Just replaced glow plugs on my 85 300D. Used the Bosch Duraterms that I got from Phil. Cranked up in 23 degree weather this AM with no problem Got rid of the smoke and the rough idle. Only problem is that we have bones in our hands that make it hard to get between the injector tubes. Good news is that plumbers putty works miracles.

bob

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Bob

03 ML320
99 C230K
85 300D 164K
93 190D 2.3 (sold)
62 220S (sold)
58 220S (sold twice -- a long story)

Plumbers putty is great stuff. Did you use it to repair the car or your body? I put some on a hot water radiator in my house 13 years ago and it's still holding strong.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
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
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Actually I used it to hold the nut on the end of a six inch long 1/4 inch socket extension so I could get it through the injector tubing and onto the end of the number two glow plug. Just had to get the angle right so it would start.

__________________
Bob

03 ML320
99 C230K
85 300D 164K
93 190D 2.3 (sold)
62 220S (sold)
58 220S (sold twice -- a long story)

Oh! I get it now. I was thinking of the epoxy kind and not the permanently malleable kind. I was able to get all the nuts on with my fingers when I did my 85 300td a few weeks ago. It seemed much harder to do on that car than the old loop kind on the 77 300d. I wonder what tricks the techs use to make the job less of a knuckle buster.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
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
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

I still don't get it. What is this Plumbers putty stuff? Actually I just finished my glow plugs last night. I found it essential to remove the fuel injector pipes otherwise there's no way I could've changed the plugs with an ordinary wrench. The hardest part was removing the plugs and screwing the new ones in because some plugs just kept turning but not coming in or out. The trick was to pull or push on them at the same time.

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

Plumbers putty is the permanently malleable stuff that plumbers use under drains, faucets, etc to stop leaks around the edges. The nice thing about it is that is is like a sticky clay and it stuck to the nut and the end of the extension, but was flexible enough to get the angle I needed to start the nut holding the wire ion the end of the glow plug. The others, I used a combination of sockets, extenders, box end wrenches, and magnets. Only lost two nuts somewhere down in the bowels of the engine compartment.

But wow, 13 degrees this am and cranked with one cycle of the glow plugs.

__________________
Bob

03 ML320
99 C230K
85 300D 164K
93 190D 2.3 (sold)
62 220S (sold)
58 220S (sold twice -- a long story)

Before I started removing those nuts that hold the wires on, I jammed some rags in the space under the glow plugs so that if the nuts fell, they would not be lost in the vast underground.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
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
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13