L175 will not start

[Mokenman]

Hello,

I have recently acquired L175 that needed some help. When I received the tractor it was a box project meaning the previous owner started repairs did not finish them and brought all remaining parts to me in boxes. the steering box had frozen with water in it, they had it welded new shaft and bearings and seals but not assembled or installed. the dash was kind of hanging by the wiring. rear fenders where off. while the previous owner was trying to repair the steering box the tractor was in a flood from what I was told fully submerged for a day. The next day they drained motor oil and transmission fluids and filled them with kerosene. Then let it set for the next 5 years. Almost forgot with the injectors taken apart and left in a dirty box and nothing covering the injector holes.

So I have now put the tractor back together, then find the motor was froze I get the motor free by soaking pistons rocking the tires in gear and gently prying on the flywheel. Also find a couple valves are froze and get them moving.
Next try and bump starter, starter is froze . Tear starter apart clean, polish, grease reassemble starter is working.

Next drain all kerosene, replace all filters and fill all fluids.

Clean and put injectors back together and install. Prime injectors.

I then try and start..... will not start so I find I have a bad glow plug (replace both) still will not start.

Pull injectors find have very little compression on 1st cylinder.

And this is were I need help My thoughts are A valve not seating or busted a ring when freeing up the motor. Or am i missing some thing else?
should the motor start on 1 of the 2 cylinders?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

it should still start on one cylinder.

Any smoke? Color?

Most likely cause of no start it air in the injector lines or bad injectors or injector pump.
Loosen lines on top of injectors set throttle to full, make sure fuel stop is not on, crank and look for fuel, once good pulses of fuel tighten lines, should start.

 

[Mokenman]

it should still start on one cylinder.

Any smoke? Color?

Most likely cause of no start it air in the injector lines or bad injectors or injector pump.
Loosen lines on top of injectors set throttle to full, make sure fuel stop is not on, crank and look for fuel, once good pulses of fuel tighten lines, should start.

No smoke

I have had fuel up to both injectors with no air bubbles

After a few minutes of cranking motor over (like you state) with no starting I've pulled glow plugs and crank again and fuel seems to be shooting out of glow plug holes

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk

 

[Tooljunkie]

Seems like if no smoke, glow plugs arent lighting. Im sure you have fresh fuel, and injectors are supplying fuel. Compression release holding valves open?
I admire your determination, resurrecting something that was left for dead. Hope you get it going.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Did pressure test the cylinders?
And if you did what are the #'s.
No smoke means no fire at all, you say there is fuel so either you have no where near enough compression/and or no glow plug heat.
Have you powered the plugs to see if they heat up?
NOTE: Don't do it while holding them, they get real hot real fast!
If they are working outside the motor, just run a jumper strait to the battery while trying to start it.

 

[Mokenman]

I have put brand new glow plugs and yes i have tested them, they are good. I have even gone as far as removing them spraying wd-40 on the plugs reinstalling the plugs hit the glow plug power and them removing the to see if it burned the wd-40 off and they both did.

I have not ran a compression test yet besides the old finger in the injector hole, # 2 cylinder has good compression #1 cylinder has very little as in barely pushes my finger out .

So I know i have very low compression on 1 cylinder not sure if i broke a ring freeing up the motor or if i have a valve not seating.

Wait a sec when you all have asked if I'm getting smoke I assumed you meant from the exhaust? Is this correct ?

I am really thinking its something to do with the injectors could it be getting fuel through the injectors but not enough to start the tractor?

I guess were I'm at is i don't know how much more $$$ I want to invest in this thing , I dont have the time right now to do a complete motor rebuild.

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk

 

[Mokenman]

I have put brand new glow plugs and yes i have tested them, they are good. I have even gone as far as removing them spraying wd-40 on the plugs reinstalling the plugs hit the glow plug power and them removing the to see if it burned the wd-40 off and they both did.

I have not ran a compression test yet besides the old finger in the injector hole, # 2 cylinder has good compression #1 cylinder has very little as in barely pushes my finger out .

So I know i have very low compression on 1 cylinder not sure if i broke a ring freeing up the motor or if i have a valve not seating.

Wait a sec when you all have asked if I'm getting smoke I assumed you meant from the exhaust? Is this correct ?

I am really thinking its something to do with the injectors could it be getting fuel through the injectors but not enough to start the tractor?

I guess were I'm at is i don't know how much more $$$ I want to invest in this thing , I dont have the time right now to do a complete motor rebuild.

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk

Also thank you! for your for all your help so far hopefully im just missing something simple and will be a quick fix

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk

 

[ShaunRH]

If you have access to one, see if you can track down an inspection camera. Take a good look at the cylinder walls.

If #1 is all scored up then you likely have bad rings and such on it. Same for #2 but it sounds like it's getting okay compression, however, my finger isn't calibrated right so I'd never trust it for an accurate reading. I think I've hit it with a hammer a few too many times for it to read right any more.

I'd also pull the injectors and see if you are getting a decent spray out of them. Sitting for a long time is heck on a fuel pressure pump. You might get enough pressure to bubble the injectors but maybe not enough to atomize the fuel.

If the timing hasn't been messed with, all that's left is air. Check for mouse nests and other stuff in the intake side of things.

That's about everything I can think of... it should fire if the RPM's off the starter are enough.

 

[Daren Todd]

however, my finger isn't calibrated right so I'd never trust it for an accurate reading. I think I've hit it with a hammer a few too many times for it to read right

I thought that was how you recalibrated your finger

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

While the finger test is good, it's just not good enough for diesels.
A minimum compression of 325 PSI is needed to fire and can be as high as 450 PSI to be really good.

Get a pressure tester, and test the real pressure, local auto parts store might have one to rent.

 

[Mokenman]

Thank you for the suggestions

I will pull the injectors and see if I am getting a decent spray out of them.

Also I will get a compression test done. I suspect the old finger must be out of tune

 

[85Hokie]

Thank you for the suggestions

I will pull the injectors and see if I am getting a decent spray out of them.

Also I will get a compression test done. I suspect the old finger must be out of tune

the ol finger will work pretty good on a gasser running at 8:1 .... but a diesel running twice that should remove the finger prints! Get the mechanical finger out and see what cha come up with!