Joined
·
1,408 Posts
John, after starting what is your voltage while the glow plugs are still on?
Posts by Big Horn
1 - 4 of 26 Posts
Joined
·
1,408 Posts
Thanks John, so...... the reason I ask, I had thought about a H/O alternator since I have the 17,500# winch attachment for my truck. (But haven’t ran into an issue with my two stock batteries so far using my high idle tune). But I don’t want to run over 11 volts while the glow plugs are on. There’s no hurry, when you get time and are out and about..... I hope we don’t get hit with much snow🙄but just in case I hooked up the plow after work last night
![Tire Wheel Automotive parking light Car Land vehicle]()
Joined
·
1,408 Posts
I’m OK with that kind of voltage after the truck has been running but do not want that while the glow plugs are ON. They were not designed for that.....if I remember they were designed for 10....maybe 11 volts. There’s been a lot written on protecting the glow plugs (99-03) from too high of a voltage.
Glad you’ve had good luck with the MechMan. My voltages stay in the upper 13’s with my stock alternator but I don’t have the winch on for long periods and the small snowplow winch doesn’t pull much of a load.
Glad you’ve had good luck with the MechMan. My voltages stay in the upper 13’s with my stock alternator but I don’t have the winch on for long periods and the small snowplow winch doesn’t pull much of a load.
Joined
·
1,408 Posts
Here’s some of a conversation taken off another site:
“
Operating at excessive voltage, where instead of a 110a alternator being too anemic in power output for system voltage to immediately rise after start, I have a 230a alternator that very quickly rises to the voltage regulator max of 14.1 volts within seconds after starting. The previous 110a alternator took a couple of minutes to rise to 14.1 volts. During that couple minutes that it took for the 110a to catch up to demand, the glow plugs were safe. And according to Ford's memos, this was by design. Once I deviated from that design with a higher amp alternator, I ran the risk of applying "excessive voltage" to the glow plugs while they were being heated from within, and without, due to combustion.
2. Ford commanding that the GV series 2 stage glow plugs stay on after engine start is the same as the "relay sticking", or staying on too long for the GV series 2 stage design.
3. "Incorrect post heating with engine running"... Yep, that is exactly what is happening. And we can't change to the 6.0L GN 3 stage glow plugs that were designed for this type of post heating while engine is running... because the ZD-13 glow plugs do not fit the 7.3. And Beru does not make a GN series 3 stage glow plug that matches the GV819 dimensions.
4. "Post heating glow plugs not used." GV series are not post heating glow plugs. And we can't change to the 6.0L GN series 3 stage glow plugs that were designed for this type of post heating while engine is running... because the ZD-13 glow plugs do not fit the 7.3. And Beru does not make a GN series 3 stage glow plug that matches the GV819 / ZD-11 dimensions.
![]()
So here is the wrinkling and dented heating element of Cylinder 3, which also had a "filament open circuit"... showing an open on the DVOM.
This is what I caution anyone considering upgrading their alternator to consider. Do stock glow plugs fail frequently, or are there not so obvious conditions created by a charging system "upgrade" that are actually accelerating glow plug failure?
“
“
Operating at excessive voltage, where instead of a 110a alternator being too anemic in power output for system voltage to immediately rise after start, I have a 230a alternator that very quickly rises to the voltage regulator max of 14.1 volts within seconds after starting. The previous 110a alternator took a couple of minutes to rise to 14.1 volts. During that couple minutes that it took for the 110a to catch up to demand, the glow plugs were safe. And according to Ford's memos, this was by design. Once I deviated from that design with a higher amp alternator, I ran the risk of applying "excessive voltage" to the glow plugs while they were being heated from within, and without, due to combustion.
2. Ford commanding that the GV series 2 stage glow plugs stay on after engine start is the same as the "relay sticking", or staying on too long for the GV series 2 stage design.
3. "Incorrect post heating with engine running"... Yep, that is exactly what is happening. And we can't change to the 6.0L GN 3 stage glow plugs that were designed for this type of post heating while engine is running... because the ZD-13 glow plugs do not fit the 7.3. And Beru does not make a GN series 3 stage glow plug that matches the GV819 dimensions.
4. "Post heating glow plugs not used." GV series are not post heating glow plugs. And we can't change to the 6.0L GN series 3 stage glow plugs that were designed for this type of post heating while engine is running... because the ZD-13 glow plugs do not fit the 7.3. And Beru does not make a GN series 3 stage glow plug that matches the GV819 / ZD-11 dimensions.
So here is the wrinkling and dented heating element of Cylinder 3, which also had a "filament open circuit"... showing an open on the DVOM.
This is what I caution anyone considering upgrading their alternator to consider. Do stock glow plugs fail frequently, or are there not so obvious conditions created by a charging system "upgrade" that are actually accelerating glow plug failure?
“
1 - 4 of 26 Posts
