• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

My cucv burns up a glow plug every 3-4K miles

jaako40

New member
16
4
3
Location
Michigan
Hey I was wondering whats normal for these trucks to do glow plug wise. Mine tends to fry a glow plug every 3-4K miles. I run ac delco 60g glow plugs in my truck. Another weird thing I noticed when I’m down a glow plug is a switch for trail lights I have wired to an ignition fuse spot on my panel stops working when I have a glow plug go down. Any ideas on what’s going on?
 

chevymike

Well-known member
597
463
63
Location
San Diego, CA
It sounds like the glow plugs are staying on too long or somehow cycling too frequently. You should easily get 50,000 miles from a set. Are you still running the wiring through the resistor bank?
 

jaako40

New member
16
4
3
Location
Michigan
It sounds like the glow plugs are staying on too long or somehow cycling too frequently. You should easily get 50,000 miles from a set. Are you still running the wiring through the resistor bank?
Yes I am, i had a spare card laying about that I know is good. I replaced my old card and gonna see how it goes.
 

2INSANE

Well-known member
725
824
93
Location
Belgrade, Montana
Started at 14v and went down to around 11v
theres your problem! 14v the G60s are self regulated at 10.5v tops per plug.

when 1 plug goes out it increases the voltage to the other plugs.

check the resistance on all 8 plugs

the other problem could be the glow plug resister. If that has problems then your whole system has problems.

pic below of resister

get rid of that resister and hard wire that bad boy


Fix known problems first. Your wiring is jacked. Fix it.

THEN troubleshoot your GP problem.
I agree! Fix your current wiring. Do the dog head and get a push button 50 amp switch
 

Attachments

2deuce

Well-known member
1,479
154
63
Location
portland, oregon
I agree with keeping it stock. The one thing I would check is the connector that attaches to the glow plug. They get tired and don't fit tight with age and you get a poor connection. When this happens it is a little like a plug is going bad and feeds more volts to the other plugs.This will make the truck harder to start and you crank it longer, all things that shorten plug life.
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,473
10,434
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
And just for the record. A C Delco 13G are the stock glow plugs. They have been working for me over 25 years. Never have many issues and replace 1 or 2 glow plugs every once in a while. Get the hard starting issue addressed and glow plug issues disappear. There is a lot more to an easy normal starting CUCV then glow plugs. Every time you crank and the longer you crank the more problems you create. Starter relay failure, glow plugs and hard on starter and batteries. Besides my nerves. Many things working as designed make the CUCV as reliable as day 1. Good Luck. 3/16" female connections will be needed for stock 13Gglow plugs. Trash the Wellmans. I used to get them for free and started turning them down.
 

2deuce

Well-known member
1,479
154
63
Location
portland, oregon
Could the Wellman plugs be made better today than they were 25 years ago? I've been using them and haven't noticed any issues, that I thought were glow plug reliability.
 

MarcusOReallyus

Well-known member
4,524
816
113
Location
Virginia
I agree! Fix your current wiring. Do the dog head and get a push button 50 amp switch

There is no reason to get a 50 amp switch. In the first place, the GPs draw a lot more than 50 amps.

If you want a manual control, just wire a lightweight (5 amps is plenty) momentary switch to ground on one side and the blue wire of the relay to the other side. Running all that current through a switch is a bad move.
 

2INSANE

Well-known member
725
824
93
Location
Belgrade, Montana
There is no reason to get a 50 amp switch. In the first place, the GPs draw a lot more than 50 amps.

If you want a manual control, just wire a lightweight (5 amps is plenty) momentary switch to ground on one side and the blue wire of the relay to the other side. Running all that current through a switch is a bad move.
Not to be rude but I did not say to by pass the relay.

This 50 amp switch has worked well for me for over 12 years. I once had a flip toggle switch that accidentally got left on over night and melted the glow plugs into one of my motors.

I do agree a 50 amp switch might be over kill to engage the relay. I would strongly recommend getting a push button switch though.
 

Attachments

Last edited:

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,473
10,434
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
Tach alert. I think yo need a diesel tach in that cluster. downloaddiesel tach.jpg A 10 grand tach is a bit high for a diesel. But after all that work I would be sure to have a normal operating glow plug system. It would add more lights an compliment the fine work yo have done.
 
Top