yep

It sounds like you are getting the fuel to the injectors. Is the glow system working? It should start once you get fuel coming getting to three or so injectors unless the engine is worn out.

I typically run at least one battery down when trying to get one going like this.

__________________
Jim

It might be loaded up with raw fuel from the multiple starting tries.

You really need a hot battery(as in fully charged) to get the beast to light off at this point. A booster pack would probably be safe to use on a good battery, one with a bad cell not so much. I know it's heavy, but you might think about getting the battery load tested at you local McParts store if it's more than a couple of years old.

When it does start, be prepared for a huge nuclear bomb sized mushroom cloud of smoke.

__________________
"I was a dirty bird, Carol's not grungey - she's *****in" John Milner....American Graffiti

Battery charged overnight ... now it's cranking much faster, but still, no go. I still get a bubble or two out of the lines at the injector, along with a decent amount of fuel. Does that mean I've just got to keep cranking with the lines cracked? My dad's coming over so I guess we'll try the WD40.

__________________
1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

It's not going to start with the 17mm injector lines cracked. Just wanted to make sure you were clear on that. Tighten them up and glow it a lot and should fire right up. Glow plugs working?

__________________
1985 300TD Turbo Euro-wagon
1979 280CE 225,200 miles
1985 300D Turbo 264,000 miles
1976 240D 190,000 miles
1979 300TD 220,000

GONE but not forgotten
1976 300D 195,300 miles
1983 300D Turbo 175,000 miles

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...e485-1-2-1.jpg

Oh yea, once you get fuel coming out at the injectors tighten them up.

__________________
Jim

I did tighten the injectors before trying to start, my description wasn't clear on that. First I cranked with them cracked, then when I saw fuel at all four I tightened them and cranked again. My dad came over and we tried it with the booster pak ... it seems to be cranking plenty fast, and sounds like it's maybe catching on one or two cylinders after about 6 or 7 seconds of cranking, but just won't do more than that. He was concerned about trying the WD40 and neither of us had time for me to talk him into it. He thinks it is a compression problem. I wouldn't be surprised if the car doesn't have great compression, but it started fine at 10 degrees last winter and started easily the last time I tried before parking it for this work. Which leads me to believe something has still got air in it ... or a combination of air and not the greatest compression, at least.
Would the fact that the fuel in the tank is fairly old have any effect? I could try adding Startron or new fuel, if it would make any difference.

__________________
1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

Well the good news is it started ... but, it ran poorly for about two minutes then quit. Rocked at idle, light nailing from somewhere, then just shut off. Now won't start again. I saw some light fuel coming out of the nut on the spin-on filter, so I guess it was not tight all the way. I tried loosening it, priming (bubbles came out) and then tightening. Back to the same no-start situation. Now not getting fuel at all the injectors, so I'm doing all the priming over again.
I'm glad it ran but was hoping it would run much better with the new injectors, rather than worse.

__________________
1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

Sure you put 115bar injectors in it, do they all match?

__________________
1985 300TD Turbo Euro-wagon
1979 280CE 225,200 miles
1985 300D Turbo 264,000 miles
1976 240D 190,000 miles
1979 300TD 220,000

GONE but not forgotten
1976 300D 195,300 miles
1983 300D Turbo 175,000 miles

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...e485-1-2-1.jpg

They all say 115bar. They are remans from the dealer, straight from Germany. Not that that makes them infallable. I guess I could take them out and get them pop-tested.

__________________
1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

Have fuel at all lines again, nothing. I hate to say it but I'm about done with this car. Everything I do makes new problems rather than making it better.

__________________
1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

Don't despair, I know these situations can make one want to pull their hair out. Take comfort in the fact the you are doing everything right. From reading your prior posts, you seem to be a very detail oriented enthusiast. I doubt this situation due to any error on your part.

IMHO, it's not you, it might be the injectors.

Since it ran with the old injectors, and the only thing that has been done since is to r&r the injectors with reman units, I would give some serious thought to trying the old injectors and see if it runs ok.

No sense in spending money on having the reman injectors pop tested if the problem is elsewhere(I doubt it).

See this link: Genuine Bosch rebuilt injectors – Poor Quality?

I'm curious if the dealer would take these back as a defect based on your word? Or would they need some sort of proof?

It's not fair for you to have to spend money to have the new injectors pop tested. It's money wasted, because all the dealer can do is refund the injectors.

They should give you a full refund, if the car runs on the old injectors.

I suspect they are flooding the engine with fuel, and who knows how long they have sat on the shelf and corroded inside.

Good luck, and act fast on the possible defect return because some dealers won't do anything for you after a couple of weeks.

__________________
"I was a dirty bird, Carol's not grungey - she's *****in" John Milner....American Graffiti

This is classic air in the fuel system.
I just wish you didnt have a phobia about WD40. It would have started long ago on it.
The last thing you should do is try & get it to idle. When you next get it going keep it at about 1500 rpm until it warms up. Take it for a run, keep 1 foot on the throttle all the time though so it doesnt stall. It may take 10 minutes of running before it settles down. Dont despair !
So near yet so far ! ~ Good Luck !

__________________
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

If it ran for two minutes, any air in the fuel system would be long gone.

__________________
"I was a dirty bird, Carol's not grungey - she's *****in" John Milner....American Graffiti

"it ran poorly for about two minutes then quit. Rocked at idle, light nailing from somewhere, then just shut off. Now won't start again. I saw some light fuel coming out of the nut on the spin-on filter, so I guess it was not tight all the way."

My experience ( see sig below) has been that sometimes it can take a long while for air to be removed.
I can remember putting 1/2 a can of WD40 down the throat of my old 300D once after doing work on the injector system just to get it to run on its own. This was after pressure bleeding the fuel system.
There is probably air pockets in the injector hard lines at high points.
At idle the fuel flow is not great enough to push them out, it just dribbles past.
There may also be fuel quality problems as the car has sat for a while.
It is unlikely that the injectors are causing it to not continue to run.
It is clear there are still leaks in the system (see quote above), probably air leaks in as well as fuel leaks out.
Best get it to start again, keep the revs up, take it for a drive if you can & see what its like once it has warmed up.

__________________
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

Do you have the rack fully opened while cranking..............foot mashed to the floor?

If not, it will never start.