smokinpipes
Navistar Nut
...and so the story begins. Over the weekend, I went to use slim to look at a truck; and she started hard, smoked, missed and bucked for well near a minute. Just like her old cold blooded self. The day progressed without incident, which I felt was a nice birthday present, get out my IDI for a nice Sunday cruise.
On Monday, I was planning on moving her to unload the bed tank of Diesel to haul some soy oil from work... and the glow plug lamp, acted, um, funny. On for 2 seconds, and off... it was about 30 degrees out... but only was cycling on the afterglow cycle. Well, I suppose it's time to ditch the old bi-metal controller and get with the 90's and upgrade to the Solid State system.
I had a couple solid state controllers and harnesses, and a set of Beru glows from a few trucks I'd salvaged. Let's use one.
I scavenged for some how-to's and wiring diagrams, and eventually found everything I needed; but nothing was concise on a step by step.. how to adapt wiring harnesses, etc. etc. So, I plan on publishing my trials and tribunes in a tech article style for others to be able to reference in the future.
The end result, ripped nearly everything out of my engine compartment (electrically), I sorted out the rats nest of wiring, and removed stuff I didn't need (i.e. the factory charging wires, a junction used to repair two burnt fuse-able links due to a faulty alternator), learned that to replace the engine wire loom don't use 3/4" size, how the 6.9L engine side harness is wired, how to smoke a solid state controller, 1/4" air hose isn't a good vacuum hose replacement, where to buy quality bullet style wire connectors that fit the bullet glow plugs (properly); that the hollow cast aluminum glow plug controller is a royal pain to remove without proper tools (it's still in the engine), and that something of this nature is best to be done on a fair weather day, or in a shop and not outside in the middle of February.
I also did not mount the controller on the engine because of the old controller still stuck in place, and two I did a slight 'mod' to use the glow plug light WITHOUT having to tear my dash apart to get it to illuminate, WITH the controllers glow plug light wire. I used a relay
Since the glow plug light on the Solid State GPC is grounded by the controller, I used that to ground out the switch coil of the relay, and then tied the glow plug lamp wire to the switched side of the contacts, then connected the remaining two contacts to the "hot in run" terminal of the GPC.
Other than wanting to do over the engine harness looming, and finish some off the electric fan control wiring (clean-up); I am very happy with it. The important part however, she started right up without missing a beat.
So far, I am very impressed -
On Monday, I was planning on moving her to unload the bed tank of Diesel to haul some soy oil from work... and the glow plug lamp, acted, um, funny. On for 2 seconds, and off... it was about 30 degrees out... but only was cycling on the afterglow cycle. Well, I suppose it's time to ditch the old bi-metal controller and get with the 90's and upgrade to the Solid State system.
I had a couple solid state controllers and harnesses, and a set of Beru glows from a few trucks I'd salvaged. Let's use one.
I scavenged for some how-to's and wiring diagrams, and eventually found everything I needed; but nothing was concise on a step by step.. how to adapt wiring harnesses, etc. etc. So, I plan on publishing my trials and tribunes in a tech article style for others to be able to reference in the future.
The end result, ripped nearly everything out of my engine compartment (electrically), I sorted out the rats nest of wiring, and removed stuff I didn't need (i.e. the factory charging wires, a junction used to repair two burnt fuse-able links due to a faulty alternator), learned that to replace the engine wire loom don't use 3/4" size, how the 6.9L engine side harness is wired, how to smoke a solid state controller, 1/4" air hose isn't a good vacuum hose replacement, where to buy quality bullet style wire connectors that fit the bullet glow plugs (properly); that the hollow cast aluminum glow plug controller is a royal pain to remove without proper tools (it's still in the engine), and that something of this nature is best to be done on a fair weather day, or in a shop and not outside in the middle of February.
I also did not mount the controller on the engine because of the old controller still stuck in place, and two I did a slight 'mod' to use the glow plug light WITHOUT having to tear my dash apart to get it to illuminate, WITH the controllers glow plug light wire. I used a relay
Since the glow plug light on the Solid State GPC is grounded by the controller, I used that to ground out the switch coil of the relay, and then tied the glow plug lamp wire to the switched side of the contacts, then connected the remaining two contacts to the "hot in run" terminal of the GPC.Other than wanting to do over the engine harness looming, and finish some off the electric fan control wiring (clean-up); I am very happy with it. The important part however, she started right up without missing a beat.
So far, I am very impressed -
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- Like I said, I still have some stragglers to tend to, and add some 1/4" looming to to give the appearance of organization.
