Ford 555C Won't Start

[mbatzel]

First POST!

I've been doing a lot of reading and searching but I can not find an answer to my problem. I have a Ford 555C with the 4cyl diesel, 4wd, extend-a-hoe and PTO (to run jack hammers). This was a NYC Transportation Authority that came from auction MANY moons ago. I can run down to the back and try to pull more info from it if need be. Just tell me where to look.

We haven't had a single issue with it up until this year. Its been a great machine to have around the farm. Earlier this year we fired her up and brought it to the back of the property to dig stumps up. Every thing was going great until I throttled all the way down and it instantly died. We could not get it started again no matter what we tried. Checked all the fuse and nothing blew. I bought the manual for it and we spent 3 Sunday nights reading it and looking for an answer. Cracked all the injector lines and got flow while cranking. Sealed it all back up and primed the system. Nothing. It will crank and crank but wont start up. We'd get black smoke out of the stack like she wanted to but nothing. Every time we (my wife and I) drive by on the Gator she says "look, our new pond statue!" (It died next to the pond)

New battery. New fuel filters. We stopped fighting it because of the temps. Well, finally the mid day temps are near 60 (Central NJ) and the weather is better.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance,
Mark

 

[crashz]

Ah - love those old triple nickles. Never saw a PTO option though. Or air compressor/tanks.

My first thought was fuel, and a failing pump that will still pump fuel, but not develop enough pressure to pop the injectors. But do not rule out a compression check. We had a head issue one ours after it was run over the road at redline by an employee.

Dumb question: Is there any blockage in the air intake /filter? could be that simple.

 

[Bigkrank]

Have a 655D do similar years ago. Pricey injection pump rebuild and it was fine again

 

[mbatzel]

Ah - love those old triple nickles. Never saw a PTO option though. Or air compressor/tanks.

My first thought was fuel, and a failing pump that will still pump fuel, but not develop enough pressure to pop the injectors. But do not rule out a compression check. We had a head issue one ours after it was run over the road at redline by an employee.

Dumb question: Is there any blockage in the air intake /filter? could be that simple.

I'll take a pic tonight when I get home. Nothing blocking the air filter - looked there second. First was to make sure there was diesel still in the tank.

 

[mbatzel]

Have a 655D do similar years ago. Pricey injection pump rebuild and it was fine again

That would make sense. I cracked all the hard lines to the injectors and got fuel to come out from each while I had someone crank the motor. I was thinking that the injectors were clogged or bad but it ran like a top right up until I throttled down. Not sure if the fuel is supposed to stream out of the lines or slowly come out. It wasn't a constant flow either which I though had to do with the timing of the fuel delivery.