Niffy Glow pulg clip tip.

[jerry598]

My rebuild is progressing well. I got it started for about 30 seconds to a minute yesterday without the serpentine belt hooked up. Now on to the rest of the stuff.

But, sereral of my OEM glow plug male wire clips are old and tired and don't want to get a firm grip on the glow plug female prongs (they slip off easily). I replaced a couple of them with standard electrical clips but the insulation on those cheap clips wants to melt when temps get high. My neigbor mechanic susgessted to dap each clip with high temp RTV red silicone - (specifically at the tip end of the clip where the glow plug is exposed.
This should provide a grip on the clip and keep it from moving around or falling off during engine vibration. Sounded like a great idea so I did exactly that on all of the glow plugs. Hope it works well. Better than replacing the entire harness.

[More Power]

Hi Jerry,

The spade terminals are the standard 1/4" variety, so any automotive type female spade terminal will work. However, for the longest-lasting repair, the late 1990's-present ceramic covered spade terminals offered by GM for the 6.5 would be best. While I haven't checked, you may be able to buy just the wire ends, to repair your existing harness. For a complete new harness with the new ceramic ends, the folks at www.peninsularengine.com (http://www.peninsularengine.com) should be able to help.

Jim

[SmithvilleD]

A few years back, I bought a set of Painless Wiring's "Extreme Conditions" terminals.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PRF-40065/

They cost $44 for 67 various terminals, so as terminal kits go, they're fairly pricey. I use them sparingly, just in situations where a very good quality terminal is warranted. Practically speaking, $0.66/terminal for a connection that lasts is worth it. They've also got the adhesive, shrink-wrap outer sheath, which when sized correctly to the wire, seals tightly to the wire insulation & adds a fair bit of strain relief.

When I had my engine out for rebuild, I replaced a couple of the glow plug wire ends with these terminals. Wasn't certain if they'd tolerate the heat, so just did 2. Got a close look at them (after 6k miles) a couple weeks ago when swapping in a set of Bosch Duraterm GP's. They've held up fine, no melting or brittleness. After seeing these terminals perform well, I replaced a couple more of the original terminals that were loose as you've described above.

These Extreme Conditions terminals, in combination with that dab of hi-temp silicone to possibly dampen vibration might be a solution that lasts long enough that most considering replacing the terminals on their old 6.5's won't ever have to mess with fixing GP terminals again.

[jerry598]

Thanks for the great information you guys! Gives me and others lots of options.

[ccole]

Just thought I would mention.....I like the idea of the silicone on the connectors, but would advise the user to make sure to use "electrical safe" silicone. Unless stated for electrical uses, most RTV silicones are corrosive to electrical systems (that sharp vinegar smell on the silicone).

[N9Phil]

I have had great sucess using the HI Temp terminals used for bake and broil terminals in ovens. I cut off the old terminal and strip the end of the wire about 1/4 in. Make sure that the wire has not been over heated or you may need to cut it back further or replace the wire. Next I crimp the terminal on the wire using a good crimping pliers. These terminals are not expensive and can be purchased in small quanities for a appliance parts house or Granger Supply. The HI Temp terminals are shiney like chrome.

N9Phil

[SmithvilleD]

I've heard of using the oven terminals for their heat resistance. Have you had them on long enough to comment on vibration resistance?

Wonder if it's vibration/fatigue that loosens up the original connectors? Or were they relatively loose when new?

[N9Phil]

The HI Temp oven terminals work fine as long as you have a good clean wire and you get a good crimp. I have used them on the last three diesel suburbans that I have owned. The first time that I used them was on my 88 6.2. I had one fail after a month because I didn't have a good crimp. I cut the wire back and reinstalled another terminal and had no problem after that. I have a couple of them on the 6.5 that I use as a work truck. They have been on there for at least 6 years and 50,000 miles. This truck stays outside all the time.

The HI Temp terminals are a heavy metal than the regular terminals so it is important to make sure that you get a good crimp. I should mention that they are solderless. "Johnstone supply" has a 25 pack for around $10.00 Part # G31-965 for 12-12 and part # G31-959 for 18-14.

[More Power]

This is what the factory GM 6.5 ceramic glow plug connectors look like, compared to an earlier plastic variety.

http://www.thedieselpageforums.com/photopost/data/500/ceramicglowconector2.jpg

[SmithvilleD]

Seeing the pic reminds me, the little ledge/edge designed into the OEM connectors does make getting a hold of the connectors a little easier.

I bent a narrow piece of strap w/ a very short 90 on the end to get those connectors unplugged without pulling on the wire.

The Painless "extreme conditions" terminal container boasts "vibration proof". Guess time will tell. They do have a good bit of tension on the glow plug terminal when installed.