Hey Everyone, So I had been going back and forth for quite a while about whether to get the rings replaced or my injection pump rebuilt to try and address these starting issues. It was stubborn to start cold and almost impossible when warm. Lotsa people said those symptoms were an injection pump, others said it was the rings with poor compression. Harder to restart when warm cuz everythings expanded. Used the magic gasoline rag method constantly. Turning over got stiffer and stiffer until I thought there was something wrong with my batteries or alternator or the rings were seizing up or something until someone suggested i pull the starter motor and get it looked at. Took it to the shop and the dude charged me $20 to clean it and change the brushes. Now the hoe starts up instantly hot or cold! Those problems are solved, at least for now. So that's the public service announcement. If you're having starting issues take the starter motor to have the brushes changed. Many people much more knowledgeable than me were telling me I needed either the pump or the rings repaired (or both), but was able to fix it with a $20 starter motor maintenance. (it still needs a ring job, blows more smoke than Cheech and Chong out the breather tube, but at least it starts reliably now.) Hope my experience helps someone else, I probably hastened my upcoming ring job by relying on gasoline fumes to start it regularly. Could've prolonged it by getting the starter looked at earlier.
KOOL.. always nice to hear a success story.. That's a little strange that it fires up but blows so much smoke.?? If u put your hand under the bb tube, is there oil/droplets on your hand.?? IF yes, then the oil rings are shot but the compression rings are prob. ok.. & THAT would account for the smoke.{maybe}
Those pesky dam starter motors. I cant count how many times I have gone to a job with a machine starting issue where it had brand new batteries, cables, and ends, only to see the same old starter motor.
LOL.. or just the opposite.. 1999 batteries but a new starter..& old cables..lol
Swapped a COOKED Deere 455 starter, told the owner needed cables, he looked said appeared Fine so said no, following week called as No Start said starter was fried, told him the cables were bad he said Still looked good. Reached in grabbed the POS cable, broke it off a few inches from the starter where had burnt in two inside the sheath STILL Lovely green inside, told him did Not think so. He let me replace those cables!!! and Starter STILL on it today(was twenty four years ago!)
Guess y'alls have seen all manner of starter motor nonsense along the way... I put my finger down there the other day and didn't notice oil drips, but I wasn't looking for them either. I dunno why there's so much smoke but it works fine otherwise. Truth is I don't know that much about it, never been much of a mechanic until now but I'm learning tons with this old 24k hour backhoe. Thanks everyone on this forum, it's an amazing resource for those who are new and learning. I'm thinking I'll just run a tube from the breather into the exhaust pipe and keep working in blissful ignorance until I can get the rings replaced.
Old 7.3 Powerstroke starting slower and slower, replaced batteries, replaced cables, checked grounds and such nonsense, on and on and on, one day at the gas station with a trailer on, it would not start again, opened the hood to the smell of burnt electric motor. Got everyone at the station to give me a push, [they wanted to get to the pumps] went on my way (forgot dead starter once, lucky I was on a hill then) and when I finally got to the store it has been peaches and cream ever since. Cranking RPM really makes a diesel start easier also.