Help nissan 720 sd22 diesel

[Raptor6717]

Hello all. I have a Datsun 720 with an sd22 diesel. It hasn't ran in at least 16 years, and I am trying to get it started. The pump controller works, and I hear the glow plug module click on and off. It will fire on starting fluid, but not on its own. I have primed the pump with the hand primer, and am getting fuel out of the banjo bolts and the injection lines, some more than others. It will not run on its own, why won't it start?

[waynosworld]

This is a complicated subject, if fires on either/starting fluid, this means at least one glow plug is likely working, check to make sure all of them are working, use a test light and make sure all are getting power, I myself would remove every glow plug and make sure they are warming up/glowing with my eyes, I have had a SD25 engine appear to be warming up the glow plugs from the outside, but 3 were burnt out.
As form priming the system, you need to fill the screw on fuel filter with diesel fuel, then bleed all the air left out of it with the primer, then bleed the banjo fitting on the front of the injection pump, I am assuming that the lift pump is working, pulling the fuel from the fuel tank, do you have a pre-filter?

Where are you located?

I have had big issues when one of my fuel lines in the system got a crack and was leaking fuel while driving my truck, no matter how much I primed it, it would only run a minute and die or it would run a couple minutes and die and I would have to start completely over, that day my battery had gave up(too much trying to get it started, I called for a tow and while sitting there I gave it one last try and it started, I actually made it all the way home that time(5 to 10 miles).

This SD22 fuel system has a few different filters, one on the bottom of the lift pump(fuel pump) in the banjo fitting, most I have seen had a pre-filter on the firewall, the main screw on fuel filter, you cannot have any air in the fuel system between the screw on fuel filter and the injection pump.

16 years is a long time to have not been started, I do not know everything, I daily drive my diesel truck and rarely have issues getting it started, it is always something else that is the issue, starter, Starter solenoid, or it is too cold, I would check other things also, maybe the diesel fuel dried up inside the injection pump and maybe not all the circuits in it are working, I had a SD25 crate engine sit for years and it would not start with that injection pump, I was lucky to have an extra injection pump to use.

[Raptor6717]

There is not any pre filter that I see.

It may have been sitting longer than that, not sure.

I'm on the east coast.

As long as I have been cranking it, I think it should have started, there may be something wrong with the pump internally like you said. It was last registered in 1994, but I believe it ran after that point. I have replaced all the fuel lines except one of the returns and the line going to the lift pump.

Have you ever tested a sd motor not in a truck? I have one, and I might test to see if it runs, but it has been sitting as long or longer than the other one.

Do you think I should test that motor and swap it in if good, or just swap an injection pump? ( Knowing that for sure the injection pump is bad on the motor in the truck, and the one on the spare is good. )

Also the clutch might be stuck, and the spare motor has an assembly on it.