jdemaris 6.9 glow plug question

[rrlund]

I was wrong about those spades. I don't like to wear my glasses when I work on things,but I guess I'll have to start. I took the plastic off one and it is a regular female spade like I thought it should be originally. I took them all off and squeezed them together for a good fit. I ran the battery down cranking on it despite the glowplug lite and controller being on for what should have been long enough. You said you have the correct plugs in yours and it's fine. What kind and what number plugs do you have? WHERE DID YOU GET THEM?I like that truck a LOT,but if I don't get it so it will start in cold weather pretty soon,I'm gonna start looking for a different cab and chasis to put this bed on!

 

[Roy in georgia]

more than likely it is not a glow plug problem but your injectors are leaking down this makes it hard to start also an upgrade on the starter will help the new ones for the 7.3 is what I am talking about it is a gear reduction that will spin the he** out of that 6.9 but it is strong enough to break a piston if you have too much fuel in the cylinder. try the glow plugs first then check the injectors. My 6.9 starts great with the original style starter but the glow plugs and injectors were checked before I got it I put the $50+ fuel line and o ring kit on it to stop the leaking on top of the engine.

 

[Allan in NE]

Yep,

Check glow plugs of course.

But, that 6.9 Binder is one of the worst engines ever for not starting unless it has the required spin speed.

New batteries, cables and a fresh starter will just simply make a new engine out of it as far as cold starts go.

Allan

 

[Bob]

Thank you for thanking me for telling you how to get the insulated cover off of the flat terminals, and suggesting you do this, and then tighten them up!

Motorcraft glow plugs, from the Ford dealer, are Beru, and as good as you can get.

It's time to get a test light, and probe at EACH glow plug, to be SURE they are all being powered up. There are fusible links, and various other things that can go wrong in the harness, preventing power from getting to one or more of the GP's. Just because the"wait to start" lamp is lit, it doesn't actually PROVE the GP's are getting power.

If one or more of the GP's is not getting power, or is "open" the system voltage will rise quicker than it should, signalling the controller to shut off the GP's SOONER.

In other words, the "glow plug on time" will be LONGER with ALL the GP's being properly powered than if there are one or more that are not heating.

Another thing you can do, IF you have access to a DC clamp-on ammeter, or an in-line ammeter is to do as demaris suggested, and check the AMPERAGE actually being drawn by EACH GP.

 

[rrlund]

It's got the gear reduction starter. Starts OK if I plug it in or give it the slightest whiff of eteher.

 

[rrlund]

I'm sorry Bob,didn't mean to overlook your contribution. I ran it in the shop yesterday figuring they were ordinary female spades inside that plastic. I'm getting blind as a bat in my old age. I couldn't see the curl on the sides inside there. One of them slid off on its own so I could see it this morning. I got the ones that are in there from Carquest. I've replaced them one or two at a time over the years as they've gone bad. Just about the same rate that it's been going down hill as to starting. I'm gonna run up to the Ford garage and get a full set and see if it helps. After I put that new sensor in the block this past summer,it was starting good til the weather turned cold. If I still don't have any luck,I'll have the boy start checking things with the fluke meter.

 

[JDemaris]

I already gave you the correct numbers for just about every brand of plug that goes to your 6.9.

The brand of the plug won't make a bit of difference in actual starting - except - dual-coil self-regulating plugs are basically burn-out proof, while many other's are not.

I agree with Bob that there isn't any better out there than the dual-coil Beru plugs. That being said, the single-coil Berus will burn up just as fast as an Autolite, Champion, Delco, etc.
Bosch, Wellman, Delphi, etc. all sell dual-coil plugs now that hold up just as well as the Berus. If you buy new plugs today from Ford or GM - you get Beru dual-coil plugs. It may cost a few bucks more that way - but sometimes it's easier going to Ford if you need them in a hurry.

As I said before - if you want to be sure - you need to check with an ammeter - one by one with each glow plug. It's easy to do and takes little time - and saves a lot of guess work.
I already gave you all the test specs.

In regard to what Alan said about the 6.9s being tough starters? Maybe somewhere - but not with any of mine. My 85 6.9 and my 94 7.3 are both excellent cold-weather starters. Same with my Isuzus and my Dodge-Cummins. Only bad starters I've ever had are my GM 6.2 diesels. The best of the lot is awful - and the worst id more awful.
My 1985 with the 6.9 can sit for two months - and then I go out and try to start if at zero degrees with no block heat - and after 15 seconds of glow-plugging it starts right up. With my 6.2s? At zero - you can more-or-less forget it unless you've got the block heater plugged in. And at 45 degrees F above? They still need a good 10-14 seconds of glow-plugging.
My 85 6.9 currently has Motorcraft ZD1A plugs - Ford # E5TZ12A342B - which came as either Bosch or Beru years back and now are usually only dual-coil Beru.

 

[Roy in georgia]

mine has the gear reduction on it too but it is the 80s starter the updated starter is much more productive ask your local starter-alt. shop if you don't have one I can give you the # to the one here

 

[Anonymous-0]

Roy - please give more detail about the fuel line & o-ring kit to stop fuel leakage. I am suspecting a fuel leak near the rear of my '87 6.9 engine block, just hard to see what's going on. At first I thought it might be a small oil leak, but seems more like fuel. Where did you look for the leak and where did you get the repair kit? Thanks, JimNWMich