Downpipe Removal for Glow Plugs...

[trbankii]

Searched and could not come up with anything. Any tricks to removing the downpipe so as to replace the glow plugs? Got the clamp undone at the turbo and trying to fight the downpipe off the next section back. Mainly just that I cannot get enough of a hold on it anywhere to do any serious tugging.

[Robyn]

You really dont need to remove the down pipe. The plugs can be reached by removing the little rubber flap in the fender well and going in over the upper control arm. Removing the tire helps too unless you are skinny.
Carefully remove the wiring guard tubes then unplug the wire from the plug on the center two.
The front plug is easy and the rear one can be reached from under the rig.
Be careful and if one of them suckers does not want to come, dont reef too hard and break it off. I stuck plug can usually be removed but if the end has swollen and pops off iside the precup and the tip drops into the engine, your toast. If you get a tough one remove the injector and stuff a single piece of white cloth into the precup and poke it into the fire hole. finish fighting the glow plug out and if it breaks off you can drive the piece inside and fish it out the top with a magnet.
Remove the cloth and replace the injector. Good to go.
OH BTW a dab of never seaze on the glow plug threads is a good thing to do. You will thank yourself if you need to do it again some time.

[trbankii]

Many thanks for the suggestions. Actually, I did not realize that the guard tubes were removable - do they pull out or unbolt? Have to take a look at that tomorrow.

I did pull the front two on the passenger side through the wheelwell, but the back two are directly behind the downpipe as far as I can tell. Again, have to see about removing the guard tubes tomorrow - too late to head back out to the shop tonight!

[Turbo Al]

I have done mine twice and not removed the down pipe and I have the big aftermarket one. Use a wrench and you can get one from the top. I do know it was no fun LOL.
Al

[MTTwister]

tr.... the tubes bolt to the exhaust manifold. I dropped my downpipe - but I'm pretty sure you can get to #6 without doing that. #8 - go in from underneath - it's really easy to reach!

[trbankii]

Haven't had a chance to get back to work on it, but I hope to get back out there tonight to at least take another look at things. I looked in through the fenderwell this morning about the #6 plug. It is definitely smack dab behind the downpipe. Didn't have time (and didn't want to get dirty before work), so I didn't look at how that heat shield comes off. Hopefully I can get back out there tonight to at least work out a plan of attack.