Broken glow plug - I think?

[fields_mj]

Okay, I've never seen a glow plug, so I don't know exactly what's broken here. Found it while I was replacing my return lines today. I thought that I had a bad glow plug because I could watch my amp gauge pulse after the truck started. I'm not sure if what's broken here is part of the glow plug, or part of the wiring/connector that goes to the glow plug. Either way, I'm sure the glow plug will need to be replaced, but I'm not sure if I need to get anything else (wireing/connector) to complete the repair. This might be a good time for me to ask how hard it is to change a glow plug....

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[Diesel JD]

Looks like that connector and wiring is just fine. Are you very sure it is tight on the glow plug and the connection is clean? If not you will get sub-optimal results.

 

[fields_mj]

I'm going to try this again. I should have done this to begin with, but I got lazy. The connector is not attached to anything. The bottom of it is broken out. You have to look REAL close in the picture to see that the bottom side is broken. I should have taken a second picture of just the connector. I've edited the picture a little bit to try to make it a little clearer.

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From the sounds of it, I will need a new connector and some wiring too. Can I buy just the one, or do I have to buy a whole set and a controller too? How big of a PIA is this going to be to fix?

As it gets cold out, is this going to cause a lot of problems? How long can I run the truck this way before it does permanent damage to something? I'm already short on money, and now I'm short on time. I have to put $250 into seals in the front diff before winter gets here, and another $75 into another diagnostics on the wifes car, plus another $160 in struts for the car, and then a set of rear wheel bearings. If I find one more thing wrong with one of our vehicles, I'm going to have to take up riding a bicycle again.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[Diesel JD]

Mark you're not going to hurt anything by driving it the way it is. What will happen is you'll continue to get the short cycling you've been getting, and that means when it's cold you'll get no start. That plug isn't connected at all so the controller reads it as a red hot glow plug and shortens the cycle. The good news is that you do not have to replace the controller or the glow plugs to do this right. The correct harness is $90 or so from International. You can replace the connectors with butt connectors, and some here have had good success with that, I could just never find the type that would stay connected and tight long term, seems to be an odd size. If money is tight and you want to drive the truck, just plug in the block heater. In the updated blocks (roughly 85 and later) this won't hurt anything. Also you'll be able to stat it just fine even without the glow plugs. Just whatever you do, don't get tempted to use ether as a starting aid unless you darned well know what you're doing and have disabled the glow plugs for sure. The only problem with using the block heater is that of course you have to have some place to plug it in and also the cold timing advance won't kick on so it warms up more slowly, 2-3 hours of the block heater will get you 130*F coolant.block temp, it should start anywhere. I bet if you get a butt connector that fits you will have 8 functional glow plugs and an easy starting truck.

 

[jcarr]

Fields shoot me a pm with your address and I'll send you 2 new autolite gp and will cut a couple of good gp wires off of the squirrel mobile or a complete gp harness if the dang squirrels haven't got to it. Found a donor harness for my truck and can share the wealth of what's left of the mess the squirrels left me.

 

[Diesel Max]

I wouldn't use the autolite GP's. The tips have a tendency of swelling over time and can break off in the head when removing and replacing. I just changed 8 GP's on my truck and they were all autolite's and 4 of them were swollen and I got very lucky I got them out without breaking the tips off. Look at any GP threads on this site and you will find very few if any members on this forum use autolites in their motors. Use Motorcraft or Beru GP's.

 

[Diesel JD]

Jcarr that's a kind offer to him, but the autolites are risky business. For some reason they don't seem to work right with this GP controller, If you're lucky they cycle kind of wonky and you eventually change them for something better. If you're unlucky they might swell or break. The connectors though are worth their weight in gold, nothing seems to work quite like them. I repeat that I think he only needs the connector and a good clean connection. Those glow plugs are probably motorcraft or some other good kind and have been in there a long time and still work. This is speculation. You can find out real quick though, take your ohm meter to it set it to your lowest ohm setting, and put the red lead to the bullet terminal and the black lead to ground. If you see something like 0.5-2 ohms its a good plug(ballpark) bad glowplugs are usually open and have resistance approaching infinity.

 

[fields_mj]

How exactly to the glow plugs come out? This one looks like its rusted and has been in there a while. The rest of them look a lot better, but I don't see how they are supposed to come out. Is there a tech article on it?

I'm going to install an external outlet on my garage for the block heater, and run one of the outlets off of a timing unit. I found an industrial style timer at Menards. It's kind of salty ($22), but I think the warm block will be well worth it come December.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[jcarr]

I'm sorry for offering up substandard parts but I just though I've been in a tight money place before and these autolites came with the squirrel mobile and I thought they might get ya out of a rough spot. Offer still stands gp's or not. I feel that why should I hord my spare goodies?

 

[Diesel Max]

I'm sorry for offering up substandard parts but I just though I've been in a tight money place before and these autolites came with the squirrel mobile and I thought they might get ya out of a rough spot. Offer still stands gp's or not. I feel that why should I hord my spare goodies?

Nothing wrong with the offer and it is a very kind jester. Just wanted people to know that there is a significant risk using autolites. If I absolutley had to use autolites because I had no other choice, I would not use them for any extended period of time and would remove them as soon as I could get the motorcraft ZD 9's.

As far as removal......... Very easy....... 3/8" deep socket..... righty tighty.... left loosey..... Not a bad idea to soak the base of the glow plug down with PB Blaster and let it soak for a while. This will make removal easier. You can also loosen the GP and then spray more PB Blaster around the threads, screw it back in and then screw it back out working the PB blaster in as you do this.

 

[fields_mj]

John, I really do appreciate the offer regardless of what brand they are. It's very kind regardless. I don't think anyone wanted to criticize such a generous offer, they just wanted to make sure that I didn't make a mistake that I would regret just because I didn't want to spend $15. When I say that I'm running out of funds, I can still deal with $15 repairs all day long, but the $50~$100 repairs (and beyond) have really gotten me worn out lately.

 

[jcarr]

Been there doing that!

 

[Agnem]

I'd start with a hose-down with Gunk, folllowed by a good presure washing (all on a cold engine). That's a lot of crap in there you don't want to fall in the cylinder. If you won't do that, at least blow it out with compressed air. The glow plug is technically a 10MM socket, but I guess a 3/8 will work. Now, keep in mind that the reason it is broke off, is because somebody else tried to get it out and found that they couldn't. The bullet is probably gone from somebody yanking on it with vice grips. PB plaster, and a lot of patience can do the job, but bring the piston up to TDC and if you get in trouble and break it off, take the injector out and try the combination compressed air/vacuum cleaner trick to fish the tip out. Otherwise, my article on replacing your head gaskets is on TDS.

 

[fields_mj]

Thanks Mel, that's some very good information that I really needed to hear even if I didn't really want to. With the thought that someone has already broken it off, I think I'll make a few phone calls and see what it would cost to have a shop do it. This GB is on the passenger side back by the fire wall, so it's a little tighter to get to than some of the others. Last thing I want to do is make a bad situation worse.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[Agnem]

I'd be carefull with that idea Mark. You make the call of course, but there is a very good chance that the shop will do a couple things, depending on their morals, or standards of excellence (or the lack there of)

1) - They might get it out sucessfully

2) - They might break the tip off and then either....

A) - Run the engine wide open to try and blow the tip out.

B) - Run it not knowing they broke the tip out, then tell you about a problem they "just diagnosed"

C) - Tell you they broke the tip off and you need a to have the head pulled.

We've had more than one person find this forum because a shop screwed up there engine.