My personal best. Got the car in about a week ago with request to replace the remaining 5 gp's that had not been replaced. I typically approach these with dread not knowing what I am going to find. Anyway, ran the car down the interstate for a while, pulled into shop, removed intake, started the engine back up and started replacing them. Between spraying Kriol, running the engine, loosening, shutting off, etc.... got 5 done in 3 hours. Job was one of the easier glow plug light jobs I've ever done. At 150xxx miles the car was still on the original glow plugs.

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Jim

Impressive. Seriously Impressive. Apparently you've developed "the magic touch".

I should have driven my car out to you before I snapped the head on one of mine. Done while using kroil, time, warmth, and a torque wrench set below the (supposed) breakage threshold.

How much longer before you'll be able to do them while you're asleep?

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Current rolling stock:
2001 E55 183,000+ Newest member of the fleet.
2002 E320 83,000 - The "cream-puff"!
1992 500E 217,000+
1995 E300D 412,000+
1998 E300D 155,000+
2001 E320 227,000+
2001 E320 Wagon, 177,000+

Prior MBZ’s:
1952 220 Cab A
1966 300SE
1971 280SE
1973 350SLC (euro)
1980 450SLC
1980 450SLC (#2)
1978 450SLC 5.0
1984 300D ~243,000 & fondly remembered
1993 500E - sorely missed.
1975 VW Scirocco w/ slightly de-tuned Super-Vee engine - Sold after 30+ years.

Congrats, I'm sure that' a load off.

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Respectfully,
/s/
M. Dillon
'87 124.193 (300TD) "White Whale", ~392k miles, 3.5l IP fitted
'95 124.131 (E300) "Sapphire", 380k miles
'73 Balboa 20 "Sanctification"
Charleston SC

Any idea what MB book time is for the job?

That's awesome. On my recently sold silver e300, it took me four hours to get one glow plug out. I never did glow plugs before and the 606 was my first engine.

I used PB blaster, and a 3/8 impact gun on the lowest setting. Ran the engine hot and kept it plugged in the block heater. The furthest back plug was the four hour one. I used a 1/4 ratchet and tightening and loosening it and it came out eventually. The furthest front cylinders are easiest, back one's are the most difficult. You can't use gorilla torque and have to know when you feel it doesn't wanna come out, take it easy and patience is virtue. Worst comes to worst you have to pull the head and I could do that in 2 and half hours I'm sure

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Only diesels in this driveway.
2005 E320 CDI 243k Black/Black
2008 Chevy 3500HD Duramax 340k
2004 Chevy 2500HD Duramax 220k

Very Impressive. I wonder if the factory installed GPs are "seated" better and dont allow for coke build up around the collar and or glow tip.

When I've changed mine getting them loose is half the battle, but actually getting them out is the rest of it. I hope you reamed the holes before putting the new ones in.

BTW did you use a impact gun or just hand tools?

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Treetops
06 E320 CDI 127K Miles
87 300TD 231K Miles

99 E300 269K Miles-Sold

Hand tools only. I typically will start the engine after the gp is unthreaded and let the compression push them out, just don't be in front of it when it pops. Something I did notice it looked like everyone of them was not seated/sealed enough because of the "buildup" that was around them before I started unscrewing them.

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Jim

Diesels build up a lot of carbon from idle and stop and go traffic. Each time you cycle the plugs your building up carbon too. You have a very long glow plug going into a very small hole, that's why these plugs break off frequently. The back plugs are the worst. Have you broken a glow plug yet on these motors?

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Only diesels in this driveway.
2005 E320 CDI 243k Black/Black
2008 Chevy 3500HD Duramax 340k
2004 Chevy 2500HD Duramax 220k

With the CDI black death issue when replacing the injector they coat the injector with a ceramic paste (by memory may be called something else) does the original GP on an om606 have any coating and did you use, or suggest any on the replacements.

Thankfully I have yet to break one off in this application. I dI'd not see where there had ever been an anti seize maerial on any of them. I always use a hi temp nickel based antI seize on them and wait for the engine to cool off before tightening them.

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Jim

This thread emboldens me in my resolve to let my mechanic deal with glow plugs. Still original on my 98 at 111k miles.

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14 E250 Bluetec "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 153k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 171k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver, 142k mi, wastegate conversion

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife