Runs like a bat out of Hell, but you damn near have to kick start it.

[Boston]

So that truck I built last year, runs, more like screams down the highway. Needs a new front end, which I'm about half way to completing but that thing gets up and goes.

the issue is starting it. The glow plugs click asynchronously and it sounds like its only firing on one cylinder for ten to twenty seconds. Then it fires all at once with a huge puff of smoke.

I'm going to try making a new set of wires for the glow plugs, the plugs only have about 1000 miles on them. See if that helps. I'm sure they are drawing juice because you can see the battery indicator moving a lot when they click in and out.

Another, and my personal favorite of my whole experience with the truck so far, is I got robbed on the IP. No way that thing was rebuilt and classically, although I have every "other" receipt, I can't find that one to save my life. So I'm just going to have to suck it up and buy another. So now I'll have three. What I need to do is learn how to rebuild these things myself. I've got a complete machine shop available to me, so why not eh. Rumor has it calibrating them is the tricky part.

Anyway for all the headaches involved that thing does have a ton of power now that I've got it dialed in better. Freaking flies actually, whoever said that engine would never be fast, never met this one. Even with a full 200 gallon load of fuel on board, it gets ON the highway. Oh and whoever said diesels aren't that loud and you don't really need a muffler, same. Might even need two mufflers, first cop that hears that thing going down the entry ramp is, once he clears his ears a little, going to be writing me a whopping huge ticket. Or would be except I got farm plates.

Deal is it just is a ***** to start. Somethings gotta be wrong and I suspect its the IP but it also could be the glowplugs.

Anyone ever built there own hot box like what some of the Cummins use ? If so how well did it work and what did you use for a heating element. And how exactly do you test an IP pump anyway ?

cheers
B

 

[91idi]

I notice with the headers mine is super loud. Did you put a typ4 cam in? The power curve seams even better now that I have both of those

 

[whiteboyslo]

GPs shouldn't click multiple times. Did you use Motorcraft GPs?

Mine did the multiple click thing when I bought it and it was a major PITA to start when cold. New set of GPs, a little surgery on the wiring harness (some of the connections to the GPs were worn out and broken), and now I only get one click from the relay. Another symptom I had was that the 'Wait to Start' light would only stay on for a millisecond, then the clicking would begin. After the work, the light stays on for about 5-10 seconds. Now all I do is wait for the light to go out, crank, and the truck is practically tripping over itself to light off. Seriously, it's about half a second of cranking tops. And when it's warm, I barely have to bump the key to get it to start.

Mike

 

[OLDBULL8]

That's what he has, bad GP's, maybe only a couple or a bad connection will make the relay clickity click. With bad GP'S, cranking will eventually get the cylinders hot enough too fire off, that is if it's not 20* below zero.

No, you can't rebuild an IP except put new O'rings in it, and yes you have to have a $100,000 machine to calibrate it. If it screams down the Hiway like you say, the IP should be good, timeing set at 8 to 9 degrees BTDC, 9 to 10 with a turbo.

 

[Boston]

thing just doesn't scream down the highway, it seems to clear its own path. Might have something to do with the noise but all in all, even with a full load, its not much different when empty. Things flies.

I'm going to try rebuilding the GP harness but I'm sure someone did a **** poor job on the IP. The Fuel shut off solenoid already went out on me, and I had to replace it with the old one. Should have been done when it was rebuilt but wasn't, and damn, what a mess when I opened it up, No way anyone rebuilt this thing.

Anyway, yah it sucks trying to get it started. Sounds like my old mini bike from when I was a kid. Burps spits and spits some more, finally sounds like someone is dragging it down the road before it fires. Pathetic really.

I'd love to bypass the whole GP assembly and just try the hot box if possible. I just replaced the GP and its doing this ? Might be time to re evaluate the whole glow plug thing if its going to cough up this much trouble.

oh well
Cheers
B

 

[whiteboyslo]

What brand of GPs did you install?

Mike

 

[Boston]

don't remember, it was one of the first things I did to try and get it to fire, when I first got the truck. they don't have that many miles on them at all. maybe 1000 tops.

Might be the wires, Ill try that first.

 

[SparkandFire]

Depending on which brand GP's you installed, it's possible they are fried already. My brown truck had autolites, all eight burnt out after a couple cycles on the stock controller. I would check them all individually with a test light, or an ohmmeter to rule that out. In the world of aftermarket diesel parts, the rule about brand new parts being good is long-gone...

 

[Boston]

any ideas on what the resistance is supposed to be on a glow plug ?

I've got the multi meter tool, just don't know what to look for.

 

[SparkandFire]

Each glowplug should read very low ohms almost like shorting the leads together. I would say less than an ohm.

Find a good non-painted surface for your negative lead, I use an alligator patch cable and clip it to the alternator mounting bolt.

Test each one individually, pull the plug off the top, check for continuity, move on to the next one...

 

[Boston]

OK I rebuilt the wires going to the glow plugs and cut off and abandoned the old ones in the harness. Wait to start light comes on, stays for about 7 or 8 seconds, then goes off, no clickety clickety at all. Won't start at all. If you leave it cranking for way to long, it pretends to fire but no go. Just kinda drains the batteries

I checked the fuel shut off solenoid again and ran new wires to it, you can hear it clicking but I think its not building enough pressure to pop the injectors

My bet is its that fuel pump I got robbed on. Purchased a new one, wasn't new as far as I can see, Oh it was clean, but after opening it up and changing the fuel shut off already, I seriously doubt it was ever rebuilt.

Anyway, any other ideas cause now it doesn't even pretend to start.

 

[Boston]

after several days of leaving it plugged in overnight and then being able to successfully start it first try, I've concluded that its the glowplugs. And since the glow plugs are apparently a nightmare to replace, I'm leaning towards abandoning the system and using a ether system.

 

[Hydro-idi]

after several days of leaving it plugged in overnight and then being able to successfully start it first try, I've concluded that its the glowplugs. And since the glow plugs are apparently a nightmare to replace, I'm leaning towards abandoning the system and using a ether system.

Noooo! Haha you are probably trying to get rid of me now . Boston, it is totally up to you with the glow plugs or ether system with your rig. Just one more attempt to tell you these glowplug systems are about as basic as they get. I changed the plugs, controller and relay in no more than one hour. Good for many years of use. Ok i'll shut up now lol. Just trying to save you money and possible issues with an ether system, although either one will work.

 

[f-two-fiddy]

You need to stop jumping all over the place, and listen to some of the advice given here. Hacking up the GP harness was not nessasary. Use only Motorcraft GP's you'll get years of good service out of them.

I hope the ones in there now are not swelled. Good luck removing them

 

[ah1988ford]

Doing the gp's is more easy than replacing sparkplugs because you dont have to gap them. They are extremely easy to replace ! They will also cost you alot les than a ether injection system .. especially down the road. If they have swelled and broken off and fallen into the cylinder you can pull an injector to get the pieces out make sure your at
tdc on each cylinder when you do this (easyer to get to if this does happen). REPLACE YOUR GP' s its easyer than you think ! Once you have motocrafts in you wont have to worry about this again. When you put the new gp's in use some of napas antiseize he permatex copper stuff.