How long can you safely glow ZD9's manually?

[itsacrazyasian]

Like the title says, ZD9 on a manual push button setup, straight 12V to them. How long can you glow them without burning them out. IE safe glow time for normal 20-30F cold starts.

Thx

 

[FordGuy100]

For a cold start that temperature I go 8-9 seconds. Anything single digits or below 14-16 seconds. Single digits to 20* go more and more glow time accordingly.

 

[Agnem]

You have to be extremely carefull here. The problem is this. If you don't glow them long enough, you may not start. If you don't start, your going to be tempted to glow them again. Depending on how much time has passed, and how long you actuated them both times, you may burn them out. It is BETTER to give one good glow of 12 to 14 seconds (real seconds - measured with a watch) than two glows of 8 seconds 4 seconds apart.

 

[hesutton]

Also once you get it started on a cold day, you can give them a short 2 second "afterglow" like the factory controller to help a few of the lazy cylinders to light off.

Heath

 

[rhkcommander]

how long is a good time between glows, couple minutes?

for berus at least

 

[hesutton]

If you've cranked on the motor since your 1st glow and it failed to start. I'd say glow again and crank it another time. The plugs will certainly be cooled off by the freezing cold diesel squirting on them from the injector. Now, if you glow them for 10+ seconds wait 3 seconds and glow them again for another 10+ with ever trying to start the truck, then I think you are looking a premature failure.

Heath

 

[dyoung14]

Or fix the controller and use it how it was intended then it will work for years to come without problems

 

[itsacrazyasian]

The 6.9 controller is dead, had 3 functioning Champion glow plugs... Got a great deal on ZD9's and since the motor was swapped in i just kept the push button. If i find a 7.3 controller i'll upgrade but in the mean time i'm away and my neighbor was trying to move my truck and i had just thrown those glow plugs in before i left and never started it cold.

Thanks guys

 

[Diesel JD]

You can't be that cold in Boca. I'd say 8-10 seconds, no more, I'd be shocked if it didn't start real easily with that much. I know it has been colder than usual down there though. We've really been in the icebox up here in Gainesville.

 

[dyoung14]

If you could get an engine wiring harness from a 7.3, and i had your truck i could show you how to cut the non needed parts out of that harness and splice it into yours and have working plugs off of the switch but my brain cant comprehend doing it over the internet, im a hands on kinda person

 

[itsacrazyasian]

dyoung - i can wire it myself thats not a problem. I just need to find some time to go grab a controller. I had the stock 6.9 controller in the donor truck go bad so i installed a push button. When i yanked the motor out i just left the stuck 6.9 controller in teh head. When i noticed the glow plugs heading south i bought some from the dealer, they had teh ZD9 in stock cheap! So i installed them and i was gonna buy a new controller and install when i got back in town but my neighbor needs some stuff out of my garage and the F350 is blocking it. I didn't want him firing it up and burning out the glow plugs.

JD - actually it was warmer out in Boca but i live in Jupiter. Friend told me it was 33 on my porch thermometer when he went to move my truck. 8 seconds and he said it turned right over.