hoping some one can give me a direction to go, I have a 225 lc excavator, vin 51u06438, with the 3208, sits in shed most of the time, have not started since last summer, has always started 1st crank, today went to start, cranks great, no sound like starting, no smoke, only crank, using a little ether, did make smoke, feel like fuel issue, removed fuel filter, was full, using priming pump, pump hard to push, did open fuel bypass, pump primer a couple of times, good fuel came out, can hear what i think is a fuel shut off on top of pump clicking when key turned on and off, remove shut off solenoid,  pintle inside looks ok, any thoughts, thanks 

If it doesn't have an electric fuel pump at the tank [like 613 scrapers] it might be drawing air at the throttle shaft seal on the injection pump.

I have not seen any sort of low pressure pump, tried to follow from tank to pump, there is a lever inside pump that shut off solenoid contacts, it stays at bottom of travel, i can raise lever, but just drops to bottom, not sure if should be spring loaded to top or if there is a low pressure pump that lifts this valve off of seat, thanks

Might want to replace that shut off solenoid. There is a spring on the solenoid. The solenoid goes against a lever inside the pump.

That lever sets on a shaft and the other end of the lever is on a tang or pin on the end, it just rocks back and forth when the solenoid pushes it down.

 

made some headway on why she wont start, inside v-8 style high pressure fuel pump, i see 8 plungers, 4 of the lever collars were siezed to plungers, i took out fuel from pump & filled cavity with marvel oil to maybe see if they will free up, after a couple of weeks 2 have freed up, cannot get other 2 to free up, anybody have any ideas from here, im not sure if next step is to take plungers out while on machine if possible, if so does anyone know what tool is used to remove these, thanks

Need this socket, 8S2243 Female Fuel Injection Wrench for Caterpillar (8S-2243, 8F1893, 2H7479) | eBay

finally had time to work on my 225, after removing 2 stuck plungers & freeing them up, reinstalled to get running, just wanted to give a thanks to rome k/g & fellow at pumpguy s/c for all of yalls help. really do appreciate it

You're welcome! glad you got it running.