Oil on glow plugs (1 Viewer)

[Jan-78FJ40]

The glow plugs on my 2H burn out fast-I go through a set every year. When I pull them there is oil on them, and they are really dirty.
The engine is a relatively low mileage 2H (older model) with an aftermarket turbo. It does not consume oil, and it does not smoke, except for a few seconds at startup. It runs strong and starts up easily, even in cold weather ( no cold weather in San Diego, but on skiing trips at Mammoth and Bend).

Could this have to do with the connection of the valve cover to the air intake? the turbo intake pipe has a connection to the valve cover...

Or bad rings? The engine should not have a lot of miles on it...

Thanks for your thoughts,
Jan

 

[Tapage]

The weird part it's you report no oil consumption . ?

I would said bad oil rings .. but with oil comsumtion.

 

[Jan-78FJ40]

The weird part it's you report no oil consumption . ?

I would said bad oil rings .. but with oil comsumtion.

I have not accurately measured how much less oil I get out than I put in after 5000km. But on the dipstick there is no obvious loss

how hard is it to change the oil rings on the pistons?

cheers,
J

 

[lostmarbles]

I have not accurately measured how much less oil I get out than I put in after 5000km. But on the dipstick there is no obvious loss

how hard is it to change the oil rings on the pistons?

cheers,
J

Don't consider replacing the rings on the basis of "burning out your glow plugs". The two issues are completely unconnected.

Oil on the plugs won't cause them to burn out either.

I suggest you investigate why you are burning them out. (Are they poor quality? Or are you fitting plugs that have the wrong specifications?)

That's my 2c.

 

[Jan-78FJ40]

Don't consider replacing the rings on the basis of "burning out your glow plugs". The two issues are completely unconnected.

Oil on the plugs won't cause them to burn out either.

I suggest you investigate why you are burning them out. (Are they poor quality? Or are you fitting plugs that have the wrong specifications?)

That's my 2c.

Thank you!
The plugs are the correct specification, but might have been low quality. I measure 12V at the bus-bar that connects them (12 V system), and I fitted 11V plugs. The system is a fixed delay type.

cheers,
Jan

 

[kim]

Don't consider replacing the rings on the basis of "burning out your glow plugs". The two issues are completely unconnected.

Oil on the plugs won't cause them to burn out either.

I suggest you investigate why you are burning them out. (Are they poor quality? Or are you fitting plugs that have the wrong specifications?)

That's my 2c.

So, how does oil get on the glow plugs?

 

[lostmarbles]

So, how does oil get on the glow plugs?

Hi Kim.

Your engine doesn't smoke or use oil. It also runs fine. So I would think, based on these things, worn rings should be ruled out.

I admit I wouldn't expect to find the plugs "wet with oil" (assuming this is what you've found when you extracted them) though. But what harm is/can this oil you've found there cause?

The oil must immediately burn off them when they are energised. And the oil can't stop them from doing their job.

Under what conditions did you remove the plugs? I mean - Was it straight after a good hard run? (In which case the "wet" plugs would be even more surprising.) Perhaps the wetness was diesel from a recent "cold start"?

Perhaps showing photos of the plugs may prompt some other suggestions?

Sorry- I'm not much help here. (I commented before because it looked like you were considering "replacing the rings" when you had no oil consumption problem and no smoke problem.)

I can't really say "how the oil is getting on the plugs". But I'm guessing you suspect "carry-over into the air-intake with blowby". But this should cause blue smoke from the exhaust and falling engine oil level.

 

[Jan-78FJ40]

Hi Kim.

Your engine doesn't smoke or use oil. It also runs fine. So I would think, based on these things, worn rings should be ruled out.

I admit I wouldn't expect to find the plugs "wet with oil" (assuming this is what you've found when you extracted them) though. But what harm is/can this oil you've found there cause?

The oil must immediately burn off them when they are energised. And the oil can't stop them from doing their job.

Under what conditions did you remove the plugs? I mean - Was it straight after a good hard run? (In which case the "wet" plugs would be even more surprising.) Perhaps the wetness was diesel from a recent "cold start"?

Perhaps showing photos of the plugs may prompt some other suggestions?

Sorry- I'm not much help here. (I commented before because it looked like you were considering "replacing the rings" when you had no oil consumption problem and no smoke problem.)

I can't really say "how the oil is getting on the plugs". But I'm guessing you suspect "carry-over into the air-intake with blowby". But this should cause blue smoke from the exhaust and falling engine oil level.

Kim and I are different persons

I removed the plugs with the engine cold, it is too much effort not to get burned otherwise.
Could be diesel and carbon on them-I am sure my injectors aren't perfect anymore. I'll see how long this set of plugs holds up.

cheers,
Jan

 

[canucksafari]

Just a guess but you could have a case of injector dribble. Diesel smells a lot different then engine oil. If you mix diesel with carbon, I presume it might look the same. Why don't you pull an injector from the worst looking glow plug cylinder and have a look at the nozzel. If it looks worn, pitted and or carboned up, then its time for new ones or rebuilt ones. If you get them rebuilt, make sure they test the breaking pressure and shim accordingly.

 

[Jan-78FJ40]

Just a guess but you could have a case of injector dribble. Diesel smells a lot different then engine oil. If you mix diesel with carbon, I presume it might look the same. Why don't you pull an injector from the worst looking glow plug cylinder and have a look at the nozzel. If it looks worn, pitted and or carboned up, then its time for new ones or rebuilt ones. If you get them rebuilt, make sure they test the breaking pressure and shim accordingly.

excellent point, thank you! Especially now that I seem to remember that 4 plugs were dry, and 2 were wet.
cheers,
Jan

 

[lostmarbles]

Kim and I are different persons
Jan

Ooops

 

[dilbags]

Yep I have the same thing with my 82 2h:

5 out of the 6 glow plugs had thick oil on them when I pulled them out the other week.
It was definately engine oil too, not deisel. Also the engine had sat for 1 week before I pulled them, I pulled them out again another week after and there was still oil on them, so it mustbe pooling in there some how

Some guy on a ford forum reckons its quite normal on their respective deisel engine for oil to be on the plugs