1987 Ford F-250 Cranks fine cold but won't crank hot

DPSCHAPER

MEMBER
1987 FORD F-250
V8
4WD
AUTOMATIC
77,000 MILES

This truck has a newer crate engine, a 460. I got it a couple years ago. My problem is that the starter cranks like crazy when the engine is cold, but when I stop after the engine is warmed up, it barely cranks at all. Sometimes I have to wait 20-30 minutes to get it cool enough where the starter can crank again. I had the starter bench tested at NAPA and they said it was OK. Can it be a timing chain issue?

3 Replies

MERLIN2021

MECHANIC
17,250 POSTS

It may bench test great at room temp, but apply the heat of a 460 and it won't. Get a heavy duty truck starter, and see if you can find a new heat shield fo it. The only other thing is timming, but that woulld remain the same hot or cold.

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Tuesday, May 27th, 2008 AT 1:30 PM

TALLAN1976

MEMBER
7 POSTS

Not necesarilly true on the timing. I had an F-150 with a built 302 that would start fine but once it got warm it would not turn over hardly at all. It has a pretty beefy cam so we just had to mess with the timing some and it solved the problem. Most crate motors are set up with an RV or high performace cam that does not time to factory timing specs. I would try that before wasting $$ on another starter.

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Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 AT 5:31 PM

MERLIN2021

MECHANIC
17,250 POSTS

If you had to retard the timming for a hot start, it should have cranked slower cold as well, but may have been able to start. This one should have a stock engine. It would crank slower when hot if the timing were too far advanced.

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Wednesday, September 10th, 2008 AT 3:28 PM