MOUNTAIN ROAD TRIP Preparation!

[parkergn]

Hey everyone!

I'm under two weeks out do my 3rd Ontario to BC road trip in "Moonmud" '86 6.9 Camper Van. Been at it last month trying to replace and upgrade as much as possible for the smooth journey this time...

Here's my recent REPAIRS;

- Warrantied / new Group 34/78 850 CCA batteries
- Battery / Starter cables - 4/0 to starter, 2/0 everywhere else, 6 gauge for battery to relay / extra grounds (Thanks @franklin2)
- Grote Military battery terminals
- Pulled wire harness to engine bay, re did any "road trip" repairs from previous years, clean connections, harness taped, and split loomed.
- #2 gauge alternator cables with MRBF fuse bolted to the 78 side terminal post, very nice location.
-25' #2 gauge DC-DC charger cable from starter battery (fused on other 78 terminal post)
-All new V-belts (Fleet Runner Heavy Duty Green)
- Vacuum pump 11/32 hose (was rubbing a hole on alternator)
- Heater hose and top radiator hose (will do full flush and bottom hose in spring)
- Electric oil pressure gauge
- Hall-sensor ammeter for glow-plug dash amp gauge!

MODS
- Inline electric fuel pump used for priming (still having over night drain back issues I can't seem to find) - 3 seconds with the pump and system is primed for startup every time.

NEXT STEPS -

GLOW PLUGS
- Currently - Manual push button to fender relay, new 2x10awg wire harness to spade connectors, ZD-28 plugs. Ammeter Dash Gauge (120amps cold - 80amps hot after 10 seconds)

Tested the plugs last week, during overhaul all read 0.7ohms, after a -15C startup, 3 died! SO now have to replace, but having bad luck with ZD-28 plugs on push button… like 3 sets now in a year…

Option A - Try 80034 Glow-plugs on current manual glow plug setup with dash ammeter. @Black dawg @Old Goat

Option B - Install 7.3 controller onto fender wall (I have a salvaged one from a wreck) and splice harness to take ZD-29 bullet style connectors, and swap to ZD-29. Keeping manual override on the controller a possibility.

Option A, if the Bosch plugs are reliable, seems like the easier / cheaper option. $8 CAD rockauto special. Keeps old spade connectors for now and don't have to pull out my harness again.

Option B, well I would be trusting the salvaged 7.3 controller, finding a spot on my vans fender to install, splice in aftermarket bullet connectors onto harness. However may never need manual button again?

Great to get anyones input on Glow plugs, my recent repairs, and anything you can think I can should look into before I leave for my 2 month road trip!

Thanks!

 

[catbird7]

I use an IDI for long distance deer hunting trips, often in cold weather, and often remote locations without cell service. Most emergency take along equipment is aimed at getting the truck started in cold weather. After these engines are started and running typically you're good so long as you keep fuel to the engine. I carry a jump pack, a small generator {2000} and even a small battery charger. Another item in my "Oh $hit" box is a magnetic engine block heater. Allows you to warm the oil prior to attempting to start the engine in very cold weather. Other items; spare fuel filter, quart of atf, small bottle of brake fluid, bottle of blue devil stop leak for the cooling system, starting fluid, tire chains, back up electric {in line} fuel pump, rags, a small tarp just in case i have to crawl under the truck in wet or muddy or snowy conditions, tire plug kit, etc.

 

[ihc1470]

My experience is the glow plugs draw 200 amps cold plus or minus a couple. Wonder if you are getting OEM plugs or China junk. Where have you been sourcing your plugs?

 

[FrozenMerc]

If you are burning out a few sets of glow plugs each year, the problem isn't the plugs, it is likely the harness. Your connectors are probably worn and not making a good connection with the plug. This leads to in increase in resistance on one or two plugs, the other plugs see an increase in amperage, and the one with the lowest resistance essentially becomes a short circuit and burns out. A couple tenths of an ohm makes a huge difference here since we are talking about resistors of only 1 or 2 ohms of resistance to begin with. Look up Kirchoff's Current Law and do the math on an 8 resistor parallel circuit if you want to understand exactly what is going on.

I went from glow plugs lasting 4 to 6 months before I rebuilt my harness to not having had to change a single one in the past two years since I did the work.

 

[parkergn]

My experience is the glow plugs draw 200 amps cold plus or minus a couple. Wonder if you are getting OEM plugs or China junk. Where have you been sourcing your plugs?

Last two sets were from Ford dealership in BC. Seemed legit

If you are burning out a few sets of glow plugs each year, the problem isn't the plugs, it is likely the harness. Your connectors are probably worn and not making a good connection with the plug. This leads to in increase in resistance on one or two plugs, the other plugs see an increase in amperage, and the one with the lowest resistance essentially becomes a short circuit and burns out. A couple tenths of an ohm makes a huge difference here since we are talking about resistors of only 1 or 2 ohms of resistance to begin with. Look up Kirchoff's Current Law and do the math on an 8 resistor parallel circuit if you want to understand exactly what is going on.

I went from glow plugs lasting 4 to 6 months before I rebuilt my harness to not having had to change a single one in the past two years since I did the work.

Ah hmm good thinking actually. I did run new wires from relay back to engine back. But spliced in the old connectors. (Side of the road repair) They seem okay, maybe a little dirty / greasy. I’ll give them a good clean and any way to test this in the engine? Resistance with a meter?

If my connectors are no good, I could then just make a new harness with bullet connectors and run the 7.3 setup eh

 

[parkergn]

Last two sets were from Ford dealership in BC. Seemed legit


Ah hmm good thinking actually. I did run new wires from relay back to engine back. But spliced in the old connectors. (Side of the road repair) They seem okay, maybe a little dirty / greasy. I’ll give them a good clean and any way to test this in the engine? Resistance with a meter?

If my connectors are no good, I could then just make a new harness with bullet connectors and run the 7.3 setup eh

If you are burning out a few sets of glow plugs each year, the problem isn't the plugs, it is likely the harness. Your connectors are probably worn and not making a good connection with the plug. This leads to in increase in resistance on one or two plugs, the other plugs see an increase in amperage, and the one with the lowest resistance essentially becomes a short circuit and burns out. A couple tenths of an ohm makes a huge difference here since we are talking about resistors of only 1 or 2 ohms of resistance to begin with. Look up Kirchoff's Current Law and do the math on an 8 resistor parallel circuit if you want to understand exactly what is going on.

I went from glow plugs lasting 4 to 6 months before I rebuilt my harness to not having had to change a single one in the past two years since I did the work.

also my last start up before I found 3 burnt plugs, I did have one plug not connected, so 7 plugs got the full voltage…

 

[FrozenMerc]

I did have one plug not connected, so 7 plugs got the full voltage…

There is your problem.

 

[parkergn]

There is your problem.

Weird I edited that post to say I took my harness out last night and found 3 dirty connections, giving resistance to 3 plugs about an extra 0.2-0.8ohms depending on the multimeter. So 3 plugs with more resistance, and a 4th not plugged in leaving the other 4 exposed to full voltage longer, and they were the ones to burn out quicker.

Took it all apart, gave the plugs a deep clean and brass brush to them. 0 ohms to all wires now.

Gonna pick up some Bosch 80034 locally here, and try them out with my cleaned harness. I’ll report back on the amp readings and timing.

 

[parkergn]

New Bosch 80034 glow plugs are working great. The smaller spades are not ideal, but extra crimp on the terminals and they are tight.

Getting 130amps peak on initiation, then after about 10 seconds drops to 70amps on the glow plugs. Starts right up at -15C here in Toronto, no heater.

Noticed a little coolant leak on the rear head gasket. Above the starter. Drips then starts to evaporate.

Would re torquing the head bolts help?

Picked up some ACDelco Coolant leak tablets, anyone ever use these before?

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Would re torquing the head bolts help?

Quite possibly. There's no guarantee, but several people have solved their coolant leaks by doing that.

Picked up some ACDelco Coolant leak tablets, anyone ever use these before?

Not that brand, but we used what we called "builders cubes" in our engines as an extra preventative. We had a 1983 F350 shop truck with a 6.9 for a time. It started leaking coolant from the rear corner of a head gasket. Those cubes would stop the leak for a while. Retorquing the head bolts probably would have fixed it, but the boss didn't want to spend any time or money on the truck. He ended up replacing it with a 1986(?) F250 with a 6.9 instead.

 

[rreegg]

Noticed a little coolant leak on the rear head gasket. Above the starter.

Least on the 7.3 there’s a smaller diameter, maybe 1/2” coolant hose above the starter connecting to the top of the block. Have had leaks from this hose before so maybe worth checking unless youre positive it’s a head gasket leak

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Least on the 7.3 there’s a smaller diameter, maybe 1/2” coolant hose above the starter connecting to the top of the block. Have had leaks from this hose before so maybe worth checking unless youre positive it’s a head gasket leak

Not from the factory. I've seen one similar, if not exactly the same, but it's not factory. I have no idea what they're for. He also has a 6.9.

 

[parkergn]

Quite possibly. There's no guarantee, but several people have solved their coolant leaks by doing that.

Not that brand, but we used what we called "builders cubes" in our engines as an extra preventative. We had a 1983 F350 shop truck with a 6.9 for a time. It started leaking coolant from the rear corner of a head gasket. Those cubes would stop the leak for a while. Retorquing the head bolts probably would have fixed it, but the boss didn't want to spend any time or money on the truck. He ended up replacing it with a 1986(?) F250 with a 6.9 instead.

Okay cool I’ll try to retorque the head bolts. However since I’m in a van, I can only really access the ones at the rear of the engine, through the dog house. Is it okay to only torque down a few? Also back off the bolt then torque back down correct?

If not I’ll throw a tab or two into my coolant and see if that helps consume less coolant on our road trip!

 

[parkergn]

Re-torqued these back 3 bolts to 78ftlbs (touch extra, 75lbs is spec)

No more seepage! Woot woot

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I'm pretty sure that it's 80 lb-ft.