How to change glow plug no 4 in 15 mins

johntheshop · Post by **johntheshop** » 23 Jan 2004, 04:57

Sorry about the title, it sounds a bit american lifestyle coach.
I have just replaced the glow plugs on my TD xantia and glow plug number 4 behind the fuel pump presented no problems.
Took some thinking and quite a few lost nuts on the cable connector bit before I worked it all out. I don't know if this method is new as I have just joined the forum so here goes.
1. Buy a big bag of 5mm nuts for the connectors as those little babies don't half disapear fast especially when you have oily hands and your car still has an engine under tray. I was surprised that the beru plugs didn't supply any new ones.
2. Attack the fuel pump glow plug from above. Take off the small water pipe to gain a bit more access.
3. Undo the connector nut and probably loose it in to abys below (thats what the bag of replacement nuts was for). I used a standard open ended / ring spanner for the glow plug and that seemed to work fine. Luckely my threads were very good. To remove the plug requires some hand contortion but you have to lower the back end of the plug down first under the injector pump pipework before lifting it up.
4. On my new beru plugs there was a deep groove just the other side of the electrical connector thread. To put the new plug in (frightened after loosing so many nuts) I tied some kite string around the grove. Now confident of not loosing the plug hold the glow plug with a long nose pliers on the heater element as close to the middle as possible. Hold it lightly as you only use the pliers as a pivot. Angle the glow plug in the pliers quite straight to get it down past the pump (connector thread end first). once past the hole in the block, pull the string to pivot the plug horizontal and pop it in the block hole. You can't pop the plug in from above as the pump gets in the way. You will drop it a few times but you can just pull the plug back out using the string. Once in the hole you can tighten first with your fingers and then by spanner.
5. stick the connector nut to a piece of masking tape to bulk it up and put the nut on with your fingers. If you try it without the masking tape the nut can easily slip and be lost as it is very small . Masking taping the nut to the spanner didn't work as it didn't
allow the nut enough movement to bite on a thread
I managed the plug from start to finsh in about 15 mins on my drive at 7pm tonight in the dark using a loft lamp for light with no cursing or problems.
Strangely enough the plug was the easiest to remove out of the 4 as I think it wasn't tightened so much previously due to the poor access.
Hope these ideas are of use to someone.
Best regards
John

blueboy2001 · Post by **blueboy2001** » 23 Jan 2004, 06:53

I tried this approach, except the plug in my case was well stuck and after pulling the spanner to loosen it, it moved, hit the pipe and snapped it off. The pipe is an absolute ****** to replace.

BonceChops · Post by **BonceChops** » 23 Jan 2004, 11:44

When replacing swear words with *'s please leave at least 1 letter in the word to give us a clue as to which word was intended.
[:D][:D][:D]
Neil

nigel c · Post by **nigel c** » 23 Jan 2004, 16:55

With regard to loosing nuts.......
I taped a strong bar magnet 8mm Dia or so, to a 1 Ft (300mm) long piece of dowel and when the nut was at the top of the tread I put the magnet ont it, swizzel the dowel and the nut sticks to the end.
I always have the magnet on a stick (patented mag stick !!) close by when doing any work on my xantia cause it's very handy for picking up dropped parts.
Nigel
Xantia 1.8 TD 1995

oilyspanner · Post by **oilyspanner** » 23 Jan 2004, 23:32

Magnet on a stick, I never leave home without one.
Stewart

john alexander · Post by **john alexander** » 03 Sep 2004, 03:29

magnet on a stick !!! can't see the attraction myself.

NiSk · Post by **NiSk** » 03 Sep 2004, 11:52

That's because you havn't enough IRON in your food!
//NiSk

NiSk · Post by **NiSk** » 03 Sep 2004, 11:54

But seriously, this approach also works on the XM TD12, it's just another 10 mins to remove and refit the inlet manifold extension (which otherwise covers the top of the injection pump).
//NiSk

uhn113x · Post by **uhn113x** » 03 Sep 2004, 12:53

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by oilyspanner

Magnet on a stick, I never leave home without one.
Stewart
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Er, Stewart, what do you do with it then? How many times have you left home? [}:)][:D][:D] We should be told!
BTW - Why on earth does everyone say 'loosing' when they mean 'losing'? It does not mean the same at all![:(!]