Ford 2000 diesel won't crank

So I started at the pump inlet....no fuel. Backed up to the tank.....still no fuel. Unscrewed the outlet plug (with the shutoff in it) and plugged the hole temporarily. Investigation of the outlet indicated 2 things:

1 no filter screen

2. hole plum full of tiny rust particles

Cleaned it all out and bled to the pump. B4 bleeding the pump and injectors, decided to go ahead and clean up the terminals and tighten the starter bolts.

Terminals were very cruddy so it was obvious where my loss of 3 volts was.

Cleaned her up and with a lots of coaxing, I finally got the air outta da pump and she reluctantly started hitting. Finally, the chorus kicked in and I had music.

Awwwww w Life is good.

Back to the mowing. (I mowed the rest of yesterday uneventfully....yeah!)

Will stop by the NH dealer on the way home and get/order a filter screen.

Mark

I ran this test the other day since my '73 2000D 3 cyl is slow to start (just purchased). Measured voltages:

Across batt term static. 12.73 (That's fully charged..great)
Across batt term cranking 12.55 (says that batt is in good shape as internal resistance (R) is low)
Across batt connecting wire term at batt term cranking 12.00 (R across the lead term..lil high)
Across starter input terminal (the copper stud/nut on on the starter from the solenoid output) to starter case cranking 9.7. (Ouch)

I lost 3 volts (~25%) of my power just getting to the starter. I think that is excessive. So I'm going back and separate the parts from the batt term to the starter term (including possible crudded contacts within the solenoid) and check for where the loss is and then from the starter case to tractor chassis.

What size cables do you have? I like 2/0 but some use 1/0. Don't want anything less.

This will give you some Ideas.

Mark