so my truck has major problems starting in the morning. I dont think its the glow plugs as they are new and cant be the glow plug controller because its disconnected and i them on a push switch.

i put the glow plugs on for 10 secs try to start it and it cranks slow at first then speeds up but doesnt fire. I let the starter take a two min break then I try again same problem.

then i spray some staring fluid in the intake( i dont put the glow plugs on) then i turn it over and it starts. i let it run for a couple mins warm up. shut it off. let is sit for a couple more mins then try and start it again and it wont fire.

I spray some starter fluid in there and it fires right up

i cant almost never get it to fire without starting fluid.

not sure what the problem is?

I have new fuel filter and return lines, orins and caps.

could it be the injectors? high pressure pump? mechanical pump?

any thoughts would be great

 

What GPs did you use? If you're using a push button, someone could have gone crazy and toasted them. I'd check them with a headlight in series with the individual GP. That way you can draw enough current to know if the GP is working or not. If the headlight burns bright, it means the GP is drawing a lot of current which is good. If it glows but not very bright, then the GP is not drawing enough current and needs to be replaced. I use a 55 watt driving light.

PS:
The fact that it will start with ether tells me that your fuel system is not the culprit. There's just not enough heat in the combustion chamber to ignite the fuel. Make sure that you depress the accelerator pedal after you turn the key on to let the fast idle solenoid work. You could be suffering from a slightly retarded timing also (caused by wear).

 

How many miles are on the engine? If there are more than 250k....i have seen engines loose compression after this mark...im just being the devil's advocate here but try a compression test....

 

My idi has been starting pretty good this winter, though it's been really mild here. It has been below 25deg for a couple days straight and it only cranks for 3-4 seconds before starting (then it blows smoke and misses for a while but thats another story). I was told years ago that when trying to start a diesel with air in the system, super cold out or whatever reason you think it wont start, give it full throttle while cranking and bring the throttle back as it starts so you dont over rev it. All it does is put more fuel into it and its not like its possible to flood a diesel. Guess what I'm getting at is try holding the pedal to the floor and cranking it.

 

If it's cranking slow, it's NOT bad glow plugs.

You've got a starter on it's way out, weak batteries, bad connections, corroded cables, or cables that are too small.

The cables can corrode on the inside near the terminals and look just fine on the outside. Take a utility knife and cut a slit in the insulation about 2" either side of the terminals. Inspect the wire inside. If it's good, wrap it up with electrical tape. If it's green or white, replace the cables.

Batteries - Have them tested. You need two batteries at like 800 CCA each. I'm running a truck with two 500 CCA batteries because that's what's in there and I'm broke. It's a pain in the *** to start but I don't have a choice.

Cable size - You should have 00 or 000 size cable for the +. 00 for the two negatives.

Contact points - Remove cables at all ends, clean connections with a wire brush, grease them with dielectric grease, and then put it all back together. Do the same for the starter mounting flange, because this is where it grounds.

Starter - Have it tested. Just because it's turning doesn't mean it's good. I replaced EVERYTHING in my last system and it ended up being a weak starter pulling way too much current. Make sure you get a gear reduction style starter. The stock starter was direct drive, and the gear reduction starter increases the torque dramatically. If my truck had a direct drive starter, there's no way those 500cca batteries would start it.

Good luck
-Matt

 

By the way, I had the same exact symtoms in my old '86. It cranked slow at first, then it would speed up after cranking for like 10 seconds. It would take me 10 minutes to start that truck sometimes, and it wasn't the glow plugs. It's speeding up because the electrical contacts are warming up.

Check everything I listed above and I guarantee you'll be good to go.

 

its very possible thats the problem. i know the cables are in kinda rough shape. so i will do some testing and see tomorrow.

thanks everyone

 

This is dead on. Do as Lemon instructs, and you will be good to go.

 

it only cranks slow at first then speeds up? is that a sign of a faulty starter?

 

no, it sounds like a bad positive cable.

post #8 on first page is bad starter and good starter cranking speeds.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ing-speed.html

 

also if its just the cables and or batteries does that explain why it needs the starter fluid? or why once its warmed up it has a easier time starting?

 

Yeah, if it's cranking slowly, it isn't compressing the air quickly enough to get it hot enough to light up the fuel. When it's warm, the cylinders are hotter, and with the oil warm, it turns over faster...

 

Ok im going to replace all my battery cables, clean the terminals and see how it starts after that.

 

night and day.
the other advantage will be longer starter motor life.
while your at it,be sure to remove the ground wires from the block and clean and grease these up too.

 

i would also verify that you are actually getting juice to your glow plugs.