Detroit Series 60 Engine Hard Start

Sounds like it is losing its prime. If the SRS and trs were bad it wouldn't start at all unless you ether start it. Did you take apart the check valve. Its down line from the restrictor fitting on back of the head. Its what holds the fuel prime in the head. Has a ball check and spring.

 

Do you have fuel pressure? Make sure the pickups in the tank are below the fuel level. No blockage in supply line from tank to pump. Detroit fuel pumps are almost bullet proof. But I have seen a couple go out. You can crack the line to see if it is pumping. Also the little plastic spider that mounts between the pump and compressor can sometimes disintegrate. There's a ton of trouble shooting to do for a crank no start. Once you get it started does it run rough? For how long? Do you get throttle right away? Does the idle smooth out? Does idle speed fluctuate?

 

Had the same thing happen on a truck . I replaced the check valves an the same thing . I changed the trs sensor that fixed it. The srs sensor is between the air compressor an engine block. trs sensor is below the air compressor an the front gear cover.

 

does it seem worse in cold weather? white smoke on start up? maybe inj leaking down ?

 

I had a similar problem with mine. After all the injection and fuel issues were eliminated, Detroit put it on the dyno and did pressure leakdown tests. It didn't hold in #2, and the engine was at the high end of specs for mileage with regards to blowby. One day, I went out, and it wouldn't start even with ether. We towed it, and it still wouldn't start. The guy who came to give me a jump sprayed ether directly into the manifold. It popped a little, but wouldn't start. He told me that if it were fuel or ecm, not mechanical issue, it would have run for a few seconds on the ether.

 

This is part of the check valve in my davco. You can see its seeped fuel back to the tank. Found a peice of wire in the spring. Guessing this is my cranking issue. Find out soon tho.

 

I had a similar problem with mine and it turned out to be the cloth braided fuel supply lines from the tanks were rotted out just enoughto allow air into the system. $170 to have napa make some new hoses and an hour later, problem solved.