First, I'm pretty new to diesels. The former owner of my rig told me that I should probably get a new set of glow plugs. Some motorcraft gps are going to cost more than I would like to spend, so I would like to make sure I need them before I buy them. I'm wondering how can you tell if your truck needs new glow plugs? Right now, I have trouble starting on cold mornings (30-40 degrees) but no problems when its warmed up. Is that the best way to tell? I checked them with an indicator light and they are all functioning.
My second question is about replacing glow plugs when you have a giant banks air box in the way. I have a non-wastegated banks and it seems to be blocking most of the gps. How hard is it to take that thing off and do I need to know anything particular before I do it?
Thanks for any info!!!
My second question is about replacing glow plugs when you have a giant banks air box in the way. I have a non-wastegated banks and it seems to be blocking most of the gps. How hard is it to take that thing off and do I need to know anything particular before I do it?
Thanks for any info!!!
Replacing the glow plugs is probably a good idea, along with injectors and injection pump, and return lines (see the fuel servicing article in my sig), if you want your truck to run great for years to come, instead of nickel and dime'ing you here and there every other month. The Banks air box is a challenge, and the boost hose between the turbo and the air box is usually the biggest problem. I'd suggest buying a new hose, as that one is likely chewed up already from previous attempts to get the air box to mate. Better yet, consider putting on a Hypermax intake hat, and ditching the box in favor of your own fabricated air cleaner setup such as what I did with my "Moose Air" (see the folder in the Moose Truck album). If your still running the factory glow plug controller beware. They have a tendency to fail with the glow plugs in the on position. When this happens, the tips can swell and become stuck in the heads, which is why the previous owner cautioned you correctly, to stick with Beru brand (which is the only kind Motorcraft puts in their box). You can get them cheap at Autozone so I have read.
