I'm finally getting around to replacing my glow plugs in my '85 Wagon...but after reading all the threads on the topic, and the shop manual, I still have two questions:

1. When using the reamer, a few people said to apply grease in the grooves. What kind of grease do I use? And are there any tips about using the reamer?

2. When I tighten the glow plugs in place, do I need to use a certain amount of torque?

Hope this goes easy tonight as I really need to get my car back running....my other "car" is a Cannondale commuter bike and I got taken out by a County motor pool vehicle yesterday....no damage to my body but my bike is in the shop getting new front wheel and forks....

Thanks -Harv

First, I consider myself a novice with glow plug replacemet. With that said I have replaced glow plugs on three different 617 engines, once on a 603, and twice on a 606.

1. I have never used a reamer on a 617. I question if you could get a reamer in a 617 engine fully assembled. I never used any lubricant

2. I have never used a torque wrench on a 617, but then you would need one or two swivel joints on a socket and that would skew the torque reading. Not sure how to describe how tight is right.

A 1/4" drive set with a swivel joint makes this job a snap. My last 617 glow plug replacement (all five) happend in 35minutes and thin included getting out and putting away the tools.

I've never reamed out the holes when changing glow plugs and have never had a problem either. Don't put them in tight, just "snug" them in. No need for a torque wrench...probably wouldn't fit down in there anyways. I use a little 12mm wrench and an 8mm for the wire nuts.

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Do you have a reamer tool? if so you'll find it fits in the same space as the GP tip, no problem and I've used the reamer sans-grease.
I also turn the engine over a few cranks with the GP's out after reaming to blow out any carbon. Some diesel fuel sprays out and you must disconnect the GP cable where it plugs into the timer to assure you don't short out any of the wires.
Its about a half hour job unless you drop the small nuts that secure the wires, and a small solid wire (I use a section of coat hanger wire) placed against the center while unscrewing the nuts helps catch them. Its possible to lose these small nuts down behind the IP and then your going to have to find a metric nut to replace it
A deep 12mm flex head style socket is useful (if you can find one!) to install one of the GP's that is in a tight place

And ONLY use Bosch or Beru GP's or you'll be back replacing them again real soon

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

Thanks for the feedback. I do have the reamer tool and I asked about the grease because under the DIY threads, there were several people who mentioned using grease on reamer channels.

I got the high quality Bosch GP with the latest and greatest Bosch relay as well so I'm good to go.

Thanks Harv

Oh, I missed this part on the first read. Just to be sure, I'm understanding that I need to pull the cable/plug between the GPs and the Relay? Correct?

THanks again -harv

I have not read the mercedes shop threads but the reason you put grease in to flutes of the glow plug reamer is that the loosened carbon stick to the grease and dose not fall into your engine. Pull out the reamer wipe off the grease and carbon regrease and repeat the proceedure. I use wheelbearing grease because that is what I had available. I alos tried vasoline but found it melts too easily if your engine is even a little bit warm.
You just need grease that is thick enouth to stay on the reamer and apply only enough to fill the flute not a big blob. Don't put any grease on the threads.
Here I am greasing up my homemade glow plug reamer.

I've done glow plugs on my 617, a 7.3 International (IDI), an old four-cylinder Continental in a welder, and several 6.2 and 6.5 GM diesels. I've never used a reamer (never had one to use), and never used a torque wrench on any of them. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with using either tool, but you don't have to.

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When you think about to or not to ream out your glow plug holes ask yourself what is holding in the tip of the glow plug in this members engine. Entitled: Glow plut tip broke off in head.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=203761

The last time I read this post he was still driveing around with the tip in the engine and no glow plug body.

Replaced my glow plugs on my '85 300TD last night....took me about 1h 15min....guess I'm slow.

Anyway, I'm glad I used the reamer....there were two chambers that I couldn't even get the reamer into at first. I got a lot of carbon out. The idea of using a little bearing grease in the channels of the reamer worked excellent. I tried it both ways, with grease and without, the grease really
helped...too bad you can't just buy a teaspoon of grease.

Afterwards, I started her up and it started smoothly on the first crank! It's a nice sense of accomplishement to fix some of this stuff myself, and the dollar savings isn't a bad feeling either. -Harv

I swear by the autolite plugs!
I never have a problem with them seizing from repeated thermal cycling because I get to change them every three months!

Only takes me about 5 min per plug (and the lubricant people refer to for the GP threads is anti-sieze, comes in a little 1 ounce tube. Makes getting those things out way easier after many miles of thermal hardening.)
-nB

(BTW: kidding about autolite, only use them when I'm waiting on a back-ordered bosch. They usually fail by the time the bosch comes in.)
-nB

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How did you make your reamer? I have one I bought off e-bay. zdmack
I think. with shipping it was $43.00. lil pricy.
Ihad to work at it to cut through the carbon just to get the threads to
grab. I could feel the resistance, must not have ever been reamed.

Charlie

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We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

I just recently completed my first ever glow plug change on my 617. Below are a few items I found made the job easier:

- 12mm gear wrench preferably with an angle adjustment. For fat hands like mine, this is mandatory!

- 8mm socket on a 1/4 extension w/universal joint. It makes getting the 8mm nuts for the wires easier to get off.

- Remove the injector lines. I just loosened them on the block but next time I'll remove 'em as an entire set.

- An extendable magnet wand (or something like it). I was able to retrieve dropped nuts with it. But more importantly, I was able to use it to position the 8mm nut going back on with much more ease than getting my two fat hands into some of the places.

- Beer!

I am an average mechanic and the job took me longer than most. However, it is completely do-able by even the novice mechanic with the proper tools and the help from this forum.

One method I used to measure the torque putting the glow plugs in -- you want them tight enough to stay in and do their job..... but not so tight that you can't get them back out when they fail. Not terribly scientific, but it worked for me.

.....Dan

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That sounds about right, I make them "hand tight" with a short (about 6") wrench with my hand stuffed between the lines, probably not more than 10 ft-lbs.

I always stuff some rags between the IP and block and oil filter housing and block so that if one of those little nuts eludes me it doesn't completely disappear.
When I replaced the plugs on my 116 a few weeks ago I realized they needed to be reamed because once the threads were free from the block, the plug would not come out easily and would not wiggle from side to side. The pencil portion was clearly being tightly held in place. I didn't have a reamer at the time but I just purchased the Zdac Ebay version and it arrived yesterday so I'll be pulling the new plugs and reaming the holes shortly.

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1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
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