Block Heater & Oil Pan adhesive heater to bypass glow plugs?

[Baxter]

Do you think installing both a coolant immersive block heater and an oil pan heater plugged in overnight would make a relatively easy cold start in the morning with glow plug system disabled? Or still need active glow plugs? My temps only down to maybe 29 F coldest. My '93 7.3 can't seem to keep the gp system working properly. replaced all 8 gps and the controller/relay unit ... started quick and perfect for maybe 3 days and then now the starter just cranks and cranks after truck sits for more than 6-8 hrs overnight mainly. Once she's fired up, all day long I can turn off and restart no problem after a couple few hrs sitting at a time. Now my starter is fried, super slow crank not enough to start engine anymore. I'm over it haha

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Unless it's been removed, your engine already has a coolant immersive block heater. You'll see it when you drop the starter to replace it. This heater alone can start the engine without glow plugs, but it will only work until the temperatures get so low.
What type of glow plug set up do you have in your 7.3? Is it the 6.9 style or the 7.3 style? If it's the 6.9 style, those controllers are known to stick in the on position and burn out your glow plugs. It sounds like that is what happened to yours. I am using the 6.9 style in my Blue Truck and don't even have a controller. I just use a manual control and have very few glow plug issues.

 

[Baxter]

Unless it's been removed, your engine already has a coolant immersive block heater. You'll see it when you drop the starter to replace it. This heater alone can start the engine without glow plugs, but it will only work until the temperatures get so low.
What type of glow plug set up do you have in your 7.3? Is it the 6.9 style or the 7.3 style? If it's the 6.9 style, those controllers are known to stick in the on position and burn out your glow plugs. It sounds like that is what happened to yours. I am using the 6.9 style in my Blue Truck and don't even have a controller. I just use a manual control and have very few glow plug issues.

Ok, I will look when I switch out the starter. I actually mis-typed above, the engine in this truck is a 1993 idi. Should either have a plug or the heater element installed huh? It has the 7.3 style combined relay and controller unit that's why I'm puzzled. Recently replaced new one under the lifetime warranty on these things. Recently replaced the glow plugs too but haven't tested them yet to see if they are fried or not. I'm suspecting the wiring harness? Don't know at this point. In my 6.9 I did bypass the controller and put a manual switch on the dash. So far so good but I did burn through a set of plugs pretty quick already ... not sure if I was holding the button too long, only about 9 sec. when cold but who knows. For the 7.3 I'll try the block heater method overnight plugged in unless I'm outta town or something. Maybe replace the wiring harness as well to see if that fixes it. Thanks!

 

[BlindAmbition]

What glow plugs are you using?

 

[Baxter]

The Motorcraft ZD-9

 

[Old Goat]

You ca throw a HF Moving blanket over the engine, and it will hold in more.I have done that when really cold. Really makes it nice an toasty with the BH on.
The Mice like the warmth also.

Also a HF heat gun down the intake for a minute, she will start right off. leave it on while cranking to suck in the hot air. Be sure to remove the Filter, or you will have plenty of fire to suck in.

I use the ZD1 in our 86 with the manual switch.
Been using them the past 3 winter`s or so. When down it the 30`s, or below, I glow for 10 sec., so far she always starts w/o stumbling.
Not sure why you are burning out yours.

You can go back to your original post, hit "Edit", and correct things.


Goat

 

[hacked89]

If you don’t want to fix or diagnose the factory system a manual glow plug setup will be the best use of your time

 

[Baxter]

If you don’t want to fix or diagnose the factory system a manual glow plug setup will be the best use of your time

On the 1993 idi with the single unit relay/controller ... I wish I could simply run a manual switch to a new wiring harness that splits into 8 separate wires to each glow plug.. throw an inline fuse under the dash and go! Would I still need to run the inside cab switch wire to the existing relay under the hood or can I bypass it all??

 

[Baxter]

You ca throw a HF Moving blanket over the engine, and it will hold in more.I have done that when really cold. Really makes it nice an toasty with the BH on.
The Mice like the warmth also.

Also a HF heat gun down the intake for a minute, she will start right off. leave it on while cranking to suck in the hot air. Be sure to remove the Filter, or you will have plenty of fire to suck in.

I use the ZD1 in our 86 with the manual switch.
Been using them the past 3 winter`s or so. When down it the 30`s, or below, I glow for 10 sec., so far she always starts w/o stumbling.
Not sure why you are burning out yours.

You can go back to your original post, hit "Edit", and correct things.


Goat

OG I will use a blanket, good idea. For now I was going to try and use the block heater even in the summer with no glow plug electricity hooked up. the lowest temp at night would be 60-65. It still won't start after sitting for more than 6-8 hrs. Then when it's cold next winter pull out all the stops to get er fired up in the mornings. No wonder they use a glow plug system though. way easier if the dang things worked right all the time!

Is there a diff. between the ZD1 and the ZD9? My 85 engine uses the ones with the flat connector, but this is a 1993 so it uses the straight small cylinder connector top ones ...

 

[hacked89]

On the 1993 idi with the single unit relay/controller ... I wish I could simply run a manual switch to a new wiring harness that splits into 8 separate wires to each glow plug.. throw an inline fuse under the dash and go! Would I still need to run the inside cab switch wire to the existing relay under the hood or can I bypass it all??

You can bypass it all. You can reuse the factory relay, a starter relay, or upgrade to a white rodgers type relay

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Is there a diff. between the ZD1 and the ZD9?

Yes the biggest difference is that the ZD1As have a spade connector on top while the ZD9s have a bullet connector. There may be some differences in ohms readings and how they glow too, but I'm not 100% on that.

 

[Booyah45828]

If you're over it. I think you'd be better with a self limiting plug on a manual button. Unless you want to wait an hour or so for the block/pan heaters to do their thing. As far as start-ability is concerned, you can't really beat the 10 or so seconds it takes for the glow plugs to work.

Just for reference, did you use motorcraft plugs and a motorcraft controller/relay?

 

[Baxter]

If you're over it. I think you'd be better with a self limiting plug on a manual button. Unless you want to wait an hour or so for the block/pan heaters to do their thing. As far as start-ability is concerned, you can't really beat the 10 or so seconds it takes for the glow plugs to work.

Just for reference, did you use motorcraft plugs and a motorcraft controller/relay?

I hesitate to go full on block heater/no glowplug power to start the thing because it doesn't really get that cold where I live, just thought then I don't have to deal with replacing the gp parts every year or two ...

...what is a self limiting plug? I installed a button on my older '85 6.9, works great ... could I use a 6.9 relay (only the solenoid without the controller attached) and hook up my '93 7.3 the same exact way?

Ya know I have always ran the motorcraft plugs but only used the Napa or Oreilly brand relay/controllers ... do you really think that could be the problem? they have a lifetime warranty, so I have gotten them replaced for no charge a couple times.

 

[captain720]

CDDs glow plug relay kit and some motocraft ZD9 plugs would solve all your problems with a limited number of wires and you can throw that factory style controller in the nearest scrap bin.

 

[Baxter]

CDDs glow plug relay kit and some motocraft ZD9 plugs would solve all your problems with a limited number of wires and you can throw that factory style controller in the nearest scrap bin.

Thx Captain. I did not know of this kit and was going to buy a new wiring harness anyway, I'll consider it