Glow Plug diagnosis

[WarWagon]

60G's and Duraterms are not enough difference to bother swapping out. Now if you need to then yes. I have ruined both kinds somehow so they are not indestructible. At least the duraterms quietly burn out - no drama. The last 60G's were only burnt off nubs left, but, the engine scuffed and burned through a piston. (Lots of either was involved to start it one last time to get it on the trailer so I am not really being fair.)

With over-advanced timing you can 'erode' the glowplugs. The plugs will have a rust like texture on them.

Regardless both self limiting brands require longer to heat up than the OEM unregulated glows.

 

[Will L.]

WW nailed it. Self limiting plugs are not quick. They last long and do it safely. These plugs are not fast.

Want hot? Buy the older plugs but change them out every 10,000 miles no matter what- as if your engines life depends on it, because it might.

For the love of... DO NOT buy instaheat from ss diesel. Total crap, warranty is b.s. , and are the fastet to grenade at side your cylinder. Run away!

 

[Husker6.5]

@WarWagon , Ether while using glowplugs? Shame on you! Ether works fine in very small amounts on a cold engine without energizing the glowplugs. Lots of years' experience on the Detroit 6-73 in our Trailways Flixible VL-100 bus that was converted into a motorhome by Angola Coach of Angola, IN as well as some reluctant winter morning starts on the neighbor's ancient John Deere to plow snow. That's how I was able to start the Burb each morning in western Kentucky and central Missouri at the Days Inns I stayed at on the way back from Mooresville, NC without glowplugs. Pulled the filter minder out of the turbo air intake hose, 1/2 second mini burst of ether, put the filter minder back in, hopped in the driver's seat and started cranking it over without waiting for anything. Second or third revolution it lit right off, idled a little rough and white smoky til it warmed up, then off I went with my Camry in tow on the toter!

 

[consaka]

WW nailed it. Self limiting plugs are not quick. They last long and do it safely. These plugs are not fast.

Want hot? Buy the older plugs but change them out every 10,000 miles no matter what- as if your engines life depends on it, because it might.

For the love of... DO NOT buy instaheat from ss diesel. Total crap, warranty is b.s. , and are the fastet to grenade at side your cylinder. Run away!

In my opinion it isn't worth it to have the fast ones. I took apart a 6.2 that had 2 nubs and somehow processed the tips and kept running. Pistons looked a little rough but it stayed running with no extra noise.
I am picky about little things like GP's If the duraterms are a little tougher then probably worth it. The last thing you really want to try is to see if your engine can process ceramic pieces and whatever metal the gp's are made out of. I suspect titanium or Inconel type of material. Neither of which is friendly to steel or aluminum.

 

[consaka]

@WarWagon , Ether while using glowplugs? Shame on you! Ether works fine in very small amounts on a cold engine without energizing the glowplugs. Lots of years' experience on the Detroit 6-73 in our Trailways Flixible VL-100 bus that was converted into a motorhome by Angola Coach of Angola, IN as well as some reluctant winter morning starts on the neighbor's ancient John Deere to plow snow. That's how I was able to start the Burb each morning in western Kentucky and central Missouri at the Days Inns I stayed at on the way back from Mooresville, NC without glowplugs. Pulled the filter minder out of the turbo air intake hose, 1/2 second mini burst of ether, put the filter minder back in, hopped in the driver's seat and started cranking it over without waiting for anything. Second or third revolution it lit right off, idled a little rough and white smoky til it warmed up, then off I went with my Camry in tow on the toter!

I think he said it was a last ditch effort to get an already thrashed engine/vehicle on a trailer. I have done that before. I hate using ether but sometimes you don't have a lot of choice. I prefer to have someone helping me so I can give little bits at a time while its cranking.

 

[WarWagon]

I think he said it was a last ditch effort to get an already thrashed engine/vehicle on a trailer. I have done that before. I hate using ether but sometimes you don't have a lot of choice. I prefer to have someone helping me so I can give little bits at a time while its cranking.

@Husker6.5 Exactly. Engine was the one with the cracked piston, here, and starting it on 7 of 8 melted the starter completely down, but, we didn't have to use a Come-A-Long to hand crank the SOB on the car hauler to get her home. With oil blown everywhere and on everything under the hood ether couldn't break it any worse because it was already badly broken. It took 4 low to get on the trailer. The crank was the only part of the scuffed piston engine that wasn't scrapped. The 1992 ether addict project broke some gears in the gear reduction starter, but, again we yanked the engine in both cases. Only use ether on a IDI engine you are going to replace.

 

[Husker6.5]

I've used ether many, many times on IDI engines of many makes with no ill effects, as long as you remember three things: Cold engine, NO glowplug usage, SMALL amounts give big results.

 

[consaka]

I've used ether many, many times on IDI engines of many makes with no ill effects, as long as you remember three things: Cold engine, NO glowplug usage, SMALL amounts give big results.

Biggest problem with ether is you have no real control over the timing.

I just pulled some of the plugs out of my van to give it a checkup before our trip. I thought they were 60G plugs but they look nothing like the ones I just bough. The body where it says what they are is rusted. Looks like it says Bosch but it also says FRANCE on it too. The hot part is shorter and tapered on the end.
I have had no problems with these france plugs. They look like the voltage is 11 volts where the other plugs say 10.5

On that note, in the basement in a forgotten box I found 4 other plugs that were 60G plugs that were completely dead. I hope that is not a bad omen. lol

 

[ak diesel driver]

IIRC the basic difference in the older style plugs was voltage, a higher plug heated slow compared to a low voltage one.