I have a 97 F250 with a 95 International pre powerstroke motor (non direct injection) I just broke down on me and the only way to get it to run (for about 5 seconds) is to give it a little squirt of ether. I think its something to do with the fuel system. It has fuel in the front fuel filter. Any ideas on what it could be???

Yes, it IS normal for a powerstroke diesel to require more revolutions of the motor to fire than for any gasoline engine. Combustion in gasoline engines is stimulated by spark plugs and many gasoline engines will start with little turning of the motor past the position where the ignition timing creates the spark and combustion occurs. Combustion forces the engine to continue rotating and combustion in that and other cylinders becomes a perpetual event. A Powerstroke Diesel engine requires more revolutions and speed of revolutions to create the heat necessary to cause the diesel/air mixture to combust. ALSO, the diesel is injected into the combustion chamber, at high pressure, by the injectors. The injectors are electronically controlled and the Fuel Control Module (computer) (also known as the Injector Control Module or ICM) tells each injector exactly when to open and inject diesel into the combustion chamber, as well as for how many milliseconds it stays open (how much fuel will be delivered). Summary, a powerstroke diesel will only begin the perpetual combustion process when the motor is turning fast enough and the pistons are compressing the volume of the cylinder into the tight space of the combustion chamber rapidly enough to create enough heat for the fuel to ignite and begin creating power to turn the motor without the aid of the starter. IN ADDITION, a Powerstroke will NOT start at all with weak batteries. Not only does the motor need to revolve rapidly in order to start, the injectors require a MINIMUM voltage of MORE THAN 12 volts in order to activate (open). The exact amount of voltage required can be different, depending on the Fuel Control Module (FCM) or "Injector Control Module" (ICM) type that is installed. (Note; terminology for the FCM / ICM tend to depend on who you are talking to, what resource you are reading, etc. They are the same thing.) If batteries are weak, the starter uses enough amps to drag the voltage down and, even though the starter turns the motor fast enough that any gasoline motor would fire right up, the ICM will never send the signal to the injectors for them to activate so, the cylinders never get any fuel and the motor never fires. I hope that helps. Yes, a 7.3L diesel will normally need to turn with the starter for longer than your gasoline fueled V10.

97 toyota camry 264 motor, a swap
try alldata.com.

You say that you checked the timing marks (Camshaft vs. crankshaft) for proper alignment, but it's possible that the camshaft and crankshaft are out of sequence since the crankshaft turns two 360-degree rotations for every one of the camshaft. It's possible that the crankshaft needs to be rotated another 360 degrees and lined up with the timing mark on the camshaft (remove the timing belt in order to do this). Good luck.

Run a fuel pressure test,may have a bad fuel injecter.

the air pump is located on the engine towards the front of the vehicle and has apx. 3/4 diameter pipes running to and from it. it is apx. 2 fists in size and it is black plastic. one of the lines on top of the air pump runs to the other side of the engine towards the firewall. at the other end of that pipe is the valve. disconnect that pipe while the vehicle is running. no air out of the pipe means bad pump. air coming out of the pipe means bad valve

The one that comes out directly from the engine block

If the engine was running and it broke this may be disastrous and you will need to split down and rebuild the engine.

take it to a diesel injection shop. the high end oil pump is out in the injection pump.

you should check your fuel pressure and be sure it is within spec, is this a 2.0T or a 2.3 non turbo and also this is fuel injected correct? same as the U.S.A. 97 saab 900s? if it is a 2.0 with direct ignition try changing out the DI cassette with a friend or junkyard unit to see if that solves it -Jeff also please rate

Could be one of many things:

-Clogged fuel filter
-Leaking fuel line
-Bad fuel pump
-High or low oil level
-Overdue oil change (Will explain both these possible causes later)
-Bad high pressure oil pump, ICP sensor (injection control pressure sensor), ICR (injection control pressure regulator), or bad HEUI injectors, or oil lines
-Leak in the high pressure oil system (unlikely because you would have noticed this... This does not go undetected as the underside of your vehicle would be literally covered in oil and dripping in a very short period of time after the leak develops)
(Powerstroke engines use a HEUI fuel injection system, "Hydraulically actuated/electronically controlled unit injection", which relies on a high pressure hydraulic pump that uses engine crankcase oil and pumps it at high pressure (500 psi or so). This oil is sent to your fuel injectors to provide means for actuating them and pressurizing the fuel into the cylinders. High or low engine oil level, or old, diluted, additive depleted oil will cause this system to aerate the oil and result in poor fuel injection capabilities)

There might be other causes but this is the Powerstroke`s weak point... The HEUI system was first designed by Caterpillar, which makes a lot of excellent/bulletproof HEUI based engines, both in passenger vehicle and heavy trucks and equipment. The Powerstroke is an engine designed and made by International Truck and Engine, which cannot seem to make a HEUI engine, in any market, whether passenger, heavy truck, or equipment that does not suffer from fuel injection issues.