hey everyone! i’ve got an ‘84 F-250 that i’ve been rebuilding and restoring for the past year. i had it running for a week and a half before it suddenly stopped starting and only cranked. i ended up parking it to do all my chassis/suspension and steering modifications until i could figure out how to fix the starting issue. i was told the fuel filter was cracked, and replaced the boat fuel filter it had, (the three piece plastic napa fuel filter people put on 6.9/7.3’s) for an oem 7.3 fuel filter mount and Wix filter. i made my own schrader valve, with new inlet and outlets for the fuel lines, so i could re-seal everything off and prime the new fuel filter.
i filled the filter up with atf yesterday, and after the screwdriver didn’t crank the starter solenoid had my mom manually crank the engine by key, while i held the valve open. atf spat and coughed out, and then came out in steady streams, but the engine did not turn over.
and the injector pump (which i’ve known had a slight oil leak for some time) had 2 puddles of oil from it on the ground.
this is my first diesel engine i’ve ever done anything with (including drive), so while i’ve learned a lot about how they work from this truck, i’m not in a position where i can start tearing into stuff like a gasser.
i know diesels need big cranking power from their batteries, and i have added aftermarket led headlights, a 20” light bar on the back of the roof, lighting up the bed/behind the truck, and a 52” light bar for the front. the front light bar currently does not work, i was told it didn’t need a relay when it definitely does because it immediately popped it’s fuse. the rear light bar came with its original harness and works with no issues.

there’s three possible reasons i think it didn’t work, which are: there’s more air in the lines than i realized and i have to just keep trying it a little bit more, OR, i did something wrong with my fuel line connections, maybe put the schrader valve on the wrong port? (idk if that would even matter or not tho), OR, something else is bad/broken. i.e., the injector pump leaking oil after i tried cranking it meaning a bad injector pump, or the new light bars and headlights maybe messed with the batteries (even tho no electrical was on), my starter could be bad from trying to crank, i know diesels will just blow through starters when something’s wrong, or it’s something else entirely.

i did notice my glow plug light didn’t turn on, which is weird. i had a professional mechanic wire the glow plug relay to a manual switch inside the dash, and it USED to turn red when the switch was on, and it’d turn off when i turned the switch off. so maybe it could be another issue with the glow plugs or something?

im not sure. it’s all kind of crazy and weird to me, and unfortunately i don’t know what to look for to see if something is bad or not, since most of these parts it’s my first time seeing them anyway.
if anyone’s got ideas, please help a homie out!! thank you!!!

 

Check voltage to the FSS (fuel shutoff solenoid) which is on the top of the injection pump. Should have power when the key is on, and if you pull the wire off and put it back on you should hear it click (with key on).
What fuse popped with the light bar? If it came with a fuse and popped it, something isn't right. Definitely should have a relay for that, relays never hurt as they lessen the current running through the switch which makes the switches last longer, and you don't need as thick of a wire going to the switch. There were less fuses and more fusable links with the older trucks, perhaps you blew something else and that is affecting the starting.

You need to look at the glow plug issue. If they aren't working, its unlikely you'll get the engine to fire.
Keep the batteries charged up, they go flat pretty quick when you have a starting issue. Get them on a charger if you haven't already. I think Tom (tjctransport) has a sticky with videos of what a good starter with strong batteries sounds like compared to a worn out starter.

Where is the injection pump leaking from? A little confused by what you mean about 2 puddles on the ground... The pump is on the top of the engine so would leak up there, which may eventually get to the ground.

 

my 94 has a jumbo fuse on the driver's fender,

I accidently shorted my glow plug wires while addressing another issue, put it all back together and it only cranked, no start, ( it also controls the FSS )

checked that fuse, it was blown, replaced and started just fine,

 

the fuse that popped on the light bar was an inline fuse i wired in to protect the bar from overloading. (should’ve just wired the relay in anyway but i’ve since learned the lightbar didn’t affect anything.)

i just replaced my neutral safety switch today, i’d lost all crank from the key with my buddy in our failed attempt to bleed the injector lines. also found out both batteries were dead. (ironically trying to start a different Ford &#128514

im gonna charge both batteries up to 100% again before trying to bleed the injector lines, but i will check the fuel solenoid shutoff!! i had no idea that existed, thank you!
and the injector pump so far looks like it’s leaking right out of the front of it, on the tip top of the water pump, running down that seal, and then dripping onto the ground underneath the engine. some light online searching said the injector pump leaking could be letting air into the fuel lines, or could be a divider thingy that’s been messed up and no longer held in its proper place, but i haven’t taken the pump off to see what it’s doing exactly yet