[Jrod13]

First a little history on my truck..

when I got it(feb 06), it had a brand new GP controller on it, and 7 new glow plugs (3 AC delcos, and 4 crap-o-lites)
The number 8 glow plug is broken off flush with th e head, and has been for years. In order to get the controller to work properly, I added a 8th plug, grounded to the engine as a dummy plug.
the 8th plug being a used beru from my housemate.

With 8 GP's hooked to the engine(7 of them being in the motor) it always started great without plugging in, even down to around 10 below.

About a month ago, I noticed it getting harder to start over a few days, and that the controller would not cycle on at all. After a quick hit of ether, it fired right up, and drove home.
The next morning I grabed a multimeter, and found that all 7 of the 4 month old plugs in the motor were dead, but the 16 year old beru I had for a dummy was still good. during this testing, I also got the controller to come on, and it STUCK ON, glowing the one remaining beru for over a minute( a testiment to how great they really are)

Being stuck on a sunday, with no glow plugs(no autozone for 200 miles), I borrowed my housemates other 6 spare, used berus, and put them in my motor, along with a AC delco as a dummy.
The truck started great with 7 used beru's in it, and worked flawlessy for til last week, the controller started only cycling for 3 seconds. A quick check with a multimeter found that 3 of the 7 berus had died, which I replaced with 3 more delcos(waranty replacements from the orriginal 3)

Then yesterday, one the new (1 week old) AC delco's burnt out, which in a pinch was replaced with a autolite in a pinch(from the orriginal 4 I had warranteed)



Now I'm faced with a current configuration of 4 used berus, 2 AC's, and 1 autolite in my motor, and one autolite as a dummy plug, so basicly I NEED 8 new plugs to get it back up to a matched system, that won't swell up if/when the burn up again.


the obvious answer would be to just get 8 new berus for it, and hope for the best, but honestly, it seemed to start better with autolites/AC's in it, than with beru's(remember, I only have 7 plugs in the motor)

I'd really be temped to try something that I can cycle on a little longer, such as a dual coil plug.

One of my friends runs these in his truck
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/6-9L-FORD...1QQcmdZViewItem
And they seem to work great. They appear to be more a constant duty plug. much like what I could use, with only 7 in my motor.

However, I see that wellman doesn't offer a dual coil plug for the 7.3L, HOWEVER, they do offer their premium 7.3 plug, which seems very similar.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/8-NEW-7-3...1QQcmdZViewItem

Could I just get the 6.9 plugs, and convert the ends of my harnes to spade conectors, or would the 6V 6.9 plugs cause issues with the 7.3 style controller?


I guess right now I'm weighing 4 options.

1. just get 8 new berus, hope for the best.
2. get the above wellman premium plugs, and see if the extra heat helps.
3. get the 6.9 plugs, and see if they work with my controller, if not try number 4
4. get the 6.9 plugs, and sell my new controller, and set up a solnoid and push button.

What would you guys recomend?

 

[cdnsarguy]

Get the right Beru GPs and check the controller for correct operation. If you keep screwing with of brands which swell, you may pay with a required head removal to remove the tip.

 

[Mr_Roboto]

I have those dual coil plugs in both my 7.3's. The only reason they are not spec'd for the 7.3 is that the controller will not work automatically with them, and so you need to wire a manual control switch if you dont have one already.

 

[nubiecanobie]

Mr R, what's the advantage to the dual coil plugs? Do they provide better starts? How much do they cost?

 

[Mr_Roboto]

The dual coil plugs are supposed to be "self regulating" i.e. they are supposed to not overheat and melt like a standard plug.

Here's the theory: There are 2 coils, a thin one that heats rapidly, and a thicker one that heats slower and draws enough current to keep the thin element from overheating.

Cost is less than Beru's. They also have a (2 year?) replacement warranty.

I haven't done any "testing" as I don't have the time, money or inclination to do so. However I put them in 2 of my trucks at seperate times and have had no problems.

The one issue is that the spade connectors on GP's are 5/16" wide. The widest you will find in stores is 1/4" wide. One one truck I ground the connectors down to 1/4", the other truck I used 3/8" connectors (all I could find). The 3/8" connectors don't fit quite right as they are made for a thicker spade.

 

[nubiecanobie]

Sounds like a good idea those dual coil jobs. Are the ones you have made by WAP?

 

[Mr_Roboto]

[ QUOTE ]
Sounds like a good idea those dual coil jobs. Are the ones you have made by WAP?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes. I bought em off eBay.

 

[jdg5147]

I have the same dual coil glow plugs in my 7.3 and they only last about 1 month then my truck wont start. I dont know what to do any more. I have the glow plugs on a momentary switch it starts great in any weather when they are new then in a month or so it barely starts when its is 60 degrees out

 

[BuilderBob]

Now a month later, you get the same recommendations, Beru's Autozone
Is it ZF-9's?