Old diesel mechanic in Tulsa told me to stop using starting fluid on older engines

I was spraying ether on a stubborn 7.3 IDI a few weeks back and this guy walks over and tells me to knock it off. He said one good backfire through the intake can blow the glow plugs right out of the heads. I laughed it off but then he showed me a cracked prechamber from a van he worked on last year. Now I just use a block heater and some patience. Any of you guys seen that happen for real?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_sarah28d ago

Holy crap, blew the glow plugs right out of the heads? That's wild. I've heard of them cracking chambers but never seen it happen to a plug like that. I guess he had the receipts to back it up though.

jesse_barnes3728d ago

Bet he just let them run too long without cycling the key and it melted the threads out.