Well guys, she won't start and it doesn't even sound like she's trying to.

Put in a set of brand new Standadyne injectors today and when I got done, tried starting her and nothing. Cranked for at least 3 minutes total and not even a hit.

I think I hooked up all the return lines right, here are some pics to verify this.

I know fuel is getting from the filter to the IP but from there, I have no idea.

She always started before within 5 seconds of cranking on a cold start, so I don't think there's anything wrong with the engine.

She does get white smoke out the exhaust while cranking

 

Crack an injector line at injector, crank the motor (no more than 20 seconds at a time) and see if you get fuel at the injector.

I highly recommend converting that return system to the 7.3 layout. That bolt you have plugging the line will leak air causing drain back.

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

Crack an injector line at injector? What do you mean?

Sorry, I'm kind of confused.

I did try loosening the injector lines and it definitely looked like there was diesel in the injector, but I can try again tomorrow morning. I'm done with it for the night. I was out there for 7 hours

 

Yup, Loosen ONE injector line at the injector.

Clean up the fuel around it so it's easier to see new fresh fuel ... The IP is idle fueling at this point and not much fuel comes out.

Is the glow plug system working properly?

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

She is full air. Lossen (crack) the line at the top of the injector(s) and turn it over until you see fuel. These can be a real pita to get started after opening the injector system. I hope your ip is making enough pressure to pop the new injectors. I have my glow plug power on a separate connector. So I can unplug it and give it a spritz of ether to get it to hit. And I mean just a very small amount. I also use a facet electric lift pump that makes it a whole lot easier to prime / start.

 

As far as I know, the glow plugs are working great! It's also not cold out, in mid to high 70's so I figured glow plugs would be LESS of an issue!

Would you suggest buying some ether to see if I can't get the injectors to "pop"?

I figured that they had to pop, but I wasn't sure, as I saw the injector nozzles were basically shut from the factory. Is this correct?

 

Do NOT use ether if you have working glow plugs. Could cause your motor to go kaboom. Like the others said it takes a while to prime these after the fuel has been drained. Crack open one line and crank until fuel starts coming out. Take care to allow your starter to cool so you don't burn it up

 

NEVER USE ETHER ... PERIOD! Even if you unplug the glow plugs.

I (and many others) never have a problem starting after opening the fuel system, It just takes a little cranking, two maybe three 20 second cranking periods from a completely dry system, tank to injectors providing the lift pump is in proper working order.

If it doesn't start within three 20 second cranking periods something is wrong!

By the book, you do not need to crack injectors to start a dry system, that is what the return system is for.

The return system is what brought Diesels to the masses, before the return system was developed if you ran a diesel out of fuel you HAD NO CHOICE but to bleed the system manually, a unacceptable procedure for the masses.

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

Just to verify, crack open the line at the injector?

 

Yes. Loosen it up so air (and eventually fuel) can flow freely out of that line

 

Ok! I'm assuming that if nothing comes out after a while, I have a much bigger problem

 

What I want to know is why the hell the Chilton manual for the IDI and early GM diesel motors (I know, I should buy the FSM) told me I had to take off all the injector lines. More of a pain in the *** than it had to be

 

The white smoke indicates super heated unburnt fuel, thus my question about working glow plugs.

I advise testing them all and if they are not Motorcraft/Beru I highly recommend replacing them with Motorcraft/Beru glow plugs ...

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

This is the first time I've had any sort of issue with the truck starting, also, the dealer I bought it from showed me paperwork that they were replaced recently, but of course, take that with a grain of salt

 

I just saw the 7.3 layout part. What do you mean 7.3 layout? And what do you mean by drain back?

I ordered the wrong install kit (late instead of early) so I had to kind of Macgyver my return system up, unfortunately.