You had a look for that pipe yet? My old gas start Wrens were really inconsistent starting till I spoke to Mike at Wren. Seems the pipe was there to protect glow element but ended up shielding it from the gas. Only later versions it was moved away, but Mike instructed me to gently use a screw driver to ease it away from glow plug opening, After doing that, they both started first time on the gas. I used OS 4 stroke plugs with element teased out.
Simon