how to check injector pump...

1984 m1009 with 160,000 miles. started right up (as always) and pulled it into the driveway. idled for about 2 minutes while i was disconnecting my snowplow and it just quit. tried to restart it and no luck. got it to fire 1 more time and it ran for about 3 seconds and quit again. it sounds like it wants to start. cranks nice and fast. new batteries, glowplugs, and fuel pump. i added some diesel to it hoping my fuel gauge was off and still no start. if i put a little diesel down the intake it will fire up and then die so i know the glowplugs are working. where do you check for fuel pressure and any idea where to start looking for problems. it is a genuine ohio truck so it does have some rust. thanks in advance for any help.

Start by checking to see if your fuel pump is working; you can do this by cracking open the bleed valve on top of the fuel filter and having someone crank the truck while you watch for fuel flow. You can do this by yourself if you hook some plastic tubing to the bleed valve and run the other end into an empty water bottle. With all the miles you have on odometer it just could be the injector pump but start with the easiest step first and go from there.

if i crank the truck and then go outside to crack the bleeder it has fuel coming out if it. the only thing that concerns me is it seems like it has a little air in it. you turn the black knob on the passenger side of the fuel filter, right? looks like a 1/4 barbed piece, about 1 inch long coming out? i did not have anybody crank with me checking it though.

Probably a rusted fuel line or one that has rubbed through possibly by the mechanical lift pump. I usually take a gallon container with diesel fuel in it, a piece of 3/8" flexible fuel line,
and attach it to the suction side of the lift pump. Disconnect the large wire at the IP and bleed the air from the bleeder on the fuel filter asm. Once air is bled connect the wire at the injector pump and crank the engine over. You may have to crack the injector lines at the injectors to bleed the air out. I have never had to crack the injectors. Note: your gallon jug will run out of fuel pretty quick because the return line is still going to your fuel tank. You may also want to disconect the return line (1/4" fuel line going to the back by the pass side alternator.) and run it into your gallon container. Good Luck - please let us know what gets it going again.

seems like the fuel is kind of foamy out of the bleeder port. i took the filter off and rebled the system. it started and then died after about 10 seconds. i am thinking a rusted fuel line letting air in.....will update later....