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

[davidkerryedwards]

The two different kinds (series/parallel or loop/pencil) that I am
familiar with are on Mercedes diesels. The Series/loop kind are
older and less efficient. The parallel/pencil type are newer and
more efficient. On the series kind, 12volt is applied to the first
plug, it flows thru the plug, heats the loop, out of that plug and
on to the next one with very heavy gauge wire with the final plug
grounded to the block. There are insulators at the top of these
plugs to stop the incoming electricity from jumping over to the
outgoing wire without passing thru the loop. These plugs lose a lot
of heat in the wires that join them together (you can see the wire
glow red). If a loop burns out, all the plugs stop working. I am
almost certain these are the style of plugs on my 82 Perkins.
The pencil/parallel plugs each receive 12 volts independent of the
other plugs and each is grounded to the block (I think). No heat is
lost in the wires that join them together. They are much more
efficient and if one burns out, the others still function since they
are independently grounded.
I converted my 77 Mercedes 300d from series to parallel and cold
weather starting improved immensely.

Kerry
82 FC35
Denver


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "one_dusty_hoot"
wrote:
>
> 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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