I was re reading back on earlier posts (#34) and you mentioned your glow plug igniter battery was dead. That is a big revelation. Having a good glow plug igniter makes a big difference when trying to get your engine started. You've learned a lot just from that. It's a lot harder to start when your glow plug igniter is weak. When you have a good glow plug igniter, the engine starts almost like magic. You're on the right track.