OK 1992 IDI off course. I am having trouble getting my truck to start even when warm. Use ether to start it just about every time very short shot actually use a spray bottle with gas and air compressor oil mixed. I have a new glow plug controller installed, and i ran the ground into the truck so i can shut them off when i use ether. Every once and i while i cycle my glow plugs and try it without ether. But even when the truck is warm it won't start without a little shot of gas or ether. Thinking i have a compression issue because of really hard starting one year in -20 degree weather. Wondering what you guys are thinking. I know how to test all of my electronics, some people where saying they rebuild the wiring harness and it somehow fixes the problem. I would point fingers and the glow plugs ip and injectors but all have been replaced with new ones. The only thing in between is the lines maybe they are clogged. I also replace the return lines when i replaced the injectors. What do you all think?

 

Next thing I'd check are batteries (fully charged?) and starter motor. Both will cause the diesel to spin too slowly for a rapid start. Check the condition of your battery cables; high resistance connections/cables will cause the starter to spin slower than design. Just my thoughts.

 

I think you are correct about it being a compression issue, not low compression, but rather high compression. The compression is reducing the starter's ability to spin the engine fast enough for heat generation/detonation. It's a diesel thing.

 

I just off a guess would suspect a bad IP, or really off timing. The engine would have to be in pretty rough shape for it to not start due to lack of compression.

 

A bad IP would manifest in a bad running/non-running truck. He's using a high volatile fuel to get it started, then it runs okay? It won't start after being warmed up. Usually a bad IP will allow a truck to start but not stay running. From his description, this is not the case. Unless you did something the change the timing it usually won't cause a starting problem.

How long after shut-down does it become difficult to start? One minute or one hour? Could be air intrusion...but I'd look at the starter system first; it's easy and cheap to rule it out before you move on to more difficult/costly trouble shooting.

Just my thoughts.

 

From my experiences, i have had it happen the other way around. IE: air intrusion it will fire up then die, but with a bad head / rotor it just wont start without help period, this is more common when warm.

Next time its warmed up and wont start, try pouring some luke warm water over the IP and see if it affects how cranks/ starts

Do you get any smoke while youre cranking?

 

I have manual glow plugs. On a 60* degree day my engine can sit 2-3 hrs. and start in less than one revolution without the plugs. I'll have to agree with hairyboxnoogle. Its not getting fuel because the IP is heat soaked. When you spray ether you adding fuel. Try the room temp water on the IP next time. Look for some vids of IDI's starting and get a feel for how fast they should turn over.

 

Ok guys, here is what is going on, if it was a weak ip pump then the new one and injectors went bad shortly after i installed them highly unlikely i got the pump from the guys down in florida that have a great rep for stanadyne pumps. I do think the starter spnns over slower than it has before, and thinking back i had a issue with a the battery cable and did some work on it, The starter is fairly new as well, thinking about changing it out for a higher grade thought this one was but may not be. It is a mitsubishi starter. Started her up yesterday and drove her into town about 6 miles. Let it sit for some time before pulling into garage to work on fuel fill pipes horrible stuff, but aluminum tape and jb weld work great with a good coating of truck bed coating. So i jump in let the glow plugs go and then cranked on her, after about 15-20 secs of cranking it fired up. So that leads me to conclude the compression is no low, but like you said to high and batter cable may be low. Battery fluid level is good, and the voltage is about 13.2 perfect from what i know as a electronics technician. One of my ground cable could use replacing and the rest of them i may replace because they are old and the coatings could be bad in some areas and copper cabling does get weak and crack inside dry wire coating. I think we have all seen that in old classics. So i am going to make me a half moon wrench and retard the timing a little i think that should make it easier to start. I snugged the glow plugs though i torqued them when i installed them but a few felt weak so i cranked on them pretty good. The ip pump is also turned up 3.5 flats. When i crank on it when it is cold after using glow plugs i get white smoke so that means it is burning lean or not burning the fuel. I do have a bad o ring on the return line on the injectors but that doesn't affect running, should affect starting either. I have had this trouble for a long while and to think back i feel it is a good idea to start with batter cables and timing. The truck is 21 years old. I am open to any other suggestions, and if the cable and timing doesn't fix it then i will probably look at the ip again. I will also take a video as soon as i figure it out. Thanks guys your a great help. Work on lots of cars always has to be one that stumps you if you aren't constantly working on it.

 

Now that i am on thinking about this i feel like an idiot. I have been in hawaii for 2 years and am home for vacation, have to call it that but wanted to see fam. Fixed multiple vehicles wiring out there on older vehicles rewired part of an old 72 plymouth fury 3. I need to check my battery connection all of and make sure that my distribution block is set up right and make sure my glow plugs are getting enough amperage to them if the terminal is corroded or weak it will still show the light and relay has a time delay but the plugs may not be getting hot enough, i am feeling this is an electircal issue because i also had troulbe with keeping batteries charged just before i moved out to hawaii. Thanks for the jump start guys. sucks the battery cables are about 128 a piece from car quest.

 

Buy yourself some dielectric grease at the autoparts store. Apply it to every connection you work on...inside and out. It will displace water and prevent corrosion. Check each connection/repair/replace as necessary.

I was stationed in Hawaii from 1989-1993 and I loved it. I rode junk boats (USS RECLAIMER & USS SAFEGUARD) out of Alfa Docks on Hickham AFB.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

White smoke + leaky o-ring on return line absolutely screams air intrusion to me.. worst case scenario, might be worth picking up a set of viton o-rings. 99% of the time air intrustion problems are not a problem at all once you get it running. They are usually a problem after the vehicle has sat, sometimes for minutes sometimes for hours, depends on the leak. O-rings are cheap, and if you want verifacation before you replace them, pick up some clear rubber line and run it from the FF head to the IP and look for bubbles. This is what we ended up doing on my dads, and sure enough within 10-15 seconds we had tiny air bubbles, which is apparently enough to cause a no start.. EXACTLY how you describe, GPs work.. crank crank crank and fires up. usually 20-30 seconds of cranking depending on how long it sat.

 

What kind of glowplugs did you put in it? I'd be tempted to check them again, some makes don't last long. (As in a few starts and some of them are toast.)

 

Yeah i enjoy hawaii a lot just moved out into town, neighbor does a lot with the pau'u parades and so we help with the horses and handling plus helping build up the massive ranch *2 acres* LOL. I am going to run electrical troubleshooting on the glow plug contoller tonight, had two pin holes on the return line on my sending unit on the front tank. I am learning to love jb weld globbing it on and then using alluminum tape to evenly disperse the jb weld onto the tube. Fixed the leak like new, plus it squished out into the indentaion in where the tube comes out of the sending(pickup) unit for the fuel. Truck started good on a very short shot of ether when it was 55 degrees this morning. The o-rings i went to see if napa had them and no joy, they had to get the kit from the warehouse i would prefer to just replace the o-rings since i just did the full kit 2 years ago. The glow plugs there i put in where autolites if i remember right didn't really have any other choice. I went by mid-state international to see if they had some, he said he usually carried them but doesn't anymore since it is a ford part number. Tech heard me talking about glow plugs and i said that i hated autolite champion and bosch because the parts guy mentioned something about them and i said no thanks they are shi*. The tech comfirmed that as well he said they do not heat up as well and they get carbon build up bad. Said it would take a few days to get them. I don't know still wondering about getting delphi glowplugs there other products are good. And as far as it starting after driving it around from place to place let it run at the first two and then i shut it down when i found the leak in the return line. Truck fired right up like normal when it is warm without glow plugs. So i will let you guys know what i find so that other people can benefit from it as well. the clear lines i have thinking about doing great idea, if the o-ring doesn't do it, and i find everything else checks out i will do that. Aside from working on that and waiting on parts and trying to be patient and not force things, i ripped out the bench seat today and the carpet the moldings and am cleaning everything up suprising how dirty it is. Found a aluminum can sized hole in my drives side floorboard Best thing in my opininon. So finding a temp fix for the next 2 weeks of driving then will order some from lmc truck when i get moved so i can use the beast again.

 

So news on the truck, found two lines that are leaking, tightened one injector was fearful about the flare and ripping it off from tightening to tight, have had that issue on brake lines anyone else? Pick up a of standard and metric o-rings to change out my other return line that is leaking crazy because they are only 1.5 years old. going to change out the o-rings tomorrow also picked up a clear line to check for bubbles afterward, had o-reillys order me motorcraft zd9 glow plugs as well. Going to pick up a no rust cab for $200 super excited about that. Cannot wait to do the frame off restoration when i get out of the navy. Thanks for all the assistants guys this has been a pain in my ***.

 

Fixed air intrusion issues. Picked up zd9 glow plugs to put in. Talked to neighbor who is a ford mechanic and he verified my thoughts on my timing. Truck with glow plugs will crank sputter but not start fully. Timing is about a half inch advanced which we will fix once I get my half moon wrenches and obstruction wrenches in. I will try to post a picture if it.