6.9 running fine, now no start

[Mad Maxine]

Howdy.
Been a while since I've been on here, but I got a new toy over the weekend, and she's already messing with my head!
1987 6.9 -- The truck has been running great, starts easy -- even cold. Drove it 2 hours on the highway from Hallettsville to Austin without a hiccup. On Sunday I took it out and it died when I took my foot off of the throttle to shift gears. I pulled over to the curb and popped the hood and noticed the throttle return spring had come off. So, I reattached it, and down the road I went -- until it died again, this time at a stoplight. Again, I got under the hood and fiddled with the throttle return spring, and she started right back up and I went on down the road, running errands and got on back home. I drove her to work on Monday morning with no issues (20 miles). Coming home from work, I was almost to the house when she quit as I let off of the throttle to downshift and make a corner. I threw it in neutral and hit the key and she started right back up and I got on home.
When she quit on Sunday, I wasn't sure how the throttle spring attached to the throttle lever since it had popped off in flight and I couldn't immediately ascertain where it went. I was kinda in the road and just needed to get it going, so I hooked it around the throttle lever and attached the other end to a bracket. When she died again on Monday coming home, I assumed that maybe the spring was in a bind, and not allowing the throttle to move freely. I made it home and parked the truck on the curb, and I took my regular driver to work yesterday. Last night when I got home from work, I fiddled with the spring so that it didn't appear to be binding anywhere, got in the cab to fire her up, and nothing. Spins over fine, but doesn't start.
DOUBLE YEW TEE EFF!?!?
The truck was running great. Easy cold starts. Would start right back up after she died. Just bump the key and she'd fire right up. Now she won't even begin to act like she's going to start.
I've had an IDI before, and I know what air intrusion acts like, but this doesn't seem like that. When she quits, she just kind of stumbles and dies, but she immediately starts right back up while I'm still rolling. Or, I guess I should say DID. Now I got nothing.
I'm thinking maybe I have 2 separate problems here. I don't see how just dicking around with the throttle return spring would cause a no-start situation.
I was blipping the throttle lever by hand to check the action of the spring, but the injector pump isn't like a carburetor -- just messing with the throttle lever with the engine off wouldn't cause it to "flood", would it??
I don't know what I could've done that would cause it to refuse to start all of a sudden.
Any ideas??
Thanks

 

[Nero]

Sounds like the governer in the pump is sticking, when it idles down for the upshift, it'll idle down so fast it stalls. Run some heavy concentrated fuel cleaner and drive it like you stole it for a day, it should clear up.

 

[Mad Maxine]

Sounds like the governer in the pump is sticking, when it idles down for the upshift, it'll idle down so fast it stalls. Run some heavy concentrated fuel cleaner and drive it like you stole it for a day, it should clear up.

I'll do just that -- when I can get her to run again

 

[DirtyWood]

When cranking do you get any white smoke out the exhaust? Fuel under pressure at the Schrader valve on the filter head? Anything that can be ruled out narrows the field.

 

[Mad Maxine]

I got her to run, but I have another question: on the throttle there is another lever with a long screw in it that just flops loose. Is/was that part of the cruise control linkage or what does it do??
Thanks!!

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I don't see how just dicking around with the throttle return spring would cause a no-start situation.

It won't as far as I know.

just messing with the throttle lever with the engine off wouldn't cause it to "flood", would it??

No. That can't happen. When the engine's not running, like in your case, no fuel is being pumped to the injectors.

Sounds like the governer in the pump is sticking, when it idles down for the upshift, it'll idle down so fast it stalls. Run some heavy concentrated fuel cleaner and drive it like you stole it for a day, it should clear up.

I'll second this for now.

I got her to run, but I have another question: on the throttle there is another lever with a long screw in it that just flops loose. Is/was that part of the cruise control linkage or what does it do??
Thanks!!

My guess is that it's a used pump that was taken off of a vehicle that had a C6 in it. It's most likely for the kick down rod to attach to. I can't be sure of that without pictures, but that sounds like the most likely explanation. Seeing how this is probably the case, I'll definitely second the above post by Nero.

 

[Mad Maxine]

Thanks, fellas! I sure appreciate the help.
Kickdown makes sense; the truck was an automatic and has been refitted with a ZF5.
I think I've got a glow plug issue causing no-start. She fired up on ether and ran fine. The controller is long gone and she just has a push-button and a relay. The plugs are getting juice; going to replace the plugs with Motorcraft. Please send your prayers that I don't break an old one off in the cylinder getting them out. SPF:10

 

[Nero]

You can test the glow plugs with a test light before removing them, works pretty well as a go/no-go test