Hard Start

93IDITURBOPOWER

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Another hard start thread.... Just put in R&D stage 1s in my truck along with a facet posi flo electric fuel pump, thinking that would make it start like a champ. Now about 50% of the time, every morning before work when I go to start it, it cranks fast and acts like it wants to catch, but doesn't. After about a minute of cranking, the batteries usually die then I'll hook it up to another car and it will crank fast again and start within 10 secs. After the first hard start in the morning, it's good to go all day.
Some side notes, it smokes like a bit** when I start it for the first time everyday, Whiteish-blueish smoke. And the fuel pump I have is only 5-7 psi, 32 gph. Is that to wussy for the truck? Maybe something more along the lines of 10-11 psi would help?
 

icanfixall

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Really bad idea to run both mechanical and electric pumps together because the electric will rupture the mechanical diaphragm and then fuel floods the oil pan ruining every bearing in the engine. You tel us there is smoke on startup. I bet its wite and smells bad. that tells me your glow plugs are not working or burned out. Find out is the plugs are bad and replace them with Motorcraft Beru ZD9 plugs. How long does the wait to start light stay on when cold starting the engine. 7 to 9 seconds is usually what they stay on if all the plugs are operating.
 

laserjock

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In colder climate the gps should be on longer than that I think Gary. You hit a good point though for sure. Make sure the GPS are functional. Makes sure the harness is good. If you did injectors, you wallered the harness around. Might have a bad connector. Does the smoke clear up? There's a couple things I can think of. First, did you replace the return lines and orings, because it kinda screams air intrusion to me. If the fuel drains back it will make it hard to start. Not familiar with that fuel pump but something to try, turn the key on and let it prime the system for a while - maybe 30-40 seconds then turn off the switch. Turn it back on and wait for the WTS light to go out and try to start it. If it's better (different) probably air. The third and least likely scenario is that the injection timing with the new injectors is retarded making it smoke and hard to start. New injectors on a worn pump will make for a timing change. Should make sure the cold advance is working as well.

That's how I would approach the problem.

Edit: I would add a minute or 2 pause between priming and starting to let the glow plugs cool down if for no other reason to eliminate the extra glow time as a variable.
 

chris142

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And to add. It only takes 1 bad glow plug or 1 bad connection to kill the whole system! I rarely glow mine till the light goes out. With good glow plugs and batteries 3-4 seconds is all it needs.
 

icanfixall

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Installing different injectors...REQUIRES a timing check. Reason is because you do not know what the old injectors were popping at and the pop pressure determines timing advance or retard. So questions you must answer are....
1... Did you know what the timing was before the injector change.
2... Did you reset or at least check the timing with the new injectors installed.
3... Did you replace the return line kit when the injectors went in...
 

93IDITURBOPOWER

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I'll replace glow plugs today, they usually stay on for about 7-10 seconds. I did not check the pump timing before I pulled the old injectors out...... And a brand new return line kit went in, along with Viton O-Rings.
 

laserjock

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That's long enough they may be okay. I'd check them before changing them unless they are of unknown origin.
 

FORDF250HDXLT

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to answer your question about higher fuel pressure.no.the ip doesn't require much pressure entering.the high pressure is done by the injection pump.adding higher pressure to the delivery of the ip wont aid in cold starts.this is the job of the starting system; batteries,cables,starter and glow plug system when cold.

ensure you have two good matching batteries.850CCA minimum iirc is the requirement.
next,make sure your cables are in good condition.if you see swollen black spots,they need to be replaced.
after this,ensure the starter is still strong.it should turn the engine over very strong and fast with the two mentioned items above being new/replaced.
next,you need to ensure the glow plug system as a whole is working correctly along with ensuring all your glow plugs are motorcraft/beru.
lastly,make sure you have a good,clean stream of fuel without air.
then of course power at the fss (which you do,since it does start eventually.)

diagnostics for the '87-94 glow plug system
 
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