Manual glow plug wiring.

[BigBad75K5]

The 2nd auto cont. just went out on my 84 Sub. I've got a jumper wire ran into the truck to ground and make it work for a temp. solution. But I'm thinking about doing the manual control thing.
I'm putting on new head gasket's at the moment so it would be a good time to do it.
I think I'm going to have to rebuild or replace the motor in the nere future though, has a BIG ring ridge and some crumy looking cylnder wall's.
I just need some info on what I need to convert. Anyone have any pics or wiring diagram's?
What glow plugs would be a good choice for a manual set up?

 

[At0m1c]

Iam going to convert to manual also and everyone says that AC Delco 60G are the hot ticket because they wont burnt out or get mushroomed like the 9G or 11Gs if they are somehow left cycling.

 

[Judd]

I also had glowplug problems. Drove me crazy also. After replacing everthing {glowplugs, controller and relay} myself. Then thinking I did something wrong and getting two different dealerships to give it a try over two years-I finally gave up.

I've seen alot of people run wiring from the battery, back through the cab, to a heavy amp switch, then finally back to the glowplugs. I didn't care for this way of doing it. Lots of amps in alot of wire. One short and you get a mess!

I just used the factory relay. I drilled a small hole in my steering column kinda opposite and low of the ignition switch. I placed a small Radio Shack momentary switch in the hole {it was the surface mount push type}. Two wires connect to the switch. The factory relay switches by grounding. This at first puzzeled me for about 10mins, couldn't understand why the relay would not switch when 12volts positive was applied.
The relay working by ground is good. All you have to do is connect one wire to the momentary switch and run it to the relay where the factory controller wire plugs in. Then you run a wire from the momentary switch to ground {steering column}. That's it.

I think that the glowplugs pull something like 30 amps or so {might be mistaken on that but it's alot anyway}. The way I did it keeps you from carrying all those amps into the cab where all that wire is just waiting to short. You don't have to buy a big heavy switch capable of handleing all those amps. And-the small momentary switch I used fit inconspicuously on the steering column.

I did this over 5 years and 40K miles ago and not a single problem. I'm happy, not as happy as if I could have got the factory system to work-BUT, I got pretty tired of buying parts.

 

[BigBad75K5]

Thanks for all the info guy's.
Sounds like the way to go. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif