Mark, not a bad idea at all, but I would think you might get better results using a heater designed for this kind of application instead of glow plugs... I'd look into grid heaters found in some (usually direct injection) diesel's cold starting systems.

The problem with using a glow plug here is that you can be assured the heat will be utilized far less efficiently than mounted in the head, because of how far away it is in both distance and timing from the fuel injection event (so it might not help very much.)
FYI - I don't know a whole lot about DI diesel grid heaters, but a quick web search uncovered a few data points: I found references to 400, 600, and 1000 watt models being added or OEM on some light-duty truck DI diesel motors. I coudn't find a picture of what the heating element of one looks like, but this page has a picture of what one looks like on the outside (scroll down a little bit past the center):
http://www.thedieselpage.com/features/2006MY.htmAlso, be careful about overloading your alternator. Ideally you'd want it to be able to "keep up" at idle and not draw your battery down. You are talking about adding a lot of additional electric current draw here that will possibly be used frequently and for long cycles. Even a 500 watt model would be 46 amps current draw :shock: Alternators often can only put out a fraction of what they're rated at idle by the way. I've got a picture of current versus RPM of an automotive type application unit somewhere that might help illustrate this. You might want to rethink going all out on the electrical heating.
If it were me I'd try a warmer thermostat first. :wink:
Some VE pump throttle arms (like I think on some RA, SB, or 1.9 TD engines) have the throttle pedal isolated from the governor input shaft, and they're connected with a spring and a damper. This slows the reaction of the pump to the throttle pedal. Although it's not the hot ticket for a quickly responding engine, you might not need the precise throttle response for your application. It might prove useful for keeping your motor from missing during the "snap throttle" emissions test. Or you could just defueling the pump for the test and then re-set it how you want it afterwards.