Perkins glow plugs
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11-10-2018, 11:32 AM
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: near Kimesville, NC
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Perkins glow plugs
Some time ago I bypassed the glow plug module in my 83 Ranger Diesel (Perkins 2.2L non-turbo) and replaced it with a relay on the firewall and a momentary switch in the dash. I seem to be burning out glow plugs (measuring an open circuit on the plug itself) pretty quickly, and my limited knowledge of electricity leads me to post this in hopes that someone else has this all figured out.
My current setup is simple: a hot lead from the starter to one relay contact, and the glow plug 'rail' (a heavy gauge wire) to the plugs on the other. The relay coil (controller) is wired to a positive battery terminal on one side, and to ground through the dashboard switch on the other side. When it's working, it works great. Truck starts much easier than it ever did with the module.
Is there something inherently wrong with powering glow plugs like this? This is how I remember my grandfather's old Ford tractor working. 'Course that was fifty years ago when I was a kid. Before I put in the third new set of glow plugs (in the past two years), I thought I'd ask.
CarolinaRanger
My current setup is simple: a hot lead from the starter to one relay contact, and the glow plug 'rail' (a heavy gauge wire) to the plugs on the other. The relay coil (controller) is wired to a positive battery terminal on one side, and to ground through the dashboard switch on the other side. When it's working, it works great. Truck starts much easier than it ever did with the module.
Is there something inherently wrong with powering glow plugs like this? This is how I remember my grandfather's old Ford tractor working. 'Course that was fifty years ago when I was a kid. Before I put in the third new set of glow plugs (in the past two years), I thought I'd ask.
CarolinaRanger
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11-10-2018, 12:32 PM
#3
11-10-2018, 03:17 PM
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: near Kimesville, NC
Posts: 22
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All of the glow plugs that I've used (NGK's and Beck/Arnley's) are 12V plugs - all referenced as being the appropriate plugs for the make and model of the truck. I've wondered whether or not a resistor was necessary, since I don't know exactly what the OEM modulator was doing (other than keeping the plugs lit longer than I do with the manual switch). I rarely have to press the momentary switch longer than six seconds to get the truck to start, unless the temps drop below freezing. I don't normally drive the truck when it's below freezing, unless I've plugged in the block heater.
I measured the resistance of the new GPs at 0.5 ohms, which sounds low to me, so I'm taking one to work Monday to doublecheck my multimeter. At a half ohm, and 12.5V from a two battery bank (1470 total cranking amps), on paper that's 25 amps per plug. 100 amp draw sounds like a lot to me. If my math is right, that's 5000 watts. Would need a really big resistor!
Thanks for reply!
CarolinaRanger
I measured the resistance of the new GPs at 0.5 ohms, which sounds low to me, so I'm taking one to work Monday to doublecheck my multimeter. At a half ohm, and 12.5V from a two battery bank (1470 total cranking amps), on paper that's 25 amps per plug. 100 amp draw sounds like a lot to me. If my math is right, that's 5000 watts. Would need a really big resistor!
Thanks for reply!
CarolinaRanger
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