Problems with Northeast Engineering Plugdriver??????

[frank mccune]

     Hello All:

     I have a plug driver made by Northeast Engineering that has a problem.  It has intermittent current output. The unit tests fine but at sometimes there is no current to the glow plug leads.  When it works, it is a great unit but the way it is now, it is most aggravating! I think that the unit was never used when I purchased it.

     I can not find any contact information about Northeast Engineering of Bridgeport, Ct. Perhaps the are operating under a different name today.

     Is there anybody who can work on it, suggest a cure or offer advice?

                                                                                                  Tia,

                                                                                                   Frank McCune

                               

[bob whitney]

sounds like a possable bad connection at one end of the leads

[Gerald Arana]

     Hello All:

     I have a plug driver made by Northeast Engineering that has a problem.  It has intermittent current output. The unit tests fine but at sometimes there is no current to the glow plug leads.  When it works, it is a great unit but the way it is now, it is most aggravating! I think that the unit was never used when I purchased it.

     I can not find any contact information about Northeast Engineering of Bridgeport, Ct. Perhaps the are operating under a different name today.

     Is there anybody who can work on it, suggest a cure or offer advice?

                                                                                                  Tia,

                                                                                                   Frank McCune

                               

My advice is to buy a new one. 

Good luck, Jerry

PS: A different brand.

[Dick Pacini]

It seems they went out of business years ago.  However, here is a wiring diagram that may help to repair it.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/us4130853.pdf

[Tim Wescott]

What Bob said -- it sounds like a bad connection someplace, and the most likely spot is where leads are a-flexin'.

It may be a cracked board trace or a bad solder joint just about any place, but it's most likely to be broken right where you go from flexible wire to solid, either broken wires or (again) a bad solder joint.

Edit: To actually check, hook up a plug and flex things around while you're looking at the plug.  If you find a spot that reliably makes the plug go off, you've gotten close to the problem.

[Dan McEntee]

  Where are you testing it?  At the out put connections at the box? Maybe it's just your lead or plug connector if you are testing it there. It's usually something simple!
  Type at you later,
   Dan

[frank mccune]

    Hi All:

    Thanks for all of the replies.

    I used the glow driver today and it worked very well.  It was 40deg.F temperature  outside as opposed to being inside in 65 deg. F. where the unit did not work.  That made me suspect a bad solder joint or crack on the pc board. AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH. I had this same problem years ago with a radio! I had to resort to soldering all of the connections again.  It sounded like distant thunder on one channel.

    To remove the pc board, I have to destroy the strain grommets on both of the wires which may be a difficult job.

    Who sell these devices today? I get a kick out the driver providing enough current to light up a glow plug while it is submerged under water! Lol The plug should never be flooded by. fuel again.

                                                                                                         Be well my friends,

                                                                                                         Frank McCune

[Clutch Cargo]

Deleted.   

[Brett Buck]

I don't recall seeing this thread before, but before giving up, ohm out all the PWB traces while flexing the board, to find cracks. Double it up with wiring if necessary. Also, for sure, use some contact cleaner on R18 (variable resistor). These are notorious for getting dirty/noisy after a while, particularly when used in this sort of "open" arrangement.  This should be a simple fix and any/all of those components should be available or repairable.

    Brett

[Crist Rigotti]

Frank McCune -

What was the eventual result with your Plugdriver?  It's almost certainly a bad connection.  If it's not the "Dubro" glow plug clip itself, and you see some temperature correlation, then it's probably a bad solder joint as you surmised.  Re-heat and re-flow any of those that look frosted or dull.  There's a small chance that the LM324 op-amp is temperature sensitive.  That takes a little skill to replace but at least it's readily available (as are all the other parts).

I wanted to mention that there's no need to destroy the strain reliefs; these are a standard type that you can compress with needle-nose pliers and just push back through the hole.  Then they can be used again.

The other posters are correct that Northeast Engineering went out of business many years ago.  I doubt that anyone else ever made a technically comparable device.  Here's a thread with more info:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/golden-age-vintage-antique-rc-196/10148128-old-northeast-engineering-power-panel.html

Good luck with it,

Clutch

Aren't you supposed to use your real name when registering?  My guess is your going to get a notification to use your real name.

[John Craig]

http://www.christiantraders.com.au/uploads/3/9/6/7/3967615/rcat_systems_lithium_glow_driver_manual.pdf

I think there is someone else that makes a similar device but I can not find it.  Northeast Engineering Plug driver, I bought one in 1979.  Thinking about using it again for hot quick starts on cold days. Burns fuel off a flooded plug quickly.   I have an old super heavy duty ACE power panel that works well.  Turn the power up to high on either & you can quickly smoke some plugs.

edit: http://radiosouthrc.com/radio-south-products/pro-driver-mk-iii/