Pulling Glow plug wire to advance ignition - does it work for a turbo plug?

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Mike Rappold

Well-Known Member
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Joined
Dec 5, 2003
Messages
193
On a standard glow plug, it is common to pull the wire out slightly from the plug to "advance" the ignition. This has been discussed before on the forum. However I could not find if this practice is used on the turbo type of glow plugs too. Has anyone tried it?

Mike
 
What's interesting about this is...I have had the element pulled by the engine scavenging on a good run. Burning every bit of fuel, creating horsepower. Most of us do pull one loop of wire, careful not to break the connection at the plug bottom. Use a fine point dental tool.

Bob
 
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On a standard glow plug, it is common to pull the wire out slightly from the plug to "advance" the ignition. This has been discussed before on the forum. However I could not find if this practice is used on the turbo type of glow plugs too. Has anyone tried it?

Mike
This practice was shown to me by Jerry Crowther,,, I had/have a sport-40 with CMB RS45 power Mac's 7.5 exhaust tuned pipe swinging an Octura X447/3 this boat WOULD NOT come back on pipe after a 1-2 lap mill. pipe was set long but still wouldn't come back on. Jerry pulled the 2 bottom coils out of the plug, richened the remote needle to full rich and off we went,, ran a few hot laps to get the needle valve set then slowed down for a long mill.. the boat rocketed right back on pipe when the trigger was nailed.

Still run the boat in this manner to this day
 
My pipe pulls the coil out quite nicely for me.
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On a standard glow plug, it is common to pull the wire out slightly from the plug to "advance" the ignition. This has been discussed before on the forum. However I could not find if this practice is used on the turbo type of glow plugs too. Has anyone tried it?

Mike
Mike, anytime U can advanced the, "burn", "ignition" time in our nitro engines, no matter what glow plug heat range, it is a good thing, Unless U have the engine screaming lean, the glow plug is being drenched in raw fuel and any help trying to burn the fuel, IE, "pulling the glow plug wire" will help to burn the fuel. Finding the right heat range plug for a particular engine goes from "1 plug fits all my engines", to I just buy the cheapest plugs I can find. As the glow plug has always been one of the biggest problems in achieving a happy balance from running a super hot plug to help burn the fuel however when leaned to much will break the wire, VS. running a med. cold plug that may not launch the boat or when leaned down may get better fuel mileage but will not bring the engine RPM's up to the same RPM's or speed.

JM2CW

moby
 
like mr jones touched on,,most people i observe run their engines too lean. pulling plugs and breaking plugs and disintegrating elements after 6 laps is a good sign ur lean.

HEY i thought this was a secret john brown passed to me bout 14years ago when i got 1 of them first macs. lol the # of times i had to play off the "damaged" plug.....

that pokey guy lookin over ur shoulder while ur checkn plugs n wont take his eye off u or ur stuff cause ur swinging a 1475 on ur .90 and his needs a b52--short runway rocket booster to launch with a cupped 1667 lol

"hey ! that plug's bottom coils 'r pulled WAY out ,thats no good!"

"yeah that ones trash" -put plug in pocket

"hey what ya doin stickin that push pin in ur plug?"

"yeah the coil got distorted these things r expensive ,im tryna save it"

lol

run a turn or more richer that way.

more fuel in the engine ALWAYS = more horse power.....jus gotta be able to burn it
 
On a standard glow plug, it is common to pull the wire out slightly from the plug to "advance" the ignition. This has been discussed before on the forum. However I could not find if this practice is used on the turbo type of glow plugs too. Has anyone tried it?

Mike
Mike,

Standard or Turbo there's only one difference, how it's sealing the cylinder.

Standard plug head & turbo plug head (both having the same bowl shape, size, volume, squish angle & size, and clearance) will produce the same results with the same heat range plug. Again the only difference between the two is how the plug is sealing the cylinder. So what ever your practice is with one type, it will be the same with the other.
 
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Yes, works the same for both plug types. Some engines will benefit better than others. Some not at all.

Just a reminder to everyone. Make sure the prop is clear before connecting the glow lighter as the engine may pop off a revolution and sometimes even start running when the element is pulled out. Something that rarely happens with a stock plug.

P.S. I learned about pulling the plug element from a Pylon racing guru about 42 years ago. Those were the days when they ran 65% nitro in their .40 engines with a mini pipe. Now they are limited to 10% or 0% nitro.
 
Andy, your brother John was talking about the trick in the hot pits at the IMPBA Internat's in 2003. I've never heard the pits so quiet!

Preheat the plug a few times before doing it. The element has less of a chance of breaking then.
 
Andy, your brother John was talking about the trick in the hot pits at the IMPBA Internat's in 2003. I've never heard the pits so quiet!

Preheat the plug a few times before doing it. The element has less of a chance of breaking then.
Remembering what the pylon racer did some 42 years ago, I tried it in the boats for the first time 1997. That is what helped produce all of the 100 mph plus records back in the day.
 
Jim Wilson did a plug for me in the Miss Rock last weekend at the nats. Wow, CMB 67 woke up and ran 2 test runs, 4 heats and the consolation on the same O'Donnell blue plug running 50% fuel. 52 on the flow meter and was simply awesome with rpm like never before. It only makes sense. The coils are immersed in the bowl with oil and fuel surrounding the element.

And yes, run a prop guard cause even just putting the ignitor on the plug will usually cause a pop of fuel to ignite and spin the engine as Andy suggests.
 
Rob,

I heard you guys had a lot of fun talking with Jim?

The man is a wealth of knowledge, and I am lucky

to call him one of my best friends. Glad you enjoyed

your NAMBA Nationals. His Sport 21 and 21 Mono

are unbelievable aren't they? Wait until you see his new

21 Hydro.

Enjoy The Racing Season,

Mark Sholund
 
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I just started playing with this on a ops 80. It does seem to wake it up! Could anyone post a picture of a finished plug so I can see if I am doing it right? How much should you pull?
 
I don't have a pic but basically use a dental pick type tool and carefully pull out 1 1/2-2 coils just outside the end of glow plug. Be careful with hot plugs using thinner wire element it is easy first time to over pull and distort. I try to briefly pre-heat plugs after pulling as it was suggested to re-anneal the wire, not sure if this really is necessary. I usually have enough set up and stored in a short piece of tubing before a race.

Wallster
 
Photo on 7-27-14 at 7.58 AM.jpgPhoto on 7-27-14 at 7.57 AM #2.jpgPhoto on 7-27-14 at 7.57 AM.jpg

(sure is hard to get the cam to focus on that little wire...most of it was my eyes lol)

the 1 with the push pin shows what i use to "set" it.

once i grab the second coil (with the weld either facing u or away from u not horizontal) i twist up until the pin barely can get over the edge and go through .the coil should be still holding the pin and if u let go and turn the plug it shouldnt fall out,not easy anyway. point is u dont pull out any further or it'll jus break off heat racing. now if u straight linin.........
 
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