Ford 3000 diesel hard start

66 Ford 3000 diesel with Simms injection pump. Recently adjusted top end, new regulator, switch, batter, replaced all fluids, flushed radiator. When starting, even with thermostart, it puffs a lot of white smoke and won't start. If I spritz starter fluid it cranks right up and runs very well, strong, no smoke.

Thoughts on why it's so hard to crank? I'm not sure how to adjust the Simms injectors but it seems that it would run rough if the timing was off?

(quoted from post at 10:27:10 03/27/20) 66 Ford 3000 diesel with Simms injection pump. Recently adjusted top end, new regulator, switch, batter, replaced all fluids, flushed radiator. When starting, even with thermostart, it puffs a lot of white smoke and won't start. If I spritz starter fluid it cranks right up and runs very well, strong, no smoke.

Thoughts on why it's so hard to crank? I'm not sure how to adjust the Simms injectors but it seems that it would run rough if the timing was off?

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I have a 1967 model that I just had the head rebuilt, valves, springs and valve guides installed. I also installed new fuel injectors which was the initial problem, wet stacking. Fuel not atomized due to old injectors and raw fuel draining down out of the the vertical exhaust pipe, a real mess. Just started summer before last, I repaired it last summer.
The new injectors did the trick and the valves needed to be redone so it worked out. I also had the Simms injector pump replaced two or three years ago as well. It starts fine but needs some help from a shot of either down the air intake specially when it is 40 F degrees and lower outside. I have heard that a hair dryer will work placed in the air intake hose to warm things up a little. A block heater will also do wonders for starting Diesel engines in colder climates like up here in Montana. Day time may be a high of 40 degrees F but night time temps drop into the teens and below. I have an in-line hose heater that works well but the either is what I use most.

I had a 65 ford 3000 a while back that was a hard starter so i pulled the head after low compression check and found broken top compression rings on two of the three pistons so i replaced rings, honed cylinders and put it back together with new head gasket. That was a fun job and was valuable experience but it did not help the starting of the tractor one bit. Mine did not have the thermostart glow plug so i added that, did not help in the starting. Down the road somebody told me about the cold start button on injector pump kill lever so i would push that in to start it which did help a bit. I could eventually get it started but it didn't want to, Finally i Sold the tractor. Long Story, lotta fun times and valuable experience. Pictured is that cold start button on the Simms

That cold start button is a very interesting bit of information, never had a clue. Thanks!
I thought that perhaps low compression might have something to do with it. My unit shows no evidence of blow-by nor does it use oil now that the valves are 100%. So a block heater or either shot looks to be the thing to do perhaps.

(quoted from post at 16:11:15 03/27/20)
That cold start button is a very interesting bit of information, never had a clue. Thanks!
I thought that perhaps low compression might have something to do with it. My unit shows no evidence of blow-by nor does it use oil now that the valves are 100%. So a block heater or either shot looks to be the thing to do perhaps.

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Your welcome! What i did when cold i would push button.. you'll notice it snaps in and locks. Then after tractor is running i would pull the kill knob briefly and that would make the cold start button pop out. I think it would do it eventually but i made it happen sooner.

Cold start button should have posed out as soon as the engine started or as soon as you gave it throttle, I always open the throttle on mine before starting the engine, once it fire I push the throttle back to a high idle.

(quoted from post at 12:27:10 03/27/20) 66 Ford 3000 diesel with Simms injection pump. Recently adjusted top end, new regulator, switch, batter, replaced all fluids, flushed radiator. When starting, even with thermostart, it puffs a lot of white smoke and won't start. If I spritz starter fluid it cranks right up and runs very well, strong, no smoke.

Thoughts on why it's so hard to crank? I'm not sure how to adjust the Simms injectors but it seems that it would run rough if the timing was off?

Click to expand...

Have you checked or changed the oil in the injection pump latest?