I think I killed my Duraterms :(

[8v-of-fury]

I have them set to an illuminated toggle plug on my dashboard..

Last night on the way home from dinner, i look down 10-15 minutes in to the trip to see the little red light illuminated  SOB.

This morning was a rough start, thank-god it was warm out! today after work was even worse.. I think it started on compression alone! CRAP...

I will be ordering 4 new Duraterms, last time I had the pump off when i put them in.. I have heard it is possible to do with pump on by taking off the injection lines.. So i will see what happens eh?

They still worked this morning, even after sustaining 13 continuous minutes of use last night! My hat is off to Bosch.

[Rabbit on Roids]

you just have an on off switch? one that can be left on? thats a bad idea, as you already witnessed first hand. i got a switch that returns to the off position after you let your finger off. hold switch, count to 8, fire it up. that way its fool proof. unless you reach for the nitrous switch and turn it on by mistake.

and yes, it is very possible to change the glow plugs with the pump in place. ive done it a few times. gear wrenches and screw drivers and grease are going to be some essential tools for this job. take and cut the bus bar so that it slips over the stud with the nut on it. take and cut the bottom of the bolt hole out of it. so it would more or less function like a spade terminal, but still function as a bus bar too. then you leave the nuts on the glow plugs at the end of the threads, then install them in the engine. then drop the bus bar on the plugs and tighten the little nuts.

[8v-of-fury]

thanks Kevo, I know I'm dumb

Well i usually flick it on, and getting settled and seat belt on its usually ready to go. it starts so fast i think I'm in my gasser

Got the plugs pimped, so no-more buss bar for me. I will be switching to a momentary switch, it was all i had at time of wiring them up, so it was what was used.

GAH WHY ISNT ANYPLACE OPEN AT 7pm!?

[8v-of-fury]

ALSO HeadGasket question!!

I have an 11mm 1.6, I have been told to use the 1.5 11mm bolts for a non-stretch bolt by yourself kevo, but I was wondering.. the engine has a 3 notch on there now, it runs great. would I be safe to assume throwing another 3 notch on there would be ok? a 2 notch is a thinner gasket to raise compression?

[8v-of-fury]

another quick question!

AAZ Valve cover gaskets! is this where we get the new rubber ones from? An AAZ part number? also I need a stud kit correct?

[burn_your_money]

No don't use an AAZ gasket, it has no stud holes. Use an ABA engine (2.0 from 1993-1999)

Yes you need the studs

[Rabbit on Roids]

i have since changed my mind about using the diesel non stretch bolts. they still have one problem i forgot about, they are too damn short. i think the 11mm gasser stretch bolts are over a quarter inch longer.. and would clamp better i assume. and since stretch bolts are $9.90 a set, why not use them?

and yea, ABA valve cover gasket. and either some 1.5 studs, or anything that doesnt have the big shoulder like the 1.6 studs have.

[8v-of-fury]

TBH part number cross reference brings up the 1.5 bolts as being the same as the 11mm 1.6 bolts. I don't think a longer 11mm bolt would work.. would it?

ABA cover it is. if i can find the studs.

[Rabbit on Roids]

oh yea, they all used the same bolts till they switched to 12mm, then they went to stretchers. i think the gasser 11mm stretch bolts are still longer.

[8v-of-fury]

but is the hole in the block long enough?? Or am I going to go put it in and bottom out with the head flopping around?

[745 turbogreasel]

ALSO HeadGasket question!!

I have an 11mm 1.6, I have been told to use the 1.5 11mm bolts for a non-stretch bolt by yourself kevo, but I was wondering.. the engine has a 3 notch on there now, it runs great. would I be safe to assume throwing another 3 notch on there would be ok? a 2 notch is a thinner gasket to raise compression?

Last HG I did, ditching the  3 notch 'VW Reman' put in there for a proper 2 notch got me an extra 10 MPH up the mountain.  measure.

[Baron VonZeppelin]

If you can buy your HG local, get a 2 and a 3, so you are covered and can keep working after head is off and the measuring is done.

Then return the un-used HG.
Maybe tell your clerk what and why you're doing it this way to be sure the return is no probo afterwards.

Lot better than pulling/measuring - then ordering HG and waiting 1-5 days later for HG to come in.

Any good nut&bolt store will have the strait 6mmx30mm studs.
Mom-n-Pop hardware might not.
Use blue loctite on cyl head end of the studs.

[8v-of-fury]

well the switch is very hard to bump on as it is behind the wiper switch on that flat piece of dash eh.

I have it so the switch has power whenever it wants to be turned on. it was a quick wire up.. not the best i will add. I will do a momentary switch and have it so it needs the key on for sure.

However i don't know for sure that i have killed the plugs. this morning going to work. rough start.. crank crank crank for like 15 seconds. and VROOM lotsaa smoke too. After work 9.5 hours stone cold engine (ambient temp of about 20C) lol let them glow for like 6-8 seconds fired up first crank.. Maybe its a fuel issue?? I dunno where to start diagnosing..

[Baron VonZeppelin]

I sort of doubt you killed a set of Duraterms that easy.

My 89 has a non-momentary switch like you have now.
None of the momentary ones had high enough Amp rating when i was doing the deal. So i went the click on-click off route.
But did use a self resetting 50amp breaker in the system.

Someday i'm gonna change the switch tho.

When i had standard plugs - i left switch on while driving a few times - no harm.
About 4-5 times in a 2 year span, i left the switch on - and stayed on overnight, dead battery in morning. Glow plugs survived up until 5th time - i lost 1 plug. Month later another went.
I 'think' the breaker prolonged their lives through those ordeals.

Put in new Duraterms about 4-5 months ago.
Have left switch on just once, no probo except dead battery in morning. The duraterms have a thermal breaker built into them (btw).

You can still get a dead battery with duraterms or with a self reset breaker, but i think they help the plugs live through things that would ordinarily kill most plugs.

The irony is each time i have the left the switch on, i was dronk.
Thank goodness i don't get dronk real often. Else i'd be recharging batteries all the time.

[8v-of-fury]

HAHA, and just what are you doing turning on GP's while your dronk? lol

I know of the duraterms ability to self regulate their voltage and thats how they maintain an afterglow without burning out.. but they are meant for a 3 minute afterglow max.. not 15 minutes! Not only that, but I think I may have killed the alternator.. as the lights now do the tell-tale flicker of a dieing alt..

I' have had these plugs stay on till a dead battery twice already.. when the starter solenoid I had crapped out and was flicking itself open when i parked it on a hill at night after work... So this is the third time they have been on for over 5-6 minutes (or however long it takes 50amps to kill a battery).

I don't even have a day off for like 2 weeks.. so I can't get to diagnosing either.. it seems they are temperamental right now.. they will work or they won't. Today going to work at 9am.. crank crank crank crank for atleast 15-20 seconds with switch on before start.. then a lot of gray smoke. After work (6:30pm) sitting for 9 hours, 7 second glow fired up first crank.. Whats going on here? could the solenoid be messing up?! GOddddamn those things