I have triple A so I am OK in the event of a no start situation but anyhow it was hot today and the truck almost wore the batteries down again and left me stranded again but then she finally fired and I left her running to charge the batteries up and shut it off and then it starts right back up again but it seems like when it sits and is hot it can be a pain to restart sometimes.

It did this 3 months ago and I had a leak at the fuel filter and fixed that but now it seems to be acting up again.

It also has this thing where it does not give any indication when you turn the key that the glow plug system is working. Sometimes there is no red light at the Glow indicator and you do not here the glow plug clicking sound. It did that today when it almost left me sitting.

Is this more than likely air getting in or could it be a glow plug or injector pump situation or maybe all 3 ? If you have a situation where air is getting in does it help to have an external fuel pump hooked in line for safety just in case?

Thanks for any help.

 

Next time it is hard to start after being hot. Pour a bit of cool not cold water over the injection pump. If it starts problem is with the pump and needs rebuilt.

 

If it's hot, the glow plugs should not cycle. The issue is your IP is on the way out.
Keep a bottle of cool water in the truck, and when it happens again and just won't start, pour the water over the rear of the IP(where the 8 injector lines come out). If it starts right up after doing that, well, you've found the issue.

 

ThaNKS, IT STARTS RIGHT UP WHEN HOT and only sits a few minute or so BUT WHEN IT SiTS for a 1/2 hour or hour? it does smoke white in thhe morning.

again thanks for the help. It seems to do it when hot outside and you drive it for like a hour straight then shut it off for a while and it is still hot outside. Are the Moose the way to go on a pump?

 

sounds like your fuel is draining back on ya.you'll need to figure out from where and or cheat and install a duralift electric fuel pump with build in check valve up in the engine bay and be done with these issues for good.
one of the many common air intrusion locations on the idi is the injector install kit (return line/o-rings.)

edit;
well resolve your fuel tank pickup issue first;
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...nk-is-low.html

that way your not needlessly chasing your tail.once you fix that,closely inspect all the fuel lines.pulling them from the metal clips and looking for any wet spots/rusted pinholes etc.continue diagnosing the rest of the fuel system.

 

Thanks, I would think it would do it in the morning if the returns leaked? Is the cheater fuel pump a good thing long term or a band aid type deal ?

When it does it again I am going to try the water on the injector pump as stated in this post.

The truck fires right up when cold in the morning and only does this when the glow plug light does not come on when you turn the key and it is hot outside and you have been driving when it is hot and you let the truck sit when it is hot for sometime.

Then you get in and pray it will go, also I know next time to check air valve on filter to make sure is spurts fuel from the get go to know there is no air in the system.

I am learning slowly but surly.

 

if it starts fine cold, and not when it sits after being hot. Its the Injection pump. Air intrusion would be an issue in the morning after sitting overnight, it would be most likely then, more time for the fuel to drain back then say during the day. doesn't sound like that is the main issue. I had the exact same thing happen to mine, still has slight air intrusion. electric fuel pump helps purge air. advancing the timing if its retarded will help the Injection pump too. but that's the for sure sign of an injection pump being worn. The parts inside get to much clearance get too hot, and it doesn't build enough pressure to pop the injectors. cold the clearances are tight enough it doesn't have an issue. I dealt with mine for 6 months. swapped the pump, it runs like a new one.

 

This^^^ When it has been shut off recently it will restart because the IP hasn,t heat soaked due to the cool (relatively) diesel flowing through it. When it sets for a while the IP will heat soak and won't start.

 

with mine if it sat longer than 1 hr, even with cool water it wouldn't crank. 3-4 hrs it had cooled enough for it to run. tried cool water, cutting the electric fuel pump on and let it circulate cool fuel through the IP, didn't always help. But it always would fire on starting fluid. only had to use that a few times, I have manual glow plugs, so I could do that. Glow plugs + Eyther= BOOM. Don't mix the two, one or the other. I put on a low mileage used pump, timed it by ear. runs well, much more power, engine seems to run cooler (coolant temperature wise), more torque, much more responsive.

 

if you have a 7.3 the gp WTS light will all ways come on, for at least one second, there is no coolant temp sensor in the system, the controller see's the temp of the engine buy reading the ohms of resistance of the gp's this is why using feed back type gp's like Zd9's is so important. controllers fail in several ways, one of the ways is when you turn the key you will get 4 seconds of gp heating. you will have to turn the key on and off several times to get the glows hot enough to start the engine. a easy way to find out if it is air or gp's is to plug the block heater in over night and start it with out waiting to heat the glows, if it starts it is a glow plug problem, not air!!! if your block heater works...

 

if engine temps are over 100 or so degrees, the glow plug light would not come on at all on my 88, or any of the other IDI trucks i had.

 

The one on my 92 comes on no matter what, just not as long with a hot engine.

 

92 is different electrical system.

 

The exact reason I switched mine to manual. Why run them when you don't need them.

 

It only seems to do it when the light does not come on for glow plug, it is a 1994 T model. Is there anything you can add to the fuel to help pump seal better or nurse along.

I talked to Mel about a injector pump the Moose Model and he was real helpful, is his about as good as a rebuild out there? I liked him and would buy one but want a good one.

I appreciate all of you all chiming in.