No worries, we're all in some stage of learning. I would be cautious with the block heater and cord, if you haven't done a detailed inspection of it that would be on the to of my list. I would hate to see your hard work along with your helpers be foiled by an aged wire.

As for the block heater being the tip off, it's possible since it was warming the oil and such. But at 55° ambient temp the gp shouldn't be needed, unless I'm mistaken. Some one will pipe in if I am.

I have enjoyed all your detailed photos and progress. Keep up the great work.

I did the glow plugs on my 2000. Glow plugs were easy. What took the time was getting everything off to get to them. But I took time and painted / cleaned stuff since I was there anyway. Using a 6" piece of vacuum line slid over the glow plug is the best way to go once you crack them loose with the wrench. Works great for removal and installation.

I've checked out the heater. Cord is tied up properly and looks new :)
Thanks for pointing that out though, I'd hate to walk out there to a burned up husk (or lose the house!)

The GP should kick in any time it's 55* or under. It was 45* today and I didn't plug him in. I sat and let the glow plugs run until they turned off (saw the batt gauge pop back up to normal) then took three cranks to get going. :(

But at least with the added wait time he didn't draw the batteries down to zero again. :-X22



That's what I'm reading. I guess the mess of pipes and wires get in the way a bit. I found pics of the plug wires to test here in post 75 (Thanks PSNut) and a good writeup of a walkthrough here, (Thanks JonathanN), but the pics were hosted on a no-name server so they're all dead. Hoping the text will be descriptive enough to get me through it inside of 5 hours.


The adventure begins tomorrow morning :-X21

Pete (F250_) has a great pdf write-up at post #20 in the thread you linked.

When pulling the glow plugs out, there is a little oil that will drain in. Although it's probably not enough to cause any problems, I try to clean up as much of it as I can with my brake bleeder vacuum kit as I can before the plugs come out.

Removing the gasket / wire harness isn't strictly required for changing plugs, but having it out of the way prevents damaging it while you're cussing at GP's #7&8, and you get the chance to wipe it down and clean those electrical connections. So save some time for cleaning things, as there are quite a few items that will be on the bench while you do this. You seem to be the type that hates putting dirty parts back on your truck. :-X22

LOL! Ya beat me to it! I just found that and came back here to update. What a great idea to put them in a PDF.


I'll get the cleaning crew and some Super Clean (Purple stuff) on it! The oil I planned to squirt out with compressed air and a cover rag in the hole before pulling them out. I don't have a brake bleeder but I do have the transfer pump thing we used on the gas tank. If it's a good amount I'll probably try that. My biggest fear is I'll get it put all back together and he won't start at all. :'(

Off topic, I got in the gas pedal today for the first time getting him up over 2k RPMs. That turbo whistle kicked in and skeerd me half to death. I was trying to clear a red light with an idiot woman trying to run over me and texting and just about killed us both LOL!

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...74a43b0272.jpg






After that I had to try it again and WHOOSH! Boy, that's fun. Probably not great on the mileage getting the RPMs up that high but it'll make your heart skip a beat. Arr arr arr!!!


http://i61.tinypic.com/2jbozuo.jpg

If you blow it out with compressed air, you'll be fine - just watch for the spray, the oil in these things stink, as does the fuel.

If you really get into it and gut the valley to R&R every thing in there that can leak and make a mess, I recommend this:

Attachment 116454

This was taken about a month ago, but the paint was done last summer. Really helps with finding the leaks!!

Oh yeah, about write-ups on here. I've collected almost 80 different docs from the folks on here going back to my '97 PSD. I've been on forums for fox body Mustang's, Triumphs, and some GM products; by far there is nothing like the feedback and discussion and real help that goes on in here.

Keep up the good work, and keep writing. :-drink

Triumphs? :-X25

WOW now that's slick! I don't think I've time for that. The Blonde is stomping my wanker now for spending too much time on the truck. If I added another 3 hours she might just leave me. :-X19

That's the truth. :-jammin

This place is a gold mine for anyone with a ford truck. And active members too, not just people popping in for a question then disappearing. I'm really enjoying it :)






A little update - Santa came by in a big brown truck and brought a new AC condenser, new plastic clips for the tailgate rods, and a new breather button pushy thingy :-drink

Here, Skippy! Have all my money...

Cars. I had a Spitfire decades ago, and now a TR6. Much simpler than these things. Wish I had a bike.

Ok so about those crappy starts....I got a new set of glow plugs from O'Reillys for about $75 when I pricematched them with Rockauto.com. I bought the Motorcraft ZD-11's that everyone talks about so much because the thought of using the cheaper ones and having one break off in my cylinder was too scary for this ol' boy.

I also bought a few tools to help me along. I got a 1 ft length of 5/16th vacuum hose, a springy 3/8 inch and 1/4 inch ratchet extender, and broke-neck 3/8 inch socket drive so I can reach those tough bolts on the back of the valve covers.

Everything in hand, I grabbed my PDF file and took a deep breath, then I dove in head first.

I grabbed that trusty 11mm deep well socket and started loosening the turbo metal pipes. Starting with the first one, I found out you have to loosen them ALOT to get them to turn. I'll have to remember to tighten them up quite a bit when I put them back on.

I started with the top passenger side

http://i60.tinypic.com/20b08eb.jpg









Then the passenger side bottom.

http://i59.tinypic.com/e0o6w.jpg









Then I grabbed the top part and gave it a yank. It popped free without too much grunting. After that I just pulled it free from the bottom and pulled the whole thing out the top. Easy peasy.

http://i62.tinypic.com/2yx0i1d.jpg









Then I took the top driver's side loose.

http://i60.tinypic.com/2nw1z44.jpg









To get the whole pipe loose I moved to the airbox next to get it out of the way. I took the airbox pipe loose next.

http://i58.tinypic.com/29ojtk7.jpg









Then POP! off it came.

http://i57.tinypic.com/14defye.jpg









That out of the way, I loosened the bottom pipe.

http://i58.tinypic.com/2upcxvo.jpg









Then another yank and a tug, and that driver's side pipe came out.

http://i62.tinypic.com/otevxs.jpg









Then I ran around stuffing paper towels in all the rat holes I'd just opened up. Top and bottom.

http://i61.tinypic.com/tag38z.jpg

http://i62.tinypic.com/34rhbmo.jpg

I even shoved some in my new airbox. Gotta keep things symmetrical!

http://i62.tinypic.com/33nyssx.jpg









Now I snagged up my 8mm socket for the wire harness bracket thingy.

http://i60.tinypic.com/2wrn91g.jpg

http://i61.tinypic.com/3522q9z.jpg









Wider view so you know where I'm wrenchin

http://i57.tinypic.com/20icn10.jpg









With those little bolts out I untightened the worm clamp on that hose too.

http://i59.tinypic.com/dr5hjm.jpg









Then I loosened the back clamp. The stupid thing was facing the firewall. Fun for the wrist cramps! :-X04

I thought I'd just pop that little section loose, but that's now how it works.

http://i61.tinypic.com/2rpekas.jpg










So the entire thing was free except for a goofy little hose under the whole pipe. I pushed it back and forth but couldn't see any clamp to loosen. It did wiggle toward the firewall some with a little shove.

http://i57.tinypic.com/mj67vo.jpg









I was worried about breaking something so I came back here and started a thread. Turns out you just have to grow a little hair and give it a good push toward the firewall. HARUUUUAHHH! And it'll pop right loose.

http://i57.tinypic.com/16h17ja.jpg









With that the whole thing popped free. I put it in the middle of my fuel filter area for safe keeping. I also ran those two bolts back into it just a little to keep them from getting lost.

http://i57.tinypic.com/ipqs0h.jpg
http://i61.tinypic.com/156pcwg.jpg








Then I shoved some more paper towels in his mouth. Talk back to me, will ya!

http://i61.tinypic.com/2edmr75.jpg









Now I was down to the plug. I saw how it looked, like you press the big flat part in the middle and pull it out - but wait! that's not how it works either! It hooks on the SIDES. The flat piece in the middle is just for show. I stuck a flathead screwdriver in toward the corner and gave it a very gently pry, just to say hello...:-wink

It popped right loose without so much as a whimper.

http://i59.tinypic.com/33z639f.jpg











Then I started on that bracket. Two 13mm nuts and it pulled free. I just laid it aside because it had that big 42 pin connector running through it. I did NOT want to mess that up trying to get it loose.

http://i61.tinypic.com/72rf2e.jpg
http://i59.tinypic.com/2vv99vd.jpg









Then I just got busy turning the valve cover bolts off. They all came free with two exceptions.

http://i59.tinypic.com/spciea.jpg









The bolt in the back by the firewall was weird. I tried extensions and my spring loaded extender, but nothing worked well. Then I flipped my ratchet upside down. Dee dee dee!

http://i59.tinypic.com/w9tpnn.jpg









Pikachu mentioned in another thread that you can't take the box with the pipe off because it destroys some O rings inside so I left it on and used a wrench to get the bolt out under the boxy part. No biggie.

http://i60.tinypic.com/ddcdg2.jpg









Thinking I was done, I yanked on the valve cover. DOH! The bracket thingy that I took off before was NOT the only bolt there. There's another bolt under the bracket! Sneaky!

http://i61.tinypic.com/wt7y8n.jpg










I ran the nuts for the bracket back on the bolts once I got them out.

http://i58.tinypic.com/23u7a11.jpg









:-drink

With those bolts out my valve cover popped free and I was poopin in tha' big cotton!

http://i60.tinypic.com/2ut5ceb.jpg










To make sure I had the right size socket I slipped my socket on my new glowplug while it was still in the bag. The size 11 fit. I'm such a genius, right? (hint, I'm not...)

http://i58.tinypic.com/k4uno2.jpg










Back under the covers :-X04, I pulled the little white wire off of the glow plug.

http://i60.tinypic.com/2ew1k6o.jpg










Then to keep oil from seeping down into the cylinder, I stuck an airhose blower in there with the glowplug and PSHSHHHHHHT'ed it about four good times. Oil just sputtered around on the area. Not very messy at all.

http://i61.tinypic.com/2aij1b7.jpg










Now to get the injector plug out. I poked the wire clip thingy and moved it downward.

http://i61.tinypic.com/25qgoxx.jpg
http://i61.tinypic.com/242zdzl.jpg











Then I just pushed down on the plug and it popped free.

http://i62.tinypic.com/29f429l.jpg
http://i60.tinypic.com/iqfzad.jpg









And here's where things got stupid....

http://i62.tinypic.com/28c13z9.jpg

So remember that 11mm socket I tested on the bagged glow plug? I couldn't get it on the glow plug in the truck. I got it down there but it didn't seem to get low enough to grab ahold of the plug. I figured it was just too thick on the walls to fit down there.

So I went to O'Reillys and asked for a thin wall 11mm socket. Nothing.
Sears, nope. Autozone had a 1/4 socket that seemed small enough on the sides so I snagged it up for 4.99 and went back to work.


Guess what? It didn't fit either! :-arrgh


I looked around online and found one, but about that time I got a reply to my thread about getting that breather thingy off again so I strolled over there and said something like, "Where are you guys getting 11mm sockets with thin walls? I can't find them anywhere and nothing fits!"

The reply came almost instantly....

Wait for it.....:(









The glow plugs are 10mm. :-X16





It's been a very long time since I felt so stupid. I had to laugh. In my hurry to get started I didn't remove the plastic from the glow plug when I slipped my socket over it. I didn't think it would make such a big difference but it sure did. Instead of being fast, I wasted over an hour of my day chasing my tail.

On the upside, I did see this while I was out.

http://i57.tinypic.com/24uxatk.jpg











I ran out again and got this nifty 1/4" drive 10mm socket and adapter.

http://i62.tinypic.com/vxklg5.jpg











Surprise, surprise, it popped that glowplug out like dentures on apple day. :-X04

http://i62.tinypic.com/2ylqzba.jpg









To get it out of the hole it lives in I shoved the 5/16" vacuum hose over the end. You have to push it over the lip too or it'll just fall back off when you lift on the hose.

http://i58.tinypic.com/16gg5c5.jpg











I poked the hose on the new plug just like it was on the old one, then dropped it back down the hole. In my case my 10mm socket was able to fit in the hole and screw the glowplug back down, but I did manage to get it started by twisting the hose on its head first.

http://i61.tinypic.com/5mn5v8.jpg

http://i60.tinypic.com/122g26v.jpg












To put the little white wire back on I grabbed it and mashed where I thought the plug head was. When I took the pic it wasn't there. It was off to the side and firmly squashed in the corner of the plug hole. I had to dig it out with a tiny screwdriver. Nice, huh? :-X19

http://i57.tinypic.com/2ihuj45.jpg









10 minutes later I did get it back out though and got it maneuvered on.

http://i62.tinypic.com/6ste35.jpg













Then I plugged in that little injector wire and TADA! One plug was done. Only seven more to go :(

http://i57.tinypic.com/2dr589s.jpg







But that's a story for tomorrow. It got dark on me because of all the time I spent jacking around looking for tiny 11mm sockets so I had to give it up for the night.

I sure hope my head works tomorrow.

http://i57.tinypic.com/1z35xef.jpg

While you are in there get the codes off of the injectors (aka AC AB AD AE). Just so you know what is in there and also see if you can tell if they are original or if they have been swapped out. Because you know as soon as you put the covers back on you will want to know and wished you had. If you have a torque wrench this would be a good time to retorque your injectors(120in/lbs and rocker arms 240in/lbs) if you do check your injectors set the torque wrench for 50in/lbs and tighten the holddown if it tightens under 50in/lbs you may need a new set of injector o-rings. You could also start the engine after you are done installing the glowplugs and watch everything moving and not moving to see if there is anything out of the ordinary.