HELP 1.6 Caddy wont start

[humungousbacon]

Help!

First time diesel owner.
I bought an 81 1.6 diesel caddy, was smoking quite a bit. Read online it was prob the valve stem seals. Replaced those along with new ARP head studs, head gasket, ignition switch (randomly went out), and new motor mounts (thing was shaking something fierce). Timed everything correctly. Primed the IP. Tried to start wasn't getting anything out of the injector lines. Read it was possibly the fuel shutoff solenoid. Jumped it from the battery and could hear it click. Tried to start again with the jumper on, now when I turn the key nothing happens... With the key off the clock is working fine but as soon as I turn the key to ON, I can hear the relays click then everything just turns off. removed the jumper and put the cable back on the fuel solenoid like it should be and same thing... Nothing is happening. Battery fully charged. I have checked and its giving the correct voltage off the battery. I'm at my whits end. Does anybody have any suggestions? Could something have happened with the ignition switch again?

[TylerDurden]

Common response with electric gremlins is to first check all the grounds.

Light colored smoke is commonly from air in the lines*... not that the work already done is un-needed, it can't hurt.

Sooty dark smoke is overfueling, possibly from oil leaking past the valve seals, but rare in my experience.

*Air in the lines gets in the IP and causes late or missed injection, causing grey/blue/white smoke.

Clear lines are a must. Running from/to a clean bottle isolates the IP and engine from filter and long lines.

[humungousbacon]

OK. I replaced all battery cables and terminals and now it at least turns over with the key. But still not getting fuel to the injectors. I can see the fuel coming out of the return line without air so its got to be full. I dunno if this is strange though, I tested continuity on the fuel shutoff solenoid and its always there even if the switch isn't on. I even removed the cable attached and it still had continuity.. I figured that once that switch was off it would'nt have a complete circuit anymore.. Am I wrong? Thank you for your help in advance guys.

[TylerDurden]

A solenoid is a magnetic coil, so it will show "continuity" .

Better to test for +12V at the solenoid with the key on.

If that's good but no fuel at the injectors, the solenoid's plunger can be temporarily removed and the engine tested for fuel delivery or running... but the running engine will need to be stalled or suffocated to stop it.

[humungousbacon]

I'm not getting 12v to the wire going to the solenoid. It shows continuity though... is that normal? I can hear the fuel pump relay clicking. I assume thats the one that would be sending the signal to the solenoid.

[82vdub]

There shouldn't be a fuel pump on your diesel. The click is probably a relay that you hear clicking. Removing the plunger and spring on the fuel solenoide will quickly tell you if that's stopping it from starting. There was a thread on here where a guy ended up tracking down the weirdest issue with power to the fuel solenoid. When the key was in the start position, it didn't have any power to the solenoid, but when he would let off the key from starter position, it would have 12V. He said it was hard to start from time to time. Don't recollect what the issue was, but it was a weird one, and one that would be a bugger to track down. Easy to test for this though.

[humungousbacon]

I know that there is no fuel pump, that the injection pump sucks the fuel. The relay is marked Fuel Pump. I was able to jump the solenoid again and was able to get it to pump fuel to the injectors. Still no fire though..

[TylerDurden]

Fuel pump relays were only on the gassers, so this vehicle may be a conversion.

If the glow plugs are not on a dedicated 50A relay and/or a dedicated circuit, the wiring may not handle the current.

WRT the no-start, if there is fuel and compression, timing is the likely culprit. When you stated "timed everything correctly", was it done by-the-book (dial-gauge/cam lock/roll-back/re-set/etc)?

[Fatmobile]

Sooo, clear fuel lines show fuel is moving to and from the pump with no air.
,.. and you used a jumper wire to the injection pump stop solenoid and fuel is flowing from the injectors now.

Cranks over good?
White smoke from the exhaust?

Glow plugs have power? Are drawing how many amps?

[humungousbacon]

Sooo, clear fuel lines show fuel is moving to and from the pump with no air.
,.. and you used a jumper wire to the injection pump stop solenoid and fuel is flowing from the injectors now.

Cranks over good?
White smoke from the exhaust?

Glow plugs have power? Are drawing how many amps?

Yea no air in the lines. Had to put a jumper on the solenoid. no power going to it. Glow plugs don't seem to be getting any power either. I can here and feel the relay clicking for them but not seeing any volts at the first glow plug. fuse under rain tray is good.

Just to re illiterate. Truck ran fine beforehand. Just smoked a lot. So wanted to replace everything. And yes Ik diesels are supposed to smoke some but not James Bond smoke out the back when it starts...

[TylerDurden]

Dark smoke or light?

Dark smoke is overfueling, usually from an overtweaked IP or heavy foot.
Light smoke is unburnt fuel, usually from retarded timing or air in the fuel.

Air in the return line can be hard to see... it is often a fine mist of bubbles that make the fuel slightly cloudy.

[vwtyp133]

Scratchin' my head on this. Not meaning to offend, really, but is there any chance the pump is roughly 180 degrees out of time with the cam & crank? If that is the case, it might smoke a bit here & there, but certainly not start.

[humungousbacon]

It turns over but its not starting at all, so no smoke yet.

[82vdub]

If the engine cranks and you have your foot to the floor, if there's fuel getting to the engine, you will have white smoke coming from the exhaust. If you try and try to get it running and you do not ever have any smoke from the exhaust, it's not getting fuel. It may dribble fuel from the injector, but maybe not developing enough to pop the injector, or just the fuel line is restricted or something. The engine will smoke if it's turning over and getting fuel, especially if you have the throttle wide open.

[Fatmobile]

Sooo, clear fuel lines show fuel is moving to and from the pump with no air.
,.. and you used a jumper wire to the injection pump stop solenoid and fuel is flowing from the injectors now.

Cranks over good?
White smoke from the exhaust?

Glow plugs have power? Are drawing how many amps?

Yea no air in the lines. Had to put a jumper on the solenoid. no power going to it. Glow plugs don't seem to be getting any power either. I can here and feel the relay clicking for them but not seeing any volts at the first glow plug. fuse under rain tray is good.

Just to re illiterate. Truck ran fine beforehand. Just smoked a lot. So wanted to replace everything. And yes Ik diesels are supposed to smoke some but not James Bond smoke out the back when it starts...

It's common for the glow plug fuse to look good but have a bad connection.
Unscrew the screw and tighten it again.

Power to the relay? Also a wire coming from the battery goes directly to the glow plugs,.. if it's connected.
Just to be clear you have clear lines to and from the pump?