Hi all,
I am in process of trying to start 1988 6.2 diesel that sat for a half a year. I dont really have any history on the motor. Right now it just sits on the frame with nothing hooked up except the injection pump and the switch to crank the motor. Today we spend forever trying to get this thing to start and no luck... It cranks perfectly fine, when I turn the switch to IP I can hear it click, but it just does not seem to get any fuel. We unhooked one of the injectors hoping to see fuel squirting out when cranking bu there was absolutely nothing? If anybody have any tips it would be appreciated. I hope the IP is in working order and if not how can I diagnose it? There is fuel going through the filter as bleeder pumps out fuel. (it has mechanical fuel pump btw). Do I need to hook up anything else electronic wise to fire this thing? Did use glow plugs, but it seems like there is just no fuel...:confused:

There's a few connections on the IP. One is for the housing pressure cold advance solenoid. That one on the "side" of the IP It just bumps the timing for cold idle. That will click if you put power to it.

The other connection(which is somewhat in the middle sticking straight up) is the IP shut off solenoid.

Make sure your getting fuel to the IP as well. Do you have a filter in the fuel system? There's a small screen in the IP inlet but it's supposed to have a filter housing inline with a fuel heater and a water in fuel sensor.

Also do you have a lift pump? Be it the mechanical one on the engine block or an electric one? The IP cannot pull it's own fuel from the tank. Without a transfer pump it won't stay running.

Thanks for such quick reply. Yes, there is a mechanical fuel pump just like a car that pumps the fuel. I am not sure if I am getting fuel to other IP, I suppose I should get one of the see-through filters and watch it. The only thing I have hooked up on the IP is the middle one (Pink wire) so shouldn't it be enough? So if the fuel gets to IP and nothing is coming out of injector lines, then the injector pump is toast pretty much?

Thanks for such quick reply. Yes, there is a mechanical fuel pump just like a car that pumps the fuel. I am not sure if I am getting fuel to other IP, I suppose I should get one of the see-through filters and watch it. The only thing I have hooked up on the IP is the middle one (Pink wire) so shouldn't it be enough? So if the fuel gets to IP and nothing is coming out of injector lines, then the injector pump is toast pretty much?

You've got the correct wire attached. Make sure that wire has power when cranking and when the key is in the run position. If you've got no power when the key is in the "start" position it'll never start.

OK with th emech pump you've got 3/8" fuel line up to the stock filter housing. Out of the filter housing you'll have 1/4" line to the fuel input in the "center" of the hard line cylinder outputs in the injection pump. Make sure your getting fuel that far.

Also you can crack the fuel lines loose and crank with the glowplugs out until you see fuel. That way with the GPs out it'll spin easier and wont' wear the batts down as fast. Once you see fuel, tighten the lines and re-install the glowplugs and it should start.

Make sure that you do use the glowplugs. These engines will not start cold without the glowplugs.

Make sure your glowplugs are indeed good as well. I'd go with the Bosch Duraterm glowplugs(part # 80034) regardless of what's in the motor. The Bosch glowplugs are the best on the market and i'm betting that you've got the old 9G glowplugs which love to swell and burn out, making them very difficult to remove.

How long did you crank it for? the system can take a while to prime. As Iamdave suggests try taking out the glowplugs and cranking to save batteries.

So basically you can pull the glo plugs and turn it over until you see fuel coming from the fuel lines that attach near the IP?
Would filling the fuel filter up help prime the system?

We cranked it for a while, probably like 6 times at about 15 seconds each... What I am going to do tomorrow is take the glow plugs out and pull the IP line from filter and see if there is any fuel coming from the filter. If there is fuel then Ill put the line back on and keep cranking hoping that there will be fuel coming out of injectors. I cracked 1 hard line of the injector and will be watching that. I really really hope my IP is not dead....

it takes a long while.. and you don't really see a spray, more of a slight dripping of fuel from the lines

Sounds like a good idea. keep moving down the line seeing where you get fuel. Do you have a new filter?

it takes a long while.. and you don't really see a spray, more of a slight dripping of fuel from the lines

Thanks, I will look out for that as well. I was thinking it would spray due to pressure. Hopefully I can get it to fire tomorrow. I am new to diesel, actually this is the first one i have ever worked on, so gotta learn everything.

Thanks, I will look out for that as well. I was thinking it would spray due to pressure. Hopefully I can get it to fire tomorrow. I am new to diesel, actually this is the first one i have ever worked on, so gotta learn everything.

It can't build pressure with the line open......

It can't build pressure with the line open......

True, but I thought it would be more noticeable then just a drop.

Nope, not really...

20 mpg, 1800-2000 rpm. thats not much per cylinder per revolution, and its starting at an idle

one thing to take into consideration. When i bought my blazer the fuel filter on it was plugged solid. truck wouldn't start worth a damn.

Changed the filter, and it fired right up after i bled out as much air as i could.