Good Evening Folks,

I've recently installed an OM617 in a Land Rover. I'm in a tough spot now getting it to start. The vehicle ran fine before removal from the old donor vehicle. I'll summarize the install and what I have done to trouble shoot thus far:

- Fuel plumbed directly to IP with a 12V inline fuel pump below the tank; getting flow to the injectors when tested. I do not suspect fuel issues
- Glow plugs all tested functioning, wired directly to the original relay (non-fused), testing good continuity
- No vacuum to the rear of the IP - left open
- Glow plug closest to the trans came out covered in oil
- When I attempt to start, I am jumping off a running vehicle to ensure enough power is getting to the starter
- No real response from starting. There is an occasional detonation from what may be a single cylinder; a small puff of smoke and a little bit of note. Otherwise nothing at all

Currently soaking the cylinders in marvel mystery oil in hopes that if this is an issue with a stuck ring or something it will fix it.

Any thoughts?

How long did the engine sit between running fine and not starting?

My first suspicion is that you have air in the fuel system. Crack injector lines and crank the engine in 20 second increments, waiting a minute or three in between, until you get a good strong pulse out of an injector. Tighten that injector nut and continue until you have the same result or (what I've seen more commonly) you get through about half of them and the engine starts. Then tighten the rest.

The glow plug covered in oil is a bit disconcerting, but we can come back to that after the above.

Second idea: Have you verified that the glow plugs are getting 12V when "glowing"?

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Air blockage can be a bummer some time.With a electric pump you may have to crank for a few minutes until she's primed.It does not hurt the starter to crank up to 60 seconds at a time.Make sure the stock lift pump does not push diesel into the oil.

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran