6.9 Glow Plug mishap

[1986Beast]

So I have had a bad week for vehicles and need some advice. I let my mother borrow my truck that had a manual GP switch. She left the switch on and drained the batteries. I then bought a new set of GP's and put them in and burned them up before I realized that the relay had melted into the on position. So there goes another set of GP's. I then put in a new relay and replaced the GP's and put in a momentary switch instead of an on/off switch.

So here is the problem. After I put in the last set and started the rig again there was this horrible knocking (pretty sure that the tips of 7 of the 8 GP's were in the heads). After talking with my grandpa he said that something similar had happened to him with a valve seat in an old pickup of his and that after a while the seat was either pulverized or made its way out of the exhaust. So I drove it and it seemed to get better over time and it sounds like it is almost gone at this point after not driving it more than 30 miles or so.

What do you guys think? Any advice?
THANK YOU!

 

[argve]

The conditions are right for you to lose a glow plug tip - did you see any that were missing the glow plug tips?

At this point if a glow plug tip or tips were in there they are either pounded into the piston or were spit out the exhaust. Not much you can do about it at this point since you said the noise has all but stopped.

Let's just hope that the piston doesn't come apart at this point because it will get ugly if it does. I dropped a valve once and she stuffed a rod through the side of the block in the middle of an intersection. Trashed the block it was scrap metal after that.

You were doing right with replacing the switch with a momentary switch so that it can't get left on.

 

[1986Beast]

Thanks for your reply. There were 7 tips that were missing. Hopefully we are all good. We shall see.

 

[icanfixall]

So what your saying is 7 tips were burned off when you pulled out the first or second set of plugs. Not really unsestanding what you posted. Not much chance that an exhaust valve seat dropped. Most likely the missing tips are whats causeing the hammering noise. There is only about 42 thousands didtance from the piston top to the head. So any tips in there get flattened and hopefully blown out the exhaust.. Thats a good thing or a bad thing.. If you have a turbo the hot wheel gets beat to crap by the pieces hitting it. If no tubo then its goos and blows out the exhaust. Might rattle in the muffler but not so that you hear it..

 

[1986Beast]

The ones my mom burned were ok.

The ones the relay burned blew 7 of the tips off.

No turbo so nothing to worry about there.

My muffler is pretty much wide open.

 

[lindstromjd]

I think it's just time for you to get a new mom.

 

[HammerDown]

I think it's just time for you to get a new mom.

I think it's time to ditch the "manual GP switch" and go back to the factory system.

 

[rhkcommander]

Never ever use switches for starter and glowplug unless they are momentary. I rigged up a light to tell me when the relay is on.

These two things make it much more reliable imo moreso than automated.... Unless the operator cant count

 

[Wicked97]

I think it's time to ditch the "manual GP switch" and go back to the factory system.

Yup manual plugs are more trouble than they are worth in most cases.

 

[pwjackson]

My manual glow plug switch is momentary and I have it set up so that my OEM glow plug light comes on when the switch is pushed. If used correctly you can keep a set of glow plugs for a long time. I know some on here have installed switches that only stay on for 10 sec. this could eliminate the mom problem.

 

[icanfixall]

Never allow anyone to drive your rig with a manual glow plug setup. Problem solved the easy way.. Nothing you had to do but just say no...

 

[Knuckledragger]

"Sorry mom,you aren't qualified to drive my truck..."

I just don't hear that coming out of my mouth. My mother can drive anything I own if she cares to ask. And I will be happy to fix anything she brings back broken. I killed a couple of her cars growing up.

 

[rhkcommander]

Easiest way to not have a problem - light when relay is energized, momentary pushbutton, and learning to count.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-Wd-Q3F8KM

This helped me (trust me, watch it!) ((not an insult, just a joke))

 

[tbirdfiend281]

Psh, my cold weather starting system comes in a can or a 110 volt plug. No error to be made there.

I think you'll be fine, I have seen a 6.0 eat a 8mm bolt and keep on ticking for many miles.

 

[79jasper]

Psh, my cold weather starting system comes in a can.

Or a 110 volt plug, No error to be made there.

There. Fixed.