Hard Starting - Diesel Forum

BenTaylor · 07-06-2005, 05:48 PM

Hi I'm newly registered on this site but have been using for the last few months or so while I've been working on this project. My question is

Truck just recently returned from it's date with the body man. Finalized all the fit and finish of the door hardware and interior. Truck probably hasn't been started for a month. She will start but it takes about 45 seconds to hit. I am baffled because the fuel system is new and so is the whole glow plug system. I guess I'll see if anyone here has any ideas

Thanks
Ben

nboehm · 07-06-2005, 05:54 PM

Can you hear the glow plugs cycleing? Did you change the glow plug controller when you changed the glowplugs?

BenTaylor · 07-06-2005, 05:57 PM

Everything is new down to the engine wiring harness. That is why I'm baffled [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

On the cycling note you can hear it click on and then it doesn't cycle like it did the day I picked the POS from the bone yard!

Thanks
Ben

biosdude · 07-06-2005, 06:00 PM

Check the fuel lines. The body shop may have knocked one of them loose and the fuel lines are getting air in them.

BenTaylor · 07-06-2005, 06:03 PM

Just got out from under it that was my first quess since everyone on here always talks about retun lines being the second thing to look at. All the SS lines look good and so do their connections and all the return lines look good.

Thanks again and thanks for your speedy responce
Ben

I think it's time for a 12 pack LOL

nickbf2504x4 · 07-06-2005, 06:04 PM

might be a stupid suggestion but are the batteries new? could have lost some charge

i think a load test is in order

BenTaylor · 07-06-2005, 06:06 PM

New Autozone Duralast Gold bought them last night when I was pulling my hair out over this.

Thanks
Ben

biosdude · 07-06-2005, 06:09 PM

Once it's warm, does it start easier? How long do you have to wait before it gets hard to start?

nboehm · 07-06-2005, 06:12 PM

How fast is it cranking? Maybe your starters going south. My old 6.9 would take along time to start just because it dident spin fast enough. I would also trying running a jumper on the glowplug controller just to make sure. hold the jumper there for about 5 seconds or so. Trial and error. How does the truck run right when it starts up?

BenTaylor · 07-06-2005, 06:12 PM

Takes about 45 seconds once she hits and warms up she runs fine and starts fine it's just the inital start and it's 90 today prolly 85 or so in the shop! The starter spins over not as fast as I think it should but again it's a newly rebuilt motor with 6 miles on the OD. The starter is New also.

Ben

BenTaylor · 07-06-2005, 06:20 PM

Gonna pull the glow plug controller. The guy at napa says he may be able to test it. So I guess we'll see. He'll prolly want me to pay him another 160 bucks for a new one LOL

On another note should I look into putting an Elec pump on this truck vs. the manual one. Would that make a real difference. My cousin who works for IH said that he didn't recommend it do to it could cause some sort of failure in the IP that he has seen over and over again, so I left it alone. Is he crazy or am I just grabbing at straws here.

Ben

nboehm · 07-06-2005, 06:39 PM

Theres ALOT of people who have done it, but I havent. My manual pump has lasted me 130,000 miles with no problem, so I figured it was doing its job right. Look up on how to test the pump here. Your supposed to get about 1/4 of a quart for about 10 secs I THINK. Just look it up, you'll see.

BenTaylor · 07-06-2005, 07:01 PM

The controller he says tests fine. What next other than finding a deep ditch to slide this thing into.

DSBlack · 07-06-2005, 07:52 PM

I would bet on a bad GP controller. I had a good mech. at IH say that testing it on a bench was not reliable. You are not getting the after cycle. Check the GP's a few may be bad. Also I like the idea of jumping the relay on the GP controller and see if that fixes it.
Also you could place a piece of clear tubing in the return line from the filter to look for air.
Fuel, heat, air, and speed of spin. It should start...
Do not get frustrated, I will seem easy soon.

I also vote for adding the electric Fuel pump. Helps a lot with air issues. Make sure you get a good one if you do decide to do it. There is a fuel bypass so I can not dream of what kind of issues this would cause in a injection pump?? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif[/img]

tim94f250 · 07-06-2005, 11:59 PM

Ben,
It could be air in your return lines. Have a buddy crank it while you depress the shraeder valve on the fuel filter header. Hold it until the air stops and fuel flows, then it should fire up. Check for wetness around the injectors. They may be wet, they may not be wet. Just because they are dry doesn't mean air isn't leaking in. It can leak air in without leaking fuel out. You can replace the fuel line from the fuel filter header to the number one injector with a piece of clear tubing. 12" long should do it. Get the truck running, then shut it off. Come back a few hours later and check for air in the clear hose. It will probably be filled with air. If so, I'd replace the return lines, caps and o-rings. Good luck, Tim