Desiel Engine won't start

[Dan The D Man]

i finally got my 53 R back together and after getting the proper starting get i tried to start it today. now the pup engine starts up no problem and barley smokes after 40 years of sitting but once i engage the big engine all it does is smoke white smoke once i let go of the decompression lever. so no fuel?? or what could be wrong.

 

[Freddy]

no fuel should give you no response. fuel and low compression will give you lots of white smoke. Better check compression

 

[Anonymous-0]

Are you sure your decompression lever is adjusted right?

 

[Dan The D Man]

i have not touched anything on the lever and as far as i know it worked properly when i had the valve cover off. but when i lossen the bolts to prime it nothing comes out and when i take out the by-pass valve(spring and ball) then try and prime it i get fuel. does that mean anything??

 

[Anonymous-0]

When the big engine is cranking and puffing out white smoke, that is fuel. For some reason it is not igniting. In a diesel engine that is usually low compression from being worn out or valves not sealing the cylinders on compression stroke. The valves could be stuck, burned or the decompression lever linkage isn't adjusted so that it allows the valves that it holds open on decompression to close completely. It wouldn't have to hold them open much to do what you describe. I would take off the valve cover and measure the clearances between the valves and rocker.