Tips for starting a low compression diesel

[Stocker Steve]

I have a 6.9 liter Ford I only use for summer farm projects. It is an old truck with a lot of blow by. It was starting fine when I parked it last year but it will not catch this year. Smokes a bit with one shot of ether...

Any tips to get it going for another year?

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Give it two shots of ether.

 

[tom4018]

Make sure it is cranking fast.

 

[Smith1000]

Can you pull start it using a tractor? Put it in high gear and pull it very slow at first. Careful with starting fluid. We ruined a head gasket starting an old diesel with starting fluid. Hopefully, the injection pump is not frozen up. If it smokes when pulling, it should start. One year, we busted off a pump pulling and old diesel to start it. Guy at the pump shop said to add automatic transmission fluid to the diesel to keep the pump lubed. Also, on a warm day in the winter, start it and run it a bit. It ran close to $700 to rebuild the old pump.

 

[cfpinz]

The lift pumps on the side of the timing cover on those things go out like crazy, don't know how many of them I've turned in under "Lifetime Warranty" claims. It helps when you have 4 trucks with the same motor, "Don't know why this one keeps going bad..."

Other than that, I'd open the bleeder screws on the pump and crack each injector til I got fuel. If no fuel is present you may wish to change the spin-on filter. A 6.9 is pretty tough, if it's getting fuel and at the right time, it's going to start.

 

[talldog]

I put 411K on a '84 6.9 ---- 1 lift pump, 1 set of brakes, 1 rotary pump. One of the best trucks I've owned !!!!!!!

 

[Stocker Steve]

Cracked a couple injectors and there was fuel there.
Strapped her up to a tractor to pull er up to a higher rpm.
She was blowing big smoke rings going down the drive...
Shifted into 7th at the mail box and she caught. Probably sealed the cylinders with fuel for a start. Obviously very low compression and must have gotten dried out while sitting over the winter.

Any tips on viscosity additives or heavy oil to get a few more miles out of her?

 

[grannysoo]

Any tips on viscosity additives or heavy oil to get a few more miles out of her?

Years ago, we would use 70 weight motor oil along with a few cans of stp oil treatment. It would normally give a few more miles.

 

[alacattleman]

hate using ether unless its a have to case , ive always just put just a few drops of gas in the breather, enough too fire it off, and not lock it down.

 

[okbob]

our shop uses WD40 for diesel engines that are not turbo charged yours probablly is but it is still a much safer product to use than starting fluid

 

[Stocker Steve]

our shop uses WD40 for diesel engines that are not turbo charged yours probablly is but it is still a much safer product to use than starting fluid

WD40 burns for fuel, or are you trying to to build compression?

 

[novaman]

I know nothing about a 6.9 much less Fords but do they have glow plugs? I know a friend had a Ford diesel and had a lot of glow plugs burn out on him. Maybe if all the glow plugs were working you could get him going a little easier?

 

[hillrancher]

Check to see if you have 12v on the relay on the injector pump to open your fuel shutoff. If so pull it to get it started. With starting fluid you may bend a rod or crack a head.