Yes, you can jumper around the bad glowplug. The propane torch trick will also work well -- quite a few diesel tractors I know of have intake air preheaters rather than glowplugs. Just don't run raw, unburned propane down the intake -- you risk blowing the head off!

There isn't much difference in the pull required to get the glowplugs on and the pull required to crank these cars.

The good news is that you got is started without the glowplugs.

Oh, and the glow indicator in the dash is also in series -- if it is bad or loose, the glowplugs won't work in preheat, only when the starter is engaged.

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!