Any suggestions on Cyl 1 and 2 glow plug removel?

[danewill]

I was going to replace my glow plugs and cyl 1 and 2 look VERY hard to get at. Anyone know any tricks. I DONT want to remove that injection pump.

[Dallas]

I use a 10 mm wrench and a magnet to keep things in place. Removal is easy, but putting it back can be a pain. Just take your time and it will work.

[danewill]

thanks ill take my time

[rabbit_man]

The little nut is 8mm and the GP is 12mm

[82vdub]

You can also use a magnet stuck to the side of a screwdriver that holds the nut on it to get the nut back down onto the glow plug when you are reinstalling. Turning the nut is another story, but it's doable. Also, I would highly suggest you stick some paper towel between the IP bracket and the head to "catch" the nuts when the fall. This will hopefully allow you to easily retrieve them, instead of them disappearing into the great beyond..........

[TylerDurden]

Vince has a great page on the procedure.

If you have the short injectors, it helps to remove the lines. The tall injectors have a bit more room.

The magnetic tip driver is the ticket... I use two hands: the driver hangs onto the plug (or nut) and I use the tips of my fingers on the other hand to guide the part into place. You can sometimes even use the magnet to spin the nut on, by moving it around like a crank-rod.

Don't forget anti-seize....

If you lose a nut (or want spares), they are M5-.80

[surfcam]

Discount tool places are selling cheap foot long needle nose pliers. They are just soft metal so not good for any kind of heavy pressure. They work real well for this job and other jobs that are tight. The only thing is that you have to restrain yourself and your friends from squeezing to hard. I bought a strait and bent pair. Another trick is the get the nut just barely on the threads. Then use two screw driver. One to stop it from falling off and another to spin the nut. It's usually a lot faster than wrenching. There's lot's of different way's to do it. You just have to find what ever way your the most comfortable. I bought a tubing fitting wrench so taking the lines off is quit easy for me but I worry about them leaking if you do this procedure to many times.

[VWCaddy]

What I use for the GP nuts is a long handled combination wrench, then wrap a piece of sticky tape over one end of the socket leaving the other end open. The tape will hold the nut inside the wrench. Also handy to have a telescoping magnet in case you do drop a nut.

[Fatmobile]

Stuff a rag under your work so you don't lose any of those small nuts behind the pump, or into the timing belt area (Rabbit).
Wratcheting wrenches are a great help.
If it's a Rabbit, you can remove the timing belt cover, that will help you get to #1.

[vixentd]

This is about a 45 minute job, and then next time you do it it will take you about 10 mins to do both glow plugs.

What you are going to do is remove the bus bar that goes to each glow plug and toes. You will replace with 4 individual wires about #8-10 gauge.

1. Remove the injector lines
2. remove the four 8 mm nuts on the end of the glow plugs and use a magnet if you think you will drop
3. Remove the bus bar and toss.
4. Remove the glow plugs.
5. Check and replace any needed
6. Cut the appropriate length heavy gauge wire to go to the connection from the wire that comes to the glow plug fuse to the #4 glow plug.
7. Crimp on a eye type connectoron both ends of the wire. Use the small size( yellow colour) and then put on end of glow plug and thread on 8mm nut. ( DO NOT FULLY TIGHTEN THE 8MM NUT)
9. Screw the glow plug in with the wire attached to the end of the plug. The nut will be lose enough to allow the glow plug to turn, while you tighten it to the head.
10 Now tighten the 8mm nut.
11. Do this for all 4 glow plugs.
12. Attach the 4 wires with eyes to the wire that comes from the fuse to glow plug #4. I use a small bolt and nut.


TO CHECK GLOW PLUGS
1. Undo the nut that holds all 4 wires together, and use a ohm meter. All glow plugs can be checked in mins.

TO CHANGE GLOW PLUG
1. Losen 8 mm nut but do not remove. Just losen enough to allow eye on the end of the wire to turn.
2. Undo glow plugs and use the wire to pull out glow plug.
3. With the glow plug out and on the bench, remove the 8 mm nut.

ADVANTAGE
1. No problem putting on the small 8 mm nut.
2. All glow plugs can be checked in under a min.

TIME
1. To convert all 4 glow plugs requires about 1 hour of time. That also includes removing and reinstalling all the two glow plugs behind the pump, the other two #3 and #4 can have the 8 mm taken off and an eye and wire added without removing the pump.

2. I just changed two glow plugs behind the pump and it took 12 mins total time.

NOTE THE NUMBER #2 plug
This plug is a little tricky to get in and out. Watch the angle when you remove and install the same way. ( Down and to the drivers side to slide in)