Hard starting IDI please help

[Biggz]

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Okay, I am new to here, so please, bare with me. I got the truck I have always wanted, well kinda, its not turbo. I got a 1991 F-250 IDI non-turbo 5-speed 4x4 with a set of 4.10 gears. The truck has about 186,000 miles. I have about $700 in it, and it has brand spankin' new interco 34x10.5" super swampers on it. Now the problems. When trying to start it, it sometimes cranks over a few times then starts, sometimes it cranks and cranks and cranks but never starts and it ends up running the battery dead and I have to get a pull start. When it does start it seems to me that it runs choppy and it smokes white. The choppy thing may be normal this is just my first diesel. The wait to start light comes on for like 5 seconds then goes off but i can hear a loud "CLICK" multiple times and I can see my voltmeter flucuate. But i try to start and nothing. I have even tried to "help" it along with starting fluid. But to no avail. I have noticed that a couple of the glow plugs have the plastic cracked on the top, but I was told its no big deal. The truck also seems very underpowered to me. I cant seem to break 60 or 65 mph. I want to do turn the pump up a bit and do the cold air breather, but i want to make sure that the truck is atleast up to factory performance. Oh almost forgot, when i bought the truck it had a "performance" exhaust aka a peice of flex pipe turned up into a long slant cut exhaust tip. I pulled it off and ran a longer exhuast pipe in to a 2.5" flowmaster. I have had conflicting reports as to the exhaust thing too. Does the small diameter exhaust and muffler help or hinder the performance because it is a N/A motor. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also i noticed the starting is not that much of an issue if the motor gets cold. Plus I live in East central Indiana and was curious if there was a diesel tech that any of you guys would recommend that was local to me. I need them to be cheap but good. If there is such a thing.

 

[Smokey73]

First off, Welcome. It sounds like you may have multiple issues. First of which, I think is going to be the glow plugs. Sounds like you may have two or three bad ones. A quick way to check them is to take a test light, connect the clamp to the positive post on one of the batterys, unplug all the glow plugs, and touch the light to each of them. If it lights up, they're probably good.

Next issue could be air in the fuel. that can cause white smoke, so can bad injectors. If I read correctly, you said that starting isn't much of an issue when it's cold? If that is the case, you might even be looking at a pump problem.

Start with the glow plugs and return lines, they're the cheapest and easiest, and go from there.

Oh, and enjoy your new ride.

 

[FordGuy100]

Glad to see you made it over here.

I was thinking along the lines of air intrusion for the hard starts, but after re-reading, the fast glow could point to some glow plugs going south. If you have access to an ohm meter, with the motor cold they should read less than 1 ohm.

Now with it idleing and smoking white, it could be a problem again. Is the truck running smooth or is it shaking pretty good. Keep an eye on your coolant level, and make sure it isnt all black like oil is in it. Now have you checked your SCA's? Its an additive in the coolant the 7.3 needs, you can pick up test strips at a local auto parts store, just SCA test strips.

 

[typ4]

diesels like big exhaust ,turbo or not. that flowmaster is to small for an IDI. As said, you have some glow plug issues and/or air or both.

 

[RLDSL]

Is there gray paint on those injectors? it you do those are original .It sounds an awful lot like you have an injector or two leaking down If those are original you are due for new injectors anyway, so new injectors and an install kit will do wonders.
DO NOT under any circumstances use starter fluid if the glow plugs are functioning in any way shape or form or you WILL ruin your engine. If you must use starter fluid to get down the road, disconnect the glow plug circuit.

As far as the speed issue, could be a weak pump or could be incorrect pump timing or a dirty fuel filter, start with putting a fresh fuel filter on for starters.

 

[Dirtleg]

Everything mentioned above is good advice for sure. But in your post you said "starting is not so much an issue if the engine gets cold". That and the lack of power are screaming "Bad IP" to me. When they get worn the IP has a hard time creating enough pressure to fire the injectors when hot due to out of spec internal tolerances. Once the IP has cooled off the tolerances tighten up again and it will start more easily.

White smoke at idle is also a symptom of a bad IP.

 

[Exekiel69]

All of the above and start using fuel additive (like power service or lucas)every fill up and that might help with the injection pump issue.

 

[Agnem]

Make sure you read through our tech articles. A lot of helpful info there.