Priming Question!? HELP!?

[chrisschreurs@]

Let me start by saying I'm sorry for beating a dead horse with this question, but I am a diesel ******. I just purchased a 86 F350 Crewcab Dually 6.9 diesel. When I bought it, I couldn't start it because both of the tanks had holes in them. I went to the salvage yard and got a good tank and put it on. I put one new battery on and a new fuel filter which I filled full of diesel before I put it on. It turns over like a champ, but not sure how exactly to get it to prime up. Could really, really use some help. Thank you.

My First Diesel.

 

[hahn_rossman]

congratulations on your new ride! You should add the relevant details about it to you signature line, so when you ask for help in the future people know exactly what truck you have.
The basic troubleshooting flow chart for your truck is:
1. good charged batteries
2. clean connection and good cables to starter
3. good starter, possibly upgraded to the later gear reduction type
Since you have it cranking over quickly we can tell all those things are in line-
4. Fuel in tank
5. lift pump working
6. purge air from lines.
7. make sure fuel cut off solenoid is working, has power to it.
The easiest way to check the lift pump is to push the schrader valve in on the filter head while the engine is cranking. It should spurt out fuel and make a mess. Don't get it in your eyes/use a rag!
If you have fuel there, then loosen the injector lines at the injectors and crank again. Keep cranking until you see fuel coming out there. Be careful of the plastic fittings and flexible lines underneath the hard lines. These are the injector return lines and if you look at them the wrong way they will leak. And worse they will leak air in rather than fuel out and you will be back here with a different, but more annoying starting issue. Consider ordering a return line kit and replacing all those o rings and lines as preventive maintenance
If you don't have any fuel coming out of the loosened injector lines the fuel shut off solenoid (FSS) may be disconnected or broken. The easiest way to check is to turn the ignition key to start and then disconnect and reconnect wire to it on the top of the injection pump. It should make a clearly audible click as you connect it. If you are having trouble hearing it check the wire with a VOM or test light.
Now at this point if you have fuel to all of the injectors, the solenoid is clicking, and the truck cranks over quickly it should start!
If it isn't you should check the glowplug system. There are a lot of posts about the early style glow plug system, and choosing the correct brand of glowplugs. Read the stickies!
Good luck!

 

[hesutton]

And to add to what was said. Make sure you have two new batteries. One new and one old is not a good way to keep the new one new for long.

Air can be a real pain to purge/bleed on these trucks, but it is a lot easier with an electric fuel pump.

Heath

 

[THECACKLER]

Add to those, DON'T CRANK IT FOR MORE THAN 30 SECONDS WITHOUT LETTING THE STARTER COOL DOWN FOR AT LEAST ONE MINUTE BETWEEN TRIES. Don't ask me how I know that, but I can tell you that the starters are expensive. Also foot to the floor while trying to get fuel helps. Call me lazy but I always give it three rounds of cranking before I try bleeding the air. Also I always pre-filter the fuel I add to the filter. I use an old 1 qt gear lube bottle with the "pointy" cap on it and shove a piece of fuel line over it and then attach a fuel filter to that to filter the fuel for priming the filter. Some fine day I'll pony up for an electric pump and start living the high life.

 

[Agnem]

You need to find out if your problem is fuel or glow plug related. Read the FAQ's and Tech articles. Particularly the FAQ on air, and the Tech Article on servicing your fuel system.

 

[chrisschreurs@]

I will definitely read those. I do know that it is not getting fuel yet, though, because I can press the schrader valve while it's being cranked and nothing comes out. I have also taken loose the first injector line and cranked and nothing came out. Although, before you guys posted to me, I was only cranking for about 5-8 seconds at a time at most. I had no idea I was needing to crank for such long intervals. Be trying that next.

 

[FordGuy100]

Well if you are still not getting fuel and you have fuel in the tank I would suspect that your lift pump is bad

 

[chrisschreurs@]

Is the lift pump the same as the fuel sending unit in the tank? If so, I have another one that came in the tank I pulled at the salvage yard. It actually looked to be in better shape than the one that was in the old tank, however, I'd have to do some adjustin on my fuel lines because the ones on coming out of the new unit point in different directions and cause one of my fuel lines to kink. I think, though, that I just haven't cranked it enough and done enough to get it to prime yet.
Also, is there a tank selector on this truck, if so, maybe a dumb question, but where is it because I can't find one.

 

[FordGuy100]

The lift pump is at the bottom, front passenger side of the engine block, its what sucks the fuel from the pump. They go bad with time, and need to be replaced. Some block it off and put in an electric fuel pump, but unless you have around $100 just go get a new lift pump.

 

[chrisschreurs@]

Yeah, just after I posted that, I figured out the difference. It looks a lot like the fuel pump on my 1970 F100. Thanks for the help. I'll be in touch. Gonna try again tomorrow, really get after it.

 

[THECACKLER]

CHRISSCHREURS@
Sometimes we forget Diesel Virgins Don't Speak Diesel Speak.
Lets call it a Block Mounted Fuel Lift Pump located at the lower front right corner of the block just above the front cross member. It's in the same general location as a Small Block Chevy Fuel pump. You can find it by tracing the steel fuel line that goes from the front of the fuel filter Header down behind the Alternator to the Fuel "Lift" Pump outlet. They call it a "Lift" Pump because it lifts the Diesel Fuel up high to feed the other pump, the "Injection Pump" that's at the end of the other steel line connected to the opposite side of the FF Header. I've have had trouble with the short piece of 3/8" fuel hose that connects the pump inlet to the supply line from the tank ( or actually tank selector valve ). That hose is sort of a coiled "Pigs Tail" and is subject to cracking and then sucking air. You could try to get a few feet of 3/8" fuel hose and connecting to to the inlet of the Lift Pump and dangling the other end in a quart bottle of Diesel or ATF or what ever oil you have around ( even Cooking oil ) to see if the pump is "Sucking" good. Pumps that can suck are good.

 

[THECACKLER]

Oh Dang, Parallel Universe Posting Again...
Oh Dang, Parallel Universe Posting Again...

 

[chrisschreurs@]

IT'S ALIVE!! I finally got it to prime up. Only took 3 days. Ended up taking loose the line from the lift pump to the filter and cranking till I had fuel, then reconnected and took off the line from the filter to the injection pump and cranked till I had fuel, then took of the line to the injector furthest back and closest to the driverside and cranked it till I had fuel and vualla(sp)! A live, smooth sounding 6.9.

 

[chrisschreurs@]

So, got it running, now I have to replace the gaskets and rings in the oil cooler, it's leaking like a sieve. Any help on taking it out would be appreciated. Looks to be 4 bolts holding it on. And I believe I have to drain the oil and cooling system before I do this, correct?