Glowplug replacement

BX Tech talk
Post Reply
scarecrow

Glowplug replacement

Post by scarecrow »

Hi all - I'd be grateful for some advice on replacing the No. 1 plug - the one behind the injection pump(?) on the left of the engine as you look at it from in front of the car (assuming you can still see through the salty sweat and tears in your eyes after finally "persuading" the other three to please let go of the block). The engine's a 1.7

Cheers
Steve
User avatar
DavidRutherford
BX Digit man!
Posts: 2706
Joined: Wed May 18, 2005 5:07 pm
Location: Placing comments on YouTube.

Post by DavidRutherford »

No different to the other three unfortunately. There's no special trick, you just need to have the right tools, and plenty of patience.

When you remove the cable connection, have a magnet-on-a-stick handy so you don't lose the nut, and to undo/do up the glowplug, the best thing is a heavily cranked 12mm ring spanner. I have a spanner that fits this perfectly, but I've no idea where it came from.
this might be a signature
User avatar
mat_fenwick
Moderator
Posts: 7326
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2005 4:08 pm
Location: North Wales
x 19

Post by mat_fenwick »

If you have a rachet spanner with a hinged ring, that makes life easier. Also it helps to cut a section from the ring connector so that you can thread in the new glowplug with the nut already on it - save dropping it behind the pump! The last tip was given to me by Richard W, although I'd like to think that I would be smart enough to have thought of it myself...

Oh, and welcome by the way!
Image

1993 1.9 TZD Turbo Estate
1996 3.9 V8 Discovery
1993 VW LT35 campervan
1985 Hyundai Stellar V8
2016 Hyundai iLoad
scarecrow

Post by scarecrow »

Thanks David - I'll have another look tomorrow. It's not a big problem now as replacing the others has cured my cold-start problems. I no longer provide my neighbours with the spectacle of me pouring 2 kettles of boiling water over the engine every cold morning - issuing clouds of steam, followed by a few seconds of clouds of black diesel smoke :-))

Thinking about it - the heavily cranked 12mm spanner will be the third tool I've bought to do the job and nearly take my costs up to the fitting price quoted by my local backstreet Citroen garage. Lucky I like tools ;-))

Thanks again
Steve
scarecrow

Post by scarecrow »

Thanks Mat - but a ratchet spanner with a hinged ring?? I want one of those. I bought a ratchet spanner without any crank which was fairly useless (and it took me a while to work out why there was no mechanism for reversing the ratchet - duh!), and a long reach socket which would only (just) fit the No.4 plug and wouldn't fit on any of the others at all.

Thanks for the welcome btw. I thought I was the only BX enthusiast left 'till I found this site.

Cheers
Steve
User avatar
MULLEY
Over 2k
Posts: 8406
Joined: Thu Jun 22, 2006 11:10 pm
Location: Derbyshire
My Cars: 1999 Xsara LX 2.0HDI (90) Hatch - Fern
2002 C5 2.0 HDI (110) Estate - Jasmine - SORN
2011 Mini Cooper D Clubman - SOLD
2016 Mercedes A180D Sport - Auto refinement
1992 TZD Turbo - Bluebell - SORN
1992 TZD Turbo Estate - SORN
1991 Gti 16V - Blaze - crash damaged, will get repaired - SORN
1990 Gti 8Valve SOLD - looks like it's been scrapped
2002 Mini Cooper S - SOLD - i miss this car
1992 TXD - Scrapped in March 2014
1988 CX 25 GTI Turbo2 - SORN
1996 - AX Memphis 1.5D - Dream - SORN
x 8

Post by MULLEY »

Welcome Steve, there's hundreds of us left i'm afraid :D
2002 C5 2.0 HDI Estate - Jasmine - Now SORN
2011 Mini Cooper D Clubman - SOLD
2016 Mercedes A180D Sport - Auto refinement
1992 TZD Turbo - Bluebell - My daily
1991 Gti 16V - Blaze - crash damaged, will get repaired.
1990 Gti 8Valve SOLD - looks like it's been scrapped
2002 Mini Cooper S - SOLD - i miss this car
1992 TXD - Scrapped in March 2014
1988 CX 25 GTI Turbo2 - SORN
1996 - AX Memphis 1.5D - Dream - SORN

I'm not just a username, i'm also called Matthew.
User avatar
mat_fenwick
Moderator
Posts: 7326
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2005 4:08 pm
Location: North Wales
x 19

Post by mat_fenwick »

You want something like this then Steve.
I've actually been pretty impressed with the quality of Halford Professional tools, got some ratchet spanners and a breaker bar which has taken unbelievable amounts of (ab)use. But seems like not everyone shares the same views...
Image

1993 1.9 TZD Turbo Estate
1996 3.9 V8 Discovery
1993 VW LT35 campervan
1985 Hyundai Stellar V8
2016 Hyundai iLoad
User avatar
Way2go
Over 2k
Posts: 7279
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 3:15 pm
Location: RCoBerkshire
x 2

Post by Way2go »

mat_fenwick wrote: and a breaker bar which has taken unbelievable amounts of (ab)use.
A 2ft breaker bar is something no BX owner should be without. Spend time trying to remove hub nuts, strut top nuts, without one and you wonder why you didn't buy one sooner. :D

Even makes the sphere removal easy in conjunction with a heavy duty strap wrench. :D

(ps: not needed though for glow plug operations! :wink: )
1991 BX19GTi Auto
Geoffrey Gould
BXpert
Posts: 546
Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2005 7:26 pm
Location: Bristol.UK.

glow plug.

Post by Geoffrey Gould »

Hello may I make a small suggestion that you tie the spanner/s to something with a length of string, like your wrist, being a prat I didn't and dropped the only 8mm spanner I had down behind the pump, it disappeared.
When the pump came off a few thousand miles later it was still there so all was not lost!
Cheers.
Geoff.
1991 BX 1-7 td Auto.


I MAY NOT BE ALWAYS RIGHT BUT I AM
NEVER WRONG.
User avatar
DavidRutherford
BX Digit man!
Posts: 2706
Joined: Wed May 18, 2005 5:07 pm
Location: Placing comments on YouTube.

Post by DavidRutherford »

mat_fenwick wrote:I've actually been pretty impressed with the quality of Halford Professional tools, got some ratchet spanners and a breaker bar which has taken unbelievable amounts of (ab)use. But seems like not everyone shares the same views...
Halfords professional tools are irritatingly good. I say that, as Halfords themselves are utterly rubbish at just about everything else, and I really want to hate them more, but with their current tool range, and their lifetime guarantee, I have to begrudgingly admit that they're not all bad (just mostly)

Any joy with the 4th glowplug?
this might be a signature
User avatar
BX Bandit
Backslash Bandit
Posts: 2588
Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2006 7:46 am
Location: Home
My Cars: Cars
x 3

Re: glow plug.

Post by BX Bandit »

Geoffrey Gould wrote:Hello may I make a small suggestion that you tie the spanner/s to something with a length of string, like your wrist, being a prat I didn't and dropped the only 8mm spanner I had down behind the pump, it disappeared.
When the pump came off a few thousand miles later it was still there so all was not lost!
Cheers.
Geoff.
I did the same - but lost me spanner somewhere in the UK, France, Belgium or Holland!
1990 BX 16V Platinum Grey
1990 BX TGD White
1960 Morris Minor Clarondon Grey
1971 Triumph 2000 Auto Valencia Blue
scarecrow

Post by scarecrow »

Hi David - I haven't tried yet as the car is starting fine even on the coldest mornings now (From the look of it, I'd guess it was the No.1 plug that was knackered). I think I'll wait 'till I've invested in a bendy ratchet spanner for No. 4.

Whose lifetime does the guarantee apply to ;-)

Thanks for everyone's advice - I'm certain I'll be asking for a lot more as time goes by.
Post Reply