hello group i new here and have a few questions...well probly a bunch . I have an 85 6.9 non turbo that I bought 20 years ago it served me well until about 5 years ago when the glow plugs went out I suspect the controler went bad and burned them when trying to get the truck going again I burned the starter out and replaced it. one thing led to another and I havent tried to start the truck in about 5 years I want to get it going again what should I do before tring to start it as far as the fuel system? I know i need to replace the glow plugs and controlerbut should i remove the fuel lines and blow them out? anyhelp is appreciated
keith in west virginia

 

Take the fuel filter loose and fill it with diesel kleen, put it back on and fire it up. I can do that on my 7.3, I am assuming you can do that on the earlier models also.

 

thanks should i drain the tank? i know gas goes bad I'm asuming diesal will as well

 

Diesel fuel is oil, and doesn't tend to cause the same type of issues as old gas, which is more of a solvent.
Blowing all the lines out would actually make it harder to start, as the system would be totally dry. But, that can dealt with.
If the controller is bad, and the glow plugs are all burned, you may want to consider converting to a manual GP control. There's many threads regarding this type of conversion in the IDI diesel section of this forum. The main highlights are, unplug the wires at the controller, and wire a switch to a keyed hot, then attach to the relay on the drivers side fender where the purple wire currently attaches. Power the GP's for ~10 seconds, and crank it over.
Also, it is strongly advised to avoid all aftermarket brand glow plugs, use only the factory spec Motorcraft/BERU plugs for your year model. The Autolite/AC/Champion plugs are junk, and will burn out soon.

Once the glow plugs are functional, replace the fuel filter, prefilled with fresh fuel. Depending on how much fuel is in the tank(s), you may want to drain and refill with fresh fuel. Also inspect all rubber fuel lines, replace any that are questionable, including the return hoses on the injectors.
If the lift pump on the block is questionable (after 5 years, it would certainly be questionable to me), you could bypass it and use an electric pump to supply fuel flow to the injection pump. This will also help to ensure that any air in the fuel system is removed, making it easier to start. This would be particularly helpful if you do remove and blow air thru the injector lines, as well as insure that the supply lines are not plugged or allowing air into the system. I'd recommend running the electric pump with the supply line at the filter housing disconnected, to remove any old fuel/contaminates from the line, then hook it back up.
Those items, along with good batteries and a good starter, should bring it back to life.
Of course, an oil/filter change wouldn't be a bad idea, though you may want to fire it up first. Also a close inspection of the cooling system, with any replacements needed, is highly advisable.

 

Diesel is more like a oil and doesn't go bad like gasoline. It can get bacteria growing in it, but that's only if it's contaminated from a previous fill-up.

 

thanks guys I was thinking about putting a manul glow plugs on it. I will check out posts for that as for the electric pump any specific model? I was planning to change the oil and filters before rrying to start and thats good to know about the motorcraft glow plugs was wondering about that
keith

 

I don't have a specific brand pump to recommend. Just avoid "Made in China".
The pump only needs to supply 5-7 PSI with a decent flow rate. The lift pump on the block works much like the old manual fuel pumps on carbed engines. They can cause air to enter the fuel system, or fuel to enter the oil, when they get old. Neither is a good thing.....
If you go to an electric pump, make sure the manual lift pump is bypassed.

 

I think I'd wait until July... It's 26 degrees outside and I'm not in the mountains! If youve got a space heater you could try to warm things up a little.

 

I definatly am going to wait until the weather is better i'm in the moutains of west virginia and its 17 here tonight but I want to start collecting parts and getting an idea of what I need to do and kinda getting excited again to hear the 6.9 roar
keith