i need help knowing if my starter is going bad. when i start it up it hardly starts up and the only way i get to start is by stepping on the accelerator a little when its cranking. the batteries are good and i just did an oil change about two weeks ago, im planning on getting a valve adjustment pretty soon. so if anybody has any ideas let me know thanks

 

Does it turn over slowly or is it simply not firing. If it is turning over very slowly, check your batteries, cables, and connections. If all of those check out, it is probably a starter issue.

If the engine cranks quickly but isn't firing, then it is probably a fuel issue. Since you say that you have to hit the throttle, it could well be that your idle is too low. It should be 850rpm with the ac on.

 

You may want to check this out:

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...hlight=starter

 

With my old pump I had to pressure the pedal down a bit for it to start.Even the new pump requires a little pedal pressure but not a much...I think this is normal...

 

well it cranks slowly but i've checked all my cables and the batteries are good. lately it does this mostly in the morning but it still does overall. i want to buy a new starter but money is short and i got a $150 check coming in and i have to use that for a brake job on my truck.

 

If the problem is truly related to it cranking too slowly and you have checked all of your connections(have you used a multimeter set on resistance?), then you probably have starter issues. If you don't have new contacts, try pulling the starter and opening up the solenoid and seeing what the contacts look like. If they are all carbonned up, try cleaning them and if they are razor sharp, they are worn out.

 

Agree with Dartmouth. Mine had similar problems with the addition of needing several tries to get the starter to turn over. New contacts were a buck each, solved the problem. They apparently are a weak spot in our starters.