Pokeys fan issue resolved, keeping the bus, generator rebuild?

[one_dusty_hoot]

Glow plugs* I don't know how you would wire them in series,
as far as I know that is not possible.

Now is you are talking about the wire being in series with
each plug the, answer is yes, but!

Here's the but.. glow plugs use a tremendous amout of current
for a short period of time, something in the order of 6-8 AMPS.
depending on the plug and to the voltage applied at the cap/tp.

If the wire coming in from the power source was attached to
plug number ONE, then a wire to plug number TWO, then THREE
and so on there is a voltage drop on each wire depending on
the current flow, an example may be 9.5V-8.2V-6.8V and so on.
As you can see the voltage=heat would drop as you continued on
down the line. (If I were to call it in series it would be this
arrangment but it is not actually in series as each plug has
voltage to ground so the plugs are wired in parallel no matter)

You can check with a voltmeter to see if the voltage drops.
A better way of wiring is from the source to each glow plug
individually with large enough wire to carry the current, or,
have a huge copper bar or line attached to each glow plug, here
again with a large enough wire to the source to handle the
current.

You can forget the ohmmeter for checking these plugs even if
you have one out and in your hands. The resistance is so low
that an ohmmeter on X1 will read zero (0) thinking of course
that you have a short from cap to shell.

I have checked glow plugs with a good battery and jumper cables.
Attach to the battery, connect the black to the shell, the red
to the cap. WATCH OUT! The tips get extremely hot in just a few
seconds. Don't keep the voltage on too long. If they glow cherry
red at the tip first then toward the shell and not pitted or
erroded badly, they are good. If they don't heat or are badly
erroded they are bad.

You can well imagine the load on the battery with 3 or 4, even
6 or 8 glow plugs, many AMPS, batteries have just ran a marathon,
now you ask then to fire the starter, hey!, give me a break!

There is something else you can do to aid starting a diesel with
glow plugs and that is to add a relay, pust button, then momentarily
use the button on/off until the motor is running well.

bob janes, '87fc35, greenville,sc




--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Doug Engel
wrote:
>
> Is there any reason not to run an individual wire to each glow
plug, like off of a bus bar? Doug
>
> davidkerryedwards wrote: On the other
series glow plug engines I have owned, the heavy wires
> joining the plugs glowed red when they were operating. With the
> series plugs, when one fails, they all fail.
> Does anyone know if there is a parallel pencil glow plug retrofit
> system for the Perkins. In my experience parallel glow plugs are
> far more efficient.
>
> Kerry
> 82 FC 35
> Denver
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Troy Tikalsky"
> wrote:
> >
> > How do we verify the glow plugs are actually working?
> >
> > Troy Tikalsky
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Tom Warner
> > To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2006 10:12 PM
> > Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Pokeys fan issue resolved,
> keeping the bus, generator rebuild?
> >
> >
> >
> > As Ernie can tell you the Perkins starts at very cold
> temperatures IF
> > you know how to start it. First make sure that the glow plugs
> > actually work. If you want the diesel to start right then you
> need to
> > do the correct preventative maintainance on the generator. If it
> > smokes there is a reason. Depending on the hours you may have to
> > remove the injectors and either clean or replace them. YOu need
> a
> > good air filter that is clean, and if you have the vertical one
> that
> > needs to have oil in the bottom, make sure its at the proper
> level.
> > Treat the Perkins right and it will out last both of us.
> I
> > rebuilt my control box and it made a significant difference in
> > starting reliably.
> >
> > tom warner
> > vernon center,ny
> > 1985 PT 40
> >
> > At 09:02 PM 12/6/2006, you wrote:
> > >Glad to hear you are as sick minded as the rest of us. How many
> > >hours does the Perkins
> > >have on it? Could the smoking be causes by the altitude? Are
> your
> > >glow plugs working
> > >right? I'd do a compression check before rebuilding it, but I'd
> > >probably just keep using it
> > >as long as it started fine and produced electricity.
> > >The one distinct advantage of a non-diesel generator, is that
> in
> > >very cold temperatures,
> > >the generator will start more reliably and then you can use
> that
> > >power to run the block
> > >heater on the car (when there's no access to electricity).
> > >
> > >Kerry
> > >82 FC 35
> > >Denver
> > >
> > >--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "doug_ngl"
> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Hey gang,
> > > > Just thought I'd share a success. After testing the switch,
> checking
> > > > for current at the fan, jumpering power to the fan to see if
> I had a
> > > > functional hi speed mode, and finally pulling the dash, I
> found a poor
> > > > connection at the gang plug connecting the switch harness to
> the fan
> > > > harness. Cleaned it and used dielectric grease, works like a
> champ.
> > > > Just another note, after much thought, I've decided to keep
> Pokey,
> > > > at least for now. I did have her listed for sale, but the
> darn thing
> > > > keeps growing on me. I guess it's a sickness we all share.
> So let the
> > > > spending begin!
> > > > Lastly, the 12.5KW genset works well, but smokes a fair
> amount,
> > > > mostly at startup. I don't forsee useing it much, but it is
> a nice
> > > > option. I have considered rebuilding the Perkins, or
> replacing the it
> > > > with a propane fired unit...any words of advice??
> > > > Doug Engel, Gunnison, CO, 1981 FC35SB, "Pokey"
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
>
>
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