hard starting

[jimraelee]

Hello, typically this old 91f350 7.3L starts fairly easy, today It started to crank over and then just fell... It would still crank, but not the little "i can start" ..."I can start" sounds of the engine before it fires... On a gasser I would check spark and fuel press when key is in start position... on a diesel I would assume to check glow plug operation, and ???? Not sure how to check the IP for pressure. Maybe taking in to check the IP timing. Its all stock down to the stock air intake/filter. Im off to get a manual to read up on this engine, because this is my first diesel, at least first diesel that I have to work on... the farm tractor dad always took in to the job site for service when the maintenance truck came around for the rest of the equipment...

any suggestions

 

[f350flatbed]

I'd check to make sure that both batteries are good and charged. After that, there's a small list of things to check...

pb

 

[Agnem]

Getting colder out your way? How old are the batteries? Glowplugs, fuel and crank speed are the 3 things you need to start. Remove or reduce any one of the 3, and you don't leave the parking spot.

 

[jimraelee]

Getting colder out your way? How old are the batteries? Glowplugs, fuel and crank speed are the 3 things you need to start. Remove or reduce any one of the 3, and you don't leave the parking spot.

Hey Mel, Yea its getting colder, but Ive certainly had colder days that that one... it was actually sunny and about 60ish. Its started just fine when I was leaving work at 6am to head home... it was closer to 40 those mornings. I have not had any issues started since 2days ago when it happened. Crank speed was good until I started draining the batteries from 3-7min of crank, let rest... crank let rest, thats when I added my mega charger/jump starter. Now glow plugs, I downloaded a procedure to check them, basically put a test light in series of the wire and the plug, light on is good, no light bad - open I guess. I did find on this forum where someone quoted 2ohms is good and 3 or more ohms is bad, any verification of those specs??? Fuel well I think that there was fuel, I could smell it as when you flood a gasser... Anyway, I'm going to check the glow plugs this weekend and see how they are looking, only 40k original miles on the truck so I'm a bit reluctant its them, but I have to rule them out to be sure.

 

[h2odrx]

any fuel leaks? might be getting air?

 

[jimraelee]

Nope, none that are real evident, Ill check more thoroughly when I check out GP operation this weekend...

 

[h2odrx]

Fill in you sign so we know more about your truck. My 88 has a leak on top of the fuel filter and i think that gives it hard starting. what is the little oval plug on top of the filter any way?

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

Less than 2 ohms when cold is a good check for glow plugs. I would pull them all out and make sure they are Beru's as other brands can get swollen tips and ruin your day. My truck had two bad glow plugs and started pretty good, but when the third one went south it seemed to be the "not gonna start" breaking point in colder than 50 degree weather.

Where are you in Oregon? I am in Vancouver Washington, if you can't find any glow plugs I might be able to sell you a couple as I have a couple spares.

Let me know either way

R. J.

 

[jimraelee]

Thanks RJ for the offer, I managed to score a few of the autozone blow out sale they had while back. Im in Gaston, about 20min west of Portland. on the way to my fav fishing ground T-Bay.

 

[jimraelee]

Well today I checked out the Glow plugs, found 2 that were open ( no light when connected to test light and power). Tried to fire it up after that when cold and pretty much same issue. Odviously its getting air... the air cleaner was on the ground, glow plugs are now all operational, so were down to fuel. And from my gasser experience, it would see like the engine is loosing its prime or wont prime when starting cold. After it starts the first time it will run just fine, good power and acceleration.

some basics
Fuel pump on the side of the block, pulls fuel from the tank and supplies it to the fuel filter, out of fuel filter to the injector pump... Injector pump distributes to all injectors like a distributor for spark on a car, so what is this LIFT PUMP I have heard about??? The only thing I know is that it rides on the cam.

 

[Agnem]

Unscrew your fuel filter before you try your next cold start. If fuel spills out as soon as the gasket comes free, then you've got fuel. If not, and the filter is at all empty, you have a post filter air leak.