GPC Upgrade - I know this has been beaten to death but...

[AZDIRT]

GPC Upgrade - Quick Question

I am still relatively new to the IDIs and just need a little clarification.

The following two threads seem to have conflicting information (No need to read them, they are just for reference):

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=27069&highlight=solid+state+glow+plug+controller

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=21811


I want to use the later combination GP controller/GP relay in place of the old style "divorced" system on my 85 6.9.

Here is my question: Can I JUST disconnect the old GP Controller, and replace the GP Relay with the combinatino GP controller/GP relay, as shown here:

You must be registered for see images attach

I do know that I will need to run the trigger wire and connect the ground as well.

The important part is that I want to make sure that I don't have to replace my old style GP harness or GPs themselves with the newer style (Basically I want to use all my original stuff except the controller).

Thanks!!!

 

[AZDIRT]

Basically, I need to know if the newer GP Controller/Relay unit will work with early 6.9 GP harness and glow plugs. I don't see why not, unless there is different resistance (Ohms) somewhere in the harnesses or GPs.

Thanks

Dan

 

[AZDIRT]

Bump?

 

[icanfixall]

I'm not really an electrical expert but my answer is yes. The harness will work and the plugs being the spade type will not change anything. Others will chime in with any corrections if I missed something.

 

[Diesel JD]

The harness will work but the plugs are different. A possible solution is you could use some Government Motors positive temp. coefficient plugs. They will plug into your current harness and work with that kind of controller. You'd have to look up the 6.5 glow plugs I can't remember.

 

[The Warden]

To the best of my knowledge, it's not a simple "swap controllers and call it good" job. I did this conversion myself, and never did get everything working "properly"...my plugs still cycle on for less than 1 second and I have to time it manually I THINK it's because the controller's looking for specific resistance values, and is calibrated based on the size and length of the wires going to the plugs).

Here's some reading for you, if you'd like...you can get an idea of what I went through. Short version is, you're PROBABLY best off swapping wiring harnesses, or at the very minimum, get the wires going from the controller to th plugs from a 7.3l harness. I never finished troubleshooting my system; what you see at the end of the second thread is as far as I got (haven't had time to play with the factory 7.3l harness).

http://oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=5425

http://oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=10888

Hope it helps some...good luck!!

 

[AZDIRT]

Thanks for the replies... looks like I just install a manual switch. I don't want to start changing controllers...

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

I did the switch to solid state. All you have to simply do is swap the wires shown in the picture above to the corresponding place as shown on the picture. The only swap you will need to do is the ends on your glow plug wire because the older type are the spade type and the new solid state is a bullet. I didn't change out the whole harness, I just spliced on the ends on the existing harness. No changing of ends on the GP controller side is needed. Any help just hit me up here since I have done this swap.

 

[AZDIRT]

I did the switch to solid state. All you have to simply do is swap the wires shown in the picture above to the corresponding place as shown on the picture. The only swap you will need to do is the ends on your glow plug wire because the older type are the spade type and the new solid state is a bullet. I didn't change out the whole harness, I just spliced on the ends on the existing harness. No changing of ends on the GP controller side is needed. Any help just hit me up here since I have done this swap.

And it cycled properly?

Did you change to the bullet type GPs because your old ones were burnt out? I am wondering if there is actually any difference in the two different types of GPs besides the connector?

I guess my interest is renewed

 

[The Warden]

And it cycled properly?

Did you change to the bullet type GPs because your old ones were burnt out? I am wondering if there is actually any difference in the two different types of GPs besides the connector?

I guess my interest is renewed

Everything I've read indicates that there IS a difference between the two plugs, besides the connectors. The bullet-style plugs also act as sensors to tell the controller how warm the engine is, whereas the spade-style plugs are meant to be dumb I don't see why you couldn't use bullet-style plugs with a 6.9l system, but I don't think you can properly use spade-style plugs with a 7.3l system.

As to the poster's comment about simply swapping things and it all working properly, I'd love to hear more about it...

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

I will try to find the thread that I started when I did this swap. I used the same exact picture in this thread, I pulled everything off the old GP controller and put it where it showed on the new one(Solid State) then I also changed the GP ends from the spade to the bullet type along with changing the Glow plugs. Yes it cycled properly, When the GP wait to start light goes out you should get an after glow cycle which all it is will be the GP's cycling off and on, that is normal...

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

This thread is from another forum I visit, all the information will be in there to switch controllers, need any more help just ask here, Ill try my best.

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/805587-switching-over-to-solid-state.html

 

[The Warden]

Do you still have the 7.3l harness you pulled from the junkyard? Are the wires going to the plugs the same gauge on the 7.3l harness compared to the 6.9l harness?

I THINK that my issue was with using thicker gauge wires on my setup, but again, I never looked deeply into it due to a lack of time.

I must say, I wish that the picture showing where each wire goes on the new controller had been available when I did my swap. I spent a considerable amount of time pulling my hair out trying to figure out which wire went where...