Glow Plug seating angle?

[Been a while]

Howdy all, I see the site has had a face lift, the search bar doesn't do the suggested post thing any more ..

Would anyone know the glow plug seating angle for the 03 ZD30 ?

Long story short, went to fix a slow oil leak from the rocker cover to discover I'd put it in the wrong way when I did the inj. pump in a QLD campsite lol.... how, I don't know! But I did... Probably being stuck in the same spot for months may have something to do with it

So, rocker cover is off and notice two of the glow plugs have broken insulation on them grrr so new plugs, simplez right!
Oh nooo, not for me- the two with broken insulation have seazed elements that, as I'm unscrewing the first one and lift the socket off "the core had unscrewed the element locking nut" that then dropped into the head.... oh yeah, we are off to a great start!
So torch and a very fine magnetic pick up tool in hand and "a looking I go" -whilst repeating the mechanics mantra of curse words..... AND I found the stinking thing! Just sitting under the cam! Phwww Ok next step...

Remove cores, mine came out with a slight tap downwards to break the seal and pulled them out with pliers... phwww next step.

Clean glow plug ports and apertures, and this is what brings me here, what reamer do I buy? What pitch 60° or 90° or are Nissans at thier own angle ?

Finding reamers that fit a 200mm glow plug port in Australia seems tricky, plenty in the U.K .. Then there are pipe/tube decarbonising brushes you can use, also tricky to find..

I brought a endoscope of flea bay, I'll take a vid or pics for the forum of what's down the glow and injector ports... be interesting to see why the grabbed! .

Has anyone done this job?

 

[Been a while]

I think this site has been hijacked! What happen to navara asia?

 

[Boogieboots]

Still the same site mate, this bump may get you some help. I haven't a fkn clue though mate sorry

 

[Horatius]

No idea either sorry, I have been waiting for someone to reply out of interest.

Though I have changed glow plugs in old diesels before, but it was so simple I'm wondering if we are talking about the same job lol. This sounds like an absolute pita.

 

[dattorob]

Use a thread gauge on the other two good ports I guess, I'm assuming you talking about retapping the hole?

 

[Old.Tony]

Just a couple of things to address here ...

1) The old forum that we have participated in (some of us for many years now) was sold by its owner to some new people who redirected the old domain to this one. The forum software has been changed and all of the posts, user accounts and content imported. Everything should still be "here", it's just the "here" that's changed a little.

2) I've no idea about the angle of the glow plugs, just putting that out there - I've never removed mine. However, if you're considering retapping the threads, give some thought to the process of retapping and what debris might fall in the hole during that process. I would imagine that a glow plug thread tap would be better done while the engine's head was removed so that the small amount of metal shavings created aren't allowed to do any damage to the cylinder.

 

[Been a while]

Heyyy, ol Tony, thanks for making contact. Wow, for a minute there I was thinking the sites been stolen or something, I was having a little anxiety attack

Ok, where am I with my ol girl, u

Still the same site mate, this bump may get you some help. I haven't a fkn clue though mate sorry

Lol, ahhh loving the honesty bloke ...

 

[Been a while]

No idea either sorry, I have been waiting for someone to reply out of interest.

Though I have changed glow plugs in old diesels before, but it was so simple I'm wondering if we are talking about the same job lol. This sounds like an absolute pita.

No, not at all, it's classed as an easy service job with the Nissan shop, what makes it sound like a nightmare is me! But, yet I have a plan Stan... we shall get her to live again

 

[Been a while]

Use a thread gauge on the other two good ports I guess, I'm assuming you talking about retapping the hole?

Ahhh no, not touching the threads, they're all good, it is the apertures that I need to address. And I was only concerned with them because of the 2 glow plugs the jammed and broke.. And there is a reason for why they failed, want to know?

Me! Me not noticing something and doing the job half arsed the first time when I was stuck in a QLD farm stay. I didn't clean the ports and apertures when I changed them out and oil had ran down the port. Come fitting time and with the light lube I gave them, plus the oil that had dribbled down the port, I over tightened them.. oh yeahhhhhh
So that's why I wanted the pitch, i was under the impression that I would have to re seat the glow plugs, but no. They seem fine. Threads are fine, what I can see of the pistons looks fine. Soooo next step..

 

[Been a while]

Ok, here's my cheat for glow plug port cleaning.. The way I've decided to go about it is like this..

I did manage to buy a reamer from the U.K that is purely an aperture reamer and DOES NOT include the glow plug seat cutting section.. Great for any 5.5mm aperture and easy to use. But since it was MY mistake in fitting them that jammed them up, I won't need it, I'm going the decarbonising brush path!

Safer for weee beginners I think
Ok decarb brushes, looked and looked and was shocked at prices and availability UNTIL..... Me and a mate, sitting thinking noticed his riffle cleaning kit
These will work but be careful, the direction you need to turn the decarbonising brush to pick up carbon from the ports is the same way the cleaning brushes and rods un-screw. You could use lock tight but I've gone another way.. pictures to follow, but it's just a case of welding some 5mm rod at 200mm long to these Tube/Pipe cleaning brushes set i found at ,,,,,,, yes, you guessed it,,,,, super bleep...

I'm going to have to some how up load a vid on how to go about picking the right size brush and how to lay the brass wire on the brushes down so they not only fit better, but also hold the grease and pick up carbon better.. why the grease on the brush, to aid in carbon and debris removal..

Now the way I'm going about it is this way, remove injectors and leave glow plugs lightly in place, bring piston to t.d.c so ALL VALVES ARE CLOSED... Now what I did was make up an air fitting to fit the intake manifold and then block the other inlet port, pressurised the chamber so air is flowing out injector port..
I then used the soft fabric brush from the gun cleaning kit and cleaned port and inspect, then lightly brushed inj. port with the brass brush. Next the inj. Aperture, same rutine, smaller brushes.. now that the inj. port and aperture are clean and healthy, remove glow plug, block inj. port and re pressureise cylinder..
Now be careful here, same routine as inj. port but you have to be on the ball here.. This is where you will get debris falling into the cylinder if you don't go about it right.. some mechanics say up to 80psi whilst doing this job, it's dirty and it's dangerous to a certain degree.. The whole time you are copping crap in the face lol
What they suggest is a light grease on the brushes to aid in catching the carbon, then there are people that say just crank that air and go to town...

Hmmm thinking cranking that air it's not good to have grease and carbon drops in cylinder heads. They get stuck under valves and you know what happens then huh

I'll try and get as much footage as i can, but holding tablets with greasy hands and trying do do things just gets to troublesome..

So I'll keep you posted, just waiting on new inj. hold down bolts, like head bolts they say, you should only use them once - soooo being this would be thier 3 tension, I don't think I'd be taking a chance. Replaced the inj. spill return line bango bolts also, same deal as head bolts... Thanks again Partsouq, cheap o.e.m and genuine parts, and here in A WEEK!

So that's it, I've got the gear to do it now, even shouted her some new Zexle injectors and NGK glow plugs too.. woo hoo huh
plus doing alllll those little things that needed doing.. lol, she's never been cleaner!

I can get injectors for $150 for the ZD's, NGK glows $80, yup, but they are different than the Bosch ones, I'd go Trident before Bosch, they are better constructed, more like the NGK design..

Also gents, people using copper and alloy never seize on injector and glow plugs,, oh nooo, seems the copper never seize effects the rubber seals on the injectors! All mine had swollen!
I've seen this before on break part rubbers, remember I did my breaks and in doing so found out first hand never seize is not the end to all your problems.. never use never seize on brakes.. oh yeah, I can feel it coming, I've been doing this and that for decades and never blah blah f'n blah! Try reading a book..

Break calipers have 3 different lubes that should be used, TWO different types for the rubber and one for the back of pads and the location pin sliders on the pad itself... one lube for the main calipers sliders and ANOTHER for the seals and piston fit up..

So what do we use, well.... There are ceramic compounds for these jobs as I have found out... Not that you can find them here! It's an order on line job! ORRRR, I was thinking ceramic grease that's used on calipers... it takes heat but will it effect the rubber seals on the injectors? Me -I'm thinking no, any thoughts gents?
Oil in injector and glow plug ports can bake, sooo I'm thinking a very dry and clean glow plug port and thread and then a very very lite touch of ceramic grease on the glow plug itself ... can't be any worse than using never seize! Right!

What do you guys think? It's an order from the states or ceramic break grease for calipers? Thoughts?

 

[Been a while]

Sorry guys, no vid, files to big to upload I've been told.. not much to see really, just dirty ports and nauseating footage from a cheap vachina made endo scope trying to find the apertures, in was nearly sick watching it myself
I think the trick is to, up load to Utube and link it here, but I don't want to be on Utube!

Admin, what's going on with downloads?

 

[Boogieboots]

Yeah most videos I have seen here are links to YouTube. So as far as you are aware nickel nevasneez is ok with the rubber seals? I take it the original stuff up was when you did the injector pump too?...well despite the issues you must have saved a bunch of cash.

 

[Been a while]

Yeah most videos I have seen here are links to YouTube. So as far as you are aware nickel nevasneez is ok with the rubber seals? I take it the original stuff up was when you did the injector pump too?...well despite the issues you must have saved a bunch of cash.

Howdy man, the rocker cover and glow plug where definitely from the iinjector pump job, injectors would have been from when I first got her and replaced them - over 80'Kim's ago..

I'm thinking it's either "swelling" from the copper anti seize or the seals grabbed on the port when I installed them- but on all 4! Hmmm
I first thought it was leaking lower aperture gasket "copper washer type" when i pulled the first injector.... derrrr, my mind goes to the worst places...

Has to be the installation! I don't have a spare new injector seal to test, I'd sit one in some anti seize and see if it swells! I don't know, but I'm keen to look into it a bit more!

The manual may have the lubes/grease used for it in thier manual!
I can get to that untill tonight if anyone wants to take a look for themselves
I know they list the sealants/silicones ETC. Oh, and "we" all know- special sealants for diesels! The diesel oil distroys most off the shelf silicone sealants.. true story

Cost wise, oh yeah, if it wasn't for Partsouq when i did the major break service i would have basically written the ute off..
lol, if i hadn't done the breaks a month before the injector pump went I would have DEFINITELY written her off
So yes, a third to a quarter of the cost Nissan or a shop would charge, hell of learning curve let me tell you- the work we do on these utes huh! Madness,,, but Sooo rewarding...

How you going with this bs lock down, kepping busy- how's your horse going? Mines in the 320'Kim's range now, noticing a little more blow by too from the rocker cover, that's what I thought popped the rocker cover gasket... could be rings! Anyways, I'm looking into building a head in preparations.. if it is rings I'll think of a rebuild, maybe find a short block, or a low k cracked head motor in a complete Ute... don't know yet, I here the holden v6 fits

 

[Been a while]

Whoops, I made a mistake when writing out my process... Seems the editing functions are gone, or I can't find it!

When I wrote, all valves are closed I missed a process! What I did first was to feed air into the intake and open the inlet valves! Then thinking the injector apertures would be the cleanest, I'd clean them first.
Then make an air adapter to fit the injector port, THEN CLOSE VALVES, then with the safety of all valves closed pressureise and clean glow plug aperture...

ahhh sorry about that!

 

[Been a while]

I went the garage vacuum on blower through the intake, dangerous in a way but hopefully the better of a couple of evil ways..
I took my manifold off and cleaned it prior to this job, it was clean and hasn't "to date" pushed anything into the chambers... she fired and iddles juuuust fine, the new injectors are noticeable for sure!
Be interesting if the fuel mileage is any better, it would have been nice to give her a valve adjustment too..
I'm still hunting- THE TOOL! for the job. From memory about $500+ from Nissan!

So, vacuum to inlet, close valves as you go, clean injector port with glow "in place" first, remove glow replace old injector or block Port and clean glow port..
Most head apertures won't need cleaning with a reamer or brushes, just the ports, seats and threads where needed..
Do this by using the soft brush first to SLIGHTY wet and clean the ports, then the BRASS brushes to clean threads and seats.. simplez!

And in regards to what lube I used to install, ceramic brake caliper grease!
A very dry brush on the threads and injector seals and that's it, torque down job done.

 

[Been a while]

You could go to these extreems, this way you can control the air pressure unlike the Aldi garage vac

 

[Been a while]

Ok, the videos I took are to big to be uploaded? I tried!
Sorry about the delay, Victoria is in madness at the moment and half way through this job I get a call "after months of waiting" I can finally come in and get some "jack dancer" cut out. Great, but danmmm, another 2 to 4 weeks not being able to finish it off.. so that's why the delay..

 

[Been a while]

Another tool you will need is a 17mm crows foot socket and your torque wrench.. yes you can buy them, but it just so happens in the box of old tools I find a 17mm open ring/crows foot spanner, and old 1/4 drive socket and 5sec on the stick, and saved $20 nice, a 4pac plus it saved a 1hr round trip...
Ugly but effective, perfect for the injector pump lines to the injectors...

 

[Been a while]

Another must have for the garage, great for bleeding brakes etc, this one will add pressure as well as vacuum.. You can buy a second hand brake reservoir cap, add a port - connect vac gun and pressureise the break system for bleeding. Simplezzz huh

But more importantly - you'll need this for the spill line bolt up! DO NOT FORGET THIS PROCESS..
New banjo bolts and banjo to injector washers/gaskets! If it's the first time changing the injectors out you could risk it and reuse bolts, I did the first time.. for $2 to $5 it really isn't worth risking breakage!
The injector hold down bolts are the buggers to find, 4 weeks min at the moment! And these are like head bolts- replace! And like head bolts are fitted and torque down "wet"!

$60 + super cheap, life time warranted on tool pro also gents! And they do honor it with no questions!

I also use mine to change the power steering fluid, it's not the best way but you can cycle it a few times and get the majority of the old fluid out.. Best way is to drop the line at the cooler "grill, and may be bull bar off job", stick one hose in a bucket and the other in a container of new fluid and cycle untill she runs clean into the bucket..

 

[Been a while]

Oh, and look out for these little buggers.. because this is a cheats way and you are not removing and relacing the lines you wont be able to safely remove the injector line bolt seals that go through the head!
And these little buggers are on the end of those seals that enter the head, you will need to push the seal back to "remove the injector with a twisting motion"- cearfull not brushing up against the seal, so I removed mine before hand and stored safely..

Yup, manual states to replace lines seals etc So doing it this way is definitely a short cut- going by the manual..
With the lines to injector, you bring the injector line bolt up to seat on the injector BY HAND, re seat seal WITH SPRING FITTED and then torque down injectors. Then with your trusty home made crows foot torque the injector line bolts..