How Likely is This to Destroy my Engine (see pics)

I was having bad cold start issues and even though the GlowPlugs ohmed out as good I decided to take them out and replace with the Wellman plugs....
Needless to say I was shocked. Definitely don't trust your multimeter!

Also I should state that I verified my smart start box is functioning as it should. 24v blast, followed by 6v for a minute or so, followed by nothing. So it was not cooking off the plugs.

My best guess, Ebay seller I bought them from is selling 12v plugs thinking they are 24v, or at least I got a mix up.

So here is my question... am I boned? It looks like they exploded. Surely some of the little shards made it out of the preignition chamber and into the cylinders. It looks like parts of the coils came off as well. I would hazard a guess that these are fairly small pieces. I have been driving this thing around like this for probably over 1000 miles now. It doesn't smoke or run rough fortunately.

Should I take the time to remove the injectors and blast through the glowplug hole with compressed air, or is that really only warranted when you have an entire mushroomed tip snapped off in there? I couldnt imagine such small flakes toasting a cylinder, but maybe they could get in one of the walls and score it all up. I don't really know.

Thanks in advance for your help everyone.

Those look like the correct 24v plugs. The 12v that I have seen have blades instead of the bullet connectors like you have. I recently replaced mine after some starting issues and had two that were destroyed and one on its way. I was able to remove the pieces of one, but the others were no where to be found. I replaced injectors at the same time so I had plenty of chance and room to find them. I do not know how long those were like that as the previous owner really had not done much to the vehicle, so they could have been in that condition for literally years. I would say make the attempt to see if you can get anything out. TM mentions rotating engine to get cylinder to top dead and then using needle nose to reach into injector hole, retrieving any pieces. I was tempted to buy a cheap bore scope to check, but i was satisfied that the cylinders were empty.

Story time... To make thing right and new in the glow plug and injector department after receiver receiving my rig. That's the title, haha.

Having all new parts on the bench, old Injectors and plugs out (They came out in whole, no pieces) . For giggles, air hose with rubber tip to the glow plug port and gave them a blast. That was going well, carbon soot puffs out the injector port. Well, that a good sign I guess...till POW ! an injector tip fly's out.

After injector install, ran a compression test all around with fingers crossed. Low 400's PSI across the board.

It had been in there bouncing around who knows how long. All carbon-ed up and not one of mine. Don't know if this is useful info, but something to think about if changing those parts.

Good thing for the pre-chamber to catch this little bugger, but not always.



What's in your per-chamber? CAMO

I'd say get a bore scope (camera) and peak inside each cylinder and see if there is any damage or pieces sitting in there. If so R&R as needed and drive on. If all is good get new glow plugs and drive on. I would also check your start box again to make sure it's working properly and then get some good quality glow plugs from some of the military parts guys instead of fleapay.

I’m with Cam.

Pull the injectors and glow plugs and spray out with compressed air. Then look in with a boroscope and if any pieces remain you can try to get them out.

Thanks for the advice guys. Pulled injector 2, 3, and 4 (going from front to back on the driver side of the motor) and blew compressed air in through the glowplug hole. Nothing but soot.... So in other words the motor definitely ate the shards. Current glowplugs looked brand new so I have no clue why these disintegrated. GPs that came out before them looked brand new as well. Chock it up to fleabay (hopefully).

It runs like a top and doesn't smoke on startup since putting the new plugs in but its hard to believe that no damage was done. I guess since it appears these plug disintegrated gradually and in small bits it could have very well sucked them in through the precups and shot them out the exhaust (maybe after first munching them to even smaller bits). Or... maybe I have a bunch of small shards permanently implanted into the top of my pistons now. Or a mix of those two scenarios.

I would pull the other injectors but they are going to be significantly harder to get to and being that all the destroyed GPs look the same I would expect the same result.

Regardless, if they didnt score my cyliner walls, damage the rings, or mess up the valves I guess it really doesn't matter. I can't imagine some shards being implanted in the pistons will really cause any problems unless they cause cracking or something.

Lesson learned though, just get the Wellmans.

It is possible that fragments were ejected out the exhaust valve after the glow plugs fell apart.

Just drive it, there is nothing you can do if anything was done to the motor.
I just had a truck that had 8 GP’s with 100% of the tips missing...runs perfect, so far.

Retiredwarhorses said:

Just drive it, there is nothing you can do if anything was done to the motor.
I just had a truck that had 8 GP’s with 100% of the tips missing...runs perfect, so far.

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Yepper. So far so good, paranoid now that my box is cooking GPs but so far these plugs are starting the truck right up without issue. I did a little multimeter test to see if any of my electronics were making the box act funny.

I did see very tiny jumps in the voltage on the leads when messing with my heater, PA, and lights but we are talking only like 5-6 milivolts. Considering these plugs warm up with 24,000 milivots (aka 24 volts) I know this isn't doing anything but kinda strange to me none the less. I am not well versed with electrical systems. Wondering if some "static" showing up on the multimeter with things like this is normal or not.

Really ??? 5-6 millivolts out of 24,000. I would be more concerned about all the places that could leak fluids on the driveway.

How can you even sleep, CAMO

Milcommoguy said:

Really ??? 5-6 millivolts out of 24,000. I would be more concerned about all the places that could leak fluids on the driveway.

How can you even sleep, CAMO

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Hahaha she is actually leak free believe it or not. But yes as I said no big deal. I am sure a little noise comes through when messing with any electrical component. Once again I don't really know much about electrical but you can't learn if you never ask or try.