Glow Plug Reamer?

[linus72]

I need to buy a glow plug reamer for my 1990 7.3L IDI and can't seem to find one locally? After checking and then removing my gp's I noticed that all of them were coated with black carbon build-up. I also noticed that when attempting to install new gp's they did not want to go in the holes...so I figure there must be alot of carbon buildup in the chambers. I figure this is mostly from running various fuels (wvo, wmo, atf, etc) and that I need to try to fix this. I understand a gp reamer will help fix this but can't find one... Also, if anyone has used a reamer any advice is appreciated The tip of one gp was broken off when I removed it, about an 1/8" of the tip (wonder where it went?!) My truck now seems under-powered...could the gp's have any effect on power even when warmed up? No smoke or other indicators of anything wrong...I have to press the pedal down alot to hold 60mph....

[fuzzy1626]

Have heard of useing a 22cal. cleaning brush dipped in something to dissolve the carbon slowly. Did the tip break off when you removed the glow plug or has it been gone (new clean break or old dirty break)?

[linus72]

I think the break happened at some point before it did a warm no-start,
I was "advised" to pour a little diesel in the intake and try it.
It fired up but made a few loud knocking noises for a few seconds....I now know that pouring anything down the intake is a no-no....

anyway, I drove it home and checked the gp's with a multi-meter checking for 2ohms (or less?)

all the plugs came out as .50 except one which registered 1.25...
the gp right below the filter head was the broken one a it measured infinity or was bad..

I removed that gp and after removing others they are all Autolites...

I replaced two of them with motorcraft gp's and today I was going to check those and replace the other 6 with motorcraft gp's also...

The broken gp looks as if the tip has slowly eroded away....doesn't appear to be a sharp break but rather looks like it has burned away...

I think before I put new gp's in I should ream out the holes, etc

When I attempted to put the other motorcraft gp in (1st cylinder drivers side) it would not go in easy and I had to lightly tap it in with a hammer
lightly...

The black coatings on the gp's and the fact that installing the new gp's will require tapping with a hammer makes me believe it is all clogged up with gook/carbon from using various "experimental" fuels, lol.

The intake itself is pretty clean considering what it's been through...

The sluggishness has me concerned as it has been this way since I tried running waste motor oil...

when I had it running on wvo it would accelerate uphills no problem, now it seems it can barely hold 60 on flat ground....

Running the 50/50 mix of wmo/diesel and the gp dying all happened about the same time...

I have since run about two tanks of diesel through the system and changed fuel filter but it's still sluggish..
This morning the temps were 50 or so, I plug it in for an hour and it started right up...

I think it's gooked up and the gp's are also probably having issues due to the fuels I am running...

I think my best option is to ream out the gp holes and install new ones...

But would bad gp's cause sluggishness?

And where can I find a gp reamer for a 7.3 IDI?

Thanks

[farmert]

The glow plugs have nothing to do with the preformance of the engine after you get it started. I would say that your experimental fuels have gunked up the IP, and injectors.