Bypassed Glow plug operation

[Arborigine]

My truck has a bypass already installed and 8 bad glow plugs. Probably by the PO when the IP was bad. New ones go in tomorrow. It has started up just fine until last friday when the morning temps here in my part of California has dropped to 30 or so. I have been plugging the block heater into a timer that powers it up an hour before i go to work. No problem firing it up and it fires up fine without the heater 11 hours later.
The articles I have read say to not energize the plugs more than ten seconds.
Rather than glow-then-crank, what would be wrong with pushing in the glow plug button and cranking at the same time, until it lights if under ten seconds?

 

[Ataylor]

I have a bypassed system also. I usually glow for 5-10 seconds then hit the starter (depending on how cold it is). If your plugs and wiring are up to *****, then that should be enough. I think it needs a little time to warm the air in the pre-combustion chambers before you start cranking it.

Archie

 

[GreenDiesel]

depending on the condition of your batteries and starter, the extra voltage drain of the glow will sometimes prevent the starter from cranking fast enough

 

[rhkcommander]

if your batteries and wiring can handle it, nothing wrong with that. I do it sometimes when needed.

Also glow time depends on the glow plugs you've got so... whatcha got?

 

[damac]

It gets to the teens here and if your system is healthy you won't need to plug it in. I don't even have a heater on mine.

I put the glowplugs on a switch and hit it for 10 seconds.

The biggest thing is if its turning over really fast and another one is air in the lines. If you have fuel draining away from the inlet after you turn it off, those initial cranks are just going to purge the line so your whole first glowplug cycle could be wasted.

I put the electrical carrier pump in mine months ago before I could pull the bed off and rewire everything and its ben a completely different truck. Total confidence to go out in the cold and start it on the first glowplug cycle within 5 seconds.

 

[snicklas]

I agree with the pre-heating of the air. If you have the plugs on and not cranking, the air in the pre-cup and the cylinder stay still and get hot. If you are cranking, you are moving the air through the engine, and the plugs will hot have the chance to pre-heat the air.

Think of an electric heater. If the fan is not turning, the element will heat up and glow red and make the air around the element hot, until it kicks the safety off. If the fan is running, it does not glow and stays running.... same idea in the engine..... need the air to sit still and get hot, instead of moving through and getting warm.

 

[Arborigine]

Sounds right. i will see how it starts on glow only tomorrow. Old plugs were Autolite, 2 were swollen and a bit hard to remove. Replaced with same, thats all they had. Will order a set of Bosch before Xmas

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

Will order a set of Bosch before Xmas

or you can get a set of 8 Beru's from rockauto.com for $10/plug and have them by the end of next week.

 

[Arborigine]

That will work too, but the Auto-not-quite-rights are installed.

 

[Arborigine]

the weather did not cooperate. It was 51 degress this morning, 20 warmer than yesterday. Didn't use the block heater. cranked for 3 seconds no glow, but 5 seconds glow and it and fired right off.