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glow plug problems

6K views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  bgkast 
#1 ·
Ok here's what happened. I put 8 new autolite glowplugs in my 6.9 on wedsday. Thursday I used them 1 time and only for 8 seconds then they wouldn't work the rest of the day. I was driving home and all of a sudden it starts make a pinging noise so I pulled over and checked it out. still had plenty of power like nothing was wrong but it made that pinging noise. The first thing I thought was the glowplugs broke off. The next day I pulled a glowplug out and sure enough it had, so I pulled the rest of them out and every one was broke off. I was mad. So I don't know why they done it but someone going to pay. I'm thinking about driving it and letting them burn out or I may pull the heads, that's something I really don't want to do that. Any suggestings. Thanks
 
#2 ·
First off, you need to pull the heads and get those pieces out. Yep that sucks but they can cause serious damage. Second thing, you didn't say if the GPs are still operated by the controller or if you have a pushbutton. If the operate by the controller you must have a bad controller or a bad solenoid, the puzzling thing is if the GPs had power your GP light should have been on. If you are using a pushbutton you may look into upgrading to 12v GPs, they take a little longer to warm up but there's a lot less chance of frying them from holding the button down to long. Either way something kept the GPs on and you'll need to find out what.
 
#3 ·
Another victim of the autolite glow plugs:squish . When you get it back together and hopefully everything is OK. Use Motorcraft/beru or bosch GP's only. The autolite and champion Gp's are known to swell and break off if over heated while the much better Motorcraft/beru or bosch will handel the heat better and just burn out if the controller stay's on. SOB as much posting/reading as you do I surely thought you would have known already. Good luck to you man on getting that beast smoking again. Autozone should still have them Part # ZD9- 7.3IDI Bullet. ZD1A-6.9 Spade. ZD11-powerstroke's ?. So if you have done the 7.3 solid state conversion order the ZD9's.
 
#4 ·
My glow plugs are on a switch and I only used them twice before the problem. The reason why I got autolite was I went to the nearest parts house and that's what they had and they are 12 volt plugs. I had never used autolite plugs before and will never use them again. I think they had a part defect and I'm going to push them to pay to have my truck fix, don't know how far I will get but I'll try. I always used AC Delco plugs and never had any problems.
 
#5 ·
We don't cary them at Autozone any more, Oreilly's has the Motorcraft. Autozone does still carry the Bosch for about the same price as the Motorcrafts.
 
#7 ·
Yep, no aftermarked GPs in a diesel, it's EXPENSIVE.

That sucks, but when the tips break off, you gotta get them out. Sometimes you get a little time if the tips are big enough - they won't pass thru the pre-combustion chamber hole, and you can drive it for a WHILE. But they will get progressively smaller, and eventually make it into the combustion chamber and if they happen to wedge between the piston and cylinder head, the piston loses, and you get carnage as shown in the above linked photos.

Pull the heads, and you may need to have the pre-cups removed to get all the pieces out, then re-install after you KNOW there is nothing to cause damage stuck in there.
 
#8 ·
jvbutter said:
just to let a few of the uneducated ones on the site know what happens if things bang around inside the engine...

here is the article

Thanks for the link.

Should I consider pulling out my working glow plugs and replacing them with motorcraft plugs as preventative maintenance? I do not know what brand is in the truck now (just bought the truck)
 
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