She eats glow plugs

Cubey

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Hey OP... any resolution on this? My '86 IDI+T(ATS stock) seems to have just burned up a second set of GPS in 5 months. I also have a momentary switch that I do 10 seconds on for cold start. Only thing I can think of is bad injectors (I have new ones i'm about to install from Accurate Diesel) and/or high EGTs since i've been towing heavy and have been seeing EGT's in the 1000-1100F range on steeps. Doesn't seem to me like a GP which is essentially a heating element, would be burner out by high EGTS.

Well, my RV (81.5k miles) has the original injectors and IP, and possibly GPs, but does have a newer solid state GP controller (6.9 style) so maybe not original GPs? No idea what brand because they were in there when I got it 3.5 years ago. Enough still work fine, even in colder temps, so I see no point in touching them.

They looked old even 3 years ago:

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And they all see 1000-1100*F now and then, in the mountains.
 

IDIBRONCO

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Well, my RV (81.5k miles) has the original injectors and IP, and possibly GPs, but does have a newer solid state GP controller (6.9 style) so maybe not original GPs? No idea what brand because they were in there when I got it 3.5 years ago. Enough still work fine, even in colder temps, so I see no point in touching them.
This is a clear case of if it ain't broke, don't fix it!:Thumbs Up
 

Diesilee

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While a can't remember the brand my manually operated glow time is 3 seconds in the summer and 5 in the dead of winter. Always starts. Came to those numbers by glowing them out of the engine and that is
what it took to get red.
 

BeastMaster

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Glow plugs...

Just last year, I had one helluva fight with that very same bear.

Here's how it started. I had bought my van from PO five years earlier. I go out to start it one cold (50F) morning. It was not happy. But it eventually started. Ran fine the rest of the day.

Next morning, same thing.

Blew the starter motor. Replaced.

Got it started.

But I noticed something..., My electric fuel pump now has a stable pitch. It used to change pitch as the glow plugs cycled. And the voltmeter would wag as the glow plugs cycled. Not any more.

I could hear the GP Relay clicking. So I knew it was trying. E350 Van. Remove doghouse. Get trusty old volt-ohmmeter and see if relay has any power? It does. Are the glow plugs getting any?
No. Why? Relay contacts shot. Why? Most likely just old. Goto NAPA. New Eichlin relay. Replace. Everything went as expected.

Now, the Alternator blew!

Ok, replace the alternator.

Damn thing still won't start right. Did the doghouse thing, measured voltages. But this time, instead of no power to the plugs, the plugs had power at all times, regardless of key on/off!

The contacts on that relay I just put in were welded closed! Eight fried glow plugs. That's probably what fried my alternator too. God only knows how much current my 130 amp alternator was putting out trying to maintain 14.2 volt float voltage on the battery rail while the glow plugs had to be pulling way more than 200 amp from the battery rail. The GP will pull 200 Amp when the rail is pulled to about 11V under load, alternator not spinning.

This is getting very expensive.

I figure I better take it to a professional. He changed all the glow plugs ( all Beru ), alternator, and new motorcraft glow plug controller. Not cheap.

Thought finally done.

Not so!??!

Very next day, I see my voltmeter wagging again for no apparent reason. And my fuel pump has unsteady pitch.

Not again!

Did the doghouse again, but left the meter clipped on so I could watch GP voltage.

Used earmuffs. God, that old 7.3 is loud with no doghouse!

And had the wrenches handy to disconnect the battery.

Same thing! Brand new relay! Completely different brand! Main contacts welding shut! Routing full battery rail to the glow plugs.

Brand New glow plugs. Already lost two of them. Thank goodness the alternator is still intact.

I kill battery power, disconnect battery rail wire from relay, insulate it, and take another test drive. Success. No more wagging.

I think something has gone bad wrong in some factory somewhere that's making these relays, with resellers rebranding them for resale.

I flat replaced my entire glow plug controller with a White Rodgers setup. Wes, here on these forums, also sells a kit of parts for this purpose.

It's the relay that caused all my woe. Here's the one I got to replace it. Same one Wes is putting in his kits. Look up the specs yourself. Try to find anything else out there better. I couldn't.

White-Rodgers industrial contactor. #586-902. Emerson Climate Technologies. Apparently they use it to control industrial refrigeration compressors. Wes weighed them. This contactor alone weighs more than the entire glow plug controller assembly.

They are not cheap. Around $100 when I got some. I use that same relay on a lot of my Arduino stuff. Air conditioner compressors, cooktops.

I'd strongly suggest you get the Wes kit, cause Wes has the crimpers and other pieces needed to do a proper job. I am sure he will steer you right.

I look forward one day to actually meet Wes, but for now, I know of him through his works, which I consider to be first class, second to none.

I know this has been a lengthy post. It took a lot of time to type it in on my phone. But I think I need to share the very expensive repair experience I had.

Snicklas...this is a very abbreviated version of the repair hell I wrote to you about earlier. I have photos too of what I did... But looks like Wes has set up a lot more professional kit...mine is a hack job whose metal work is a side of an old PC/AT computer power supply.

(Edit). Yes, that resistor on the glow plug controller is important. It's a current regulator that serves the same function as the filament ballast tube served in early series string vacuum tube radios. I drop about 3 volts on mine with 200A load, before start, rail voltage in the 11-12 volts (under load ), giving you about 9 volts or so at the plugs, providing all plugs are working .

This also gives you a really handy spot to verify your glow plug health, as the terminals are easy to get to.

Think of it acting like an ammeter shunt.

Providing power to a plug is one thing, having it draw about 25 amps, per plug, verifies it's working.
 
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