Ok guys.. this is rays wife doing a post for him.... hes elbow deep in grease!!

Spur of the moment glowplug swap.. Ray wants to know if anyone has any suggestions??

The truck is a 2000 f350.. my brother just bought it.

 

CUT THE ENGINE OFF FIRST !!!






J/K. use something to soak up the oil around the glow plugs so it dont run down into the cylinder.

 

A couple of things pop into mind right off the bat....
I suppose he has the valve covers off already, correct?

If so, then I'd recommend using a pair of needle nose pliers to pull the wire connector off the plug so he can grab the plug by the boot instead of pulling on the wire itself.

Next tip would be to use some duct tape to secure the 10mm socket to a short extension for the 1/4" ratchet. Loosen the glow plug but don't unscrew it all the way. When I unscrewed it too far, then I couldn't get the socket off the glow plug because of the rocker arm. So, loosen it just a bit and move onto the next glow plug.

When all the plugs are loose, take a 5" or 6" piece of large vacuum hose and push it onto the end of the glow plug. You then can twist on the hose and loosen the glow plug completely and pull it out of the hole.

Installation is reverse order.

Hope this helps.

 

Hello Ray's wife.

Let us know how far along he is, then we'll tell you what to suggest as you walk out and see what they're doing to make them feel bad.

If they've already got the valve covers off, then only use the socket to break the glow plug loose and start to unscrew it. You cannot remove the glow plug with the socket since the socket will hit the rocker. A short piece of hose, or the little plastic tube that comes on a can of great stuff expanding foam will slip over the tip of the glow plug and make unscrewing them easier.

If they need suggestions on removing the valve covers, let us know. DO NOT let them use Autolite glow plugs. Those tend to swell up and can break off in the head which causes all sorts of problems. The Motorcraft or International glow plugs stamped Beru are the ones we like.

 

Snap on has a half long socket that works perfect! Thats what I use...

 

Thanks guys! I just read to him from the kitchen window what you all said!

Valve covers are not off yet.... they are starting from scratch!

And btw Darrel... i need help again with my car!!! Nissan Sentra.. Brake lights arent working all the time.. I think its the switch...my dad had it tore apart tonight and he thinks i need a new one..

 

Ok guys.. they need to know how to get the back bolt out of the valve covers??

 

Didnt he just clean he contacts on the switch last time?
If so, time to buy a new one.

 

The back bolt on the driver's side is a pit of a pain. I was able to use a short socket and short extension on a 3/8" ratchet to break it loose. Once loose, I then used the short extension with the socket to turn it out by hand. At the very end, I was able to just reach back there with my left hand and get it with my fingers.

The back bolt on the passenger side is pretty easy to reach. The two bolts on the bottom (near the A/C) is a bear. I found it much easier to just jack up the truck and pull the right front wheel. With the tire gone, it was real easy to reach in through the fender well with a wrench and get those two bolts out on the passenger side.

 

Yeah i think so... i think thats what he did again today.. is that something you can get for us cheap or should i just go to autozone?



Ok.. so they are still stuck with the valve covers.. I just took some pics.. if i can figure out how to get them on here i will!

 

Which side? The passenger side use a short (2") extension and place the socket on the bolt by feel. The driver side requires a lot of cuss words directed at the engineer who designed this, then the same procedure as the passenger side. It's all done by feel.

 

I used a 3/8 ratchet with an extension (3 or 6 inch) with a universal joint between the socket and the extension. I believe that I used a deep socket as well, but I may be mistaken.

 

A universal joint... One on each side is a real bear... passanger side is a bit tough by the heater box...

You also do not need to take off the CCV doghouse, use a Gear wrench or a box end wrench. The O rings will be junk when you pull it off and they never seal right again without some RVT... Just leave it in place!

 

I hear ya Chris - Just be patient, its difficult but can be done.

 

Give me a call tomorrow, have the VIN# handy.
Still have my # ?