No hot start (IDI)

[Toby]

If your problem is a compression issue caused by sticking rings then you should be rebuilding the engine before the stuck rings wear the engine beyond rebuildable limits, assuming replacement engines are hard to find in your area.

I have been inside a a hundred (+/-) of these motors and never seen one with stuck rings. I do, however, see lots and lots of them with worn out rings.

[belchfire]

Got another set of pistons from Prothe. I'm gathering all I'll need to tear it down just as soon as it's bad enough weatherwise where I'll be driving the 4x4. I really want to see what's going on inside. I've only got 20k on the rebuild so stuck rings will have to be from the SVO which will be a great disappointment. I'll mic the skirts to confirm whether or not they got bent when it pre-ignited.
  The pump guys said to run ATF through it and then (if that didn't work) to take the guts out of the fuel shutoff solenoid, kill it in gear, and try to start it again. Didn't get around to that because it hot starts fine on SVO  One last clue, sometimes it will go into a high idle like maybe 12-1500 rpm and if I shut it down then it's all over. Even the water trick didn't work last time. The pump will go back to the re-builders just so we can see what's going on. Stay tuned.

[R.O.R-2.0]

eww, you ran SVO in this engine? thats probably why it doesnt start very well. did you use it as your primary fuel, or just your hot fuel?

[belchfire]

Hot fuel only. Minimum temp of 140*. SVO runs great when it runs. Same power, much better smell and it's free. Wether or not it's OK in the long run is another question.
I keep going back to the viscosity thing as hot diesel is the only time it doesn't start. We'll see.