Glow plugs

[randy4354]

Hi, I hope I have this in the right forum but I have a question. I decided to test my glow plugs in my Leyland engine and they all took about 18-19 seconds to be glowing red hot to the tip. How long do I pre-heat the engine in a summer morning to -15 c degrees winter morning? Randy

 

[Tazza]

18-19 seconds seems a bit slow to me.
The way i understand glow plugs, they don't really heat the entire cyclinder but they are just in the patch of the fuel spray, so they are red hot then the fuel sprays onto it and it ignites.
With that in mind, your plugs take 18-19 seconds to glow right to the tip, i'd try 20 second glows when it's really cold.
As for summer times, you really need to play with it. As engines wear, they need more and more glowing, when the compression is good, you don't always need to glow in summer times.
Hopefully that is of some use...