• Welcome to The Truck Stop! We see you haven't REGISTERED yet.

    Your truck knowledge is missing!
    • Registration is FREE , all we need is your birthday and email. (We don't share ANY data with ANYONE)
    • We have tons of knowledge here for your diesel truck!
    • Post your own topics and reply to existing threads to help others out!
    • NO ADS! The site is fully functional and ad free!
    CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

    Problems registering? Click here to contact us!

    Already registered, but need a PASSWORD RESET? CLICK HERE TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD!

96 k2500 db2 glow plug issues

jbb421

jbb421

New Member
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Location
Tennesee
My brother just bought a 96 k2500 with a 93 model motor in it, the guy just plucked the motor out of the 93 and sat it down in the 96, so all the accessories etc are 93. I've bought a 96 glow plug controller and jumped the wires for the coolant temp sensor by #8, but the glows still won't come on. What other sensors are associated with the glow plug controller. I've thought about just wiring it up to work with a 93 relay, but if I can get it working with the wires that are already their I'd rather go that route.
Thanks for any help!
 
For starters, the 93 engine will not work in the 96 unless you swap in the crank trigger and front cover for the crank sensor. You will also need the ds4 injection pump put on it. Otherwise the ecm is going to trip so many codes, nothing will work. Theres alot more to the coolant sensor(its located in the coolant crossover btw) than just jumping the wires to turn the glows on. Sounds like you've got a headache on your hands that somebody grabbed an engine for cheap, and will spend even more to make work.
 
Swapping a mechanical injected engine into an electronically controlled chassis, and vice versa, is about as big a can of worms as dropping a Duramax and Allison transmission into a 95 Burb, eh @THEFERMANATOR ?

Like anything, it can be done with enough money, time and patience.
 
Not that bad, but it's not a drop in like so many make it out to be. Many overlook the little details like glow plugs, making the trans shift, is it push button 4x4, and so on. They think it will just drop in and go. Or that the origanal ecm will still shift the trans but won't because it now has no engine input. We already know it's doable, but many times it costs more money than to just put it back stock.

Its like all these guys buying $200 intakes, $600-800 carbs, $100 distributor, $500 trans controllers, and so on because they don't want to put a $60 plastic distributor in, a $300 spider injection upgrade, or there tbi needs a set of injectors and they can't figure it out so they do a carb swap because tirn key starting and automatic fuel mixture adjustments can't be as good as them trying to set up a carb for POWAAR! Or the ONLY accepteable diesel swap is a 12 valve, and only an IDIOT would swap in an inferior DURAMAX because we all know the CUMMINgS is the greatest engine ever built. I digress, spent to much time on FB lately in the gmt-400 groups.
 
12 valve with a 24 valve head, KDP fix and a built P-pump with 150% over injectors!
 
Pretty much bypassing then ecm, the only thing we need it for is glow plugs, abs, and using the factory gauge cluster. It's manual 4x4, and a manual trans.

So what your saying is that the computer actually reads temp for glows on a 96 instead of it just being on/off temperature switches. Also your saying that the computer won't allow the glows to come on without a ds4 because of DTCs?

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 
I think the swap is pretty stupid, he said he did it to do away with the pmd, which is a simple fix, but it seems to be a popular swap.

We got the truck cheap, and it's in good shape, the block is a GM Goodwrench crate with 80k on it. We are just going to drive the wheels off of it until the db2 craps out, and then worry about going back to ds4, or 12v swap.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 
There is no on off switch for glows. The 94+ with a ds4 pump varies glow plug time according to coolant temp. Colder temps=longer glow time. With no engine inputs, I doubt the ecm will activate the glow plugs at all. Even the 93 controller varies plug on time somewhat by temp. Going back to the 93 system is your best bet right now.

And the ecm has zero control over the gauge cluster. Late model trucks need the ecm for the cluster due to the gauges all working off of j1850 data coms, but these trucks have no such thing. The tach is run off the alternator, speedo off the vssb(if it was a 96+gasser, it gets the speed signal from the ecm, but a vssb can be wired in easily enough), and the rest is direct off the senders. Abs also gets its speed signal from the vssb, but without the ecm present, it may trigger the abs light as data coms on the j1850 data bus are powered via the ecm I believe.
 
Last edited:
Husker6.5 said:
12 valve with a 24 valve head, KDP fix and a built P-pump with 150% over injectors!
Click to expand...
Um, NO! I couldn't take the noise of a CUMMINS on a daily basis and I MUCH prefer the driveability/tuneability of the DURAMAX. Not to mention the combo you're talking about can be a bit smoky without some tedious aneroid tuning. I worked on the CUMMINS at DODGE for 2 years. Listening to them things up close for 2 years was enough for me to never want one. To each there own though.
 
THEFERMANATOR said:
There is no on off switch for glows. The 94+ with a ds4 pump varies glow plug time according to coolant temp. Colder temps=longer glow time. With no engine inputs, I doubt the ecm will activate the glow plugs at all. Even the 93 controller varies plug on time somewhat by temp. Going back to the 93 system is your best bet right now.

And the ecm has zero control over the gauge cluster. Late model trucks need the ecm for the cluster due to the gauges all working off of j1850 data coms, but these trucks have no such thing. The tach is run off the alternator, speedo off the vssb(if it was a 96+gasser, it gets the speed signal from the ecm, but a vssb can be wired in easily enough), and the rest is direct off the senders. Abs also gets its speed signal from the vssb, but without the ecm present, it may trigger the abs light as data coms on the j1850 data bus are powered via the ecm I believe.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. The only sensor gathering data on a 93 for glows is the one in the coolant crossover, and it's just a temp switch that opens the circuit around 125° however there is a wire that goes to the starter which will give you longer glow times when cranking.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 
THEFERMANATOR said:
Um, NO! I couldn't take the noise of a CUMMINS on a daily basis and I MUCH prefer the driveability/tuneability of the DURAMAX. Not to mention the combo you're talking about can be a bit smoky without some tedious aneroid tuning. I worked on the CUMMINS at DODGE for 2 years. Listening to them things up close for 2 years was enough for me to never want one. To each there own though.
Click to expand...

Never said I wanted that, just said it was a hot set up for the Cummins crowd. I'll take my 6.5 or a Duramax any day.
 
Husker6.5 said:
Never said I wanted that, just said it was a hot set up for the Cummins crowd. I'll take my 6.5 or a Duramax any day.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I got chastized and called all kinds of things the other night for saying I didnt swap in a CUMMINS but instead a DURAMAX. The CUMMINS has to be better, it comes in DODGE pickups, generators, stationary power, forklifts, all kinds of equipment. I said why would GM try and branch out to offer the DURAMAX for that stuff when they can't keep up with pickup demand, so my utter ignorance shined through of my complete lack of knowledgeable.
 
I don't know... Swap injectors out: 2 less is a considerable cost savings. Swap the Fuel control solenoid on the back of the HPCR pump. Replace the common to fail water pump. And if your really want to get me started we can extensively talk about cooling systems and the light years ahead of the cheap obsolete GM spring thermal clutches with the Electro Viscous fan clutch. Nevermind who has a bigger radiator (Dodge). Both AC systems clearly have engineers with their heads shoved up a snowbank, but, that's partially DuPont's fault for giving us R134A that simply gives up when it's over 105 out and good luck past 115 degrees. Running out of BTU's is secondary to when "the chosen one's" head pressures go through the roof.

Sure drop a valve seat and some don't make the 1/2 million mile reputation.
 
Many common rails aren't even making it 250k, let alone 500k miles. And there is more thana few owners who have ditched there ev clutches and gone back to thermal's. I made the comment about it being a tractor engine, they didn't like that one. Worked on them for 2 years, and I still wake up having nightmares 15 years later of the friggen rattling.
 
Then there is another crazy fix idea.

Use the new (old) 93 motor as a base for the mailbox out front. Then, snag a 4-53 Detroit and make more noise and mess to drive the frggin' EPA and tree huggers completely crazy. A bit more work and challenge but WOW what a statement!!

It took years of 2 stroke Detroit Diesels on the highways to give diesels a bad name in the US. Who cares what the progressives think. Most of what they grew up on more than likely came to the store aboard one of those trucks powered by Detroits!! Personally I miss them...and I am crazy according to my bride.:happy:

Just sayin'......

If its loudly moaning and dripping fuel and oil its alive!!:kiss:

Good luck and god speed with the conversion
Regards,
TGK
 
Just replaced the 93 sensor in the crossover with a 96 sensor, plugged it up and it's been working like a charm since. Thanks for the largely unhelpful replies.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top