I have an 89 f-350 7.3 dump truck with bad glow plugs, I know starting fluid is not a good idea but the last owners has been using for who knows how long and obiously i have been as well. It starts hard but will it start better with new glowplugs? Is it supposed to start as easy as my '02 dakota gas job?

Beersy50

 

Mine starts easier that a lot of gassers do.
The engine never completes one full revolution before it starts.

 

Well we are all happy Dave's truck starts great...doesn't mean any thing to you though!
These IDI's can be tempermental...if its not the glow plugs
could be the [glow plug] controler
batteries
cables
air in the fuel line
starter
It can be a process of elimination...I hope this of some help.

 

My father ran his 84 for years starting on ether, but I didn't like that, so I switched it back to operating the glow plugs, and it starts just fine off them. A good set of glow plugs will do fine, even after all the ether.

 

Thanks for the help. That is some good info and I think I'll be getting some glowplugs.

Beersy50

 

With good cables, batteries and connections, the old 84 will start in less than one turn. My 86 ate up it's first set since I got it, and it got ethered a few times, but mostly set up to run glows, and it will be fired off usually in half a turn. i switched from the old style glows to the newer bullet style and toggle switch, and it starts easy each time.

 

I have the same setup except with a momemtary on switch so I never have to worry about leaving the glow plugs on. Starts in less than one turn, too.

 

Mine too. But I've done all the preventive stuff found OFTEN in the threads in this board.

 

On the glowpulgs, I would recommend getting the motorcraft buro?(buru) plugs. They sell them at o-rylies and they seem like the best plugs that the tips don't come off in the cylinder if they get too hot. When they burn up/out, they usually stay in one pice and don't swell terribly bad. Thats what we run in all the trucks at work and my personal one. Out of all the ones I have changed, I seen one missing part of its tip. Other brands are more likely to fall off in the cylinder and/or swell too much to get them out in 1 pice so we now just buy motorcraft. With good plugs and controller, It should start just as quick as a gasser minus the glowplug heat up time. Good Luck

 

I noticed some of you guys mentioned toggle switchs for your glowplugs, whats the reasoning behind that?

Beersy50

 

Full manual control. The older units had a bad tendency to fail and power the glow plugs, burning them out.

 

Mine failed and would kick the glow plugs on for 1 second every 19 seconds. If you wire up a switch go with a momentary on switch. I got mine at radio shack and it is a nice 5/8" diameter red button that you have to press and hold for the count.

 

No to hijack but how would you wire up the glow plug controller? I have an issue with that side of the wiring harness, the side that powers the controller, getting super hot. I replaced the harness and the controller relay but I would like to do away with that if I can. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Simply apply power to the relay by the momentary as mentioned. It is the purple wire on the relay that looks like the starter relay down on the inner fenderwell. The one on the fender is for the starter.

 

RP27G8G,
What year is your truck?

Two different glow plug systems.
86 and older = old style system
87 and newer = new style system

The parts and locations are completely different from one system to the other.