No start?.. Starts on Ether?

[1992camarors]

Ok I'm trying to get my ole girl up and running. This truck has not been started in almost 2 years. So last night I charged both the batteries up which were new in 2005, so they held the charge great. I then replaced all 4 battery terminals because the old ones were corroded. Then thanks to you guys I got all my vac. lines fixed and ran correctly. The oil looked decent in the truck, so I decided to give her a crank. I still had my car jumping the main battery so they wouldn't get low from all the cranking. At first all it did was crank over and over with nothing. Then after a lot of hesitation I got the ether out and sprayed a few shots in the intake, and she fired right up. It wouldn't idle by itself so I had to give it gas the whole time to keep it running. It ran well for about 4 or 5 minutes, then all of a sudden it just shut off like it ran out of fuel? So I put 5 gallons of new diesel in it and still no start. So I kept trying the ether and all it would do was run for like a second and then die. I did not crank for more than 15 seconds at a time so I wouldn't over heat the starter. But what could this problem be?? Its like its not getting fuel? Do you think the filter could be clogged? Is there somthing that could be cleaned to help the fuel flow?

 

[Fordsandguns]

Yep the filter is the first spot to look. Replace it. Fill the new one up with power service.

 

[1992camarors]

Ok thanks I will try that tomorrow as soon as I get home from school. But I also noticed that the truck was smoking white when it was running for those few minutes. It wasn't a really bold white color but you could tell it wasn't right. The heads and gaskets have been replaced not too long ago so I'm pretty sure its nots the gaskets. I was told it could be the timing? How could this be off? And how do I fix this?

Also on the drivers side firewall there is a little device that is silver and it looks like it has gass line going to it. What is this? And it had like a plunger thing on the top I could pull up and it would spring down when I let go. I pulled on this a few times but I didn't really know what it was.

 

[Fordsandguns]

Do the filter first and get it running. After it is running then you start looking at the smoke. Yes the timing can cause it to smoke like that. If whoever did the head gaskets didn't time it properly that could cause it. But you won't know for sure till it runs and idles on its own. I'm not sure about the thing on the firewall. I think the '86's had a water separator on the driver's firewall but it should have a glass bowl on it.

 

[69oiler]

you may have air in the system. after you change the fuel filter, bleed the air out of the lines by cracking a few of them loose at the injectors and cranking until you have fuel at the injectors. then tighten them back up and it should start. dont use the ether until you have fuel at the injectors and only if your glow plugs are disabled.

 

[1992camarors]

Hey thanks I will try that too. I'm sorry about all these new questions, but where exactly do you untighten the injectors from? And I still need to know about my other questions I asked about in my last post.

 

[Fordsandguns]

You loosen the likes on top of the injectors. You don't have to take them off, just loosen them. You might do a couple on each side. When you get fuel out of them tighten them back up and it should start. Sorry I left all that important info out when I said to replace the filter!

 

[69oiler]

right on the top of each injector there is a nut that holds the hard line to the injector (they are flare fittings just like brake lines) . you might want to hit the nuts/lines with Blaster to reduce the chance of twisting a stuck hard line.

if i recall correctly they are 5/8". you should probably use a line wrench to avoid rounding off the nuts. when fuel weeps out around the line on top of the nut, snug it back down and then give it a QUICK shot of ether and it should fire.

 

[Fordsandguns]

right on the top of each injector there is a nut that holds the hard line to the injector (they are flare fittings just like brake lines) . you might want to hit the nuts/lines with Blaster to reduce the chance of twisting a stuck hard line.

if i recall correctly they are 5/8". you should probably use a line wrench to avoid rounding off the nuts. when fuel weeps out around the line on top of the nut, snug it back down and then give it a QUICK shot of ether and it should fire.

Heck man you are a lot better at explaining this than I am! I keep leaving out things. I get it pictured in my head but I don't put it down clearly.

 

[1992camarors]

Its fine. I'm just new to this diesel world and I kinda need every piece of help that I can find. I will surely do that though tomorrow and hopefully thats the only problem with it. So if this does work, what should I do about the white smoke that is present when it is running? I heard it could be the timing? How do you fix this?

 

[69oiler]

also, when you change the fuel filter, bleed the air out at the schraeder valve on top of the fuel filter housing (looks like a tire fitting). have someone push the valve open while you crank until you get strong spurts of fuel out the schraeder valve. then bleed at the injectors and you will be good to go, unless you have an air leak somewhere... but this will get you started.

 

[69oiler]

the smoke may be timing, could be a weak IP, or it may be related to the air in the system. get the system bled, eliminate all air leaks, then worry about the smoke, if it's still there

 

[69oiler]

Also on the drivers side firewall there is a little device that is silver and it looks like it has gass line going to it. What is this? And it had like a plunger thing on the top I could pull up and it would spring down when I let go. I pulled on this a few times but I didn't really know what it was.

this is the water seperator, you have definitly allowed air into the system if you pulled the ring. they are a bear to reseal sometimes and it is common to replace them with a racor unit. but if your stock one wont seal, some have broken it down and cleaned up the seat inside so it will seal again.

yep you got air issues.

 

[SD70Ace]

Also, your starter relay is on the fender well/fender, jump across it, remove red wire(make sure truck aint in gear or get away from ya) from relay. Now that will make it easier on yall instead of running back and forth. Leave your key on . You can also do the same to your gp relay, thats the purple wire on the relay.

 

[1992camarors]

Then what is that ring sapposed to do then. Man I'm so stupid lol. I can't believe I pulled that thing right after it was running alright. I guess I can learn from that mistake.