These trucks have a tendency to have the fuel filter block to leak air.
I replaced one that WAS leaking air after living with an unknown problem for three years. I got mine from a guy on Ebay. He has a 100% rating. I think I paid like $70 shipped to me.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Fuel...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories
It's the bracket, the fuel filter backing plate with sensors (only two - the other one is no longer made). AND a new fuel filter.
I replaced mine, bled the air out of the system and DANG MAN, my 1009 fires RIGHT up now. I wish I had known this three years ago.
Spend a few bucks. Took me about an hour to replace it. There are only three bolts holding the bracket to the firewall.
Disconnect battery. Disconnect sensors (all three). Remove all three bolts from the firewall and let the whole assembly hang down. INSTALL the new unit with the three bolts to the firewall. Move the fuel lines from the OLD unit to the new one. Connect the two sensors.
REMOVE the old assembly. I always keep my old parts to have 'just in case' because a BAD part is better than one that is either completely broken or worse yet, missing.
RECONNECT BATTERY.
Bleed the air out of the new system. Start your truck. It might be difficult the FIRST TIME. But after that? Should start right up.
Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT saying this is the ONLY problem you will encounter. But this might help you on your way. Plus if this does help, it stops the strain on your starter and your glow plug system. Having to use them more than you normally would will eventually cause them to fail. Ask me HOW I know this.
Let us know.
And that's a KILLER looking truck. Is it staying desert tan or going to green?
I once asked a buddy of mine why the military seems to be painting everything desert tan these days.
He said two things.
The desert tan actually has just a touch of red in it and at a distance, that red is difficult for the human eye to discern.
It's easier to go UP TO GREEN from tan than it is to go DOWN TO TAN from green.
the last one makes the most sense to me.
---
EDIT: Also, a simple thing to look for is your glow plugs themselves.
Most folks just change them. I'm somewhat cheap. I took the wire off of each plug. I cleaned both ends - the glow plug end and the wire end. On the front two glow plugs on each side, I had a minor leak around the valve cover gasket and it bled over onto the front to glow plugs and their electrical plugs. Once I cleaned those, THAT ALSO helped the hard starting issues.
However, my air leak seemed to allow the fuel to drain back into the tank. I was consistently having to have the fuel REACH the fuel filter and then it started up. Finally. Once I changed my whole fuel filter assembly out, that issue stopped.
