Just wondering WHY Glow Plugs/GPC go bad so fast?

[mblaney]

I would ditch the crappy solenoid on the GP controller and use the one in my signature. I went through Ford and NAPA (Chinese) crappy relays and seemed to get 6 months to a year; then did the upgrade to the white rodgers. Never had a problem since.

 

[franklin2]

I would ditch the crappy solenoid on the GP controller and use the one in my signature. I went through Ford and NAPA (Chinese) crappy relays and seemed to get 6 months to a year; then did the upgrade to the white rodgers. Never had a problem since.

Yes, new is not always better. People are having a terrible time with the starter solenoids(relays) for the gas engines lately also. I believe they are skimping on the contact material they are using, which makes them want to stick and weld themselves together, and they have to run out and pull the battery cable off to make the starter disengage. A good relay will have some silver in it's contacts, but silver is very expensive.

 

[dieseldirt]

Where would the fusible links be located, somewhere in the harness between the relay and GP's?

Ya don't want to use a really big switch, you have to have the zig zag chromalox strip to control the inrush current and cut the voltage down to ~8 volts.
If you want a really good relay get the one pictured below, it's a Stancor 586-902 GP 200 amp Relay, the large one, small one is OEM controller relay, can't find what it's rated at. It will have to be mounted differently. You can google it for the specs. Last I knew, they are $60 online.
You shouldn't have to use a circuit breaker or fuse, the fusible links are for that. But if you rewire it, eliminating the links, then a slo-blow 150 amp fuse should be used.
Initial current draw is 196 amps for about 2 seconds then reduces to 135 for the duration of the GP cycle.

 

[dieseldirt]

OK I think I am going to rig it up like you are talking about here, but with the Stancor (White Rogers) Relay. Will there be any way the stupid controller can still toast my GP's or will it be completely "bypassed"?

Thanks everyone!

You don't need to buy anything but a switch and a little bit of wire if you have the controller like the picture below. Take the white wire off and tape it, then hook a new wire where the white wire used to go, run this wire into the cab to a pushbutton switch, and then run a ground wire to the other side of the pushbutton switch's other terminal. You now have manual glowplugs.

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[Rot Box]

Will there be any way the stupid controller can still toast my GP's or will it be completely "bypassed"?

Thanks everyone!

Completely bypassed. Plugs come on when you tell them to and off when you tell them to. I've been running manual GP's this way for years (Motorcraft/Beru) and haven't lost a plug yet knock on wood. The only way you could fry them is to hold the button for way too long or have the solenoid fail and weld its contacts together.

 

[rhkcommander]

Ya don't want to use a really big switch, you have to have the zig zag chromalox strip to control the inrush current and cut the voltage down to ~8 volts.

I've always heard that is what it does, but is there any evidence? I guess I can go out and measure with my volt meter tomorrow but I always assumed it was more like a heat sink to keep the relay from getting too hot from all of the amperage... Maybe it is dual purpose and does both

 

[79jasper]

The only way you could fry them is to hold the button for way too long or have the solenoid fail and weld its contacts together.

A good reason to hook the WTS light up to the relay output.
That way you can tell if they stick on, maybe save the gp's before it's too late.

I've always heard that is what it does, but is there any evidence? I guess I can go out and measure with my volt meter tomorrow but I always assumed it was more like a heat sink to keep the relay from getting too hot from all of the amperage... Maybe it is dual purpose and does both

Someone here showed what that chromolatic(?) strip does. (I think towcat or maybe oldbull)
Personally, on my 88 I had just a HD relay. No other junk. Worked great for the time I had it.
Ended up putting the engine in my brothers truck, with the gp relay I had, worked great for him also.


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