4 Cylinder Mitsubishi diesel won't start.

[bcribb]

I have a Farm Trac 390HST tractor with a 4 Cylinder Mitsubishi engine.. I can't get the engine to start.. Things I have tried are, replacing the fuel line to the tank from the lift pump, blowing the line clear with air from the lift pump to the tank.. Installed a new lift pump.. Checked the fuel shut off solenoid.. Checked the glow plugs.. Checked compression.. Loosened each individual line from the injector pump to bleed air out.. Loosened each individual line to the injectors to bleed air out while cranking engine.. Checked fuel level in tank. Checked for water in fuel.. When I remove the lines from the injector pump and turn the engine I seem to get a good flow. The stream goes up about 6 inches out of each port on the injector pump.. When I hook everything back up and and turn the engine to bleed the air again from each line, when I stop cranking the engine and wait a few minutes I can see air coming from the injector pump supply line at the pump ( clear plastic line) that comes from the lift pump. The supply line from the lift pump has a hose going to a 2 way coupler on the injector pump. From the coupler one line goes to the pump and the other back to the tank. Also on the same line that goes to the tank is a small plastic T that a hose from the injectors taps into. I've read that that line is a return line of some sort from the injectors to keep them cool, .. I sure would like to find a solution to this problem so I can get this tractor going again.. Its been down for 2 weeks and I can't afford to take it to a dealer and plus its a long ride.. Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.. I can get pictures of what I have if needed.. The radiator is off and everything is easy to get to.. Thanks for reading...
Barry

 

[buickanddeere]

No smoke ? Stuck rack in pump?

 

[bcribb]

Ive got the injectors out and hooked up to the lines.. A couple of injectors are getting a decent spray

 

[Kernopelli]

You are getting fuel to the injectors and the engine is turning over at the key, this rules out any safety switches, fuel shut off, need to bleed fuel system, etc. You already have checked much of those things already and know compression is good....that generally only leaves a few options. Air, timing, speed the engine is turning and quality of fuel are the first things that come to mind. I'd check and make sure nothing is limiting air through the filter or hoses. I doubt timing has suddenly changed so that isn't likely a factor. I have heard numerous stories of people using 10 yr. old diesel ( and believe them). However, I rebuilt my Mitsubishi engine last year and it refused to start on the 9 month old fuel that was in the tank. Fresh fuel and it started immediately. All my Mitsubishi's ( 5-6 different 3 and 4 cylinder models) have been sensitive to cranking speed.... too slow and they will have difficulty starting. Are you using a strong battery that is really spinning the starter? A lot of people frown on using ether on small diesels ( me included) but with a 40 hp 4 cylinder, I would give it a little shot and see if it fires on that. If it does, I'd go back to pursuing a fuel issue. I'd start with fresh fuel.

 

[tractorworks]

I had a 300DTC that the glow plug relay went out on. It would not start. Glow plugs were good so hot wired to battery and it started right up. I had over a thousand hours on it at that time and could pretty much count in my head when the relay should click (12 seconds). Just held wire to battery for 12 seconds then released and started tractor. Good luck.

 

[Kernopelli]

This is a good point...he said he checked the glow plugs but didn't go into detail. My current Mitsubishi is also very sensitive to temp. Warm/hot temps outside and she fires right up. 40 degrees and it'll take A LOT of cranking to start w/o preheat. Below 20 degrees and it wont start w/o preheat- but with 15-20 secs of glow plugs and it'll fire off like it's 90 degrees outside.

 

[tractorworks]

I'm in south ms and still had to use glow plugs in summer for first start.

 

[PILOON]

I hear that using a hair dryer to blow hot air into the intake is a good trick.
You might wish to try that.

 

[skyhook]

Sounds like your not getting enough fuel "under pressure" when you disconnected the injector lines there was no back pressure , and you had fuel supplied.
When re-connected, it seems as though the fuel was restricted, my guess would be the fuel pump,,
are you sure you installed it correctly.

 

[bcribb]

Thanks for all of the responses and a lot of good ones at that... I removed the injectors and took them to be tested, $8.00 each.. I watched as he checked all 4.. One was sticking a little and one was pouring straight through.. That one injector had to be rebuilt.. I guess thats why the engine after so many cranks would act like the battery was dead because that cylinder was being filled up with fuel and was also robbing fuel from the other injectors.. I installed the injectors, hooked up all lines and removed the glow plugs so not to have as much compression when I was bleeding the air out. After I saw some good fuel at the injector fittings I put the glow plugs back in. I then started to crank over the engine and with one last little bleed down of one of the injector lines the engine wanted to start.. I tightened the fittings and let the glow plugs warm up and after about 15 cranks of the engine it started up... I let it run for about 15 minutes before shutting it back down. Then I went to restart it and it fired right back up.. That engine has never started that fast ever since I've had it.. Total cost for injector repair was $100.00.. Not bad at all. Cause my next step was pulling the pump to be checked.. Saved about $2000.00 by not taking it to one of the tractor repair shops around here.. Cause I was already quoted a price when I told the dealer what was going on with my tractor.. His first response was rebuilding the pump and injectors, or trashing the tractor because it was a farm trac and also trading for one of their brands.. I certainly hope that what I have wrote helps others that are having the same hard crank and no start problem.. Sometimes it pays to start at the engine and work your way back towards the tank, especially if you're getting some fuel to the fuel pump.. Also my injector repair man said who ever had the tractor before me was running bad fuel and plus he had removed the filter element from the bowl.. Not a smart thing to do on a diesel.. Thanks again for all the support..
Barry