glowplugs for the changfa

[mobile_bob]

got the first one in and installed on the changfa 195 idi

it looks to be a good fit and i expect it to work well.

if there are others out there that would like one or more, let me know
depending on volume will determine the price per unit.

these are name brand non import glowplugs, reworked to fit the chinese threaded
plug port in the head, just above the injector.

they use the screw stud terminal with nut, rather than the push on style, which i personally think is the better way to go.

anyone interested let me know, if there is enough interest i will get a run of them and make them available.
i am hoping to get the cost down to where anyone that has an idi changfa can afford one for his engine and a spare.

bob g

[slowspeed]

Ill
take
2 $$

?

[NevadaBlue]

I would be interested in a couple if the price is right AND if my engine will take it. Can you post a picture of the proper head/bolt?

[JohnF]

Bob;

I'll take 2.  Just finished the install of my 195, made it's first watts yesterday, looking good so far.  Need to do a load test shortly, maybe I'll fire up my 16" wood planer today.

[yellowhead]

Anyone know if these could be persuaded to fit into a DI 195? I know these don't come with a glowplug port but my head has a curious round depression behind the injector. Could this be a plugged port? Seems odd to cast this feature for decorative reasons only ...

Thanks,

Simon.

[Apogee]

Bob,

I too would also be interested in a couple but need to verify if they will fit an 1115 and an X195.

Thanks,

Steve

[flywheel]

Glow plugs can be installed on any of China diesels even if the head does not have a plug that can be removed.  For engines without a plug in the head the intake manifold can be drilled and tapped to accept a glow plug.

The manifolds on the singles are thick cast iron.  Since the glow plug would be in the manifold instead of the head there is no worry about a good tapered seat as would be needed in the head. 

There is no pressure in the intake manifold,  all that would be needed is to tap a drilled hole and tighten the plug so it won't come loose.

It may not be quite as good as a plug in the combustion chamber but it will work.  Two plugs can be installed in the manifold to make up for any heat loss.

Have I done this - no I have not.  I may even install a plug or two on my Witte intake pipe.

Mobile_bob, What do you think about this idea?
                                                                                flywheel

[mobile_bob]

Flywheel

i think it is a good idea,, actually i have done just this on the 195 intake manifold as there is a casting boss
located on the inside toward the comp release lever.

i drilled and tapped it with a 10mm 1.0 pitch tap, and installed a 6.9 liter ford glowplug and used a jamb nut
to secure it.

it is good and cold here today, coldest day so far however not as cold as it gets in other places in winter, but cold
enough to do some comparison testing.

i will try the intake glowplug first to see if it will show any improvement in starting, then i will try the glowplug that
is screwed into the head and inserts into the precup chamber.

one of the two should work well,

if the intake needs more heat, i see no reason why more than one glowplug could not be used, maybe
two, maybe three? why not? they are relatively cheap.

bob g

[Henry W]

Hi Bob,

I will be looking into a cold start system for the Farymann engines. I think members and others will be intrested in cold start system for other engine makes also.

Henry

[NevadaBlue]

The intake manifold idea sounds like it may work. Looking forward to seeing test results. If it does work, it will be a much more simple, safer way to do the job.

[Henry W]

It will defenately be much safer than some of the ways some are using. It will compliment an autostart system nicely.

Henry

[Henry W]

Hi Jens,

Air intake heating systems have worked Effectively for years in direct injected engines. Most of the time just getting intake air warm is enough to induce cumbustion. In small diesels a glow plug might be enough to do just that. It is in the design stage right now and I feel a working prototype will be made. It might take more than one glow plug. Another important thing is the whole length of a glow plug element can be utilized in an intake design.

The problem with a heat core from a hair dryer is the possibility of breaking and having the pieces sucked in the combustion chamber.

There are heating elements designed strictly for diesel engines that I would trust over a core from a hair dryer.

A glow plug system would be a simple and safe way to start DI diesels. There is much less of a chance of having a glow plug break.

A matter of fact since writing this somthing just came to me that I will share with Bob.

Thanks,

Henry

[mobile_bob]

first test this evening, garage temp 35F

the 6.9 ford pencil glowplug, in the intake
it glows very brightly in about 10 seconds, and noticably warms the intake manifold
however it really doesn't help starting noticeably, perhaps with 2 or 3 such glowplugs it might help?

the precup installed glowplug with a 5 second preheat, and the engine starts as i would when fully warmed up.

i will try it again in the am to see if it will start as easily by energizing the glowplug with the starter, no preheat
just crank and go, i am thinking it will probably aid the start but a 5 second preheat would be much faster start.

another thing i would like to do some testing with is the use of preheat on startup to reduce startup smokeing
on those first few power strokes, and also i would like to see if i can via the controller sense an increased load
on the engine and allow for the plug to heat for a few seconds before the load is allowed to come on.
basically a delay to start the load while the glowplug is preheated while the unit is running to see if the added
heat might abate the few puffs of black smoke when a heavy load is dropped onto the buss.

i can't tell for sure, but i am thinking that the use of control via load delay and added preheat might well reduce the
emissions when a heavy load is applied to the unit.

if that makes sense?

the ability to do some really cool stuff via the microcontroller system is very interesting to me.

bob g

[mobile_bob]

for what its worth the 6.9 ford glowplug tip is about an inch long and glows hotter than hell

the glowplug i am using in the precup extends about 3/4" longer than the oem punk plug.

the only problem i have so far with the precup located glowplug is sealing on he seat area of the head
the changfa cutter was a POS and the seal is not good, i noticed some leakage of compression and thought at first
the problem was with the new glowplug seat angle, however the oem steel plug was obviously leaking as well because
the threads were packed with carbon.

i used a drill bit by hand to clean the head seat area, and retorqued he glowplug, while it still seeps some, i don't think it will
be an issue, i expect the carbon will seal it off pretty quickly. i am also thinking i have some tiny copper washers that might be used
to make an effective interface seal.

failing that i will dig out a face cutter and recut the seat, i probably have one or i could probably use a fawcet seat cutter to correct
the seat in the head and fix the problem straightaway.

aside from an issue with the new glowplug threads not being perfect, they are recuts so there is one thread in the middle that doesn't look perfect by any stretch, however there are sufficient good threads to more than handle the torque required to seat the plug if the seat in the head were made correctly.  i really like how they work on cold starts, and look forward to doing some testing to see if they can also be effective in limiting smoke with the application of generator load.

if i can control those 3 or 4 black puffs when a load is thrown onto the engine, that would be a huge step in cleaning up the emissions of these engines at least as it relates to particulate matter.

it would just be more visually appealing as well

bob  g

[rcavictim]

In order to avoid the real possibility of a hair dryer insert turning into flack and getting injested by the engine one might try a heating element from an electric stove oven.  They are a bit on the long side but can be straightened, reshaped and folded into a very tight U-turn with an oxy-acetylene torch and some care.  The idea is to put this element coaxially inside a metal pipe as part of the filtered intake air near the intake port.  I employed this technique once many years ago to heat the high pressure oil supply line to a unmodified, 0.6 gal/hr oil furnace injector nozzle burning bunker-C fuel oil immediately before the nozzle.  The stove element started a foot back from the nozzle, ran towards the nozzle, did a tight 180 and returned back along the same path.  It was held tightly against the fuel pipe with small SS hose clamps and the entire line length containing the heater was wrapped in aspestus(sp?) cloth.  A variac was initially used to determine the correct operating voltage and then a step down power xfmer was installed.  This technique adjusted the voltage so that the element was a dull red glow continuously during operation.  This goes back over 25 years now and I cannot remember how I connected to the one side of the heating element that I had cut short, but I WAS able to connect to it reliably.  I think I used a setscrew based collar borrowed from an electrical connector. I never had any problems with this heater.