Cat 252B only starts with ether

[waterjetplus]

Hey guys, I have a 252B2 (CAT0252BPSCP05774) with 1067hrs. It recently was parked on a hill (fuel read 1/4 tank) and would not start the next day (cranks, no start). I added fuel, ran the lift pump for 3 min to prime, and still no luck. I proceeded to then crack the injector lines to further prime the system. Still no luck. Troubleshooted further and ended up trying a 1 second spray of ether, and it fires right up and runs perfectly. The machine then operates normally. I then tried killing the engine and starting it again, the same issue persists. Will only start with ether. At this point I decided to replace the electronic lift pump assembly. Thought maybe a check valve was causing an issue inside the pump/ filter housing. After installing the new pump assembly, I still have the same issue. I have a hard time believing this problem is due to excessive engine wear, due to the nature of the problem's origin, as well as the fact that the cat runs perfectly once started. Any help or direction is appreciated

I plan to test the glowplugs tonight

 

[heymccall]

Take new lift pump off filter head, remove entire filter head (filter first), be sure to mark the lines where they go, and clean debris from inlet port all the way thru to filter stem.
Also, ensure inlet line isn't blocked partially.

 

[waterjetplus]

Take new lift pump off filter head, remove entire filter head (filter first), be sure to mark the lines where they go, and clean debris from inlet port all the way thru to filter stem.
Also, ensure inlet line isn't blocked partially.

The new lift pump assembly included a new filter head and filter as well, so that should not be a problem. The inlet line looked good when I had it off. During initial priming after the new pump assy was installed, the bowl on the bottom of the filter/separator filled almost instantly.

 

[waterjetplus]

Glowplugs tested correctly