Ford 5000 endless trouble

jordanbrown · Sep 6, 2008

I've got a Ford 5000 diesel that runs great when it starts. The latest catastrope has been trash in the fuel tank which I thought I had fixed by draining the fuel tank and replacing the fuel filter and one line. Apearently it still chokes out and I have to go through a procedure of bleeding the air out and then restarting it. This has worked up until now.

Yesterday (after charging the battery all night) I tried to start it and even hooked up jumper cables from my truck. When I turned the key, it sounded like the engine only turned over once and then wouldn't turn anymore. The battery read charged and is only a year old. Could it be the starter? Some electrical relay? The problem doesn't appear to be related to the fuel trouble, but something electrical, not enabling the engine to turn over.

Please if anybody has an idea about this let me know.

thanks

jordan

1948berg · Sep 6, 2008

Water in compression chamber?

jimmysisson · Sep 6, 2008

Check and try starting with the headlights on. If they dim way down, your starter is drawing too much - maybe worn bushings letting the armature get too close to the field. But if the starter just began doing this recently, you more likely have a bad battery or cable connection. Check and clean the battery cables at both ends of each, then try the lights-on test again.
It could be a mechanical problem like the last poster proposed, too, but I'd eliminate the electrical first. Your troubles may not be endless.
Jim

redneckford · Sep 6, 2008

you fried the starter----got it too hot trying to start it when it ran out of fuel!!!

jordanbrown · Sep 6, 2008

"Fried the starter" huh? Is there a way to tll if it's gone?

Robert_in_NY · Sep 6, 2008

jordanbrown said:
"Fried the starter" huh? Is there a way to tll if it's gone?

These starters are fairly easy to take out so pull the starter and take it to a repair shop. They will test the starter and if it is the problem they will usually repair it instead of trying to sell you a replacement. My local guy does starters, generators and alternators as well as other similar items.

redneckford · Sep 6, 2008

Brand new starters are around $300---rebuilt ones are $150-$200---New Lucas starters generally last alot longer than rebuilt ones---But you will fry any of them if you crank on the tractor for long periods of time---the starter just gets too hot---and things inside start shorting out and grounding out---melting!!!!----so be careful---crank it only 40-60 seconds at a time and allow time for the starter to cool---Have someone pull crank the tractor if necessary---dangerous so be careful if you try this---You can check and see if the ground wire is hooked to the end of the starter---if it is you can move the ground wire to the 7/16 bolt holding the starter to the tractor---clean the area well---sometimes it will get a better ground and continue to work awhile longer!!!!

backdoor · Sep 6, 2008

Make sure you leave the stop button pulled out all the time that the motor is not running. I have had to bleed my Ford tractor fuel lines before when I pushed the stop button in and left it for a few hours, and then tried to start it. Check for a dead cell in your battery. Take the fill caps off all the cells, turn the key to the start position, and look into each cell, if one is bubbling more than the others, your battery is probably bad, and no amount of charging will bring it back. Safety first-the battery will be making explosive gas when it bubbles, and be sure to have the trans out of gear and the brakes locked.

Soundguy · Sep 7, 2008

Sound slike you might have a leak on the suction side of the fuel, allowing air in.. etc.

As for the starter.. a charger 'saying' a battery is charged and 5$ will get you a cup of starbucks finest. My 5000 has a big 4dlt battery in it.. when the one went bad I had in it when i bought it.. I could charge it for 20 hours, read it with a meter and get 12.6v.. perfect... go to start it.. and it drops to 3volts.. jumping didn't help since that big huge dead battery sucked up all the amps the anemic truck battery and jumper cables could put out..

soundguy

john_bud · Sep 7, 2008

I'm surprise that no one said to check the connections. Some one I know personnaly just bought a new battery and found the ground wire was loose. 17 seconds with a wrench and Vrrooom! And a new battery on the bench...

(Yeah, it was me)

jb

jordanbrown · Sep 7, 2008

Heres one on Ebay, do you think it would be right, I don't really know a good starter from a bad one?

eBay Motors: New Starter Ford Diesel Tractor 2000 3000 4000 5000 (item 380060462268 end time Sep-08-08 13:33:49 PDT)

After I get it through this starter business, I'll adress the fuel cutting out. When I drained the tank before and took off the pitcock, it was clogged, and I've gone through 4 fuel filters in a month. So I'm hoping there isn't a real problem with compression.

jordanbrown · Sep 7, 2008

Oh yeah, anybody know where I might get some wheele clamps too?

Egon · Sep 7, 2008

1948 Berg:

Where have you been hiding??

redneckford · Sep 8, 2008

jordanbrown said:
Heres one on Ebay, do you think it would be right, I don't really know a good starter from a bad one?

eBay Motors: New Starter Ford Diesel Tractor 2000 3000 4000 5000 (item 380060462268 end time Sep-08-08 13:33:49 PDT)

After I get it through this starter business, I'll adress the fuel cutting out. When I drained the tank before and took off the pitcock, it was clogged, and I've gone through 4 fuel filters in a month. So I'm hoping there isn't a real problem with compression.

yep!!! just remember that old saying----cause it looks right on the out side does not mean the quality is on the inside(where you can't see)----just like the car business there are 1 year warranty electrical products and life time warranty products with labor reimbursement for failures--there is a difference!!! but whats a $100 experiment---probably waste that much money running back and forth to a "Local" Dealership!!!

Soundguy · Sep 8, 2008

john_bud said:
I'm surprise that no one said to check the connections. Some one I know personnaly just bought a new battery and found the ground wire was loose. 17 seconds with a wrench and Vrrooom! And a new battery on the bench...

(Yeah, it was me)

jb

Jimmy covered that in post #3.

soundguy

Egon · Sep 8, 2008

And a new battery on the bench...

It never hurts to have a spare battery around if one has numerous pieces of equipment requiring batteries.

john_bud · Sep 8, 2008

Soundguy said:
Jimmy covered that in post #3.

soundguy

You don't expect me to remember that for six whole posts, do ya?

Soundguy · Sep 8, 2008

It's such a new thread I thought ya might have read it from the top!

soundguy

gabby · Sep 8, 2008

redneckford said:
you fried the starter----got it too hot trying to start it when it ran out of fuel!!!

I have Fords and I never try to restart them with the starter after running out of fuel or changing fuel filters. I always pull them off in high gear with another tractor. It spins the engine faster than the starter and will purge the system of air much faster. I don't even try to bleed the air. Of course we shut 'er down as soon as we suspect she's running out of fuel, and we don't try to restart until we get more fuel because that just makes it worse.