Did you remove the shutoff or just push it aside to pull the plate sometimes they'll bind and not go back down. Its more common that it won't start with a failed solenoid.

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I just pushed it aside. It only did it that once (had to turn the key all the way back to accessory to kill it), but it's shut off fine ever since for the rest of the day. Still have to push it up to start it though. Well, at least until the new one gets here.

So, update: the new one (from Geno's) got here. Still didn't start, apparently that wasn't the issue. The fuel shutoff relay was, however, and Geno's was nice enough to include one with the solenoid. Plugged it in, and wala! Back in business. So, essentially, $125 for a $14 relay. Anyway, it worked great for about two days, then quit. Turns out it was two days of rain, and when I lifted the hood the water ran off the backside and all over the relay, shorting it out. So I dried the plug out, cleaned it up, and got a relay from NAPA ($60) which came in the protective housing like the OEM one was, not just the naked cube like the one from Geno's. Back in business again. Worked great for a few more days, thought I was out of the woods.

Not so fast! Now, whether or not it will start without having to pop the hood and lift the solenoid leg is a crap shoot. Cold, first thing in the morning, it starts every time. Once it's been driven awhile though, all bets are off. Sometimes it starts and runs normal, but just over half the time it fires up and immediately dies and I have to pop the hood and lift the solenoid leg. Extremely annoying, since I drive for a living and probably start this truck 20-30 times on a slow day.

Solenoid works smoothly, everything straight and nothing sticking. Unplugging the relay and putting a multimeter on the plug shows 12V when I crank the key. I have not tried getting another relay yet to see if it's the issue, but I feel like I've spent enough that I didn't need to already, throwing money at it to see if the problem goes away isn't turning me on anymore.

It's very odd to me how when it fails, it doesn't just do nothing. It's like it turns the fuel on and then shuts it back off the second it starts. No, Tiremann, I'm still not ready to rig up a choke cable. That said, it's starting to look better and better...

So, anyone have any ideas?

Next time it starts and dies try cranking it again but this time give it a little fuel. That's what I had to do when mine was acting up.

I always crack the throttle to start it. I've tried giving it more, but it just dies too fast.

You could get a pet gnome to ride around under the hood a work the lever :w2:

Yeah... he could thump an SOS on the firewall every time the fuel system springs a leak so I know to pull over and pop the hood :rolleyes2:

OK, I'm tired of fighting with this damn thing. I've tried every brand of relay, tightened up the solenoid arm as far as it will go, shimmed it up off the bracket three times. It works for a little while, then starts acting up again. I think it's just a POS solenoid. Tireman, if you're still around, I'm ready to talk about a choke cable now. :argh:

i had the fuel pump shutoff go bad on my cummins about 5 years ago, i have a number somewhere from when i replaced mine, if i remember right, i only paid 140 with shipping, the number i got was off the side of the original shutoff if i can find it i will post it here

I haven't deleted it yet, but I bought the cable. This is the beautifully simple arrangement I'm considering:

Manual fuel shut off!! - Competition Diesel.Com - Bringing The BEST Together