Changing Glow plugs!? @#$#@%#^#%^

[VW Scully]

Hey everyone;
I was about to change the glow plugs in my Rabbit today, but what a pain in the a$$!! How the heck do you get to them with the darn pump in the way!? Don't tell me I have to take the pump off; that seems a bit excessive.
(I did a search but couldn't find the procedure )

Any help!?!?!?
Thanks

[fspGTD]

A few tips:

1.  Removing the injection lines (they have 17mm nuts) will make access to the glow plugs a lot easier.  Before removing the nuts, clean around them first by spraying and wiping solvent.  Be very careful not to get any debris into the lines or the injector's inlets... installing some sort of dust caps over the injector inlets is a really good idea.  If there is any junk that gets in or is already visible in the injector inlets, twist the corner of a clean paper towel and put it into the inlet and twist to try and wick / wipe it out.  Don't leave any paper fibers, dirt, or dust in there.  Flush the diesel injector lines with solvent and make sure their insides and unions are clean before re-installing.  Also, try and avoid letting diesel spill onto radiator hose or other rubber parts.  If it spills on the radiator hose, clean it off well, as it will attack/weaken/swell the rubber over time if left on there.

2.  On difficult to access plugs, use a "magnet on a stick" to remove the buss bar retaining nuts and washers, and also the plugs themselves.  The magnet on a stick can be used to more reliable remove and install these parts without them falling down and/or getting lost.  Also the magnet on a stick can be helpful for when you can't get two fingers on the glow plugs or nuts to twist them.  If you position the glow plug / nut on the magnet on a stick just right, you can rotate it enough and even get them started on the threads started if you are careful.

3.  Watch the torque on the glow plugs going into the aluminum threaded head.  Try and use a torque wrench on an easy to access plug, then use a wrench to copy that torque to the harder to access ones.  Use whatever wrenches you have that can turn them, and be patient.  Sometimes you can't even rotate the plug or nut by even 1/16 of a turn before repositioning the wrench is necessary.  But don't despair as long as you are making some progress, then you can do it.

4.  Don't remove the pump in order to access your glow plugs.  But, if you have already removed the pump for some other reason, then while the glow plugs are easy to access, take this opportunity to check and service them as needed.

5.  The jury is out on whether replacing non-damaged plugs is necessary or helpful.  They seem to fail on a random basis.  IE: the probability of a new plug burning out seems to be just as high as an old one.  However, if switching them to a different brand or type of plug, it is a good idea to change all four so they match.

[Northboundtrain]

On my 81 caddy, the plugs aren't that hard to access.  I remove the injector lines and use a regular box wrench (the longer the handle the better).  But on the 91 Jetta, the pump is positioned closer to the head (it's an Eco diesel) and the plugs are impossible for me to r and r without removing the injectors as well (also a very tight fit for the socket and breaker bar).  

So depending on what year your Rabbit is, you may need to remove the injectors.  If you do, clean out around the injectors very well with engine degreaser and high pressure water then compressed air (do this before disconnecting the injector lines).  Stuff some paper towel in the injector ports while you work on the glow plugs.  Also, use new shields when you replace the injectors.

[VW Scully]

Thanks guys
fyi; my car is a 1981.

[Patrick]

Just did this a month ago on a 92 td. Followed directions I found here. Boils down to this. Take the injector lines off, tke the buss bar off three and four, but just loosen it on one and two. Take three and four out. Take one and two out, and use the buss bar to get them out of their holes and back in again. Tricky, but doable. Start early in the day, be patient, walk away for a break when you get frustrated. Might take a couple or three hours just because it's fussy.

Double and triple check that you have power to the plugs before you start, I changed out four good plugs because of a bad fusible link that was passing power intermittently!!!    DOHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You might have a similar situation.

[DieselsRcool]

I just remove the lines and the injectors everytime. With the injectors out the glow plugs are easy. You can also look in the inj holes before removing the glow plugs, cycle the key and confirm you have a dead one. The first sign is when it starts and runs just a bit rough for just the first second or two, and smokes a bit white at cold start. Anyway, I replace all the glow plugs with new ones when the first one burns out, 1-2 years usually. It's not worth the hassle to try and use the used ones. Change the inj seals too or you will run the chance of having carbon blow past the seals and fill the inj threads. This can cause the threads to gaul and maybe ruin the head the next time you remove them. :shock:  I also use a bit of antisieze on the threads of both the inj and plugs. I usually replace the little black rubber return lines at this time too. It's cheap and I buy 10' at a time for stock.

After buttoning it back up, tighten the bottom of the lines but leave the top 1/2 turn loose. Crank the engine for 30 sec or so and check for fuel leaking from the loose inj line fitting. If there is fuel leaking, tighten the line, wipe up the drips and fire her up. Let it run for a few min then check for leaks on the line fittings and at the inj bases. Good for another year or so.  

[QuickTD]

Maybe it's just my good manual dexterity, or perhaps the "gearwrench" ratcheting wrenches I use, but I've never had much trouble replacing glow plugs. I can do a full set in half an hour. I never remove the injectors or the injector lines. I use the gearwrench and a screwdriver pressed against the back of the wrench to provide enough friction for the ratchet mechanism to "ratchet" and screw then in and out. I wrap a bit of paper around the bus bar nuts to jam them into the end of the gearwrench to get them started, works every time.

[Rat407]

I did away with my bus bar and ran a single 10 gage wire to each with a slotted connector, That way all I have to do in the future is loosen the glow plug nut to remove the wire and not have to bend that bus bar out of the way. Plus it makes for trouble shooting a ton easier because you can isolate each plug.  Remember to use anti sieze as well on the plug threads, the copper helps with ground as well as making them easier to remove later.

[QuickTD]

I did away with my bus bar and ran a single 10 gage wire to each with a slotted connector

 I took it one step further and connected all my glow plugs to a 4 pin weather pack connector. I can just pull the plug to check each glow plug independantly with an ohm meter or a test light. Sweet...

[Hammy]

I always do them the same way as Patrick has described. I also, have replaced good working glow plugs, because I didn't check things properly. Sometimes this glow plug fuse can just fracture across the middle, therefore allowing continuity intermitantly. Check carefully, do power tests (preferably with a multimeter) make sure connections are clean. It sucks to spend time and money on things that could be avoided. :oops:

[Patrick]

Yup!

[Northboundtrain]

One other thing:  Don't over tighten the nut that clamps the bus bar onto the glow plug.  You can break the stud off the plug  :x

[jake zak]

Hi
when I change them I remove fuel lines and that opens up 3/4..
as for 1/2 then I loosen up the timing on the pump (4 mounting bolts also mark the timing postion)and rotate the pump away from the engine an replace them install buss then I rotate the pump back to the timing mark and retorque bolts and install lines...
I do NOT remove pump or injectors....to much trouble.also you need to replace the injector washers each time you remove the injector.....
hope this helps a little to some one ....

[fatmobile]

All I can add to that is; stuff a rag in under the glow plugs so if anything does drop it won't go into that area behind the injection pump bracket.
 I don't remove the lines either.
 Ratcheting wrenches, pretty sure it's the 8mm and 12mm, do make things go faster.
 Antiseize.

[MacGyver]

All I can add to that is; stuff a rag in under the glow plugs so if anything does drop it won't go into that area behind the injection pump bracket.
 

An invaluable suggestion, from someone who didn't do this in the past & suffered accordingly :oops:

Antiseize.

Get the good copper stuff