I'm fairly new to diesel troubleshooting.
I know the basics, fuel compression/heat and revolutions

Give me a gasser and I can figure out what's wrong. Not so much with this new truck.

It sat for a few years, ran a year or two, then say again.

The rear tank says empty, but I can see diesel in the filler neck?
The front says half full. I replaced the fuel filter, just beig cautious, also my water separator leaks?

New glow plugs, two were swollen and no way I can get them out, I'm not doing all that work on a truck that's needs much more serious things, like brakes and wiring.

I replaced most the fuzes and now only my horn, 4x4 and clock work, along with door jar light.

My ignition switch is messed up, I think, might just be the clutch switch. Since I took it off and mashed it in and the key would start the starter now. How do I remove it?

Replaced the starter and it spins much better now, but the fan doesn't even move when I go to start.

Basically, troubleshoot me on how to get it running?

 

Are you getting any smoke from the tailpipe.while.cranking? The engine is turning over just the fan clut hbis slipping enough for the fan not to spin, I assume.

 

I doubt it, I'll look. It doesn't even try and fire the starter just spins.

 

Does it sound like the engines turning over or just the starter spinning freely? Also a year/engine info would be very helpful..

 

I don't think it's turning over.

It's a 86 f250 6.9 t19 and whatever package had tilt steering wheel

 

Step one, Bypass your factory water separator if you suspect it of leaking. If it leaks any fuel out, then your getting air back into the fuel system which will make for very, very difficult starting. Also, changing your fuel filter will take some time to re prime as well. This may account for the lack of "firing" while cranking...
Any fuel leaks equal air leaking back into the fuel system causing a loss of "prime" which will lead to burning out the starter due to having to "re-prime" the fuel system before it will start and run.

Also, Do Not use "starting fluid" along with the "glow plugs"! **Disable the glow plugs** if you want to try a "little" starting fluid, sparingly to check if the engine will run for a couple seconds off a short burst.
It will sound like Rattling/Knocking mess, if it dose fire up off of the starting fluid, so that's not a fair test of the condition of the motor. Unlike with a gas engine.

With so many other listed problems, how far are you willing to go, just to get the truck running?

YMMV Sean

 

Ill do what I have to, to get it running, I'd rather not start off with a motor tear down tho.

I probably won't use the starter fluid, I'm not a fan of either babies.
How would I go about bypassing it? I want/need a water separator since it has been sitting for so long.

 

Just like a gas powered ford you can jump the solenoid on the passenger fender to crank the engine....

One of the 2 terminals must get 12 volts to let fuel flow through the injection pump and on to the injectors. Disconnecting this wire or a dirty connection at here will cause a crank and no attempt to fire also.

to check for fuel getting to the injectors. loosen one of the fittings on the metal line going into the top of one of the injectors. any one, doesn't matter which one it is. when fuel finally starts spurting from this line it should start and run. even with this line still loose....

YMMV Sean

 

I know the selenium jumping, that's how I've been doing it.

The injectors are just any final resting place for the fuel lines right

 

If the motors not turning over you have a bad starter....

 

Are the belts tuning when you try to start it?

 

Add some Diesel compatible HEET or ISO HEET to remove any water that might be in the tanks already.... Replace it with a newer better sealing version of water seperator.
Search this site and others for plenty of options. Starting fluid will get you by to get it running until you get all the bugs worked out of it. The "Sparing" use will not create a dependant truck unless it is abused and overused. just to get you up and running should be ok. Depending on it's past as well.

I went through these same growing pains, using starting fluid to assist my 86 f350 until i got all my air leaks fixed and updated the glow plug controller and now it cranks reliably off just glow plugs every time. I even installed a circuit breaker so i can dis able the glow plugs and use Ether, safely if I need to.

Search and research the fuel system "air intrusion" and the glow plug system "glow plug controller update".
I rebuilt my glow plug system because my truck wouldn't start when it was cold, but it was a fuel system air intrusion problem the whole time. After tinkering for 2 years i paid a shop $400, Now it cranks and runs like a champ. All the improvements I made finally worked well together!
I searched and couldn't find my air leak and it turned out to be the fuel pump. I had fixed any other air leaks it could've had. that and a new starter "again" and It hits every time now!... I still have to install a water seperator on mine but haven't had any problems without one yet for just occasional use spare vehicle...

I've heard the tank selector valves can cause problems also. I thankful my truck only came with one tank and no selector valve to add to the confusion. I'm sure I could have worked my way through it just the same, just would've added to the learning curve tho.... lol...

YMMV Sean

 

Also, Once you finally get it to crank/spin over. search for a power cord for a block heater and plug it in and shorten your cranking/glow plug warm up time and increase your chances of actually starting, after you get fuel up to the injectors.

Did you pre fill the new fuel filer with fuel or put it on empty?...... Just a thought....

YMMV Sean

Where are you located? Maybe there is someone local that could help you out with an experienced eye...

 

I'm in Beaufort sc.

I haven't noticed a heater cord which I thought was weird.

I filled it with diesel kleen 911. And ATF. Half and half

I will go check and see if the belts move and if there's any smoke, I don't think I saw any tho

 

You definitely have to get this engine cranking over, and fast enough, first and foremost. But in that respect it's basicly just like a gasser, so that should be easy enough.

Block heaters are not as common for us here ion the south. I had to look up from underneath and find the freeze plug that was replaced ad follow the cord from there to figure out where it was stuffed at....

So maybe anyone in the Savannah/Hilton Head/Southern Charleston area reading this Have any ideas?

YMMV Sean