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2001 Glow Plug Replacement

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2.3K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  MANICK  
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#1 ·
I have a problem getting my Silverado through California smog testing because one of the glow plugs has become touchy to being warmed up right; You can guess what happens when a mere tester just jumps in and wants to go, it gets a check engine light because something imperfect happened. Then it works find when I drive it. Okay, even if it works the rest of the time a new one is just $20, but it's not like changing sparkplugs. And I had an accident a few months ago that left me recovering from two dislocated elbows, plus the left wrist and thumb. Everything at once, right?

What I do understand of the job is taking the wheel and well cover off. Once I do there happens to be something blocking the #3 glow plug, not a conventional hose as you expect to find. Seems like some secured vacuum or pressure line, maybe 3" outer diameter metal tubing that runs next to air cleaner line at turbo at one end and I'm not sure the other end. I can't find an engine diagram that tells me what it is, so I can't do a search for how do get it off. I tried loosening the top and couldn't budge it, but that could be because I can't pull so hard just yet. Fighting with it isn't in the cards right now, right? I think once I can understand the job I can make it happen.

So just taking it to the shop I'm sure requires getting all 8 glow plugs, the price jumping to $60 each, plus labor. I'd rather save that behavior until I'm working fulltime again.

Does anyone know anything about what has to be removed to change all glow pugs, that would probably have the answer for what this is.
 
J
#3 ·
I took both inter cooler pipes off then you have good access to the glow plugs on both sides believe the glow plug nuts or sevens or eight's I was not remove the wheel wells note on driver Side you will need to unhook steering linkage and reconnect but not that terrible to do sometimes you will need new intercooler pipe clamps
 
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#4 ·
So I still haven't got this fixes but I want to drive the truck more than a few blocks from the house and need the smog to register it. It IS the intercooler, right? Is there coolant in it? Anything special about removing it? Any video I find about the turbo they never show taking that off. I need to know if there's a special problem. Deep socket should work, I understand they have a tendency to break off, anything else?

It's the #3 plug, I assume the 2nd from the front on the passenger side. Seems to warm up fine when I let it but start the truck too quickly and it's the only one that gets a check engine, (And what do you suppose these smog testers do) so either I find something else that's the problem or I replace it.

I expect the shop would insist they want to replace all, I'm sure each one is over $100, I've heard you can expect them to break at least one and charge hundreds more to get it out. I think I'm driveway mechanic enough to get this.
 

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#5 ·
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#6 ·
You shouldn't have to remove the intercooler pipe to get to #3. I just did #1 on my LBZ and didn't have to remove anything other than the wheel liner. #3 glow plug should be right about where the top shock mount is, several inches behind the IC piping.


Disclaimer::: I'm not as familiar with the LB7 so if I am wrong then somebody correct me.
 
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#7 ·
I'm doing better than when I first made that post, but working on it yesterday when I took that picture was still physically difficult. Walkin3-5 miles round trip for the plug will be easy compared to the squeezing in there, there was a back injury too that doesn't like crawling around like a kid, but I'm not so bad overall.

I don't get that I might be able to get that thing out with the intercooler there. If I succeed I'll let you know. I just needed to be sure I wasn't creating some disaster blithely pulling it off. No serious info pops up for me on a search.
 
D
#8 ·
Alright, post mortem for someone coming to research this job. Mine definitely needed the duct off to get to #3. I was only able to remove the blue tubing from the turbo and swing it a bit, but I'm still recovering and there's left hand issues, etc., a healthy person might get the whole thing off easy enough. It then took a 12mm deep socket to get the glow plug off, just a short ratchet and no long breaker bar or anything.


The issue was that if the glow plugs were not allowed to warm up the #3 would sometimes throw the check engine light, if allowed to warm up there was no problem. So I'm starting it without warming them and getting no check engine light. Wahoo!
 
J
#11 ·
I replaced my glow plugs earlier this year. Removed the boost tube. But in order to do that, I had to remove the bottom half of the air cleaner housing (easy) to allow much easier access to the lower part of the boost tube.
 
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