cucv won't start

Hi All,

I'm new to the Forum here, but have had my 1984 CUCV M1008 for about 8 years. It has been a fantastic truck.

Today it won't start. I'm in Canada and its cold. The 6.2 L diesel is often hard to start, but it always does. Today, I've had it plugged in for long enough that the whole block is warm. I crank it over - the batteries are strong - and get diesel smelling smoke out the exhaust, but barely a cough... no hint of wanting to start.

The dashboard glow plug light does come on, and for a short period only, indicating that the block is indeed warm...

I don't think the fuel is gelled because its bought recently and I get the diesel smelling smoke.

I wonder if its related to idle controls. Sometimes lately after it starts it does a few odd things sometimes. Sometimes it runs a little fast for a while. Sometimes it stalls.

Once the truck is warm and running, it runs like a champ, fantastic, except one thing which might be related: sometimes when starting up a hill or when turning right at speed, the engine kind of chokes down...as if hitting a headwind, or like an municipal electric "brown-out".... at the top of the hill, or when straightening out after the right hand curve, there is sometimes a surge of energy, like the truck suddenly became turbo-charged. It never does this turning left.

What do you all think?

Thanks!

Hard one to do an absolute diagnostics on the internet. Is the fuel filter clean. Has it been changed lately? Do you have a test light? Check for voltage below the glow plug relay. And at the glow plugs. Last resort. Either start it. Don't go crazy and unplug the glow plugs. A little shot will do it. Don't over do it. Last resort.

As far as the starting If the glow plug relay is staying on for 5 or more seconds when first turned on (short on and off clicking) you probably have several bad glow plugs. I always do an ohm check buy unplugging all and checking each one. no continuity bad plug.
as far as the running mine did the same sort of thing ended up replacing the injection pump. and lift pump.
The weakest part of the system in my opinion I the GLOW PLUGS always keep some on hand.

Change your glow plugs every 12 months. Do it!!! For 60 bucks you will have a nice starting truck and lessen the chances of a controller failure.

Kinda sounds like your injection pump is on the way out also with erratic idling.

Westech said:

Change your glow plugs every 12 months. Do it!!!.

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Sounds unnecessarily excessive. I get 4-6 years out of my AC60's, daily driven. Change them individually when one goes bad. Easy to tell; when engine sounds rough at start-up, look for the side where exhaust is smoking. Test plugs on that side. Replace defective plug.

Right on track with change glow plugs only when needing changed. Anyone that is taking out glow plugs just to change them can borrow my tools and use one of my bays to work in. Anytime. I like starters that don't work and they don't want and a few alternators once in a while is nice. Some guys don't like extra parts and just say you want it you can have it. Even swap parts for changing a starter is they give me the old starter same as alternators. They just don't like paying labor and don't mind buying new parts. Works for me. Come on down. Happy Holidays. I like trading anytime. I welcome guys that change things just to change them. I always help them clean up the work area and even let them borrow my tools.

Glow Plugs sound like the solution. Doing an ohm test on just half of them this morning I found two dead ones. So I'll replace them all.

Question: Do you ream out the holes, as some people recommend, or just pull and replace them? Any other suggestions? I know sometimes they don't just come out easily. Any recommendations on the best brand of glow plugs?

Thanks!

Many of us have had great results with ACDelco60G gps.

If you have the original wire ends, they need to be replaced with standard 1/4" terminals to use alternate choices(other than OEM).

No reaming.

You will ream yourself out if you break one of them swelled glow plugs off in the head. Be careful and tough but gentle at the same time. Good Luck Happy Holidays.

GentleGiant , where are you located? check your plugs, if you keep the truck plugged in long enough it should start without the help of the plugs , If you use starting fluid be VERY careful , GM put those do not use starting fluid stickers on for a reason, make sure you have the TM's , also crack a line at a injector to see if your getting fuel through the system, and make sure your batteries are fully charged , (use a hydrometer), also go to Princess Auto and get some Klyn-Flo low Sulfur additive and use it every fill up, hope all this helps,

I too have excellent results with the AC Delco 60g glow plugs. Won't put anything else in the cucv anymore and they drop right in. But like doghead said they require .25" female connectors. So give yourself maybe an hour or less to do it all, hopefully in your garage. It might be helpful to have a little extra primary wire on hand also to lengthen those glow plug hook ups as mine were very short. If you add a little length it makes the new installs very easy to work with after the new connectors are on. I believe the wire is green and I think it's around maybe 18 or 20 gauge? Maybe someone else will clarify.

I honestly would have thought a block heater would have got you going though at this point. My truck was acting very funny like this right before my IP went out, just a thought.

A great thanks to you all. I've got the ACDelco60G plugs in hand... at some point during the upcoming festivities I will work on the truck. I am adequately nervous about breaking off glow plugs in the block... will be careful and seek guidance if necessary.

Overall, I wish to thank you for the forum... I have looked at various threads as a guest over the years I've had my truck, and I'm happy to be a member now. I appreciate that people are helping each other out, sharing their experience and some humor. Happy Holidays to you all.

Use compressed air to blow out any debris around the glow plugs before removal, to keep the junk from falling down the glow plug hole. May also want to hit the glow plug threads with some PB Blaster or similar a day or so before doing the job. They usually come loose easily, but you never know. I used never-sieze on the new glow plug threads when I replaced mine. Some people like, some don't. Good luck!

I also use never-seize. In 2004 when I got the M1009, it had AC11's in it. After some research, bought AC60's, went to change them out, one was swollen and would not come out. What happens is that you can completely unscrew the threaded portion of the plug from the head, once fully unscrewed it only came out another 1/8". The tip is swollen and wont pass the small hole in head.Tried different types of pliers, wd-40, lots of twisting, couldn't remove it. Didn't want the nightmare of breaking the tip off, so I screwed it back in and left the green wire off. Guy I knew who had a glow plug removal tool that he lent me. Using a wrench the tool turns and extrudes the plug slowly by forcing the plug away from the head. Came out in one piece, no problem. You could probably make one if you had an equipped shop.

I have a pry bar fork tool that I use to remove swelled plugs. I have had great success in getting them swelled glow plugs out using the tool. I basically just get the plug out as far as I can and then get the fork in behind the hex head of the plug and pry and turn it and it comes out. I have had some that I had to remove the inner fender apron and get in thru the fuel delivery nozzle and get a hold of the swollen tip and break it off and pull it out thru the nozzle hole. It is normally the glow plug at the back of the head on either side. I spent many hours getting them out for other people. But it was cheaper then pulling the head. I just helped a local farmer get 7 swollen plugs out. Only 1 came out normally and that was a 13 G ac. The other 7 were Wellmans. Go figure. Happy Holidays Good Luck. I hope you get your truck running soon.

Hello Gentlemen,

Thank you for all the help. With the aid of a glow plug removal tool from [http://jjandaracing.com/en-us/dept_9.html] I was able to get all 8 plugs out without breaking them. The truck started perfectly afterwards.

Much gratitude!

GentleGiant said:

Hello Gentlemen,

Thank you for all the help. With the aid of a glow plug removal tool from [http://jjandaracing.com/en-us/dept_9.html] I was able to get all 8 plugs out without breaking them. The truck started perfectly afterwards.

Much gratitude!

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that tool isn't cheap, but it will save mucho pain.