Why we stress using Motocraft glow plugs

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

A confession to make here as a hard lesson learned. I've been battling cold start issues with Mater for a couple weeks now. During initial issues, I had found a few glow plugs to be burnt out. Needing to fill the voids, I had some old Autolites floating around still from ones replaced on customers trucks. Knowing this was only a temporary fix, I installed 2 Autolites and 2 used Berus.
In less than 2 weeks time I now have whats left of this to deal with. Bouncing around in the #8 cylinder.
So yes stupid is as stupid does. If you think you can get away with using them, guess again.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Agnem]

Feel no shame Ron! I did the same thing, as I documented back 2 years ago. I put an Autolite in as a "validation experiment" That engine is now sitting in my garage waiting for a rebuild. Like yours, I got 2 maybe 3 starts out of the Autolites before the tip swelled and it wouldn't come out. Rather than break it off like you did, I just left it alone. When I pull the heads, I'll get the tip out.

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

This one came apart all on its own Mel. There was no resistance when in threading it from the head and popped right out. It did that all by itself.
So tonight I'll be attempting to retrieve it thru a compressed open exhaust valve with the shop air and a shop vac.

 

[smokin150]

I used the autolites for about a year... got lucky I guess. Did notice that the tip diameter is smaller n on t he autolites than the motor craft. I'll try and snap pics of the 8 I pulled out... you can tell carbon had built up around them... had to take a file and knock the carbon free of the hole to get the zd9 plugs in. So yea.... never use autolites

 

[icanfixall]

Wow... Sorry Ron... Thats a sucker of a deal right there. Yet we have some members that post up that they have run these less than stellar plugs without issues. I hesitate calling them out and want to believe whats posted. After all everything posted on the web or internet is true.. Isn't it. Many years ago I had oil in my coolant. Took my rig to a shop and that guy told me I needed cooler o rings. And because of the miles on my engine it needed a pump and glow plugs. So he did all that for me.. I was a newbie not trusting my skills yet. Well about 5 years later I learned about berus and felt I should learn how to install a set.. Big trouble came to me when I tried to remove 7 and 8 plugs... That fool fake a$$ mechanic didn't replace them.... Under the turbo was a champion and under the firewall number 8 was an autolite... Both long since burned off. The other easy to replace plugs were all berus and in good shape.... I was so pissed off after that. Several years later when I rebuilt an engine and removed the turbo I swa the damage done to the hot wheel. It could have been fixed but I was having none of that... Bought another turbo from Banks at a costly $1100.00. then rebuilt that damaged turbo later on with The help of Russ. It took almost 18 months to find the shaft and hot wheel... They are a one piece item and the material is inconel so its expensive.. Mistubishi is the maker and they wont help you unless you know the part number. they will not look up anything for you.. sure wish I could find a parts breakdown sheet on the Banks TEO6 turbos...

 

[idiabuse]

great reason to plug it in instead. This is why many do manual GP also.
I quit using my GP just cause they refuse to work for me!
easier to plug in than figure out *** happened...



Javier

 

[idiabuse]

Wow... Sorry Ron... Thats a sucker of a deal right there. Yet we have some members that post up that they have run these less than stellar plugs without issues. I hesitate calling them out and want to believe whats posted. After all everything posted on the web or internet is true.. Isn't it. Many years ago I had oil in my coolant. Took my rig to a shop and that guy told me I needed cooler o rings. And because of the miles on my engine it needed a pump and glow plugs. So he did all that for me.. I was a newbie not trusting my skills yet. Well about 5 years later I learned about berus and felt I should learn how to install a set.. Big trouble came to me when I tried to remove 7 and 8 plugs... That fool fake a$$ mechanic didn't replace them.... Under the turbo was a champion and under the firewall number 8 was an autolite... Both long since burned off. The other easy to replace plugs were all berus and in good shape.... I was so pissed off after that. Several years later when I rebuilt an engine and removed the turbo I swa the damage done to the hot wheel. It could have been fixed but I was having none of that... Bought another turbo from Banks at a costly $1100.00. then rebuilt that damaged turbo later on with The help of Russ. It took almost 18 months to find the shaft and hot wheel... They are a one piece item and the material is inconel so its expensive.. Mistubishi is the maker and they wont help you unless you know the part number. they will not look up anything for you.. sure wish I could find a parts breakdown sheet on the Banks TEO6 turbos...

I have a spare sidewinder just incase. When I got my truck I also seen all the bs work done when the head gaskets blew. that is why they blew. all the tough to reach headbolts not tight and had no washers not to mention reused and streched.
That was when I learned how to install 6.9 heads on the 7.3


Javier

 

[osokusmc]

You're freaking me out. Now I have two sets of glow plugs to remove and check. Both have been put in at different shops over the last year. I've driven 6.9 diesels over the years but never fooled around under the hood much. I did replace my lift pump and did the atf in the fuel filter trick, thanks to advice from a few of you. The more I learn about them, the more I like them. I bought a 6.0 without knowing too much about them, other than what some people said, and the more I've learned the more paranoid I get. Mines been good to me so far and has had most of the mods done except head studs. I do like my 6.9s for what I use a pickup for most of the time.

 

[84TD]

Where are autolites made?

I bought a set of delphi glow plugs from the fleet suply and they were made in Italy. It did put me off a little since the sales person told me they were going to be german so I was figuring delphi just rebranded some berus.

 

[Blind Driver2]

Best advice I can give based upon my understanding of 12V electrical gizmos is to replace all 8 with the same brand whenever there is a problem with even just one. If you put in 1 Autolite with 7 Berus, the different one is normally going to have a problem. 1 new Beru with 7 old Berus, the new one is going to have the same problem based on electrical resistance. I suspect the new one to have the least resistance and will get the hottest.

I need to purchase 6 more Berus soon and will compare the Ohms unless someone can beat me to it.

 

[icanfixall]

Autolites are made in craploa shiets...... I think 2 cavemen are pounding them out under a rock in some far away land behind a rice field.... Like said.. Some get lucky and some don't. For me it cost me a turbo rebuild and that was cheap. Remember that the piston to head clearance is all of around 42 thousands. The broken glow plug tips are probably 375 thousands long and about 125 thousands wide... So guess where they are going to stick too. A valve seat and then the valve contacts a piston.. Or stick in the soft piston crown... Anyway you look at it they are the most expensive glow plugs anyone has ever bought... For me I will buy the cheap motorcraft berus and be happy with them...;p

 

[The Warden]

Ron, thank you for posting this. It's a good reminder of why Autolite glow plugs are playing with fire...I know that some have run them without issues, but that does not mean that issues do not exist, and this is a good visual demonstration that their quality has not improved in recent years.

great reason to plug it in instead.

With all due respect, while I agree with your logic that plugging a block heater in is going to put less wear on the engine and make cold-starts easier, some people simply don't have that luxury.

 

[idiabuse]

Ron, thank you for posting this. It's a good reminder of why Autolite glow plugs are playing with fire...I know that some have run them without issues, but that does not mean that issues do not exist, and this is a good visual demonstration that their quality has not improved in recent years.


With all due respect, while I agree with your logic that plugging a block heater in is going to put less wear on the engine and make cold-starts easier, some people simply don't have that luxury.

! I know! sometimes the wife/GF wont let that old truck within 150 feet of the house so the community dont think it is a DD


Javier

 

[heff]

We try out best at work to never sell anything but beru plugs to folks. I usually cite stories of problems I've read here, or actually pull up the factual info and get the customer to spend the extra couple bucks and get a quality part.
I took out the less than 3 month old dieselrx plugs the po installed and replaced with beru plugs so hopefully I won't go through those problems.

 

[The Warden]

! I know! sometimes the wife/GF wont let that old truck within 150 feet of the house so the community dont think it is a DD

At least you only have that one strike!

I've got two big ones:

1) I have a pre-'85 6.9l, so I can't safely run a block heater in the factory location...I actually ditched it altogether in '04.

2) No way in Hades does my truck fit in the carport at my building, so there's nowhere within 200 feet of my apartment where I can park the truck...running even a heavy-duty extension cord's completely out of the question.

Maybe someday I'll invest in a diesel-fired block heater