I bought a 1984 300 SD almost two years ago and love the car. It has been hard to start in the cold winter days in norther Wisconsin. Now that warm weather is here, I decided I would do what I could to be prepared for next winter. In addition to checking/adjusting the valve clearances, I decided I would replace the glow plugs so I knew that that would not be an issue come next winter.

I do not have a manual that describes replacing the glow plugs. My only question is whether there is a gasket...like the one on conventional spark plugs...that need to be changed?

Finally, I cannot find any information in my owners manual regarding the glow plugs used in this make. I assume that they are conventional glow plugs, as compared to the "fast start" glow plugs that are also being offered on the internet sites for this model. How do I tell what style glow plug is in the car now? What about "fast start" glow plugs? Do they really help cold weather starting?