube and messes with the sensor. You can disconect the tube from the exhaust manifold by reaching in from the wheel well. Remove the sensor from the other end. I was able to clean my tube with some brake clean and wire.

 

that is a very very good thing to try..

Biggest reason, is it is free!!!

 

The no power cold is the back pressure valve to make it warm up faster. If you keep it plugged in the temp is up enough to keep the back pressure valve form closing. My boss has an 02 7.3 that won't start if it is below 60 without being plugged in. I did a compression test and all 8 cyls were just under 400 psi. I don't know what the reading is supposed to be. This is a junkyard engine that we put in because the old one had a bad piston and HPOP. I told him I didn't like this used one before I installed it but he and the junkyard insisted on installing it and it has never started cold since.

 

I was just going to say the back pressure valve is actuated at cold temps. It partially blocks the exhaust to help warm the truck up, you'll have to give it time to warm up, not to mention reving up with the oil cold could possibly cause the main bearings to turn some and blockthe oil passage. Although rare I wouldn't chance it. You need to get someone who has a Snap On Mobis scanner so you can see the values as you're cranking. I would try to look at the value on the IPR (injection pressure regulator). It could be failed and closed and it won't allow your injectors to fire off. It's located on the back side of the HPOP below the fuel filter housing. There is also a starter out there for the 7.3 for when they get older and loose a little compression and it spins the motor a little faster. If you rebuild the motor you have to go back to the original starter because of the high compression. The IPR can be spendy, I found one on ebay when I did mine but it wasn't my problem, my injectors o rings were bad and my HPOP oil was low too. I would try to diag the IPR though that kinda sounds like your problem.