LB7: Snowball effect with glowplugs

[Noreaster]

A couple days ago when I was swapping the manifolds & up-pipes I hit the driver side glow plug rail & it broke. So I picked up a new rail, started loosening the small nuts on top of the glow plugs & snapped 2 of them off. Ok so I thought Ill just pull the glow plugs out, PB blaster & alittle torch to free them up. Well that didn't work out so well either, snapped 2 off at the threads(2&4), one of the others(8) actually came right out.
I try drilling #2 with a 3/16" left hand bit but snapped it off when it caught on the core, luckily I got the bit out. I drilled the core down with a 13/64" to try an eazy out. I ran the truck to raise the ECT temp on the heads, could only get it to 165* on the scan tool. I tried one with the eazy out didn't budge it but not trying to go over kill & snap that too.
Im running out of options on what to do.
So Im looking at:
option 1: getting them out some how
option 2: pulling the head
option 3: saying F#*k it, disconnecting the other side, tune out the codes, reinstalling the AIH & using the block heater on cold mornings.
option 4: you fill in the blanks

 

[jmaz268]

That would be my exact luck.

I'd drive the truck for about 10-20 minutes to get it really warm.

 

[juddski88]

i was really lucky i didnt break the ones off my old heads, every part of my truck was/is covered in rust, lol. if it comes to the point where you need heads, I have 01 fed heads I am practically giving away. the crappy part about running the motor till its hot is working around it afterwords.

 

[Noreaster]

i was really lucky i didnt break the ones off my old heads, every part of my truck was/is covered in rust, lol. if it comes to the point where you need heads, I have 01 fed heads I am practically giving away. the crappy part about running the motor till its hot is working around it afterwords.

It shouldn't be that bad with a hot engine, not like Im laying on top of it.

The part that sucks about this is Im doing it in my driveway, I don't have a garage & its my daily driver.

 

[sparepartsracing]

where are you from if your local to me in ny you could use my garage/tools if you dont break them all:happy2:

 

[Noreaster]

Im in Mass, I have the tools just no garage. thanks for the offer though

 

[sparepartsracing]

oh yeah little out of the ways well goodluck

 

[RENODMAX]

Get them hot and soak in penetrating oil. Id buy a series of left handed bits and step them up until you have a good size bit rather than just go after it with the large bit from the get go. If the bolts are snapped off flush with the head you can get them out easily if you have a welder or access to one. Get a washer that has a center slightly smaller than the shaft of the glow plug. Weld the washer centered on the shaft with a series of tack welds. Then weld a nut to the washer (I do it on the inside of the nut). Let it cool and use a wrench on the nut to back it out.

 

[Noreaster]

Im assuming that you want to have the batteries disconnected when welding on the the truck?

 

[DAVe3283]

Im assuming that you want to have the batteries disconnected when welding on the the truck?

Eh, couldn't hurt. I leave them connected on mine Haven't fried anything yet...


I had 2 glow plugs snap off in mine. I went for option 3 :thumb: Except I left the others connected and just turned off the codes. It still starts fine (with the IAH) but rattles & smokes white for 15-30 seconds on really cold days.

 

[Noreaster]

it gets cold here maybe 0* during a cold snap but its usually in the teens or warmer during the winter.
I was thinking that cummins don't have glow plugs just a grid heater that I could get by with the AIH for the winter & plugging in the block heater on cold nights.
Today was the 1st time ever that I used the block heater & was surprised that it didn't go up in smoke.

 

[maine04max]

sorry to hear your having such bad luck . hope you get everything fixed up

 

[xcablb7]

i'll give you a ring tomorrow sorry i was tied up all day couldnt call today we'll get you fixed up even if i have to drive down and help you with it or drive it to westport to my garage

 

[RENODMAX]

I disconnect the batteries on the trucks I weld on. If you make a real strong weld you can put an impact on the nut which works great as it's less likely to twist anything off.

 

[DAVe3283]

I disconnect the batteries on the trucks I weld on. If you make a real strong weld you can put an impact on the nut which works great as it's less likely to twist anything off.

^^ Go with this advice. Disconnecting the batteries is fairly painless. Much more painless than frying electronics. Even so, I would recommend thinking about the path the electricity will want to take to get from the weld location back to the ground clamp. If there are electronics (or smaller-than-welding-cable wires) in that path, put the clamp elsewhere! Generally, closer is better.

Sorry about the glow plugs, and I hope you can get yours out! (Mine are still in there, broken off way down deep... but from a different situation, so I wouldn't give up hope just yet.) Most of the times I hear about this, welding on a nut does the trick.

 

[TrentNell]

it gets cold here maybe 0* during a cold snap but its usually in the teens or warmer during the winter.
I was thinking that cummins don't have glow plugs just a grid heater that I could get by with the AIH for the winter & plugging in the block heater on cold nights.
Today was the 1st time ever that I used the block heater & was surprised that it didn't go up in smoke.

If you plugged the truck in it would start fine with out glow plugs , My race truck has no glow plugs or AIH and I started it a few times with 15:0 compression in 30 deg temps , plugged in it same temps it started easy and didnt smoke much .

 

[MACKIN]

Is that with one battery Trent?

Plugging it in is key but what if you don't have access to a outlet like say at a hotel/motel? Then your screwed. Well maybe not screwed but it sure makes a racket. Unless you run a cord out the window across the parking lot!

 

[TrentNell]

Is that with one battery Trent?

Plugging it in is key but what if you don't have access to a outlet like say at a hotel/motel? Then your screwed. Well maybe not screwed but it sure makes a racket. Unless you run a cord out the window across the parking lot!

Yes one battery , and even had to start it in a bit colder temps once it had to crank for 15 sec but it still fired , with normal compression and AIH I wouldnt be too worried .

And I would be careful with pulling the glow plugs , if you go to far trying then the head will have to come off for sure just to fix what you tried , the heads on my race truck right now have glow plugs seized in them , I tried to get them out with the heads off the truck and no dice , they are perminate fixtures now

 

[RENODMAX]

Yes one battery , and even had to start it in a bit colder temps once it had to crank for 15 sec but it still fired , with normal compression and AIH I wouldnt be too worried .

And I would be careful with pulling the glow plugs , if you go to far trying then the head will have to come off for sure just to fix what you tried , the heads on my race truck right now have glow plugs seized in them , I tried to get them out with the heads off the truck and no dice , they are perminate fixtures now

You mean custom glow plug slugs :hug:

 

[TrentNell]

You mean custom glow plug slugs :hug:

"ya thats right" :rofl: