Trying to start om617 on engine hoist
 

I am trying to get an engine started while out of the car. The engine was last run about 18 months ago when I parked it. It ran well at the time. I removed it from the car about 3 months ago and it has been sitting on the ground attached to the hoist until now. The transmission is attached to it as well. I put some fuel hose onto the primer pump and return line on the top of the filter and then into a can of diesel then primed it. I made sure the transmission was in park. Covered the oil pressure guage line so it would not spew oil. I attached some wires to the starter and tried starting it. It turns over and unburned fuel is coming out of the exhaust, but it is not starting. I am letting the glow plugs cycle for about 30 seconds before I start it. I have also tried using starting fluid. Won't start. The engine is not spinning all that fast, though. I think the starter may be a little weak. I never had a problem when it was in the car. I think the battery I am using is good. Is there something I am missing? Is there something that needs to be attached to vacuum on the IP? I have the throttle at about half open. I need to get this running tonight as someone is coming to buy the engine in the morning and I would really like to get it running. I am sure the engine ran well when I parked it last. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Are you sure the glow plugs are working? Are you sure you've got the starter hooked up right? Are all the hard lines primed?

If it's got good compression and fuel, and nothing happened to change the timing and it's spinning fast enough it should start.

FYI
 

Change the fuel to 50% kerosene.
You can use 100% kerosene with no harm.

Use a continuous spray of WD40 instead of starting fluid.

Separate the transmission, then the starter has less mass to spin up to speed.

.

X2 on removing the trans.
If you don't, make sure that you have enough oil in it and that you cooler lines are connected.
The same is true for the engine of course.
Where did you connect the negative battery cable?
What kind of glow plugs do you have and how did you connect them?

If you haven't hooked a large battery cable to the ground strap location you will have low amps to starter

You probably got no rev's. I tried starting my 616 on a couple tires a while ago, but got no luv. The reason became pretty clear when I put my hand on the jumper cable, more than a bit warm. Some mas macho truck jumpers may work, or pull the battery to starter cable from the harness (right there if the motor's out), and use some ground strap if you have any. You might also try using 2 sets of jumpers in parallel.

I pulled the cluster and just used that to cap off the oil sender line.

If you still have them--Use the original starter cables from the car....

Better connections both ends and a MUCH better cable than a cheapo 'booster' cable....

Its surprising how much loss you'll get with cruddy cabling! These engines need a LOT of current to swing over at starting speed....