Money Pit #2 Won't run.

[Nathan Miley]

Well I bought another never ending project to go along with my early bronco. I have had it for over a month and cannot get it to start. I am stumped on what is wrong with it. I bought it as a non runner for $500, supposedly had a bad fuel pump(works but I deleted it). Worth it for at least the sweet old bigg toolbox. 1991 crew cab zf-5 I am going to need it for a daily here soon so the race is on.

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Loooong story short I have spent a good bit of money and time on it already, but can't get it to run. Even with my dads 89 idi jumping (with overbuilt cables)to the starter terminal to eliminate bad battery cable possibilities, that is a total of 4 good batteries hooked to that starter.
Mods and parts already I've already installed:
-new Zd9 glow plugs and manual push button
-duralift electric fuel pump down on the frame rail (currently pumping from a 5gal can to eliminate bad fuel and bad tanks)
-return line going to filter head deleted, plug in filter head and a proper ending cap on injector
-fuel heater delete with plug on filter head
-fresh return lines
-2 brand new motorcraft batteries
-new #1 injector line from a e350 installed to eliminate sensor that was stripped
-RandD idi injection pump on order, taking a while it seems
-powermaster starter will be in tuesday new battery cables will be installed then too

Checklist
-good fuel flowing from schrader valve -check
-power to ip solenoid that is closer to the front of the truck -check but not getting power to the rear solenoid, both click good when getting 12v
-old starter seems to be turning it over good
-fuel is bleeding from injectors when cracked took a while for me to get it to do that though
-fuel is coming from the ip return line when turning it over with line put in a water bottle

Problems
-no white smoke or exhaust at all coming from tailpipe, the only "smoke/fumes" are coming from intake with breather off
-it will not spit, sputter, fart, cough or anything with glowplugs held for 12-15 secs, will only turn over like i disconnected the ignition from a gasburner
-ether will do nothing (i know, i know, I was pisssed off that day)
-gas rag over intake -nothing (but a nice flaming object when i assume the glow plugs lit the fumes up the second time around)
-temp gauge goes all the way with key on

I think I am gonna get a compression gauge and clear fuel line tomorrow. My only guess is the ip is sending just enough fuel to injectors to bleed them. Any help or ideas in the meantime would be greatly appreciated. I have been lurking here for a while figured I would join since I finally bought an idi.

Enjoy, it usually pays the shipping. Good till march20,2018
Rock auto 5% discount code 7963091571496463

 

[icanfixall]

Welcome to the forum. Can you explain why it was a non runner when you purchased it? Could the previous owner changed the injection pump and it would not start so they gave up on it? No matter what, you must have something coming out the exhaust when cranking. As a suggestion why not pull or push start it? Being a 5 speed ZF trans you have that possibility. Getting the pistons to compress the air charge faster creates more heat for combustion of the diesel. Simple science tells you the faster you compress air the hotter it gets. Diesel requires bout 940 degrees to ignite. A slow cranking engine usually never starts just for that reason..

 

[Nathan Miley]

I have no idea why it is a non runner, p.o. guessed the fuel pump was bad and just didn't want to screw with it. It was last tagged in 2012 I don't think the ipump has been changed, the inspection cover and bolts are just as dirty as the rest. Thanks for the quick reply I will try a pull start tomorrow.

 

[CDX825]

Crank it with the pedal to the floor.

If its cranking over fast and you have 8 working glow plugs its a fuel issue. Could also be timing is way out if the pump was ever messed with.

 

[austin92]

You said you had it running out of a 5 gallon gas can? Do you have a return line ran into the can from the injectors? If not, run one


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[towcat]

you say you have another IDI that runs.
does this one crank over as fast as that one?
you NEED a minimum of 300 rpm to build compression otherwise you are ******* into the wind.
it is a good sign that you are getting wetness at the injectors when cranking. that tells me you injection pump isn't completely DOA.

 

[Macrobb]

But, you should also see white smoke out the tailpipe from injected, unburned diesel... right?

You can always make sure fuel is building injection pressure by removimg one injector, loosening the line at thd IP and rotating it so you can reattach the injector... high in the engine bay where you can see it(hanging off the line). A bit of cranking to prime it, and you should see fuel spraying from the bottom when cranking.

If that's working... time to look at timing one way or another. Does anything look messed with IP wise? Could the IP gear be off compared to the cam gear? If not, it might be a fully-retarded IP and it's just injecting way too late. You might be able to loosen the lines, crank the pump all the way towards the passenger side to advance it, and then try again. That'll give you a couple more degrees at least.

The R&D pump will make a big difference, believe me.

 

[Nathan Miley]

Went out and tried pull starting it today. My dad pulled me around with the tractor. No hits at all that I could tell.
Tried several times in 3rd and once in second. After he got up a little more speed on about the third try it would start putting out some white smoke,but no hits. Tried it with the pedal to the floor and halfway and feathering. Hit the glow plugs before a few tries too.

Two problems did speak out though. After a couple of tries I had fuel coming out and running down the exhaust and transmission. NOT coming from anywhere on the supply lines, filter, or injectors lines. Maybe return on going back to tank but i don't think it is. Really can't tell.

And the tac does not work.

The ip doesn't look like it has been touched at all and the marks line up.

Where should i go from here.

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[towcat]

wait until the new injection pump shows up.
you can put a fork in the current one.
it's done.
dumb question, you did have power going to the pump on both pulls right?

 

[Nathan Miley]

wait until the new injection pump shows up.
you can put a fork in the current one.
it's done.
dumb question, you did have power going to the pump on both pulls right?

Sure did! I screwed up the other day and left it unplugged trying to bleed injectors.

 

[theSHERPA]

Let's see pics of Money Pit #1--the early bronco!


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[IDIBRONCO]

Let's see pics of Money Pit #1--the early bronco!


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I'll second that!

 

[icanfixall]

For my best wild ass guess is the return fuel system is blocked and no return will keep any idi engine from running.

 

[Nathan Miley]

For my best wild ass guess is the return fuel system is blocked and no return will keep any idi engine from running.

I'll run the ip pump return to a bucket and install the new cables and starter tomorrow after work maybe snag a couple eb pics too.

Wild ass guesses can find stupid easy problems, so I'm up for it icanfixall. I wanna say I tried that already but maybe not.

 

[Shadetreemechanic]

It also will not start if the metering valve is stuck in the ip. I have had success with that having someone work the throttle while trying to start it and have someone else tap ip gently with hammer at the same time.