Well, I just got my new 1000cca batteries in and got the block all warmed up (plugged in for a few hours). I went to crank the engine and it spun over for about 7 or 8 seconds and slowly stopped. I can't get it to spin any more. I can just hear the relay click. I tried to roll it over by hand by using the damper bolt but it seems really stiff. I'm new to these engines and don't know how hard they should roll over. Any thoughts?

 

were the batteries charged before you put them in??

 

I checked them and they had 12 volts. Does any one know how hard these engines are to roll over by hand? Thanks.

 

420 cubic inch motor with 21.5 to 1 compression ratio.

They are a bit hard to roll over by hand.

You may have a problem with the positive battery clamp on the passenger side battery.
Mine was all corroded inside the clamp and acted a lot like that. Looked great on the outside, but when I cut it open I do not know how it ever started for the last 2 years.

Indication of this problem is the clamp gets real warm when you crank the engine.

All battery power to everything goes through this clamp.

 

The battery cable on the passenger side was in terrible shape on both sides of the battery terminal. I've repaired it and am hoefully going to install it tonight. I've also been pricing starters, just in case. I found a lifetime Duralast starter at Autozone for $130.

 

I ended up having to replace the starter. Cranks over really good now. How long at a time should I crank the engine? I was cranking for about 10-15 seconds and letting it rest for about 2 minutes and the starter was still getting very hot.

I know the glow plugs are bad (I kind of want to get the truck started before I buy them, if it will) but I had the truck plugged in for 24 hours before I started cranking. The temperature here was in the mid 30's today. While I was cranking I was getting smoke out the exhaust pipe. It did not start up though. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to check or to replace?

 

Is the block heater actually working?
You should be able to hear it with you ear down by the passenger side front wheel well.
The glow plugs need to be tested to see how many are bad.
Remove the glow plug connector and using an automotive test light with the ground clip on the positive battery terminal touch the testor to the glow plug terminal.
If the light lights the glow plug should be OK, if it does not light the glow plug is bad.
Replace them only with Motorcraft/Beru ZD 1A glow plugs.
Autozone has them for 9.99 plus tax each.

The starter crank cycle you are using is OK.
The fact you are getting smoke says it is close to starting.

 

The block heater (mounted by the starter in a soft plug port) should sound like a hot poker in water when you first plug it in. It takes about 2 hours to heat the water to lift off temp. The longer the better, all nite wont hurt. IF you use a battery charger, use the pass batter only or two separate chargers. good luck and let us know how ya make out.

 

Well, before I got to trying to start this evening I wanted to check my mechanical lift pump. I didn't have a guage handy so I took the line loose that goes from the pump up to the filter head and cranked the engine over. I got a good stream of fuel coming out of the line. Is this a sufficient enough test to prove the lift pump is OK? After I reconnected the line I sprayed a little starting fluid into the intake and started to crank the engine. It stumbled around on the starting fluid and then tapered off. I then depressed the valve on the filter head and it sounded like air was being sucked into the valve. After that I blocked off the return line from injector number 1 to the filter head. I again sprayed some starting fluid in the intake and it stumbled around and it was acting like it wanted to start. I had a good bit of smoke coming out of the exhaust. I stopped cranking and depressed the valve on the filter head and got a lot of air out of it. I did this a couple more times and kept getting air out of the valve. The truck was plugged in for a couple of hours before I started to work on it. Does anyone have any suggestions for my next step? I didn't get a chance to check all of the glow plugs but I used an ohmeter on about six of them and four of them read open and two of them read in the megaohm range, so I know they are all pretty much toast.

 

you may still just not have enough fuel in the filter and pump to light it off. it takes a while to fill and fire after an empty filter.

 

This evening I got a chance to work on my truck again. I sprayed a little starting fluid in the intake and got to cranking. The truck acted like it did yesterday. It stumbled around and started making some black smoke out of the exhaust. I depressed the bleeder valve on the filter head and got some bubbles out of it the first time, but after the second cranking interval I got solid fuel out of it. I cranked on it a few more times, until my starter needed a rest, and the truck stumbled around like it wanted to start but never did. I temporarily have the return line from the injector to the filter head blocked off with a pair of vise grips and this really helped when I did that. What else can I do to help the thing fire up????

 

One I think your putting too much starting fluid in.......just a sniff or you will blow it up.

Are you pressing on the fuel pedal all the way or at least 1/2 way........until it lights off.

 

just a thought. when you are trying to start it, you are holding it at wide open throttle, correct???

 

Well guys, I have a bad ending to this story. I've stopped trying to get this engine started. I was cleaning up the shop and was getting ready to throw away the oil filter I took off of this truck a couple of days ago. I had it draining in a pan, so I turned it over just to give it a quick look and I saw the dreaded fine metal particles. Quite a few of them. Oh well, I thought I might be able to get it going easily, but that's how it goes. Needless to say I'm in the market for a good used 6.9 or 7.3. Thanks for all of the responses to my questions. It was well appreciated. I'm sure I will have more questions when I get another engine.