[Ariley488]

Hey all. I have a 91 F250 7.3 IDI. I was replacing the glow plugs today and one of the glow plugs I removed has the very top broken off of it. What I wanted to know is if I need to do anything to remove this small piece. I'm not even sure if it broke off during removal or if it was like that. I'm posting a picture so you can see all that was broken off.

 

[chuckster57]

Welcome to the Diesel Stop

It looks like the tip is all carbon covered, and if it is the tip is long gone. If the tip is clean, the rest is probably still in the pre cup.


The 7.3 IDI has a cup in the head at each cylinder, and the glow plug extends into this area. One way to retrieve the tip is to remove the injector and use a shop vac to suck it out, with the GP removed. If you go this route the injector has a copper washer at the tip that needs to be replaced. There is a way to reuse it but I can't recall the procedure.

 

[LMJD]

Depending on the condition of the tip, rather than break, it could have eroded away over time.

..... injector has a copper washer at the tip that needs to be replaced. There is a way to reuse it but I can't recall the procedure.

Actually those can be reused if necessary. They're soft copper so they DO NOT "work harden" over time and DO NOT need annealing with a torch as has been parroted all over IDI sites. It boggles my mind how some tried and true diesel shop procedure can be posted on the net and it immediately dies a quick death, but some goofball theory that's dead-wrong and dreamed up by someone who's total experience is tinkering with his pickup in the driveway (not referring to Chuckster) will spread throughout the IDI sites like wildfire.
Case in point, due to design and operation compared to a gas engine, anyone who has worked on diesels for a living would agree, the intake manifold of any diesel engine will be oily, dirty, gritty feeling, badly coked and carboned up. The other day a guy mentioned his was crudded up on another IDI site and about 20 clowns posted back and convinced the poor sucker to tear half the engine down to remove and clean the manifold.