Should have a 'no start' forum-category

[cpm]

That said;

Just so I'm clear:

I had the 'shuttle the truck' trip from hell weekend before last, The good natured 69oiler/Rob
got me started off on the trip in good style, it was an adventure!

Anyway, halfway through the trip I figured out that the WD40 smell was in fact, hot raw
low-sulfer diesel, as popping the hood revealed fuel simply pouring out of the return line
at the filter, all down the hot engine. I was leaking nearly as much as I was burning, as
trip totals to that point, of very gentle throttle 50-55 mph w/no load was getting me about 10mpg.

Anyway, with my pocketknife and a clothes pin I found under the seat, I was able to
get the return line off, trim the ends, and reseat it, so it wasn't apparently leaking any more. Finished the drive to central Pa, (after loosing my wallet on the turnpike out near Pittsburg somewhere).

Truck drove great, and after I found and 'rigged' the quick fix of the leak, even seemed to run a little stronger, (though that can't really be true).

Next morning, No start.

Fuel at the filter.

But it's different from my 'other' 6.9. When I test for fuel at the filter with my 'other' 6.9, it
just squirts out, like it's pressurized. whether the truck is running or not. Not this one, this
one has be cranking to squirt, but squirt it does.

Now, 69oiler at the outset of the adventure, after we drove around Cleveland in the snow storm in the early AM, buying new batteries, and installing them. he said it was leaking
air, had me crank while he worked some 69oiler magic under the hood, and she lit
right up, and worked fine for the rest of the trip.

I figured he just bled stuff at the filter to get her to light. But no such luck for me.

He just replaced all the glow plugs, and they are wired manually. I glow it for no more
than about 8 secs and crank it for about 20 sec, it spins nice and fast, and if I hold
the throttle plate open, I get lots of white smoke, but no start.

What next? do I need to bleed the injectors? Or am I in much deeper trouble?

 

[kcw12]

Sounds like the glow plugs aint working. Hold her for about 12 seconds, put it to the floor, and give her a whirl. Make sure the glow plugs are cycing. that stinkin relay has to be grounded, dont ask me how i know.

 

[Pipeliner_86]

You can save some cranking time with a little snort of ether, and don't even bother with glow plugs anymore. I haven't used glow plugs for about two years now. After the first shot of ether in the morning, my truck will start all day long without ether or glow plugs. Most of the time in the summer/warm weather, I dont have to use ether at all, just put the pedal to the floor and crank over. It'll usally fire up with less than 10 sec of crank time.

My IP is old and worn out, but it's turned up as far as it will go. I also have my fast idle and fuel advance wired on the same toggle switch, and this may help in my starting proceedure.

I know lots of folks have bad opinions about ether, and may have had bad experiance with it. As for myself, I will use it, without fear, but not without common sense. If you have one single glow plug burning, and throw some ether at your engine. Your liable to throw a connecting rod out the bottom of your oil pan, but if the gp's are disconnected and not being used, ether will save you some cranking time.

My .02 for what it's worth.

 

[69oiler]

sheesh.

i'd say check for voltage at the glow plugs. have someone operate the switch while you use a multimeter on one of the glow plug leads. you should get 12 v or so.

i still think it's an air leak. the glow plugs are fresh and the return lines are old. the truck got driven a total of about 1500 miles in the last 2+ years. i may have bumped a return line when changing the plugs, it would be hard not to. i sippose if the lines were old and dried out that could have done it.

i never had any problem starting it using the block heater. you could try that, plug it in for 3-4 hours and see if it still is reluctant to start.

sorry for the headaches.

 

[h2odrx]

How is the supply to the pump? elec or mech? is the water sep still stock? this is a 6.9? How much money was in the wallet?

 

[cpm]

How is the supply to the pump? elec or mech? is the water sep still stock? this is a 6.9? How much money was in the wallet?

Mech,
Dunno,
Yup, 6.9
Replacing money is the easy part.
Ccs, DL, etc, that's the irritating bit.

 

[69oiler]

water seperator is the stock one but has been rebuilt once. lift pump is mechanical.

 

[h2odrx]

Mine was doing this and it was the line going to the pump.

 

[Agnem]

White smoke = no heat. Either the glow plugs are not working, or the timing is whacked. Based on the history you've related, and the general percentages of this kind of problem, your looking at a glow plug issue. No need to chase down a fuel problem since you obviously have fuel.

 

[cpm]

White smoke = no heat. Either the glow plugs are not working, or the timing is whacked. Based on the history you've related, and the general percentages of this kind of problem, your looking at a glow plug issue. No need to chase down a fuel problem since you obviously have fuel.

Thanks Agnem;

That's where I'll start when I get back to the truck next weekend.

 

[69oiler]

the glow plugs are Bosch.

 

[cpm]

To all:

Got back to the truck saturday, and had another go at it. I carefully checked all the glowplug connections for anything obvious, couldn't find anything that looked out of sorts, 'glowed' it for 10 secs, no start, but white smoke as before after 10 seconds of cranking.

so at Pipeliner_86's prompting, I gave the air intake a 1-2 sec shot of ether, and hit the starter button (yes, it has a button) and she lit right up. No surge, but it did 'chortle' for half a moment, until I blipped it to set a fast idle.

Drove it around, running local errands. It always lit right up, without glowing, truck really runs well. No more fuel leaking.

I'm guessing Rob must have had it plugged in, so it started warm on that early snowy
morning, because the glow plugs just aren't working. He replaced all of them, so I need to
sort that out, but the truck runs fine.

Thanks for the clues everyone.

 

[69oiler]

to tell you the truth it never had a chance to cool down after i changed out the GPs. i fired it using the GPs but maybe it was warm enough without them. maybe the relay froze from lack of use?