my 1989 f350 with a 6.9 out of a 1986 wouldnt crank over last weekend. I thought maybe the starter had worked loose and was binding up, however everything was in place and tight. so I tried hitting the starter with the hood up and saw the fan try to turn but it looked like the engine was siezed up. when I held the key in the start position I could see the fan slowly turning- so I held it and once it turned maybe 10 degrees it stated cranking normally and started right up. then it ran fine the rest of the day. It did the same thing the next day, and I held the key long enough to get the engine past whatever was holding it back until it started cranking and started. A friend suggsted a timing problem which makes sense.But before I invest effort into this I wanted to asked ask if this has been dealt with before. Thanks

 

never mind I just took it out today and had to turn around, it was overheating. appears I have a head gasket issue or worse

 

How are your batteries and cables? How fast was it cranking before this started?

Any steam out of the exhaust when running? Bubbles in the radiator/overflow tank?

Loosen the belts and see how your water pump feels. If the bearing is seized it could suck some amps with a tired start system first thing in the morning, and allow it to overheat while running.

Troubleshoot the basics first.