lakesurfer
Registered User
First, please know this: ever since I bought this truck in 2008, and ripped all the non ZD-9 junk plugs out of it, it has been running NOTHING but Motorcraft/Beru ZD-9 glow plugs as it should. Now for the story....
The #5 glow plug (the one behind the darn glow plug relay) failed so I pulled all the necessary items out of the way and replaced it. No problem.
The #7 glow plug (the one almost inaccessible at the firewall, under the factory turbo) had tested good, but since the GP relay was already out of the way, if I was ever going to replace it, now was the time.
It loosened easily enough, but what I pulled out was only the TOP HALF of the GP (The threaded bit, up to the terminal on top). The part left in the head I could see looked like a metal "drinking straw" that barely stuck up above the level of the head.
I bought and used a variety of long needle nose pliers, both strait and hooked. No help.
I removed the #7 injector (being careful to also retrieve the copper seal), and stuck a hose connected to my shop vac, into the injector hole, blew compressed air into the GP hole, while vacuuming out the injector hole. Learned this on YouTube. No help.
Finally, I realized I had to get better access and remove the turbo so I did. Then I had a beautiful, "Red Green" idea: I put a little penetrating oil into the hole and let it soak a bit. (Kroil is my favorite). Then I took a several long drywall screws of varying thickness, and found one I could gently screw into the "metal drinking straw" just enough to grab it. Then I gently worked it back and forth aaaand.... BAM! The rest of the GP came out IN ITS ENTIRETY!!
I was so ridiculously excited that I wasn't pulling my cylinder head that I got carried away, again...... My son said on that day that the whole neighborhood heard my howls of victory.
Hope that gives some a laugh and possibly some an idea they can use. The other lesson is this: Even the good Motorcraft/Beru glow plugs can swell if you don't change them on some kind of schedule.
The #5 glow plug (the one behind the darn glow plug relay) failed so I pulled all the necessary items out of the way and replaced it. No problem.
The #7 glow plug (the one almost inaccessible at the firewall, under the factory turbo) had tested good, but since the GP relay was already out of the way, if I was ever going to replace it, now was the time.
It loosened easily enough, but what I pulled out was only the TOP HALF of the GP (The threaded bit, up to the terminal on top). The part left in the head I could see looked like a metal "drinking straw" that barely stuck up above the level of the head.
I bought and used a variety of long needle nose pliers, both strait and hooked. No help.
I removed the #7 injector (being careful to also retrieve the copper seal), and stuck a hose connected to my shop vac, into the injector hole, blew compressed air into the GP hole, while vacuuming out the injector hole. Learned this on YouTube. No help.
Finally, I realized I had to get better access and remove the turbo so I did. Then I had a beautiful, "Red Green" idea: I put a little penetrating oil into the hole and let it soak a bit. (Kroil is my favorite). Then I took a several long drywall screws of varying thickness, and found one I could gently screw into the "metal drinking straw" just enough to grab it. Then I gently worked it back and forth aaaand.... BAM! The rest of the GP came out IN ITS ENTIRETY!!
I was so ridiculously excited that I wasn't pulling my cylinder head that I got carried away, again...... My son said on that day that the whole neighborhood heard my howls of victory.
Hope that gives some a laugh and possibly some an idea they can use. The other lesson is this: Even the good Motorcraft/Beru glow plugs can swell if you don't change them on some kind of schedule.
