Introduction and 6.9 problems

[Lumberjack84]

Hey all just joined after lurking for bit and it helped a lot let me say.
My name is jack, teenager born in the wrong era haha old school in some ways. saw builder for loggers and also do some mechanics on my own stuff. grew up with these old diesels as expected from a family who mainly run ford.
sorry for the short intro but this truck is pushing me to my breaking point.
history of truck, bought last year in I think oct or nov for 1600, ran good, rebuilt trans, manual plugs, started right up clean except for some paint stuff etc. got a lot of options except tach and cruise control but the neatest one I think is it has a roll down rear window. this trucks always been reliable, starts right up cold and hot, 5 second on plug button in the morning and it starts right up no hesitation fast, then no plugs rest of day until next morning. new lift pump, motorcraft thermo, etc lot of new parts.
had an oil leak from top of block after i took it to reno one day, wasn't a lot but still there. fast forward to recently and it was losing coolant and more oil, saw passenger head was leaking externally, then shortly after notice bubbles in reservoir tank that weren't there before, and it started idling funny when I got to the lake the next day shut it off fished came back started and got home and there it sat. decided to do gaskets and studs. tore it down tagged and bagged everything, cleaned everything.got new gaskets on with homemade lift and torqued head and everything down as per instructions. charged batteries and went to start it and it won't start, bled fuel got fuel going to injectors before batteries died. can smell unburnt fuel from exhuast, glow plugs are working pump is put back to where it was as i didn't take the gear tower off. I'm stumped, my only vehicle and I feel like I ruined it, wanting some input thanks guys. pics and a coldstart video before the leak got worse and I tore it down

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILQ9DZfKVPg

 

[IDIoit]

your funny idle is most likely air intrusion.
did you instal new caps and o-rings ontop of the injectors?

did you bleed all of the air out of the filter head?
it should have a schrader valve to bleed.

if you cant get it to fire off, disconnect the glow plugs and use a sparingly shot of eather.
it should come to life provided your fuel system isnt sucking air.

did you change the lift pump? i prefer to use an electrical pump.
keep at it, youll get it! these trucks are so awesome they are a royal pain in the ass!

 

[TahoeTom]

Did you note where the static timing marks (gear tower and IP at 12:00) were before you removed the pump? If it ran OK before you should have put it back the same. A member here installed his pump rotated too far to the drivers side (retarded), and couldn't get it started. With a mechanical fuel pump (what I am running) it takes several sessions of cranking and letting the starter cool off. You need good batteries to crank fast enough to lite off. Years ago I replaced a head gasket and reinstalled the same return lines. That was one serious fuel leak. I didn't know once they are disturbed they need to be replaced.

 

[Lumberjack84]

the other problem is the dipstick tube it's in the block but the stick binds and I can't push the tube in to where originally was. Yes I had recently done return lines and caps before I ever had this problem. yes a new lift pump like a month ago as my old weeped out the weep hole. would it matter with not disconnecting the plugs as they're on a push button? i love this truck and don't like seeing it sit like this. and no I forgot about those and then i remembered when I got the intake off. I hope I get it back to how it was before, started right when you turn the key, one of the fastest starting idi's I've seen, I'm probably gonna have to get a new set of batteries as the current ones are going 4 yrs and are getting weak after sitting, both chargers went down and am left with only a trickle charger. it puffed off while cranking but never wanted to start and couldn't keep trying as my batteries died. thanks for the responses guys, i was already trying to sell or trade my bikes and everything for a new truck, guy back out of trade this morning for a d350 cummins even though I like my idi's haha wish i could find a dt360 cheap enough for this

 

[cpdenton]

Get those batteries charged or replaced and I bet you can get it started.

Once that starter is spinning fast enough, it will get the fuel in the cylinders to burn. Sometimes it can take a while of cranking to get it bled out. Don't give up yet!

 

[Lumberjack84]

yeah I'm probably gonna opt out on new batteries, around here we've used interstate or motorcraft so I'm probably gonna go with mtp-65 as that's whats we run in other trucks hah looks like there goes my turbo money as i found a complete low mile factory ats kit for 500. only way I'll give up on the truck is if I get a dt360 or a cheap truck shows up. there is another 84 6.9 with banks for 1200 right runs and drives low miles though. read up in places that the roll down back window is rare? I've never seen one in these years or body styles, newers truck I've seen

 

[Waystro]

Just don't do what I did and use Starter Fluid
now I have to pull mine because I have some bent push rods among other things

 

[TahoeTom]

Not knowing where the timing marks were before, your best bet would to have the pump rotated slightly to the passenger side from the point where the marks line up, about 1/16" offset in the marks.

 

[Lumberjack84]

alright will do that tomorrow and hopefully get some batteries or a new charger. little shot of ether ok with no plugs? last time I used ether was on an old detroit as we don't really like using it up here unless its last resort

 

[Waystro]

alright will do that tomorrow and hopefully get some batteries or a new charger. little shot of ether ok with no plugs? last time I used ether was on an old detroit as we don't really like using it up here unless its last resort

It's your truck if ya need starter fluid use just a little bit
I was using it with no Glowplugs.

 

[Lumberjack84]

I won't if I don't have to. po used it for every start before they fixed the plugs and put the button in. I personally don't use it

 

[IDIoit]

ive seen an old video where they took a torch with a rosebud, turned the flame up and oxy on to where it didnt soot up and use that to geat the air enough for it to light up.

i wouldnt do that to a turbo tho

ive used eather on my PSD's and IDI's without issue, again i didnt use alot... just the mist off the main stream of the can.

 

[Lumberjack84]

So went out and got the pump rotated towards the passenger side about 1/16". went to crank her over and she never started, I know I'm getting fuel to the injectors, know the plugs are working etc. everything has just been going wrong ever since I began the work on it. best truck i've ever owned so far and now I feel that I mess up big. I'm mechanically inclined but when stuff doesn't go right for a week straight I get frustrated, don't want to sell her either. but have been thinking about selling other things so I can get another truck for the time being. as you can see from the pics and video shes a decent old thing with plenty of life in her still. haven't tried ether as I don't have any and I think my batteries are finally getting toast

 

[Lumberjack84]

she fired right up after hooking the powerstroke and jump box on opposite sides. only things that bug me is 1. some how my spring on the ip to the trans is gone a long with a bolt to the throttle cable plate on the in take 2.noise I haven't heard before on it,a little whine but not to sure. 3 and one of the bigggest is getting the dang dipstick tube in the hole on the blockhas about over 1/2" to go, i know it pinched a little thanks to the head removal