I was getting injector contribution codes and the X was running terrible. So I got rebuilt injectors, sent the FICM to Ed and while I was down I replaced the injector harness.

Got it all put back together and tried to crank it. Seemed like it took forever but finally cranked. It ran for a minute or two at high idle and then shut down. Checked under the hood and found the back FICM plug loose and the #8 injector unplugged. I guess that happened while bolting up the FICM.When I tried to restart it, it turned over short while. Then after a short starter cooling period it would not turn over at all. Sounded like the starter was engaging but could not turn the engine. For lack of a better description a hard metallic clunk.

First thought was broken injector tip or pinched o ring causing a flooded cylinder. The codes were P0672, 0674, 9676. 0677, 0678. glow plugs 2,4,6,7 and 8. I started pulling glow plugs.

Decided to see if the engine was in fact locked. It was not. I could turn it with a ratchet on the harmonic balancer/ lower pulley.

Changed course and pulled the starter and took it to the rebuilder. He replaced the armature and drive gear. Put the starter back in and still had the same problem. I proceeded to bump the starter repeatedly, the engine started turning, then quit and back to the same issues.

Does anyone have any suggestions? If it were hydrolocked I would not be able to turn it over by hand , would I? Help please!! Thank you for reading.

 

Well it might be Hydrolocking hard to say

But if any Liquid in cylinder it will lock my only thought is The Liquid could have bleed enough by the Piston rings in time it took to get a ratchet and turn crank by hand

I would pull ALL Glow Plugs and hit the starter

But BE VERY VERY Careful cuz if there any Liquid Coolant/Fuel in cylinder its going to come out the GlowPlug hole with Great Force

so Dont look in there few first couple cranks untill you see where it coming from

 

After all the cranking, could the starter be bad?

 

Thanks for the replies. I will pull the glow plugs and give it a spin.

BTW, I checked tbe batteries and each had 12+ VDC and 12+ VDC at the starter. I am using a good charger for boost when I try cranking. I plugged in the engine heater before I quit last night as well.

As for the starter, the fellow that rebuilt it has been in business for many years, has a great reputation and has done several for me the past. He did a bench test and it worked. All that being said, mistakes happen to the best sometimes. If it does not turn it without glowplugs I will pull it again.

I will keep you informed as I continue to test everything.

 

I should not have changed course. I guess I will never learn. By second guessing, I cost myself another day of downtime.

This morning I removed the starter, took it back to the rebuilder, 30 miles away.He has only been in the auto electric business 46 years(he's 65 years young) and I ask him to test it again. He took me back to the bench and let me see that there was nothing wrong with the starter. He took a brand new one out of the box, it worked just like the rebuilt one.

After voting I came home, pulled all eight glow plugs, remounted the starter and hooked up the batteries. When I hit the switch fuel flew all over the place from # 4 cylinder.

After all that. I just shut everything down and came in to share my findings. Tommorow I will pull the valve cover and let you know how it goes.

Thanks for reading. I tried to rep you both but I'm still in rep purgotory or whatever( You know can't rep the people that really help you until you rep some others}.