Truck won't start PERIOD!!! Help!

[Thefarmboy21]

Ok so I've been working all the bugs out of my 87 that sat for 10 years. So far everything has worked good other than it needs an IP and injectors. Had the injectors tested and 3 are weak, also the truck wont start back after it gets hot. It smokes a bit of grey and white smoke but not using coolant and little oil. Til now I was in ok shape.

NOW I'm dead in the water....or should I say snow! Temps are down to about 20-30 and she hasn't started for 3 days. Cycle the glow plugs, light comes on for a long time, hear some clicking noises, won't start. Try giving it some pedal, won't start. Plug it up all night (dunno if the heater works) wont start. Then out if pure desperation I gave it 3 separate doses of ether and.....won't start?!?!

What's going on? Never known a diesel to not even HIT on ether? Glow plugs were all good a few months ago. Maybe the GP controller??? Idk what to do cause its bad weather and I need my truck! Thanks

 

[Silver Burner]

Have you verified you are getting fuel? It definitely sounds like your IP is going bad, not to mention your injectors, but you may have just crossed the point of no return with it. But it should at least hit on ether. Do you have power to your FSS on top of the IP? The truck won't even try to fire without that hooked up.

 

[TWeatherford]

Definitely sounds like a bad IP, or lost power to the FSS.

I've never messed with ether, so I don't know what it should or would do with it. I do know that a properly tuned fuel system and a worn out one will mean the difference between no or very slow cold start and starting right up. Of course you have to have the batteries, cables, starter, and glowplug system working right as well, but a good fuel system is a big part of the puzzle.

 

[Thefarmboy21]

The FSS has power and you can clearly hear it work when you pull the plug on and off. Same with the cold advance and the cold start solenoids. Fuel pump is new. Yea it should hit on ether. I'm not getting any smoke at all from the exhaust as it right now. That is why I'm wondering about GP controller?

 

[Dave 001]

Temps are down to about 20-30 .......... Try giving it some pedal, won't start.

FYI.....at those temperatures, you should be flooring it when you start it (that's SOP).

Anyway....how fast does it turn over? If it's turning over too slow, even ether won't do anything.

 

[Silver Burner]

Well try this. When you plug in your block heater, put your head near the passenger tire and listen. You should be able to hear the block heater start crackling and fizzling as it starts to boil the coolant around ats element. Every diesel I've ever had is the same. If your block heater does work, your GP system won't matter after a few hours because the coolant will have warmed the block up sufficiently that the engine should be able to fire without GP's at all. It should at least try to fire over. If not, pull the fuel feed line to the fuel filter and stick it in a bucket and crank it over to make absolutely sure you are getting fuel, then make sure it's going out the other end to the IP. If all that is good, I would say your IP has taken a dump.

 

[Silver Burner]

FYI.....at those temperatures, you should be flooring it when you start it (that's SOP).

Anyway....how fast does it turn over? If it's turning over too slow, even ether won't do anything.

This too. Your engine should be firing over pretty quickly for a good 10 seconds or better, especially if you have a worn out fuel system. If it's cranking slow, nothing will make it fire. It's like trying to get wet wood to burn....

 

[ah1988ford]

Crack the ip lines at the injectors and crank the engine over, you should see diesel coming out of the ip line.
Check your fss as stated above too.

 

[gandalf]

You said that you had the injectors tested. That means that you removed the injectors. As soon as you did that you undoubtedly let air into the lines. Whenever you have air in the hard lines you're going to have to crank quite a while before it will fire. You might have to recharge the batteries a couple times in the process.

When you're cranking the engine, do so for only 20 seconds at a time. Then allow the starter to cool for several minutes. That starter is working quite hard turning over a high compression engine. It gets hot too quickly, and must be allowed to cool. If you overheat the starter you can burn it out, adding to your misery.

As the temperature gets colder it becomes harder to start. Everything must be in good shape, working well, and even then you sometimes have to wait for the stars and the moon to line up just right.

Good luck.

 

[Thefarmboy21]

I usually have to give it some pedal to start it. I've only had the truck running for a couple months. I had all the injectors tested when I dropped the motor in. It's been running since. Just haven't replaced the injectors or IP yet because I was working all the other bugs out.....to make sure it was worth fixing or to just sell it if not. I had it plugged in for a good 16 hours or more last night.....the top of the motor had frost on it and the sides of the block were cold. The motor turns over as quick as it ever has....I even gave it a jump for more juice (which helped) but still no chugs, hits, coughs and not a puff of smoke. Always before it would pour smoke trying to start, even if it didn't start. I shoulda got something out of the ether I would've thought? It's supposed to be 50 next week, so I guess we'll see what happens then.

 

[SyicoIDI]

Don't crucify me but you said it sat for a long time did you drain all the old fuel out and start fresh? Maybe water or condensation in tank.

 

[79jasper]

Are you pulling the intake to make sure the ether is making it all the way in?
A lightly dusted filter will soak it up.

 

[ah1988ford]

It take alot of cranking, it took a good almost half and hour for my truck to turn over after the ip install in 80f weather.
Crack the lines while cranking it will help get the air our.
How are your return lines are they leaking, you should still be able to get the engine started if they leaking it just helps when you dont have to build prime everythime you go out to try to start it.

BE VEEEERY careful when using ether, unplug the gp's when using ether and use just a little !
I caught the intake hat on fire because I read the can and it said to put a steady 3sec stream into the intake, I cycled the gps
and cranked and then a **** a fire in the intake while the engine sounds like its running away = **** YOUR PANTS.
I use a gas rag over the intake now its alot safer, just a little gas on the rag and crank the engine over from the starter relay.

 

[Thefarmboy21]

Old fuel is gone, even dropped the tank and did a shower head fix. YES I am taking the lid off the breather and spraying it in. And I haven't had the IP or injectors off lately. It's since been running fine aside from the hot start issue and a little smoke. Basically.....it started fine cold until now. It runs really good and can idle all day, so either it's just too cold OR something went bad. I'll check the fuel pressure and stuff when I get a chance. I may just wait til it's warm anyway. I hate to just crank and crank on it and I already went and got my truck that I had out for sale, to drive the next few days.

 

[TWeatherford]

If there is frost on your engine your block heater isn't working. My whole engine is warm to the touch in subzero (F) temps after a 3 hour plug in. It may be possible that without warmth your compression is low enough so that it won't even go with ether.

It's really sounding like your IP gave it up. Once it won't start hot it's just a matter of time. You can loosen a few injector lines, if no fuel is visible after cranking then the IP is done, assuming fuel is being supplied to it.