truck won't start...

[GREASE FIRE]

about a month or two ago i noticed my truck was taking more cranking than usual to start, but it always would go after two good cranks. Once it started, even if i let it run for just a few seconds, i could shut it off for a few minutes and then it would start right up. Once fully or even partly warmed up it starts instantly.

the batteries and starter are like new; it is getting power to the solenoid at the pump (10 or 12 volts, i forget which at the moment) and i also put a voltage tester at one of the glow wires and turned the key on and that was getting about 10 volts i think)

i used a simply continuity tester (the kind that looks like a screw driver and lights up) on all glow plugs and they all checked out as normal (they are Beru's).

there is fuel coming to the pump.
it started yesterday with some cranking but ran fine right until i shut it down.

now, as far as the glow plugs - is there any chance they could be checking out fine with the continuity tester but still not working properly (like not heating up enough)? i tried cycling them several times in a row just now and that did not do it.

Could anyone offer some suggestions? i really need to get this truck going

thanks!
Paul

 

[jonathan]

it there any fuel leaks

 

[93f250idi]

Does it white smoke when it's cranking?

 

[GREASE FIRE]

thanks for the help so far.
no white smoke when cranking. I don't know about fuel leaks - i don't think there are any (i just now checked the weep hole on the IP and did not see any there either) but there could be an air leak somewhere.

anyway, i finally did get it started and let it warm up to about 160. Shut it down and it started right up....then let it sit for an hour and it started right up again.
i suspect that later tonight it will still start, then tomorrow it will not....

anyone else have this happen to them?
thanks,
Paul

 

[93f250idi]

How much fuel is in the tank?

 

[GREASE FIRE]

tank is full.
as an experiment, i plugged the block heater in last night and then it started right up this morning.
i have no idea what is going on. Any other ideas out there?
thanks,
Paul

 

[93f250idi]

it started because you warmed your block up thats just like the motor being warm. id say your gp's aint working right. easiest way to test them is to take a test light and hook to possitive terminal on batter then touch each plug and see if the light lights up. the ones that dont light up are bad

 

[GREASE FIRE]

it started because you warmed your block up thats just like the motor being warm. id say your gp's aint working right. easiest way to test them is to take a test light and hook to possitive terminal on batter then touch each plug and see if the light lights up. the ones that dont light up are bad

that's exactly what i thought - but i did that yesterday and they all checked out good. i even tested to make sure there was power going to each plug when the gp relay was on.
???

 

[93f250idi]

if the plugs are good and their getting power and fuel then idk what it could be?? maybe low compression?