why not to use autolite glow plugs, with pics

[ksingltn]

Posted this on another forum about a year ago, figured I would share here too.

So my buddy put these in his truck in an emergency back in April of 2011. He was up in Kentucky helping someone move and the GPC went out, so while he was at it he put all new glow plugs too. Only ones available were autolite, and he knew about the swelling issue, but planned on changing them ASAP when he got home. Fast forward to the beginning of June 2011, and he he had only driven the truck once since getting it home, so these had maybe a dozen starts on them. These glow plugs have 499.2 miles on them. Truck is a '90 F-250 std cab 4x4 E4OD.



The one on top is a motorcraft BERU plug for comparison. We had to use a prybar and a pair of vise grips to get 3 of them out, those are the 3 with the mangled tops and plier marks. We were really sweating it figuring we were going to break at least one. The second one down on the right had actually swollen so much that we swaged it back down when we pried it out. Lots of pb blaster and a big prybar did wonders.

Have heard of this issue over and over, but never seen the actual problem or a picture thereof, so I figured I would pass it on.

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[sle2115]

Yes, very lucky they didn't break off! Great pictures too!

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

Yep, have plenty of those horror stories and pics posted here over the years.

Welcome to OB!

 

[icanfixall]

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for another real time proof those autolites or as some call them crapolites will ruin a good day. I understand emergency use but wow. Less than 500 miles and a dozen starts proves this very well what will happen. For me I think I would have disconnected the power to the controller and used ether (crack in a can) to start my rig. The thought of ruining a set of pistons with as much work in them as I have isn't worth a set of crapolites. Or crampions either...

 

[ksingltn]

here is what happens when one breaks. This was out of a parts truck I bought for cheap because it had a dead cylinder. Guy I got it from said it had a broken off champion when he pulled it, but it ran ok on 7 cylinders so he just put a new GP in it and went on.

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[icanfixall]

Great pics of a messed up head and valve. Looks to me like that head has a bad valve job done. The intake valve is sunken too deep in the pocket. The bottom pic shows that crazy plug in the block that closes up the coolant passage to run the engines hotter for smog reasons. That passage is open on the 6.9 engines and they run cooler than a 7.3.. HMMM.. Wonder why.... Those plugs are also in the head too.

 

[Coyote_Red]

I have heard of this too but have never seen what actually happens. I am sure glad I listened to the OB knowledge and got the Motorcraft plugs.

icanfixall, can those plugs be removed from the 7.3 or are they in permanent?

 

[chris142]

Mine had delphi ones in it and they did not give me any trouble. I replaced them with beru ones after reading the horror stories here. Maybe the delphi ones are ok too?

 

[icanfixall]

I have heard of this too but have never seen what actually happens. I am sure glad I listened to the OB knowledge and got the Motorcraft plugs.

icanfixall, can those plugs be removed from the 7.3 or are they in permanent?

Yes they are easily removed from the block and head. If thats done you will have to run the 6.9 head gaskets on the 7.3 so the flow can get thru the now open ports. The 7.3 head gaskets do not have these open ports in the gaskets. Cutting them open in the 7.3 heads is not recommended either. Cuting thru the sandwiched steel is not easy. The hole needed is much smaller than the plug taken out to. So far one member has done this gasket change on his 7.3 and is running grat. No issues found in this mod. Had I known of this when I had my engine on the stand I sure would have used the 6.9 head gaskets on it. I will do this if that engine ever comes out too. It might come out someday and a typ4 cam installed but we have to wait..

 

[The Warden]

Great visual demonstration, and thank you for posting it! I nominate this thread for the Tech Articles...this is too important to let fall by the wayside...

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

as i always say,there are better ways to starting a diesel engine than off brand glow plugs in the event of an emergency.block heater,hair dryer,gas rag fumes,starting fluid while cranking etc.any of the above would happen before i screwed a non beru in my heads.

 

[f-two-fiddy]

I'll agree with that!

 

[ksingltn]

as i always say,there are better ways to starting a diesel engine than off brand glow plugs in the event of an emergency.block heater,hair dryer,gas rag fumes,starting fluid while cranking etc.any of the above would happen before i screwed a non beru in my heads.

Yeah, well, he didn't know at the time. Knows now, but he's selling the IDI cause he bought a 95 CC LB PSD