hard starting 6.9.

[6.9poweredscout]

the 6.9 in the scout is getting hard to start. ever since i got the good GP controller put on it only stays on for about 5 seconds before it cycles no matter what the temp outside is. it'll crank for about 5 seconds, nothing, i'll cycle the key and it will still cycle the GPs, i'll crank it again and after about 5-10 seconds it'll fire. once the block has some more heat in it it'll start fine. any ideas guys?? my f-250 started the first revolution no matter what the temp outside was!

-Jon

 

[dyoung14]

the 6.9 in the scout is getting hard to start. ever since i got the good GP controller put on it only stays on for about 5 seconds before it cycles no matter what the temp outside is. it'll crank for about 5 seconds, nothing, i'll cycle the key and it will still cycle the GPs, i'll crank it again and after about 5-10 seconds it'll fire. once the block has some more heat in it it'll start fine. any ideas guys?? my f-250 started the first revolution no matter what the temp outside was!

-Jon

Any idea on your timing?

Mine has some psd rattle going on and mine is always a ***** to get started, i let it set for an hour and it take 8-10 seconds to refire, if i retard the timing it cranks easy but has less power

 

[Brianedwardss]

There's always the option of a push-button

 

[rhkcommander]

mines same way with pushbutton. might be timing like dyoung said. i'd like to adjust my timing but I'm no pro on that stuff

 

[Diesel JD]

OK is this the 87 and later controller like your old 7.3 had if so, you have a bad glow plug or a disconnected one, only thing it could be. They should stay on 7-10 secs. even in hot weather. I have the same thing going on but my truck starts fine anyway it's so damned hot down here, and digging for that glow plug doesn't seem to appealing. If it's a 6.9(83-86 style) controller I really don't understand those symptoms as it should leave them on a long time as long as you have it hooked up right and there's at least one good glow plug. As Mel likes to say the one glow plug doesn't even know the one next to it is there...not so on the later ss systems. If you do have the older style, if you want to keep the factory system you should get with Mel and copy his failsafe for the factory unit. If factory look and functionality isn't important to you, you should use a momentary toggle, my preference in theory would be the 12V ones out of a "slow glow" 5.7 diesel GP system, because in theory 12V to a 12V plug should be sustainable for a long time. Micheal Fowler actually did this, I don't know how it worked for him. The downside is they heat up slower and they plugs are relatively expensive, but you'd probably only be doing it once and you could leave them on for 25 seconds...50 seconds..longer? If you felt the need to, whereas even with high quality beru or some of the widely available dual coil 6.9 spade type glow plugs that are 6V rated, you really don't want to consistently leave them on beyond 8 seconds...having said that that is PLENTY for a healthy IDI in all but the coldest conditions...assuming everything else is right.

 

[6.9poweredscout]

it's the 7.3 style GPC, i'm not sure of the timing, it doesn't rattle like a PSD. i just put the i/p on and lined up one of the marks. i won't be able to get it timed till i meet up with mel at the all truck nationals at carlisle (oh yea if you want to see it i'll be there! ). i'll have to check the GPs. what's the resistance i should see so u don't have to pull them all out.

thanks!
-Jon

 

[dyoung14]

it's the 7.3 style GPC, i'm not sure of the timing, it doesn't rattle like a PSD. i just put the i/p on and lined up one of the marks. i won't be able to get it timed till i meet up with mel at the all truck nationals at carlisle (oh yea if you want to see it i'll be there! ). i'll have to check the GPs. what's the resistance i should see so u don't have to pull them all out.

thanks!
-Jon

Play with the timing some and see if you can make it start better or worse

 

[Diesel JD]

I don't think you killed it with timing, I bet you're in the range and just had a bad one for whatever reason. Most of the time a bad glow plug will be an open, so you can find it with a test light. I's say anything with measurable resistance up to say 2 ohms would work just fine for the SS system, use the surrounding good plugs as a guide or if you have a fresh beru sitting around(or even known good one). I wouldn't mess with the timing, very advanced timing would sound wrong to somebody who has had some IDI experience as you have. I'd bet good money you were either within spec or retarded with the marks lined up, provided your timing gear was lined up correctly when you did your rebuild. Check all your connections at the glow plugs too, sometimes they come loose, especially if you have a used harness or built your own.

 

[6.9poweredscout]

i went wheeling today, and now i've noticed its hard to start hot too! if i shut it off it cranks forever and starts to "catch" chugging a few times than finally firing off. sometimes when it's hot the GP's don't even cycle. but my 250 they wouldn't when hot and it'd still start easy! now what am i looking for?? ugh...

-Jon

 

[Brianedwardss]

Mine did this right before my IP went out. Probably not the case but I figured I'd say it. Also very retarded timing creates these symptoms. Try advancing it til it rattles like a PSD and then back it off a smidge, then try re-starting. I only say to do it this way because you will be getting a professional timing done on it soon, so advancing it a bit will help narrow the problem down snd not be permanent.

 

[6.9poweredscout]

I haven't checked, mabe my i/p came loose. Once its running it has lots of power and no issues, other than the pickup tube blocking up and shutting it off, I really gotta drop the tank its happened about 10 times already!

-Jon

 

[dyoung14]

Mine with the real advanced timing cranks like you describe, hard to start warm or cold

 

[6.9poweredscout]

Which was advances it and which way retards it??

-Jon

 

[johnboggs21]

tilting it towards the passenger side will advance it.

 

[6.9poweredscout]

checked the GPs with the multimeter, 7 of the 8 were between .8-1.2ohms, one was dead, pulled it, put on the batt charger, nadda, zip, zero, done! went to the 'zone, no more berus! off to international! well i damn near puked when he said $22!!! i though he was joking! $22 for one GP.... but i put it in, the GPC cycles right and it fires right off after 2 revolutions! thanks for the help guys!

-Jon