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truck suddenly wont start. HELP !

J.Peart

J.Peart

Active Member
Messages
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Location
Kelowna, bc, canada
So i just about an hour ago i went out to get a late lunch at the truck wouldnt start. cranked over just fine, wait to start light came on for the normal time ( i could hear the relay click as well), white smoke out the tail pipe. i have fuel, and there was no air restriction.

It started up perfectly this morning when it was much colder and when i stopped to get breakfast it started fine warmed up as well.

I'm at a loss. Any ideas?
 
ip is cold. it was parked at 8:30 and i tried to start it at 1:40.

i say this cause thats a trick for a dying ip with hot start issues right?
 
DieselCash said:
Yes it is.
Click to expand...

I thought so.

Could be air in the lines i suppose but even when i've run out of fuel i've never had this much problem with air in the system. I'm going to have it towed home tonight and I will see about changing all the return lines an o-rings (i have them sitting around already).

Could it be an IP problem? something break internally? I know where i can get a used one of a 1990 auto cheap if need be.
 
glows are about a year old bosch duratherms. i'll probably pull them and check them too. seemed normal though..

It didnt even cough or try to fire at all though. just smooth cranking with white smoke out the tailpipe.

its 3C and sunny out right now. i would think it would at least try to fire even if the glows died completely this morning right? My 87 6.2 would fire up colder than this with 7 of 8 glows dead (not easily mind you, there was alot of cranking, stumbling and smoke).
 
ak diesel driver said:
try starting it with wd40 if it fires then for sure it's fuel
Click to expand...

i tried. but apparently they changed the formula so it wont work for that anymore? at least thats what i read. and it seems to be true. not even a cough.

just eating then im going to go out and see take a look before it gets to dark and cold.
 
I hear alot of guys are doing that conversion now. They want the reliability of a DS4:hand: NOT!
 
ak diesel driver said:
try starting it with wd40 if it fires then for sure it's fuel
Click to expand...

Back when these trucks were still under factory warranty and I worked at the Ford dealer, we would start them on WD-40 and drive them in the shop on it. The engine was almost impossible to start with bad glow plugs, I work on a fleet of commercial vehicles now and it only take two or three glow plugs to keep one from starting and that in Dallas, Texas (proper). If they have a problem Monday mornings require either. Before you blast me for this if you have the driver crank the engine while you spray it in the intake in very small amounts it works (I have not had one blow up yet).

My point to all this is, you will find any starting aid will work better if the engine is cranking while you spray it in the intake. If WD-40 will not work, find some other type of FLAMMABLE penatrating oil and spray that down the intake.
 
it lives.

After replacing all the return lines and fixing a couples loose fittings i got it bled and 1 cycle of the glows and vrrooom.

The old lines were almost like plastic they were so hard.

Go to say i don't like the injector return fittings. the collars with the o-rings are a pain. Even with genuine international o-rings i think some of the collars are seeping. could be left over from the bleeding process though. in any case it runs have to see tomorrow if everything is air tight.
 
The old 7.3 idi is as reliable as an anvil. Check all the return lines and all the flex lines in the system. Old cracked fuel line can let air in. Those are great old trucks, just probably due a little TLC.
 
Guster said:
The old 7.3 idi is as reliable as an anvil. Check all the return lines and all the flex lines in the system. Old cracked fuel line can let air in. Those are great old trucks, just probably due a little TLC.
Click to expand...

Yeah, all the return lines were probably original and i replaced them all already. I did get it running, but it still doesn't appear air tight. I'll mess around with the collars and o-rings again later. The important thing is it runs.
 
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