Well I usually do everything I can to try and figure out a problem with my truck before I post but this time I have run out of ideas.
The last couple of months my truck has gotten harder to start after is has been driven or when it gets hot. My first thought was that it was the glow plug relay since it didn't seem to go through the normal "clicking" when hot or even warm. I changed it out without any improvement. What is more odd is that the truck will not start if it has been sitting for and hour or more. It won't start unless the engine has cooled down and even then, it doesn't start easily. The other day (in the 80s) I had run it for a long time stopped at the hardware and it would not start back up. I had to leave it there for a couple of hours. When I went back, it started, again, but not easily. In the past month or so, I have changed the glow plug controller (twice actually as I thought the aftermarket one might be insufficient and I had a good used Motorcraft spare), the glow plugs because they had 100,000 miles on them (Motorcraft), the batteries, replaced the terminals on the wire going from the starter solenoid to the glow plug rely and the starter solenoid. I also checked the connectors as described in the glow plug thread and they are fine.
I am suspect of the starter as it too has about 90,000 on it and I am thinking it may be weak. Being that it seems to be a heat related problem I also am wondering about the wirning harness.
As you can tell, I am no professional mechanic but have done a lot of work on this truck to keep from having to pay shop prices. This truck just turned 302,000 miles and is a daily driver. My round trip commute is about 62 miles.
I hope you guys can help.
Billy

 

Billy,when the engine is fully warm,up to operating temps,you don't even need glow plugs working.she'll fire right up without waiting for the gp's.
what happens over time,is something (i always forget what the part is called) in the ip ware's out and can cause a hard/no start condition until it cools off.
some test this,by pouring a bit of luke warm water over the ip to see if she starts right up.if it does,then a new ip is in order.

 

i would also pull the starter and have it checked at a local parts store

i changed mine out recently for the same thing along with the battery cable, and it made a world of difference when i changed both of them

 

Thank you both for your replys. Not looking forward to having to purchase a ip if that is what it is but sure want this truck to start right again. Any tips on a pump vendor and install proceedure? This one will be a new one on me.
Still think the starter needs to be replaced too, especially after all the hard starting recently.
Billy

 

Glad I did the starter first. That took care of the problem. Now it starts so fast, hot or cold, you can hardly let go of the key fast enough. Amazing the difference in how fast it spins compared to the old one and, that I didn't recognize it sooner.
Great site, thanks for the help.
Billy

 

my truck is whining a lot to start when hot... i never thought it could be the starter because the starts cranks... i noticed your truck has like 300k miles... mine has 175k... what was the mileage in your truck when you first had to replace the injection pump?
rod