6.2 Diesel, hard starting

[texassquarebodies]

I have a 1983 3/4 6.2 diesel truck. It does not start unless you squirt just a little bit of starting fluid into the breather. After that starts right up. After it warms up, starts all day. I accquired earlier this year, but just now working on it. Any suggestions on what might be the problem???????

[Mister laugh]

I bet you it's the glow plugs, if it wasn't before it is now that you have used starting fluid. Take multimeter, and check the resistance of each plug, as i recall they should be about 1ohm each? If you do infact need glow plugs you want delco 60g plugs, and ebay is the best place to find a deal on them.

[Stitch]

you need to go to dieselpage.com and read up on adding 60g plugs as I recall you have to get a certain glow plug controller or modify the one you have, I can't remember...also, he's right about the starter fluid....never, never, never use starter fluid on a diesel...never...

Chuck.

[Stitch]

btw, you got pics of said pickup..is it a 2wd or 4wd...it's a 3/4 ton so that means it's a lwb...what options does it have...what else have you done to it...don't get to talk to many 6.2 owners on this board...

Chuck.

[sweatmachine]

isn't starting fluid really bad for diesel engines?

[Stitch]

yep

[texassquarebodies]

Thanks for the input guys. I have a couple of extra 6.2 motors around the shop. Going to rob some parts tomorrow. I think it might be also the glow plug controller. It is not lighting up on the dash when starting. Stupid question..... where are the glow plugs located and how do I get them out.
Also the glow plug controller.???? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Stitch]

the glow plugs are probably going to be pain to get out...they are probably swollen up...I haven't changed to glow plugs or the controller on mine, but I'll look on the dieselpage and see what I can find...

Chuck.

[Dooley]

This is where a lot of people get theirs from. Great, fast and friendly service here. I've bought the Wellman 070's for my CUCV and picked up the G050 for my friends 82 civilian model pickup. Both satisfied customers!
http://www.indusadist.com/index.html

[Stitch]

this thread says that "It is located near the place where the distributor would be on a gas engine. It sort of looks like a big spark plug with a large black oval connector on the top of it." It also says the glow plug relay"is usually located on or around the front fender well on the driver’s side. It is a cylinder about 2 ½ inches tall and about 1 ½ inches in diameter. It has 4 wires connected to it. Two of the wires are very heavy, about #8’s. One of the wires will go to the battery. The other two wires will be small control wires and will have a single black plastic connector.

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34618

I can't find anywhere right now that says where the glow plugs are located, but I'm sure they are in the head somewhere and if you traced the wires from the controller I'm sure you can find it...

Chuck.

[Russell]

Just for future reference -- You are extremely lucky that your glow plugs don't work! Spraying any kind of starting fluid into an engine that has a glow plug system is extremely dangerous. 9 times out of 10 the glow plugs will ignite the starting fluid before you crank the engine and cause an explosion in the intake. Most of the time you'll get away with a poof coming out of the end of the intake, but sometimes the intake will explode sending shrapnel all over the place.

However, back on topic, I'd suggest you buy a set of brand new 60G Delco glow plugs. They have a self limiting tip on them so they won't burn out or swell like the old stock plugs do. Just becuase they have power flowing through them, or have proper resistance does not mean that they are glowing properly. Take the time to bench test them outside of the engine before you install them.

Both my trucks have a switch on the dash that activates a Ford starter solenoid to control the glow plugs. I've personally had nothing but trouble with the stock controllers.

Being an 83, your glow plug controller is a two piece unit. There is a sensor / timer / actuator deal that is threaded into your driver's side head at the rear of the engine. It has a round connector at the top, and is a round cylinder probably 4 inches long or so. The solenoid is on the driver's side fender about half way up. Makes it really easy to put a manual switch in under the dash, just tie in a switched hot wire to the solenoid's "S" terminal and off you go.

The glow plugs are found inside the heads just below each injector. Most of them are fairly easy to get at, but can be a real pain to remove if the tips are swollen up. Be careful not to break the tips off in the pre-cups. If you do, you'll need to pull the injector above it and try to grab the tip with a set of pliers without dropping it down and into the cylinder.

[D13]

And per the diesel page, 4 of 5 new 1st gen controllers will go bad early. I bought a set of 60G's for mine, haven't bothered with the install since gas is $1 cheaper than diesel (there's something wrong with the world!) and my beater car gets better mpg than my diesel 87.

[texassquarebodies]

Isn't there supposed to be a light on the dash when you turn the key saying glow plugs warming? Mine just lights up water in fuel. The glow plug controller has recently been replaced. Could my selonoid be bad on my inner fender?

[Stitch]

the light could be blown...maybe it could be that easy...

Chuck