Hart Starting (not cold weather realted)

[Kalashnikov]

Hard Starting (not cold weather related)

So, after I got my truck out of the samp, it sat for about a week in my front yard. I went to start it and it just kept cranking and cranking to the point of the batteries dying.
The next day or so after I charged the batteries I tried again. It took a LONG time cranking (minutes) before it started but it still ran awesome when it did. It seems to be every other time or so when I go to start it it won't start at all, just keeps cranking. I'm not sure what it could be. And when it does start, it revs pretty **** high even with my foot off the pedal, almost as if it's dumping fuel into the cylinders. There IS a little smoke coming out of the stack when I'm cranking.

-The filters were changed a few hundred miles ago
-Air filter is fine
-Even with a jump from my truck, the cranking didn't change. It cranks around 2-250 rpms.
-If I try to prime it, fuel comes out
-smoke out stack when cranking


Now, If I use ether it start's right up with some pedal pushing like it use to, however it seems to want to die if I don't keep my foot on the pedal a bit. If I push it to the floor it'll only rev up to about 1500 for about the first 20 secs.

I'm going to clean all the battery terminals just incase. It seems like it'd either be a compression issue or a power issue. I doubt it's compression since it runs fine when it starts. But I don't see why my truck didn't make a difference jumping it which would make me thing it's not the battery terminals.

 

[ODdave]

dumb question but is it leaking fuel where the lines are clamped to the engine block on the lower left side?

 

[Kalashnikov]

I'll check there but I don't believe so. I pressure washed the engine before I had gone offroad to check for leaks and everything was fine. I did just find that the flame heater is leaking a bit. I let the truck run for a while and saw the pumpkin was wet on top and it was the flame heater. I'll tighten the fittings and see if that helps. I know the filter from the flame heater leaks but it never affected the starting.

From what I've been reading, it sounds like like a properly running/functioning deuce should start fine in single digits without the use of the heater? Maybe I'm better off removing it?

 

[Josh]

My truck does the exact same thing except I dont have a flame heater.

 

[digitaldust]

check for dripping from the front bumper area , if no leaking seen . check pickup tube in tank for
dry rot , does the truck start nice with a full tank ? if so time to R/R the intank pumps rubber tube
um how are the filters ? have you checked for water ?

 

[m-35tom]

a 'loose' fitting can leak air and let fuel run back to tank, and do this without leaking fuel. have you replaced all the nylon fuel lines? this is highly reccomended as they are old and brittle and you will solve leaking issue at same time.

does it start right up if you shut it off, wait 30 seconds and try to start it??

have you checked to see that the fuel rate control is free with no sticking??
from what you say about it reving up on its own, that is a likely item.

does it start right up with a little ether when it other wise won't start?
this is a sign of a worn out HH


tom

 

[glcaines]

Don't keep cranking on the starter when it won't start - all it will do is wear out your starter. Also, ether is for cold weather. Ether injection is not good for the IP and should only be used in very cold weather. Deuces are notoriously easy to start when everything is OK.

Check and make sure you can hear fuel returning to the tank from the in-tank pump with the switch on, engine not running. If you don't, check the in-tank pump and input. Also, just because you replaced the fuel filters recently, doesn't mean they are not clogged. Did you clean out the fuel tank. Mine had major crud in it. As long as the starter is turning the engine over, the battery is not the problem.

 

[Capt.Marion]

Have you read through the troubleshooting manual? It's actually one of the more helpful manuals. It's in the TM section.
TM9-2320-209-20-2-2 is Org Level

Direct and General Support level Engine-specific Troubleshooting is TM9-2815-210-34-1

 

[hoop]

Hart Starting = Hart Attack

 

[ODdave]

"Ether injection is not good for the IP"..........elaborate please?

 

[glcaines]

If ether is directly injected into the IP, there is no lubrication. Diesel fuel acts as a lubricant for the IP. If starting fluid (ether) is sprayed into the intake, there is no problem.

 

[Kalashnikov]

check for dripping from the front bumper area , if no leaking seen . check pickup tube in tank for
dry rot , does the truck start nice with a full tank ? if so time to R/R the intank pumps rubber tube
um how are the filters ? have you checked for water ?

Empty or full tank doesn't chnage anything. Filters are fine, no water.

a 'loose' fitting can leak air and let fuel run back to tank, and do this without leaking fuel. have you replaced all the nylon fuel lines? this is highly reccomended as they are old and brittle and you will solve leaking issue at same time.

does it start right up if you shut it off, wait 30 seconds and try to start it??

have you checked to see that the fuel rate control is free with no sticking??
from what you say about it reving up on its own, that is a likely item.

does it start right up with a little ether when it other wise won't start?
this is a sign of a worn out HH


tom

It always starts fine after that first time. I'll have to check up more on the fuel rate control.

Don't keep cranking on the starter when it won't start - all it will do is wear out your starter. Also, ether is for cold weather. Ether injection is not good for the IP and should only be used in very cold weather. Deuces are notoriously easy to start when everything is OK.

Check and make sure you can hear fuel returning to the tank from the in-tank pump with the switch on, engine not running. If you don't, check the in-tank pump and input. Also, just because you replaced the fuel filters recently, doesn't mean they are not clogged. Did you clean out the fuel tank. Mine had major crud in it. As long as the starter is turning the engine over, the battery is not the problem.

Ether (starting fluid) is going rate into the intake, not through the fuel lines.

The tank is full so I couldn't tell if it was returning but almost positive it is since otherwise the fuel would flow like crap (re: WMO).

And the fuel filters are fine because it runs great once it's started.

Have you read through the troubleshooting manual? It's actually one of the more helpful manuals. It's in the TM section.
TM9-2320-209-20-2-2 is Org Level

Direct and General Support level Engine-specific Troubleshooting is TM9-2815-210-34-1

I'll have to read it, thanks.

Hart Starting = Hart Attack

Oops! And weather realted...Could a mod change that for me please?

 

[bguy193]

My truck was leaking fuel from the flame heater nozzle and made it hard to start. It was leaking at the back of the nozzle assembly. After sitting for a while a small pocket of air would form in the return line. I disconnected the nozzle and capped off the lines and it starts fine now. (I need to replace the o-rings inside the nozzle but haven't gotten to it yet.)....... After that episode I realized that it doesn't take much air in the fuel lines to cause long cranking starts. In my opinion, if it starts with ether but you have to give it throttle for a bit to keep it running..... its probably a fuel issue. Good luck and happy trucking.

 

[ODdave]

If ether is directly injected into the IP, there is no lubrication. Diesel fuel acts as a lubricant for the IP. If starting fluid (ether) is sprayed into the intake, there is no problem.

I have never seen or heard of either injected into the IP, This is possible?

 

[tiger422]

I have never seen or heard of either injected into the IP, This is possible?

I don't think so, normaly injected into intake.