I absolutely am grateful that you made a graduated comparison of how the spark plugs are supposed to look. This vid really helped me out in the carburated moter department. New moter enthusiest here so I don't have the experience and knowledge y'all do and I'm grateful you all on you tube are willing to help us out with your knowledge and tips.
I bought a 70 Pontiac two years ago , lost my job it sat , never got to drive it . Last week , I drained and replaced the fuel , today I pulled the plugs and cleaned ' em with a wire brush . Cranked the motor , installed the plugs an Viola ! ? Started on the first turn ! Your video came up today and timing was perfect ! Your explanations brought it all back to me ! Thank you
Greetings...Dave Bruton………..You're welcome, and, thanks for watching...…….Good to hear, that, your car, was..."waiting-for-you"...lol.....…...Ah yes, kinda like, a dream-come-true, so to speak.........Here's some information, that, should help you out.........If the "coolant" (anti-freeze and distilled water mixture), hasn't been changed in some time, then, there can be, some unseen "corrosion" going on, inside of your radiator, and heater core too (oh, and, some heater cores, are a, pain-in-the-you-know-what, to remove and replace...!!!...lol)......... Is the Motor oil, nice-n-clean...??? (dirty motor oil, usually, starts plugging up the hydraulic valve lifters, over time, and, at first, it's usually, tick-tick-tick, that you'll hear, then sometimes, gets louder, and starts going, Clack-Clack-Clack...!!!...um, no thanks...lol)..........Automatic transmission...???...clean auto-transmission fluid, showing on the dipstick..???...........Rear axle (differential) gear oil, filled up to, where it should be...???...how dirty is it...???...and....the list, goes on and on...lol..........Enjoy your ride, and.......till next time.......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
read and pass a test. I am a transmission man of 35 years. I took the ASE a few times over the years and I am sure my last one expired 20 years ago. LOL!! Of all the tube vids I see I am impressed by those that are informative as yours was. You can learn a lot here. But there are a lot of posts that simply leave you hanging. Again great job.
Greetings...richard mouton.................Thanks for the nice comment, and, for watching as well......................Here, I had a bunch of, older, used Spark Plugs, that I kinda hung on-to, that were out of, mostly older Engines, that had Carburetors (not fuel injection) on them, while also, for the most part, also having, a, shall we say, Ignition System, with a Lower High Voltage Output, as compared to, some of the other, Factory installed, Higher Secondary Voltage (Output) Ignition Systems, that started, oh, some-where around 1975 there-abouts (using the good ole General Motors HEI/High Energy Ignition System as a reference point...in time, that is)......................You'll probably find, that, there probably won't be as many Deposits, showing-up, on the Spark Plugs, that were removed from, a much newer, Computer Controlled, Fuel Injected Engine, and also, while probably having a certain percentage of Ethanol (alcohol), added into the Gasoline, at the very same time................There are some Folks, Racers perhaps...???...that might be using a Magnifier/Flashlight lookin' thing, where-by, they can have a really good "Close-Up", of the Spark Plug, that they are Reading, so to speak....................Thanks again, and.........till next time..........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings...James Trigwell………..You're welcome, and, thanks kindly, for your very nice comment...…...It's a good thing, that I'm able to slow down my speaking, because, my thinking process/imagination, operates very fast, but somehow, I'm still able to relax...go figure...lol...……..I have a lot of ideas, maybe, too many, that, probably won't see the light of day, so to speak...……As for spark plug reading, then, my way, is very general/old school, where-as, some of the 1/4 mile drag racers, use-tah (maybe, still do), remove the spark plugs, right after doing a run/race, and look down, into the depths, of the spark plug's firing end, with, what might resemble, a Doctor's, ear examining, magnifying flashlight, in order to, closely inspect, way down in there...…….There are probably some websites. that might show, what there were looking at/for...……...Thanks again, and...….till next time...….Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
The outer edge of the spark plug indicates low rpm mixture (pilot mixture screw and primary jet), and looking down the well will indicate midrange rpm (needle jet and jet needle), and the porcelain centre will indicate high rpm (main jet)... these days with unleaded fuel it’s much more difficult to ‘read’ plugs then in the old days with leaded fuels...
Rockys Roadshow. Very good lesson, very good indeed. I've some knowledge about the "shape" of Spark Plugs, and what may cause it, but after I saw this video, I learned some more about the issue. Thank you very much.
Greetings...JOAO VILACA.............You're welcome, and, thanks for watching............This Spark Plug video of mine, is only very basic in nature, as compared to some others..............Some, shall we say, spark plug experts, go as far as, using, what appears to be, comparable to that, of what a Doctor uses, to look inside, of a patient's ear.............It kinda looks like a Flash-Light, that's bent at a 90 degree angle on one end, that also has a magnifying glass-like thing, and maybe a light as well, so as to, have a really good Close-up, at the spark plug itself (I think).............Then, some, go as far as, cutting the screw-threaded part of the spark plug off, to probably, have a much better look, at, what the color of the deposit is (if any), that might be on, that particular part, of that spark plug....and.......till next time.......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Hi, thanks very much I found your videos very interesting and very helpful I was glued to my smartphone, I'm the sort of a guy that really needs to listen to you a lot thank you
+Paul Gregroy Greetings Paul Gregroy....Thanks for Your Great comment, and, for watching as well..............................I guess, that I'll just start out with..."If a Person is Interested in a certain Subject, that Person will Learn"...and, as I see it, it's pretty much a given alright..........................My method of Reading Spark Plugs, is a some-what Old-School way of doing things, as compared to some Folks, that, might be using, that fancy-schmancy, wanna-be, and kinda looks-like, a Doctor's Ear-Checking Flash-light, to really have a close-up look, at a spark plug's Deposits/Condition, but, call me different, just never, ever, call me..."Late-For-Dinner"...!!!...lol.........................When a Spark Plug (or more than one), has a reasonable amount of Mileage/Kilometer-age/Engine running time, on them, and, are removed from an Engine, to have a look-see at them, as to, just, what-ever the Wear Rate of the Electrodes, and the amount of Deposits, or lack there-of, on them, happens to be, I would say, that, that's about, be-in, in the same Ball-Park, as a (certified) Doctor, armed with a Tongue Depressor (kinda looks like a pop-sic-le stick on steroids...lol), and this (imaginary) Doctor, asks the Patient, to, open-wide, and say Awwwww, so's He, or She, can have a look-see, at, presumably, the Patient's Tonsils, perhaps...???...lol............................Well now, on a more serious note, most of these Spark Plugs, that You saw in this particular RUclips Video of mine, were, for the most part, out of Engines, that were Fed, the Air/Fuel (gasoline) Mixture, by a Carburetor, and not, Fuel Injection, that used, one or more Fuel Injectors, which started, oh, around the mid 1980's, in North America, as I recall...........................The newer, Fuel Injected Engine's Spark Plugs, will probably, not have, as many Deposits on them, and, quite a few of them, will probably be showing, an almost white-ish color, on the spark plug's Porcelain-looking material, that usually surrounds the center electrode, just so You know.......................Before I depart...Please, always, try to Remember, to..."Not-Be-Looking-at-Your-Smart/Cell-or-what-ever-Phone", when-ever, You are...Driving a Vehicle...or...just being a..."Pedestrian"...cuz, the last thing, that I want to hear about, is..."He, (meaning You), was watching a..."RockysRoadshow"...RUclips Video..."When-it-Happened"...!!!...and...I sure hope not.........................The reason, that I mentioned, what, I just did, is, cuz, I recall seeing a Pedestrian, while, as, You were sayin', being..."Glued" to Her Smart-Phone (well, maybe I should clarify, just a wee bit, perhaps, as in, Her Hand, was "Glued" to the Smart Phone, that, in-itself wasn't the real problem, but rather, Her..."Eyes"...were Fixated/Staring-at, the Smart Phone's..."Screen/Display"...when..."it"...Happened...say what...???...Yes-Sir-ee-Bob..."She"...Walked-Right-Into-a..."TELEPHONE POLE"...!!!...Ouch...!!!..........That particular incident, is only, One of the reasons, that I tend, to end, a Post/Reply, such as this one, with................Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings...Alex Pavlyuchenko....You are Welcome, and, Thanks for the nice comment, and for watching as well....................The Spark Plugs, that I used in this Video, are mostly out of, much older, lower compression (ratio), Carburetor equipped Engines, and, as You saw, they had quite a bit, in the way of Deposits, showing on them...................You will more than likely, not be seeing, as many Deposits, on the Spark Plugs, that come out of, the much Newer Engines...unless...there happens to be an "issue/problem", with either, the (computerized) Ignition System (weak or faulty), or, the Fuel (gasoline) System (too rich of an air/fuel ratio/mixture), that is usually, a (computerized) Fuel Injection, type of fuel system (since about the mid 1980's there-abouts, in the USA or Canada, that is).............Thanks again, and........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
This is really helpfull to me.im kinda new to 2 stroke motorized bicycle motors and this is helping me diagnose my issues and helps me help other people with them
Greetings...David Chapman.........Thanks for watching.........Well, I've spent, quite a bit of time, with, the good ole "2-Smokes", ooops, I meant to say, "2-Strokes" (as in, 2-Stroke cycle engines)...........About the only thing, that might, make reading, a 2-stroke-cycle engine's, spark plug colors, more difficult to read, than, that of, a 4 stroke cycle engine, is probably, a really low ratio, of, gasoline, to, 2-stroke oil mixture..........Let's take for example, some of those, gasoline to oil mixture "ratios", shall we..........Some, much older, 2- stroke, motorcycle engines, as I recall, could have had, a 20-to-1 (gasoline to 2-stroke oil) mixing ratio.............There was also, a 2-stroke oil (was it Optimol?), that was mixed, up to, 100 to 1...!!!...(Wowsers...!!!)..........Then, there are also synthetic, 2-stroke oils, as well as, blended, 2-stroke oils too..........Then, some folks, still like using, castor (bean) oil (old school stuff, that works...!!!)...........I usually, end up, using 50 to 1 ratio, for most 2-strokes, these days, and, even that ratio/mixture, can show up on a spark plug, as well...........Here are a few things, that you might want to think about..........What Gasoline, type and octane rating, does your motor's manufacturer recommend...???............What type of 2-stroke oil, and (mixing) ratio, is recommended...???...........Always, try to use the Factory "recommended" spark plug, to help keep your engine "safe", especially so, the "heat range" of the spark plug, so, you don't end up with engine "damage"...!!! (try to get the same spark plug brand and type/numbers, and/or letters on it), that was "originally installed", in the engine, by the manufacturer..........Make sure, that, the spark plug's "Gap" (that be, the air space, that's between, the spark plug's, 2 electrodes), is, the same as, what your engine's Manufacturer "specifies", or, if not, Ya might end up with a weak spark, at the spark plug, or maybe, if it's too Big, then, that in itself, can overwork the ignition coil (if it has one, that is)..........Use good quality 2-Stroke oil (never use the cheap/junk stuff), so, your engine lasts a long time...........Always, try to use, "fresh" gasoline, not, old, sitting around for a long time, gasoline, because, it's crap (so to speak)...........If the spark plug gets really dirty (might be carbon deposits), then, that can cause a..."Weak Spark"...or, a..."No Spark"...situation, where, that high voltage, will usually, try to find the easiest way, to an (electrical) ground source, and might be, right through, something like, carbon contamination, that's, stuck onto the spark plug's porcelain, as an example..........Also, keep your engine's "air filter"..."Clean"...because, that engine has to breathe, oh, and, a Dirty air filter, will usually make the engine run "Rich" (air to fuel ratio/too much fuel in the ratio), and less performance, and less gas mileage, it will usually be............So, if Ya keep things fresh, clean, and not too old, parts-wise, then, your 2-stroke cycle engine, should have the best chance, at being "trouble free", well, hopefully, that is...........Good luck, and......till next time......Be Safe (wear a helmet...!!!).....take care, and have a good one.
Thanks kindly, my Friend from Indonesia!...It's nice to know that I'm able to help out People from all around the World...Your Kind Comment, along with all of the other Great Comments, that I have received (and, still am receiving) on most of my Videos so far, are really letting me know that I'm doing an alright job...I sure didn't know very much about anything, when I was a Kid...But, as I got interested in how things work, I looked closer at, and learned a great deal about...Take care Ricky.
+thra5herxb12s Greetings thra5herxb12s....Thanks for watching, and You're welcome, for a visual reminder, of the, shall we say..."Good ole Days"...back when..."Points and Condenser Distributors..."Ruled the Streets"...well, until, the..."Dual Point Distributors"...showed up, that is, and, most Spark Plug "Gaps", for most of those Points & Condenser Distributors, as I recall, were usually, only set to, oh, about .035"/thirty-five thousandths of an inch, and the Go Juice (aka, Guzz-oh-leen), had real Genuine (Tetra Ethyl) Lead in it...Wowsers...!!!...lol..............................These days..."Chrome Bumpers", aren't seen much...(excluding, some of the Pick-em-up-Trucks)...Until...a good ole..."Classic, or Old School Muscle Car"...passes by, and, for some of the Older Folks, that would probably be the equivalent, of a..."Big Flashy Fishing Lure"...being..."Dangled, right in front of a very Hungry Fish"...!!!...lol...............Well, in this Day and Age, having New Vehicles, equipped with Fuel Injection, and Space Age Computers, and other Futuristic Gadgetry, and the like, not to mention, that, so called..."Un-Leaded"...Gasoline, and even the..."Distributors"...as we know them, or use to know them, are disappearing from, some of the Engines all together, and, go by the name, of..."Distributor-less"...how about that................................Hmmmmmm...just thinkin'...........was it Carol Brunette (spelling?), that use to Sing...."Thanks for the Memories"...???................................So, there You have it, well, for now, that is, and.......Till next time.........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
+thra5herxb12s Greetings thra5herxb12s....Yes-Sir-ee-Bob........that "High Test", with all that "Lead" (led)....might have only been 10-Cents per Gallon...way-back-when...and...now-ah-dayz........a Quart or Liter of Guzz-oh-leen, might jump Up/Increase by, 10-Cents...over-night...!!!...Yikes...!!!...Then, in the 60's, or was it the 70's, we sorta, had to say..."Good-bye"...to those good ole..."Bias Ply"...Tires...(on Cars), and...Hello...to..."Radials" (Tires, that is), and, I recall seein', something along the lines, of a Car, having some words, like..."Radial Tuned Suspension", on, or near the Dash, possibly (1973-ish Firebird...maybe...???)...ah yes...the good ole days, and, mustn't forget, that good ole..."Shag Carpet"...and, the "Disco" (type of Dancing), that went along with it...!!!...lol..............................Well, till next time...............Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Thanks so much for the education. I wish I had a pic of the plugs I pulled from a 2006 Ford Explorer. The outer electrodes was eaten away back to where the electrode curved. We put new plugs in and it was a completely different car. Thanks again.
Greetings...Eric Stephens.........You're welcome, and, thanks for watching.........It's good to hear, that, all the engine needed, was a new set of spark plugs, b-cuz, the cost of doing so, isn't all that much at all, when being compared to, one of those...(and, I'll use PG-13 terminology), as in..."Oh My Goodness"...I just spent my Vacation Pay, to fix the car...truck...or...what-ever...the heck it is...lol...........I'm guessin', that, your 2006 Ford Explorer, has a V-6 Engine in it, b-cuz, if it was a V-8 Engine, then, those particular spark plugs, are very long, and can sometimes get stuck, and, sometimes, they can be quite the headache, to get them removed safely, from the (V-8 engine's) cylinder head............If you do have the (4-liter) V-6, then, from what I saw, was that, it would probably be using, some conventional/common looking spark plugs...........I always "check" (aka, measure), the..."Gap"...that is between the spark plug's Electrodes, and, make sure that, that Gap, is with-in the Gap-size (usually measured in, thousandths of an inch), that, the vehicle Manufacturer, recommends, for that "exact" engine (please note, that, some spark plug designs..."are not"...Adjustable/Gap-able...!!!)...........Those..."eaten-away"...electrodes, would probably have caused, the "Gap", to increase, to quite the BIG Gap-size alright..........When-ever the spark plug's "Gap-size", shall we say, grows "Bigger" then Specified, then, the Ignition coil, or coils, as the case may be, will have to Work a Lot Harder (think in terms, of the ignition coil, being over-stressed), in order to make a "Spark", jump between those, "much further apart", Electrodes..........If the spark plugs are the common/older type (no precious metals on them), then, they usually don't last all that long, and, they should be changed, at the Manufacturer's recommended "interval"...........Same goes for all ignition system parts, Filters, etc...........Installing, New Ford/specified spark plugs, that have the correct electrode Gap, will more than likely, result in much better Performance, and better Gas Mileage too, but, only, if Ya can keep Ur Big Foot...under control...!!!...lol...and........till next time.......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
I like your explanations and visuals on reading spark plugs. I just rebuild the sbc 350 in my Nova and I want to keep an eye on my plugs to check my work. The plugs look good going by your video, thanks.
Greetings...DIY Dave..........Thanks for the nice comment, and, thanks for watching...........I'ts good to hear, that, your engine, seems to be healthy...........If you are using, those old school, cheaper spark plugs, then, check the spark plug's "gap", once in a while, as, the old rule of thumb, use-tah be, that, there would be, about .001" (one thousandths of an inch), gap "growth", for every 1,000 Miles, that, the vehicle travelled...........Also, on those older style/cheaper spark plugs, when the "center" electrode's outside edges (around its perimeter), started to get rounded over (not a sharp edge anymore), then, the ignition coil, would have to, work a lot harder, to make that spark, jump the gap...why you ask, well...from what I've heard in the past, was that, high voltage sparks, find it much easier, to jump from "sharp" edges..........Makes sense to me alright, as, the much newer spark plug's "center" electrodes, are very small in diameter, and usually made out of precious metal (platinum/iridium), so, the center electrode would be able to last longer, seeing as how, it was so tiny, as compared to, the older/cheaper spark plugs, that had, the much larger diameter, center electrode, which was not, made out of a precious metal at all, and.......till next time........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
The car runs great but needed to do the timming. I just pulled the plugs out , repkaced with new ones and then I went through your video two more times to see the your good plug and my old one. Thanks a gain !!
Greetings 9011combo....Congratulations on getting Your Engine to Run "Great", my Friend!!!....I hope that you "Set" your Spark Plugs "Gaps", to the "Gap-Size" that your Vehicles Engine Manufacturer "Specifies???"....The Proper and "Specified" Spark Plug "Gap" Size, that your Vehicle Manufacturer Recommends, will give Your Engine "The Best Chance", at Running and Idling Very Good, well, at least as far as Spark Plug "Gaps" are concerned, that is....If You haven't seen My RUclips Video on, How To Set Spark Plug "Gaps" yet, You can find it on my RUclips Channel...RockysRoadshow...enjoy. Did you actually get that 1/16" "Gouge" Removed from that "One" Bad Cylinder? If, there is still a "Gouge" (aka, broken ring caused Groove) in that One Cylinder, then, keep a..."Close Watch on your Engines Motor Oil Level!!!" also... Check your Spark Plugs once in a while, Especially, if you still have that One "Gouged" Cylinder Wall in your Engine, as, that particular Spark Plug, may become "Oil-Fouled", and cause a "Miss-Fire" in that "Cylinder!" Oh yeah, You are Welcome, for any Help that I have rendered, and, Thanks kindly, for your Nice comment as well. Best of Luck, to You, and your Engine... Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Found oil on a cross-threatened plug. Replaced with a new plug with the washer that came with it. Car starting up smooth now. Will re-thread eventually. The original plug did not get wet until about 3-400 miles. When the car started up missing, that's when I found the oil. A good video for all to know
Greetings...Steven Brooks...……..Thanks for watching...…….It's good to hear, that, you fixed the problem, even if it happens to be, somewhat temporary...…...The older, common type of spark plugs, usually don't cost very much, so, not a big deal at all...…….If the cylinder head's, screw-threads, are damaged really bad, then, it's usually, just a matter of, removing the damaged cylinder head, and, probably installing a "heli-coil" (aka, a screw-threaded insert), which will usually restore, those damaged screw-threads, back to being, in, like-new condition...…….The way that I see it, then, the "cleaner" the spark plug, the better, that way, it won't usually be, the spark plug, that causes an engine misfire, as long as, the spark plug isn't faulty, that is...…….Good luck, with the "permanent" repair, and......till next time...….Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings...Gerald's Videos............Thanks for the nice comment, and for, watching too............Most, if not all, of the (used) Spark Plugs, that You saw in this RUclips Video of mine, were out of engines, that had a Carburetor, mounted on an intake manifold (as opposed to, an engine, that is Fuel Injected), and, there probably won't be much, in the way of Deposits, Showing, on a set of used spark plugs, that were removed from, something like, a much Newer, fuel injected engine, that's usually controlled by, its/the vehicle's On-Board Computer, and the many Sensors and Actuators that go along with it, as long as, the Engine is running correctly, and as it should be............The Deposits, that are showing on a spark plug, or set of them, sure do help quite a bit, cuz, it's a really easy way, to see, just how good or bad, each of the engine's cylinders, are burning the air/fuel mixture, and/or, if there happens to be a problem or two, at the very same time, and........till next time........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Thanks for the nice comment Javier....While most people throw away all of their used parts (car or truck), I tend to keep most of the old/used parts just in case I want to back to them for further examination....I had no idea that this thing called RUclips would appear in the Future (well, back then anyways)....So, I guess that it was rather fortunate that I kept the old stuff that you see in some, if not most of my Videos, enabling me tell you about them....Take care, and have a nice day.
Hello...and yes your video very helpful cus one of my Honda's plugs have lots of oil at the end of it and I think and believe that the piston ring is bad...so now I'm in the process of pulling my engine apart and rebuild it...
Greetings once again 9011combo....Thanks for your comment and question, my Friend....I'm just assuming that your Honda, is a Car, and not one of the "Many" other Vehicles/Products/Engines that, Honda "Manufactures", and has a very Good Reputation for, as well....Now then, "Before" you start "Dismantling" (taking apart) your Honda's Engine, I would recommend (suggest) that you do a few more "Checks/Tests", before Blaming the Piston Ring/s for the "Oil-Deposit/s", on Only "1" of your Honda's Engine Spark Plugs....I don't work on Honda's, (well, at least not yet, that is), but, there may be some Items/Things, that Honda Engines "Share" with Many Other "Types" of Internal Combustion Gasoline Engines....The first thing that comes to mind is, Your Honda Engine should/might have "Valve Stem Oil Seals", and if they Don't "Seal" properly, Motor Oil can Trickle down the Valve Stem/s, and make its way into your Engine's Combustion Chamber (the Area between the Top of your Piston/s and your Cylinder Head, where your Valves and spark plugs are located). Another thing (I have seen this on "Domestic/North American" V-8's), is, when an "Oil Drain Hole", in One or Both (1 or 2) Cylinder Heads, at the Rear of the Engine, and because of the Angle/Slope that the Engine sits at, in the Engine Bay, gets "Plugged-Up, and "Prevents" the Oil from Draining Back down the Passageways, then, into the Oil Pan, at the bottom of the engine, will cause a "High" Oil Level (where there "Should-Not" be One!) in the rear of that/those cylinder heads, "Causing" that (shouldn't be there) High Oil Level, to "Flood" the Rear-Most Valve Stem Seals, then the Oil Flows Down the "Valve Guides", and, into the "Combustion Chamber!" Also, check out your P.C.V. (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) System. There should be a P.C.V. "Valve" somewhere (usually in, or near your Valve/Rocker Cover), that has to be Working Properly, in order to Vent/Re-Burn the Blow-By Gasses that gets past your Pistons Rings, and down into your Oil Pan. These "Blow-By" Gasses (unburned Gasoline/Hydrocarbons), eventually make their way to the Top of your engine, due to the Airflow created by your P.C.V. System. If your Engines P.C.V. System is Plugged, or, the P.C.V. Valve is stuck open, or plugged as well, this can cause some Unwanted Problems too. If the P.C.V. System gets Plugged-Up, I've heard that, it can cause enough "Unwanted-Pressure", and can even Make an Oil Seal start to "Leak!" You might also want to have your Engines "Compression Checked". The Compression Check, has the ability to tell you things about your Engine. It can tell you, how Worn the Pistons Compression Rings are. It can tell you if the Intake and Exhaust Valves are Leaking. It can also tell you if you happen to have a "Bad" Head Gasket as well. There are so many Tests/Observations that can be done, with almost any Engine, that will save you a "Ton-of Money", if those Tests/Observations tell you, that you might not have to "Dismantle" your Engine, to get the "Problem-Fixed!" So then, "Before" you start "Dis-Assembling" Your Honda's Engine, may I suggest that you have someone, that has lots of Experience with Honda Engines, run a few "Tests", Before you spend Extra Time and Money on your Honda, that may Not be needed after all. I wish you the best of luck, in getting your Honda's Engine "Healthy" once again. Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Hey Rocky, thanks for taking the trouble to make this vid man :). I have some issues with my engine and I learnt a lot from it. It was great help in learning to how to actually read my plugs! If you could offer some advice on my issues listed below, I would be indebted! I have a 396ci Chevy Small block in my track car (an Ultima) weighing in at 1000kgs. It has a 750cfm Edelbrock carb, running 10.4:1 comp putting out around 500Hp. It's a dressed crate engine ie came complete with carbs and HEI dist. The issue I have is detonation (at load and WOT) when I set timing at 16 deg initial and 34 total. Backing it off to 31 deg total still sees some detonation. I then had some misfire. When I pulled the plugs, 3 out of 4 from the left bank had glazing on them. The right bank ones looked ok (from your vid; medium/dark tan on the ground strap and tip of center electrode). The porcelain did turn black towards it's base though (as seen with a bright LED point light). The plugs were Champion C59YC. Are the plugs too cold for my application? They are black towards the base of the center electrode and the base ring of the plug. And why am I seeing detonation? I have installed a set of NGK's with a 7 heat range on them (2 steps hotter?). Misfire has gone and she revs clean and idles well but all this when parked (I haven't taken her out to the track yet and she isn't road legal). Would the 7 heat range on the NGK be ok? If you could point me in the right direction :) ? Thanks in advance! Kris
Greetings kris993tt....I will open with, Thanks for your nice comment, and, for thanking me in advance, my Friend....Now then..."Doctor Rocky" in da House!...now, bring me the "Patient!" (aka, your Ailing 396 Chevy small block Engine)...lol....Oh my gosh, where to begin....I know, how about I start with the "Imbalance", as in One of your Engine Banks seems to be burning the Fuel quite well, whereas, the Other Bank is "Not" doing so good, well at least 3 of the 4 Spark Plugs on that particular Bank looked "Glazed" as you had indicated....To me, those 3 Glazed spark plugs are trying to let you know, that, they are not very happy!....My first though has me thinking that, it could perhaps be an "Imbalance" with your Edelbrock carburetor, or perhaps even a "Distribution" Imbalance with your "Intake Manifold', or even might be a "Vacuum Leak" at any of those 3 out of 4 Intake Ports on the Intake Manifold, to the matching Ports on the Cylinder Head, with that there "Gasket" being responsible for maintaining a good "Seal" between the 2....The very Fact, that only 3 out of the 8 Spark Plugs in your Engine are having the Problem that you had mentioned, also has me thinking that, there might also be an Ignition related issue as well perhaps? Just to let you know... My Method of Reading Spark Plugs is "Old School". Some of the Folks that are Really into it, are Cutting-Off the Metal Shell (threaded portion), and having a Close-Up Look at the Center Electrodes Porcelain, way down where you can't usually see it, and, those High Tech Guys/Gals, are using a Magnifying Glass, of one sort, or another! In this Day and Age, your Best, and Safest Bet, to ensure that you Don't Damage or Destroy your High Horsepower Engine, is, to Invest, and Install a "Wide-Band"...or better yet, "2" Wide Band Oxygen Sensors, one in each of your Dual (I hope) Exhaust Manifolds/Headers, that usually comes in a "Kit" with an "Air/Fuel" Ratio Gauge, that will give you a "Read-Out" in Real-Time, as you are Driving/Racing. and... a REV-Limiter for your Ignition System, so you Don't Blow-Up Your Engine!!! Oh yeah, about installing the/those Wide Band Oxygen Sensors... I would recommend Installing "2" Wide Band Oxygen Sensors (again I say, one on/in each exhaust manifold/header!...lol). You can wire it with a switch, so you can switch between both "Banks", while having only "1" Air/Fuel" Ratio Gauge. or... Go the A-List (Actors) way, or in other words, Spare No Expense!..lol. Seriously now, what I meant to say, was to, have "2" Air/Fuel Ratio "Gauges" on, in, or near your Dash (as in dashboard), that way, You can "Monitor" Both Exhaust "Banks" at the very Same Time!...thus Preventing some very Tearful, and Expensive Engine "Damage!" The, so called "Glazing" that I'm use to seeing, is when, you have a set of spark plugs in your Engine, that are all coated with Deposits, and, the Engine only sees City Speeds for the most part...Until, that Car, or Truck, gets taken on a lengthy Drive on the Highway/Interstate/Autobahn/etc., with the Resulting increase in spark plug Temperature, that, kinda melts, and Fuses, those there Deposits into a wanna be Kiln Fired Glaze, that you see on some Tacky "Glazed" Pottery Object!...lol...but, unlike a stationary Pottery Object, that there "Glazing" on the Spark Plugs becomes "Conductive", resulting in, one or more "Shorted-Out" (to Ground) Spark Plug/s!!! I never Rule Out any possible things, that may be causing a Problem, as, I keep finding "New" things from time to time, when I, like others Assumed that, I think it's this, or, I think it's that...We just have to Keep-On-Lookin until We actually Track Down and Find that Culprit/Gremlin! Now, about your "Detonation" Problem... What Fuel are you using? I hope that it's Very High "Octane", because of your "High" 10.4 to 1 Compression Ratio! I'm not even sure that 93 Octane (R+M divided by 2) Pump Gas would satisfy your Engines needs, when you are pushing it that hard. Or, are you using Race Gas/Aviation Gas Perhaps? Also, try to find out if your Fuel (gasoline?) has any "Ethanol" in its Mix, and perhaps, let me know. With having the 5 out of the 8 Spark Plugs Showing the Tan Color, as you had mentioned, that to me Indicates a "Not too Lean" Mixture (Air/Fuel Ratio). Also, by seeing that usually "Safe" Tan Color, it shouldn't hurt your Engine, as compared to a spark plug that enters that, White Colored Porcelain, that I will call, the..."Destruction Zone!" Generally speaking, when you are running a Race Car, more then likely, you will be running spark plugs with a Lower Heat Range, for the reason (my train of thought), that, you are Really "Working that Engine Hard", and, the spark plugs will be running hotter because of that... whereas.. If you tried to run a Heat Range of that "9" (Champion Heat Range) on the Street, in No-Time, those spark plugs would be covered in Carbon, especially, in slow and non-moving Traffic! A higher heat Range is needed on the Street, so, the spark plugs Reach their "Self-Cleaning" Temperature. If it was me, with having your situation, I would be sticking with the Installed/Recommended Spark Plugs that were in the Engine, when it was in the "Crate", and, hopefully, your Crate Engine was Built/Adjusted by a "Reputable" Dealer/Person, that knows what they are doing. Watch out now...With the Champion Spark Plugs, the Higher the Number = a Higher Heat Range... whereas... with the NGK's, the "LOWER" the Number = a HOTTER Heat Range!!! (at least from what I recall, that is). Even Your Champions Numbers are a bit different, to what I'm use to seeing. Probably/maybe, they might just be Racing Spark Plugs perhaps. I had a look-see, and with your Champions, they appeared to be a Number "9" Heat Range, which must be Racing Plugs, because, I usually run a Champion Heat Range of "12" on the Street. The black, probably "Carbon" that you see at the spark plug/s "Base", is probably the Result of having your Carburetor with the "Choke" On, that provides a Really "Rich" air/fuel Ratio/Mixture, on your Very Cold Engine, before it reaches Operating Temperature. Another thing...Has your Engines Piston Rings "Seated" in their Cylinder Bores yet? Keep an eye on your Oil Level, Oil Pressure and Oil Temperature. Hmmmm, gee, I wonder if Kris has an Adequately Sized "RADIATOR", with the Ability to "Shed" (Transfer that Very Hot Coolant, aka, antifreeze/water mixture) of all of that "Large Quantity" of "Heat", that his Mighty 396 Chevy V-8 Develops, that rivals that, of a Nuke-lee-ear Power Plant? Hey Kris, make sure that your "Radiator" has the "Capacity" and "Rating" that can Handle your 500 Horses!!! Also, the "Newer" the Radiator, the Better. Why you ask?... Because, I have already had at least "2" instances, where, those Radiators of mine, became very Sneaky, and did it Silently as well, in that, they started to Corrode/Plug-Up "Internally", causing "Over-Heating" of the Engines "Coolant" (again I say, antifreeze and water mixture!...lol). Find out what your Engine Manufacturer "Recommends" for a "Thermostat Temperature", as it Applies to the way in which your Ultima will be Driven/Raced, by You, the "Driver!" Engine Temperature is "Critical", and very, very Important, as it applies to Maximum Engine Performance, as well as, how long Your Engine is going to "Last" (seconds, minutes, laps, miles, kilometers, just pick one!...lol). Whenever you "Adjust" your "Total" Timing (with your HEI Distributor), you also "Change" the "Initial" Timing, and, how much Timing that there use to be, at any given RPM's Timing Advance, as compared with the Original/Previous Timing Setting. I would do the following... Clean the "Original" Spark Plugs, Check the Spark Plugs Gap Settings, then, Re-Install them in your Engine...or...Break out your Wallet, and purchase the Same Spark Plugs that were Installed in Your Engine while it was in its "Crate". Re-Set your HEI Distributor to where it was "Originally", as it came in the Crate. Find out just "What" Fuel (gasoline or whatever your Engines Manufacturer) Recommends for Your 500 HorsePower Engine, and, please, especially with 10.4 to 1 Compression, don't entertain the Thought of buying Cheap/Low Octane Fuel (gasoline?), unless, you can Add some Octane Booster "Concentrate", to Insure that you have the Required "Octane Level" to Scare Away all of that Detonation!!! Bottom line...Engines with High Compression Ratios "Need" High Octane Fuel, that's a given. You can only "Back Off" your Timing so much, then, Trouble will be Brewing. Check for any Vacuum Leaks, as in, everything like, Hoses and what they connect to, Gaskets, Carburetor mounting nuts or bolts, etc. Check all Electrical Wiring, and connections. Your Edelbrock carburetor might possibly have some Dirt/Debris/Crud inside it, perhaps from something like little pieces of Rubber Fuel Hose, when it may have been cut to length, and, those little rubber Bits were washed into your Carburetor, when the Fuel was pumped on through. So, there you have it (well, for now, anyways). I hope some of my Long-Winded-Ness, might help you find Your Engines, Culprit/Gremlins... Let me know, how it's going, if you care to, and, I'll help you out, as best I can. Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings once again kris993tt....I have a quite a few Automotive "Videos" on my RUclips Channel, that will probably help you out with your Ultima....To find them, just go to RUclips's "Main" Page, and, type...RockysRoadshow...into the Search Bar/Box at the Top of RUclips's "Main" Page....Doing the Search, should bring up about "77" Videos that I currently have on my Channel, and, most are Automotive related....The "First" Video of mine, that you should watch is titled...Spark Plug Misfire...and, this particular Video of mine, will show, how You, Others, and Myself as well, can at least somewhat "See", if that "High Voltage Electricity" that the HEI Produces, makes its way, all the way to "Each", and every Spark Plug, to make sure, that the Spark Plugs are "Receiving" that "High Voltage Pulse" from the HEI Distributor, in order for all of your Engines Spark Plugs, to be able to "Create" a nice "Strong Spark" between its 2 "Electrodes!" I use a "Flashlight" to Demonstrate, How the "High Voltage Pulses" should be making an "Inductive" type of "Timing Light" Behave, when the Ignition System is working Properly, and, as it should. I had a very Bad Ignition "Misfire", on a Chevy V-6 Engine a while back, and, I barely made it home that day, because the Engine was running Horribly/very sick. It turned out to be 1 of the spark plug Wires/Leads, Electrically "Arced", where the Wire/Lead gets attached/crimped to its Metal Terminal, way down inside the spark plug "Boot!" It did show up, when I took some Ohm's (resistance) readings, and, also, I did notice some White-ish, Corrosion-like Deposits on that particular Wire/Lead as well. Now I'm thinking, just because something like, a Set of spark plug Wires/Leads that are "Factory Fresh", (in my opinion), doesn't mean that they are absolutely 100% "Fool-Proof", or, in other words, perhaps a "Manufacturing Defect", might just be causing a problem or two. If the "Crimping/Mechanical Attachment" is not 100% Positive, where the spark plug Wires/Leads "Conductive Core" gets Fastened to the Metal Terminal, down inside, either the spark plug "Boot", or the down inside the "Boot" at the HEI's Distributor Towers end of things, that alone will eventually cause some very Unwanted High Voltage Electrical "Arcing" to be happening, resulting in, a very Bad "Misfire" like I was telling you about, a few paragraphs earlier (above). I have learned over the years, to, Never take things for granted, as, like always, "Things Happen!" Good Luck with your Ultima... Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Thanks for this very educational video. It certainly has helped me in understanding my own problems a bit more. I fly an ultra-light aircraft using a Rotax 582 inverted engine. That is... the engine is upside down with the plugs at the bottom. The manual says to change them every 50 hours, but mine never show hardly any wear, so I am tempted to leave them in for a while longer. They always are a wet dark grey colour without any build up at all. Its a 2 stroke engine, which accounts for wetness.
Greetings...Matt B...........You're welcome, and thanks for watching...........You might find that, some of the newer, fuel injection equipped engine's, spark plug's inner porcelain, might very well look, an almost, off-whitish color, as opposed to, the used spark plugs samples, that I was showing in this particular video, that were being fed the air/fuel mixture, from a carburetor mostly...........It's usually a pretty good idea, to compare, each spark plug, to each of the other ones, that make up the whole set of spark plugs, for that particular engine, as, if one or more of them (in the set), look kinda different, from the others, then, that, at times, could be a very useful clue, that something, isn't working or operating, as good as it should be doing, and......till next time.......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Hey, there, Mr. Rocky! I just made a great discovery after experimenting with my vehicle's ignition switch! Since it appeared to me that my starting issues may be simply related to sensor, fuse, or timing, I conducted 2 different experiments. 1) I quickly turned the key only to the point where the dashboard lights up, then I turned they back off. I did this quickly, back-to-back 3 times. The 3rd time, I left it in the position where the dashboard lights came on. Then, I discovered that the mileage box revealed DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES, one at a time. Then, a horizontal line of dashes appeared. Then, it said DONE. This meant that my experiment caused my 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan to self check for trouble codes. My codes were P0700 & P1684. When I googled these codes, I realized that the diagnoses coincides with your guess about my starting issues. 2) When the engine didn't start on the first try, I turned the key as far as it would go and held it there. After a little less than a minute, it automatically started, smoothly, on its own. This time, the engine wasn't dying down, causing me to gun the accelerator to clear the path.
Greetings...Lisa Gooch...…….Wowsers…!!!...you sure have a fast learning curve, when it comes to learning about automotives………..Be careful, as to how long, that you have the ignition key turned to the (engine) "cranking" position, as in, when the ignition key is turned, as far as it will go...……...The reason being, is that, that (electric) starter motor, gets quite "Hot", when it is cranking the engine over for a long time, and, if too long (of a time), then, the starter motor can actually "cook" itself, and look Ma, now I have to go and get a new one (or, a re-man/remanufactured unit)…………My rule of thumb (or call it what you will), is to, only "crank" the (stubborn/hard to start) engine over, for only, about, 30 seconds max (maximum), then, let it rest (cool-off), for about a minute or two, then, if need be, repeat the 30 seconds "on" time routine, then, let it rest between starting attempts (more rest time, between starting attempts, is even better, especially on a hot day)...……..Years ago, I cranked over an older Dodge (parent company, being Chrysler) V-8 engine, for too long of a time, and then, the starter motor got so hot, that, the bronze bushings (aka, bearings), inside of, that poor ole starter motor, actually, started "squeeling"...!!! (nope, wasn't, that there, well known piggy sound...lol)…good thing was, is that, the starter motor worked good again, "without" the squeeling, once it cooled down...…….Most of the fuel injected, computer controlled (gasoline) engines, will probably have a way, to deal with, a (gasoline) "flooded" engine, and here's how, that (gimmick...???...lol) works...…….The fancy name for it, happens to be..."Clear Flood Mode", and, it's simple to do...…….If Ya feel that, the engine is flooded with too much gasoline, then, all Ya have tah do, is to, push the gas pedal all the way down (to the floor-board), then, crank the engine over, then, "very...Very Important"...!!!...if the engine actually tries to start, then, get Ur foot, "Off of the Gas Pedal", or, you'll over-rev the engine (engine will scream...!!!), and then, it will get damaged, to..."Infinity and Beyond"...!!!...……...As far as I recall, is that, during this "Clear Flood Mode" procedure, is that, it basically "shuts off" the fuel injectors, so that, no "additional" gasoline, is gonna be added into, an engine, that already has too much gasoline inside of it, to begin with...…….Most fuel injected (gasoline) engines, will have, what is called, an "idle air control valve", and, it controls the amount of air, that the engine inhales, during idle speed, and, if this valve becomes faulty, or gets all covered in black dry carbon (powder), then, the engine might not idle so well, or maybe stall...…….This is why, I might have mentioned, a while ago, about, holding down the gas pedal, just a wee bit, to help the engine start, and to keep it running, at idle speed/low RPM's (that be, Revolutions Per Minute, of the engine's crankshaft)…………Fuel injectors, can also get plugged up as well (when gasoline evaporates, it's, not as clean as you think, cuz...it's nasty stuff...!!!...lol)………..Sometimes, only a few, of the fuel injectors, will get plugged-up, which will usually result in, having some of the engine's cylinders, running a bit "leaner" (air/fuel ratio/mixture-wise), than, some of the other cylinders, that were properly fueled (or fed, as in, feed, or feeding), and, might show up as, a shaking engine at idle speed, as an example...…….Quite interesting, that, your OBD-2 (On Board Diagnostics-version 2) equipped mini-van, has that, shall we say, "feature", that you discovered...congrats...…….If your mini-van, is starting and running, to your satisfaction, then, enjoy, otherwise, keep your shovel in close proximity, just in case, Ya might have to do some more..."digging"...to cure your ride...!!!...lol.....and...….till next time...….Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings...NoneSponsored/BunkAssMechanic………….Thanks for the nice comment, and thanks, for watching too...…….Well, automotives, is just one, of my many hobbies, and, my way of, shall we say, reading a spark plug, is just a basic, quick, visual check, to see how much electrode wear/gap growth has taken place, as well as, what, if any, deposits, are stuck onto the business end of the spark plug, that just came out of, that particular engine's cylinder head...……..Then, there's the, shall we call them, racing crowd perhaps, where-by, they will look, really, really close, down into the spark plug, where the porcelain, meets up with, the inside of, that screw-threaded metal shell...……..They will sometimes remove a spark plug, after, just doing, a 1/4 mile drag-race (might only be 1,000 feet at some race tracks, perhaps), and then, they will probably get out their, what kinda resembles, a doctor's, ear checking, magnifying, flashlight, kinda thing, and then, look deep down, into the spark plug, to see what kind of, light, deposit/coating shows up, and if need be, they can also change fuel jets, in a carburetor, if so equipped, and/or, what-ever else is needed, in order to adjust/correct, the air/fuel ratio, that will give the best 1/4 mile time, while also, keeping the engine safe, from being damaged, by going too lean, of an air/fuel ratio, while going full out/pedal to the metal...……...Now-ah-days, Ya can just install a wide-band (oxygen sensor), that comes in a kit, along with, an air/fuel ratio gauge, that will be a able to show, just what, the air/fuel ratio is, in real time, as you are driving along, at any speed, and throttle (gas pedal) position, that you so choose, and...…..till next time...….Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings...Denis Railey...........You're welcome, and thanks, for the nice comment, and for watching too...........These older spark plugs, that you saw in this RUclips video of mine, were mostly out of older, higher mileage engines, that I had stored away, for quite a few years..........There's a pretty good chance, that, the much newer, fuel injected/computer controlled engines, will probably have a lot less, in the way of deposits, showing on their spark plugs, so maybe, keep that in mind, just in case...........Might even find, that, the newer lawn mowers these days, might also have their spark plugs, showing less deposits on them as well...maybe...???...and.......till next time.......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings Wildfalcon55...Good job in coming up with your spark plug Holding Rack...I have done pretty much the same thing, only the blocks of wood that I use are currently organizing some screwdriver bits, and a needle file set...I usually remove one spark plug at a time, so I don't have to keep track of all of those spark plug leads...Just remember, if you trade in your vehicle, lets say you switch from Ford to Chevy, or Chevy to Ford, the cylinder numbering is different!...Take care my Friend
Greetings TylerART....Thanks for your comment....One of the Best Design Features of Holley Carburetors is that some of them have "Externally-Adjustable-Float-Level-Settings", (Yes-Sir, I'm talking about the ones with "Duel" float Bowls, one front, and one rear), and even if you have to remove the "Plug" in order to watch the Gasoline/Fuel Dribble out in order to Confirm that the "Wet-Fuel-Level" is set properly (and, make sure your Vehicle is on "Level Ground" when you do so!), then...(con't)
...the Old-School method that I use, has served me very well, as I haven't Destroyed any engine thus far, due to having said engine jetted too lean, and running at Wide-Open-Throttle....If any of the engines that I have, or have had in the past, had any running issues at all, I most certainly would-not apply full-throttle, until I saw that "Safe" Tan color on my spark plugs....Also, with the older "Conventional" style of spark plugs, I keep a close watch on the Gap-Growth...(con't)
Greetings Thomas Ferrell....Thanks for your comment....I have run Lean a few times, but only while at lower RPM's and not at Wide Open Throttle! (luckily...whew!...lol)...Once, was when an EGR Valve got stuck open because of a chunk of Carbon (about the size of a pepper corn) got lodged between the valves pintle and the hole that it was suppose to close while at Idle, and wide open throttle....Another was a Nylon Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve "Disassembled" itself into 2 Parts!...(con't)
That was a lil long winded Rocky but a lot of info..back in the day. When my brother and I went on jetting cruises his 68nova had a 375hp 396 with 4.56 gears..my 67 firebird had a BBC 427+125 12.5compression 8200rpm with 5.38s and 30" tires..we pretty much had all 4 bbls open a bit.;-)..the attention to detail pretty much made us undefeated in our hobby...few yrs ago I bought a 68 olds CS 350 that had been left at a shop for 17+yrs flawless body+ bad powerqlide trans..$400 all the plugs were beautiful lite brown..;-) must have spent its last days drinkin leaded go juice...thks for info..I still have my 67 firebird. +496 bbc.+4.88s
VN Dustoff Greetings VN Dustoff....Gee, my Lungs must be in Really Good Shape, see-in, as how, My "Wind", no, not the Breakin' kind, but rather, the Wind that makes my Vocal Chords "Vibrate", oh, shall I say, what seems, to be able to, give, that, good ole "Per-Pet-U-Al-Motion", a "Run" for "its" Money...lol...........................Even I was Surprised, at how Much Time was Gobbled-Up, when I made that First, Oil Filled Ignition Coil, RUclips, Video of mine, and I guess, that, in itself, is a Really Good example, of, just how, "Time Can Really Fly", and, be able to do, just that, Without any "Wings", what-so-ever...!!!...lol.......................................From what You were sayin' about those "Go Fast & be-in able to Accelerate", almost to the point of, be-in "Shot-Out-of-a-Cannon"..."Muscle Cars"...with all of that Neck-Snappin', and be-in Pinned to the Back of the Driver Seat..."Acceleration"...from a Stand-Still Start, is Very Impressive, but, it comes with a Hefty Price Tag, in the form of High Test/Premium Gasoline, Purchases, as, most of Us, Muscle Car, Guys & Gals, pretty much know, that High Compression/High Performance Engines, like and need, that..."Champagne"..."High Test/High-est Available Octane Rated"..."Gasoline"...that, that there...."Gas Pump Bandit"...was able to..."Dispense"...!!!...lol.........Those, pretty darn "High", Rear Diff/Axle Ratios, as I see it, aren't the greatest thing to have, while Cruzin', at Highway Speeds, especially, if Your Transmission, in Top Gear, only has a 1 to 1 Ratio, and some Torque Converter Slippage, if it's an Auto-Trans, without a Lock-Up Torque Converter, but, with that 5.38 Rear Diff Ratio (got "Reduced to"...4.88...???), having, like You were sayin', those 30 Inch Diameter Rear Tires, should, as I see it, Knock-off, a Few Engine RPM's, as opposed to having, something like 14 Inch Wheels, with 26 Inch, Outside Diameter Tires Mounted on them, making Your 30 Inch/Diameter Tires, some-what of a Blessing, if You will...lol.....................Hmmmm...the Tires, are we talkin'...Mickey Thompson...B F Goodrich/Radial TA's...Goodyears...or Firestone...etc...???...........................Low Profile, Fat Tires, out-back, and Skin-nee's on the Front...???..............Thrush (muffler) "Woody-Wood-Pecker"..."Sticker"...Stuck-on-any-of-those-Muscle Cars"...at all...???...lol...........Chrome Reverse Wheels.............. Baby Moon Hubcaps...???...................Crager SS, 5 Spoke Wheels...???......................Hurst Shifter...............oh and, mustn't forget the "Shag Rug/Carpeting" as well...lol.................................The "Scariest Ride", that I've ever been in, was my Friend's "Retired", 1/4 Mile..."Early 1970's...Chevy VEGA...that he bought, from a Guy, who use to Race "it" (1/4 Mile), and it had a Full Tube & Sheet Metal Interior, 2 Front Seats, became Street Legal, and "it" was bought, without an Engine or Transmission............................He got a hold of a Chevy 454 (not sure about the Build), and something along the lines of really Beef-ee, B&M Auto-Trans, and, I'm guessin', You'll probably have a really good Idea, and, be able to "Relate" to, "Just What"...???...that "Little Chevy Vega" was..."Capable Of"...do You not...???...as in..."YIKES"..."Hole-ee-Gwalk-ah-Mole-ee"...get out the "FEBREZE" (air freshener), and, get the Diaper, that who-ever?... was Wearin'..."Changed"...cuz...who-ever-it-was-Ridin'...in that..."Lil-Chevy-Vega"....just..."Shat"...lol..................................Even when I did a "Ride-Along", in that Vega, while my Buddy, was just "Gently", Drivin' the "Thing", every time, that, that Auto-Trans "Up-Shifted" (Normally), my "Neck Snapped Back", cuz of how "Crisp", that Vega's "Auto Trans"..."Shifted"...Gears...and I'm pretty sure, that, there "Never Was", an "Auto Trans"..."Shift Kit"...ever Made, that could make an Auto-Trans..."Shift"...like that Vega's...Auto-Trans..."DID"..."Wowsers"...!!!..............................I do recall, how He was sayin', about how His Vega's Cooling System, had the (bad) Habit of "Over-Heating", and how he was contemplating, Installing , a 4-Core Rad (Radiator), to Cool the damn Thing Down..............................Oh, and, from what He was sayin', way back then, was, just, How Much "Attention", that He was gettin', from the "Po-Leese", as I can just imagine...lol...................................Nice "Lottery Win", on gettin' a hold of that 68 CS (Cutlass Supreme...???), for such a Price, my Friend...!!!...........................I always "Liked", that Year & Body Style", of that "Olds", that You were tellin' me about........................Perhaps, consider Turning it into a 442, maybe...???................................I think, that, 442 designation, might be along the lines, of..."4" Barrel Carburetor..."4" Speed Transmission....and..."2", as in Dual Exhaust, well, as far as I remember, that is (hopefully)................................Have Fun...in, and with Your..."67 Firebird"..."In-the-City"...while..."Accelerating"...from..."Stop Light"...to..."Stop Light"...oh and, when You happen to see, Not just a Red Light..."Flashin',...but, also havin' a "Blue Light"...Mixed-In-With-that-Red-Flashin'-Light...along with Hearin'..that there..."SIREN"...just remain..."Calm"..."Pull-over-to-the-Side-of-the-Road"...and..."Sign"...that there..."Speedin' Ticket"...that, that..."Police Officer/State Trooper"..."Hands You"...cuz..."They Have a Gun"...and...the..."Police Cars"...will also be..."Equipped With Highway Gears'...that will enable them to go to Speeds, that are kinda like..."Infinity and Beyond"...as compared to...Your Firebird's..."Top Speed"...oh and..."Radio Waves"..."Travel, almost at the Speed of Light"...and, the..."Other Law Enforcement Officers"...will..."Be in Place"...maybe with a..."Road Block"...or two...oh and, maybe, just maybe...some of those...."Go Flat Tires on Your Car"..."Spike Belts"...that will probably..."Slow You Down"...quite a bit, might be..."Deployed"...as well...so..."Make Your Choice"..."WISELY"...!!!...lol....................................Well......Till next time..........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
...From what I recall, the 727-Torqueflite (Torqueflight) was supposed to be filled with Dexron, according to the books/manuals that I have read....I also recall hearing about, or maybe reading about, that the Dexron, had an Additive to help with the Auto-Transmissions Seals, as far as Conditioning the Seals, so that they don't start leaking perhaps?....Yes-Sir, nothing like having your car with a "No-Drive-in-any-gear-on-your-Shifter", while trying to get Home....Take care, and have a good one
Greetings strikemaster1....Thanks for your nice comment....I've heard that the Rotax engines are a great engine, with excellent build quality as well....If you do try extending your spark plug(s) replacement interval as suggested by your engines manufacturer, may I suggest for safety reasons that you pay very close attention to how your engine is running, you know, like, misfiring, or miss-behaving in any way, shape, or form, so as to prevent you from being harmed in any way...(con't)
Greetings...exwhyz33............You're welcome, and Thanks for watching.............Well, I guess that One could say, that, my method of reading spark plugs, is, shall we say, Old School, as compared to, what some Other Folks might be do-in, some of which, might be involved in, a certain type of Motor-Sport, such as...Drag Racing...Banked Oval...Road Course...etc...and no...Demolition Derby...probably, need not apply...and is a whole different animal all-together...!!!...lol...where was I...???...oh yeah, that's it....some of those Other, shall we say, Advanced Folks, that really, want to, get, shall we say..."Up Close and Personal"...and in..."Very Close Detail"...with Reading a Spark Plug, will probably be using, what kinda, looks-like, a Medical Doctor's, Ear Checking Flashlight, that has, something along the lines, of a Magnifying Glass built into it, and, will probably also have, a 90 Degree Bend, near the top of it, as well.................Some, might even Cut, and Remove, the Metal, Screw-Threaded portion, of the spark plug, so as to, be able to, see better, the Porcelain-like insulator, that is usually, deep-down-inside, that Metal, Screw-Threaded portion, of the spark plug, before it got removed, that is................If You care to, maybe do an internet search, for this, shall we say, Advanced Way, to Read a Spark Plug, and.........till next time........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Hello rocky...I took my motor apart and completed the rebuild process. I found out that one of the exhaust valves burned and the ring in that cylinder has dug into the wall of the cylinder bout 1/16" deep. This is my first rebuild job that I learned from RUclips. I do have mechanical skill but never done something this size before with no help from no other.
Greetings 9011combo....Thanks for your comment, and, Congratulations, for "D.I.Y.!!!" (Doing It Yourself)....In your comment, you had mentioned that you observed that One of the Exhaust Valves was "Burned", and that you also had One Cylinder that was "Gouged", about 1/16" (one sixteenth of an inch) deep!....Both of those Problems that you have there, can cause, Low Compression and Oil Burning (in that One Bad Cylinder), because of that "Gouge" in that Cylinder "Bore!"....That Bad cylinder needs to be restored to 100% (with No Gouges), in order to have Good (high or normal) Compression, and also, to keep the Motor Oil from getting "Past" the Piston Rings, then up, and into your engines Combustion Chamber....If that there Cylinder "Wall" (Bore) Is-Not Restored to 100%, the Engine will probably still Run, although, maybe a little Rough, with Less Power, and, also, Above Normal Motor Oil Consumption and Burning as well. If you have to have your Vehicle Emissions (smog) Tested, the Employees at the Smog-Testing-Establisment, might Not Test your Vehicle, due to any "Smoke", as in Oil Burning, that they "See" coming out of your "Tail-Pipe" (aka, exhaust system), as you are waiting in the "Line-Up", waiting to be Tested! If your Bad Cylinder Bore/Wall is still Not 100% Restored/Repaired, and, you Do-Not have to have Your Vehicle Smog Tested, then, you will probably be able to drive your Vehicle, with Less Power, and, make sure that you keep your Motor Oil "Topped-Up" to the Full Mark on your Engines Oil Level Checking "Dipstick", when the Engine/Vehicle is on Level Ground, and the Engine is "Cold", and, "Not-Running!", or, if the Oil Level gets Too "Low" (due to Oil Consumption/Burning), then there will probably be, even More Engine Damage Happening! Also, an Engine that "Burns-Oil", Is-Not Good for your "Oxygen Sensor/Sensors", and your Vehicles "Cat" (Catalytic Converter) as well. It's all about how much Money, that you want to Spend on Repairing your Engine. If indeed, that "One" Cylinder Bore is "Gouged", about that 1/16" that you had mentioned, then, I'm quite sure, that, that Cylinder Won't be able to be "Bored and Honed", to the Maximum Bore Size that Your Engines Manufacturer "Specifies"...(Please, Check the Specifications for your Engine). or... Perhaps that "One" Cylinder can be "Re-Sleeved", as in, Install a Metal "Sleeve" in that One Bad cylinder, in order to be able to have that bad Cylinder Bored and Honed to a Size (diameter) that is reasonably Close to the remaining Cylinder "Bore Sizes" in your Engine. If, your Engine needs to be "Over-Bored" and Honed to a Size that is Larger then, when the Engine was Brand New, then, your Engine would also need Larger Diameter Pistons and Rings that will Fit Properly in any of the Over-Sized Cylinder Bores in your Engine. Now, about that "One" Burned Valve. Looks like, that One Bad/Burned Exhaust Valve, needs to be Replaced alright. The Valve "Seat", in your engines Cylinder Head, that the Bad/Burned Exhaust Valve Seated on, will need to be Repaired/Reconditioned, if it is in questionable Shape, as in, Not Being in Very Good Condition, or, that Cylinder will more then likely be suffering from a case of..."Low Compression" (due to that nasty leaking exhaust valve "Seat"). Like I was sayin...It's all about, just how much Money, that You want to spend on your vehicles "Engine". I hope that your Engine gets "Healthy", once again. Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
your videos are great!! and i would like to know a little about the actual plug and how to take the spring out and replace etc,do you have any video's on that topic?
Greetings Sameer2762....Why, thanks kindly my Friend for your great comment....Actually, it has only "1" Thermoquad carburetor on it, and that's all it needs (flows 850 CFM!)-(Cubic Feet per Minute!)....If it was any other carburetor, then, it would only require about a 600 CFM size...Thermoquads have the ability to be over the recommended size because of the way that the "Secondary" Air Door was engineered...Also, comments below my videos have lots of information that you can read....Take care
Greetings Wessel Lemmer....Thanks kindly for your great comment, my Friend...Those old Spark Plugs that I kept (luckily), allowed me to show others (World-Wide), what the older Conventional spark plugs looked like, that came out of some of the Engines that I had/have, and, please note, that, for the most part, that these spark plug Samples, and the way that they look in my video, are being Fed with "Carburetors", as opposed to "Fuel Injection/Injectors" with Computers...Take care, and Bye 4 now
Greetings...Charles mabando…………Thanks for the nice comment, and for, watching too...……..The spark plugs that I used in this RUclips video of mine, were the cheaper, older style/type, and the used ones that you saw, were also out of older engines as well...……….The, shall we say, newer engines (about 1985 and newer), in North America, started using on-board computerized fuel injection, while the pre- (before) 1985 engines, usually had a carburetor on the top of them...……..Some of those, so-called newer engines, in these newer vehicles, might have some more expensive spark plugs installed in them, right from the factory/manufacturer, and, will probably have, one or both of the spark plug's electrodes, made out of a precious metal, such as platinum, as an example...……..The toughest/longest wearing electrode material that I came across, was called iridium (spelling?), and might be able to last about 100,000 miles there-abouts...maybe...???...…….Those cheaper, older spark plugs, would only last for, about 12,000 miles or so, and...…..till next time...….Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Thank you for this interesting video. I was accelerating my car today to lets say 3,000 RPM (not too much I know) and strangely the outer tip of the spark plug blew off! This never happened to me before I guess this happened because the plugs were not the correct heat range and are very old. What do you think? .
Greetings Albinus81....Thanks for your comment, and great observation when reading your spark plugs with the various fuels used!....About the only thing that I may have seen, was something called "MMT", probably something that replaced Lead (led) as an anti-knock additive, which leaves a red-ish/brown color on the plugs....As long as your engine does not knock or ping and runs well, then all is good....Keep an eye on the Gap-Growth (electrode erosion)...Take care, and have a good one, my Friend
Greetings FriboZa....Thanks for your comment, my Friend....It was a long time ago (or, was it once upon a time?...lol), that I made myself very aware Not to assume that a certain problem was caused by "What I think it is", or was!....Like others, I replaced a few parts, Guessing, that, "That-otta-Fix-it", and, it didn't....With that aside (for the time being), while I wouldn't completely rule-out a Coolant Leak, I'll give you the "Patients-Vitals" (my 400 Cubic Inch Chevy V-8 Engine)....(con't)
I have a 318 with a old stromberg carb so its perfect thanks. I have a question if i may, How long should i run new plugs before i start seeing these deposits and analyse conditions in the combustion chamber.
...the method that I have been using for a very long time, to read my spark plugs, is what works for me....However, since most of the Gasoline that had Lead (pronounced Led), and is no longer available for street use, makes it more difficult for some to actually see, or read spark plugs, due to the "Un-Leaded" Gasoline, and some of the newer Formulations out there, leaving next to No-Deposits on your spark plugs to "Read!"....I hope that you find some (crossing fingers...lol)....Take care
...also, before I forget, it also had the Factory "Transistorized" ignition (module mounted on firewall), and a separate oil filled ignition coil mounted at the rear of the intake manifold....Also, spark plugs gaps were set at .035"....this/these spark plugs only had a few hundred miles on them, and, as you can see, they sure look good (to me that is, lol)....The way that they would look at the manufacturers replacement interval (12,000 miles), would have more deposits on them....(con't)
Greetings once again Chris Norwick....I for got to mention the reason that I usually look for that "Tan" Color on the spark plugs that I use, and have used in the past....Most books that I have read, have pictures and explanations of what "Normal" spark plugs should look like when you take a look at them, with some time/mileage on them....The books say to look for Tan, or Gray-ish Tan (pictures show this as well), although, some of the Newer-Engines may show the "Scary-White" color...(con't)
+Bill Brobst ....Greetings Bill Brobst....(as I'm pointing my finger at Bill...I say)..."What He Said"...lol (in regard to, what Bill had to say, about the Scorecard, havin'...Pictures, bein' worth "A Thousand Words"..and...Videos, bein' worth "A Million Words")..................Hmmmmm...just thinkin', that, If I were to "Babble-on", in a very Long RUclips Video, I might just make it to "One Million" Spoken Words, but, then again, those "Million Words" (Jibberish?..lol), that I (hypothetically) Spoke, probably wouldn't amount to very much at all (other than, accomplishing, that, One Million Words Spoken "Milestone", that I was tryin' to conquer, that is...lol)...................Thanks for watching my RUclips Videos, and.........till next time..........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Thank you Rocky. I really enjoyed reading your comments.I found a video or 2 of yours to be of value, and I couldn't seem to have time to come back to listen, but reading your analysis of spark plugs? Total gold for me. :)
Greetings...DE "AutoBravado" Nichols...........You're welcome, and thanks for watching...............My (so called) Method of Reading Spark Plugs, is, shall we say, Old School, as compared to, the Method, that some of the other Folks, that are out there, in Cyber-Space (and probably living on Planet Earth at the very same time...lol), might be using.....................The other Method, will probably involve, using, what appears to be, something, that could very well be found in a Doctor's office, and kinda looks like, a Doctor's, Ear Checking Magnifier/Flashlight, that, might be bent, at a 90 Degree angle, up towards, the business end of the device................Probably, when the, shall we say, more advanced, Spark Plug Readin' Folks, are using this Magnifier/Flashlight to Read a Spark Plug, they will probably be looking, down into the Depths, of the Electrode end of, of the Spark Plug, looking for some of the following.....................The Fuel Ring, and probably, any small Dots, stuck to the Porcelain lookin' stuff, that surrounds the Inner (center) Electrode, and might be, silver or black colored (small) Dots, that will usually be an indication, that some internal engine damage, is taking place...!!!...Ouch...!!!..........Also, where the Color Change takes place, on the Outer Electrode (that be, that J shaped thing, that's usually found, on the more common, type of spark plugs....................Maybe, do an internet search, for Reading Spark Plugs, and You'll probably find, some Mind Boggling information, by doing so...................Some Folks are sayin,' that, not many Deposits, will be found on the Spark Plugs, that were removed from an Engine, that was burning Gasoline, that had Ethanol (aka, alcohol), in its Blend...???...................Well now, this RUclips Video's Thumbnail Picture, that's showing that Tan Color on it, was a result, of having, 87 Octane Gasoline (R+M divided by 2, rating method), that supposedly had, oh, about 10% Ethanol (alcohol) in its Blend, in the vehicle's gas tank, and also, it was, just after, I re-jetted my Thermoquad Carburetor's primary (fuel) jets, Richer (air/fuel ratio/mixture wise), that I did, in order to get rid of, that very annoying Lean Surge (car was bucking back and forth at city speed), that I had at the time.....................Some of the Older Carbureted Engines, don't care so much, for the Ethanol laced Gasoline, that are at the gas pumps today, as, most of em, were Calibrated/Set-up for 100% "Real Gasoline"...lol (No Ethanol/alcohol, in that good ole stuff), and, may very well, have been Leaded (pronounced Led-ed) Gasoline as well (as in, the additive, being, Tetra Ethel Lead, added into the gasoline, which is rather Toxic)...................Oh, I guess, that, a Spark Plug, has the "Last Say", when it comes to, gettin' the "Fire Lit", inside of, an internal combustion, gasoline burnin' Engine alright, but there are so many "Other" parts and pieces, that make up the entire Vehicle's "Ignition System", be-in, everything from the Battery, the Charging system, Ignition Coil/s, all Wiring, etc. ..................So, my best advice, as it applies, to a Vehicle's Ignition System, is to be thinkin', about that good ole saying, and that saying, happens to be..."The Chain, is only as Strong, as its Weakest Link"...(and, I like to apply, that good ole Sayin', to, All of the Parts & Pieces, that make up the whole/complete ignition system), and, to me, that very same Sayin', goes a long way, in Life itself...well maybe, and..........till next time..........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
RockysRoadshow My recent project is my 1989 Yamaha XT 600. The plug is perfectly stock. It is slightly rounded at the edges. It's all black, but very smooth. Here's an unusual one for you. The stock plug is special order. Copper, but nickel plated. The underside of the over reaching blade is black yes, but barely gray where the spark reaches from under it to the electrode. The pointy electrode is clean metal. It turns out I was running this stock plug very hot based on it's core having 500k-900k resistance in ohms when it should be more like 4 with the ohm meter set at 20k. I'm working on a video now so you can see it. I checked, it's super close up.
Greetings...DE "AutoBravado" Nichols................If You don't mind my asking...what is the..."Part Number and Brand"...of the Spark Plug, that is Specified by Yamaha, for Your "Exact" XT-600...???...cuz, by doing so, I'll probably be able to have a better chance, at being able to, help You out.....................There are a number of things, to take into consideration alright....................The Gasoline, might have "Changed" somewhat, from the Gasoline that Your XT-600, Engine's "Carburetor", was originally Calibrated/Set up with, back in 1989...???.................If Ethanol (aka, alcohol), is added into the Gasoline's Blend, for a Carburetor, that was originally (when new), was Calibrated/Set up, using "No Ethanol" Gasoline, then, there are times, where, the Carburetor has to be (fuel) Jetted a bit Richer, of an Air/Fuel Ratio/Mixture, in some cases, to avoid, having the Engine Run too Lean (air/fuel ratio/mixture-wise)...........Elevation/Altitude, in reference to Sea Level, has an affect on a Carburetor as well, as in, needs to be Richer at Sea Level, and, should be progressively Leaner, the Higher in Altitude, that the Engine is to be running at, just so You know.................Spark Plug Electrodes, that have their "Sharp Edges"..."Worn"...to a "Rounded-Over"...Edge (especially the Center Electrode), will usually, make it so, the Ignition Coil (if the XT has one, that is), will be Working Much Harder (Higher Voltage needed), as in, High Voltage "Sparks", find it much Easier, to Jump From, and to, Sharp Edges, as compared to Rounded Edges..................Sometimes, Spark Plug Manufacturers, will have the "Resistance" Value, of the Spark Plug, expressed as a Number or Letter (or maybe, a combination, there-of), in the spark plug's actual Part Number/Designation, so, maybe Check that out as well....................If the Choke on the Carburetor (if it has one, that is), is left, turned-on, for, too long, or is stuck somewhat, then, that can also cause, extra Carbon, to be getting stuck to, the electrode end of the spark plug, cuz of, the way too Rich Air/Fuel Mixture................If Your XT-600 was in Storage, for quite a long time, then, Old Gasoline, when it Evaporates, or just plain Disappears...lol...isn't as Clean, as You think it is...!!!...as, the, shall we say Residual, that be, the Ugly Stuff that gets left behind, when all of that Gasoline's Liquid portion is gone, and, if left alone long enough, the Carburetor, its Fuel Jets, (and other fuel related things as well), get kinda Plugged-Up, and at times..."Stuck"...!!!..............Gasoline, quite often, will be leaving behind, a Vanish-like Substance/Coating, if You will, and it tends to show up, inside, of the older/high mileage Carburetors, that I've worked on, in the past....................Make Sure, that, You "Set" (if need be), the spark plug's "Gap", that's Between, the spark plug's Inner and Outer Electrodes, to Yamaha's "Specification", for Your "Exact" Engine, cuz, it's very Important...!!!..................Also, the LARGER the Gap gets, Above Specification, makes the Ignition Coil Work Harder, as in, having to Output, Higher Secondary (high) Voltage, to make the Spark, Jump that much LARGER Gap...................For the, shall we say, Older, common looking spark plugs, that have that rather, large-looking center electrode (non-exotic type...lol), there's usually, a fairly good Ball-Park figure, that I recall, from many Moons ago, and, is, as follows................The Spark Plug "Gap", should only "Wear" (increase), about .001"/One Thousandths of an Inch, for every 1,000/One Thousand Miles, that the Vehicle Travelled...how about that.............So then, I'll be around here somewhere (I hope....lol), and.........till next time..........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings 9011combo....I'm glad that this Spark Plug Video of mine was able to help you out, my Friend, and, Thanks very much, for your nice comment as well....Just to let you know, I'm "Not" a Certified (car or truck) Mechanic!....As for, the Car and Truck RUclips Videos that I make, they are just a "Hobby" of mine, and also, when I "DIY" (not really "Do It Yourself", but rather, "DIM", "Do it Myself!"...lol), I also Benefit from my so called "Hobby", by Not having to Pay (Money) to a "Fix-Em-Up-Establishment", in an amount, that now-a-days, can sometimes be "Over-100-Dollars-per Hour!!!" ($100.00-Canadian Dollars, that is)....To get as good as I am, (however good that is?...lol), I was always interested in how things work....So, I became quite the "Book-Worm" (read lots and lots of Books, Manuals, etc.), and, spent a very large amount of time, Working on, and "Tinkering", with almost anything that I could get my hands on, when it came to, especially "Mechanical Things!"....So, all of what you See and Hear in my RUclips Videos, are just some things that I needed to Fix, Replace Parts on, or Adjust, in order to make, the Mechanical (and sometimes Electrical too) "Unit or Device" perform/work at an acceptable level of Operation. I also just happen to be, an "Average Joe", not some kind of "Rocket Scientist", that tries to use "Overly-Big-Words", to make himself appear to be "Someone Special", as, that's just "Not Me". I just try to keep things "Simple", and, "Down to Earth", or call it, "Bread and Butter", or even, "Meat and Potatoes", if you like, as it applies to my "Style" of making these here Videos, that will be (I hope), able to help People, from "All-Walks-of-Life", in that, I may be able to, "Help-Them-Learn-and-Understand", even if "Just-a-Little-Bit", in as far as what, I have Learned, or Experienced, so far, in my Life here, on "Planet Earth". Thanks for your Time. Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings Ruffyatutube....You are welcome my Friend, and thanks for taking the time to post your great comment, that I really appreciate....I'm not sure why, but when I look at some of the used parts that I tend to keep around here, all I have to do, is look at just about any of those used parts, and for the most part, my mind goes into, shall we say, "Total Recall!" (and no, I'm not Arnold S. as in the movie with that same title! lol)....Take care, and have a good one...
Greetings...Jose Batistine..........You're welcome, and, thanks for the nice comment..........Some of the newer, gasoline, fuel injected engine's spark plug deposits, might be showing, towards an almost white-ish color, in some cases, quite possibly...........These spark plugs, that I was showing, in this video of mine, were out of older, carburetor equipped engines mostly, just so Ya know, and.......till next time.......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Thanks for your nice comment!....I got to thinking about the best way that I could show people the things that I was talking about...and...a decent "Close-Up" of the part that was being presented in this video was what I came up with...But, the closer that you "Zoom" in with the video camera, the more movements, and not so still hands (mine) get magnified, as if an Earthquake was happening at the time!...lol...and, therefore....Drill Press Vise to the Rescue!...Take care, and have a good one!
Thank you so much! I have a car that was saying system is too rich, but on observing checking out the spark plugs with this, is seems to be running lean! Now I know I may have problems with the O2 sensor giving wrong info.
+golavish Greetings golavish....Thanks for watching.....................Please note, that, some of the newer, (gasoline) Fuel Injected Engines, might not have very many Deposits showing on the Spark Plugs, and, at times, the Porcelain-looking material, that surrounds the Inner/Center Electrode, might be showing an almost White-ish Color, and perhaps more-so, if the %-age/Percentage of Ethanol (alcohol) gets higher, in the Gasoline (blend), that You put in Your Vehicle's gas tank............................There are 3 basic things, that should be done, on a Vehicle, that has a Gasoline, Fuel Injected Engine, before, You might start to change this part and that part, which at times, might not fix the problem, if indeed, there really happens to be one................................Has Your Vehicle been well Maintained, as well as, having the Parts, such-as, Air and Fuel Filters, new Spark Plugs, etc., that should be Replaced, at the Vehicle Manufacturer's Mileage/Kilometer-age or Time Interval...???...............................Then, the other 2 things are.......Have Your Vehicle's On-Board Computer (about ,1996 and newer), Scanned for "Trouble Codes", with a Scan Tool (kinda looks like, a slightly Larger, hand held Calculator), in order to see, whether or not, Your Vehicle's, Computer's Memory has Stored any Trouble Codes, that will really help You out, if there happens to be any, that is.........................Then, the Fuel System's, "Fuel Pressure", needs to be Checked/Verified, according to Your Vehicle Manufacturer's, Fuel Pressure "Specifications"..............Warning...!!!!...some of those Fuel Pressures, might be, as High as, "60 PSI/Pounds per Square Inch", which can be very Dangerous, and, always Wear Eye protection/Safety Glasses/Goggles, have a Fire Extinguisher near-by, and Do any Fuel related Testing or Maintenance, and also, when-ever the Engine is Running, "Outside", with plenty of Fresh Air and Ventilation, because, the Engine's Exhaust Gas is "Deadly"...!!!.........................Some of the Automotive Parts places, might "Scan" Your Vehicle's Computer for "Free", so, just make a few Phone calls, to see, if any, in Your area, actually do...........................If You care to, You can let me know, the...Year...Make...Model...Engine Size...and any Problems, that You might be having with Your Vehicle, and.............till next time............Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
...Golly-Gosh-Darn, Yes-Siree-Bob, I should also mention that some of the later Holley Carburetors even have a little Screw-In-Clear-Sight-Plug, that goes into that threaded hole that you used to watch the Gasoline/Fuel trickle out of....Much Safer, and time saving too!....In closing, you might need some "Jet-Extensions" for your Secondary Float Bowl, to avoid starving the secondary's of that much needed Rich air/fuel mixture during that "Neck-Snapping-Launch!"....Take care, and have a good one
Greetings David Smith....Thanks kindly for your nice comment, my Friend...What you saw in this particular Spark Plug video of mine, was just my way of showing, and informing People of what my thoughts were, and from what experience I have gained over the years, as a "Shade-Tree-Mechanic"...Yes-Sir, that's right, I'm not a Certified Mechanic by any stretch of ones imagination...lol...I guess all of those old spark plugs wanted me to tell "Their" Story, that's all...Take care, and have a good one
They have MMT over here, it's primarily used as an octane enhancer rather than an AVSR. I'm advanced 15 degrees BTDC running 100 octane w/ 10% ethanol. No detonation at all! Gap growth isn't usually an issue as I replace the plugs every 20,000KM out of habit LOL. Yeah, oils here seem to have more zinc in them than the US and the white deposits are similar to leaking coolant but synthetic oils stop this. Take care as well!
my plugs in my 383 are white , they look like they havent been used , they were nice and tan on my 327 , how many sizes should I go up in jetting to get them tan again , I think it has 72s in the primarys ?
Thanks for the informative video. I just checked my spark plugs today in my 89 toyota corolla with a 1.6 4af carb engine and all of the spark plugs had white coat of carbon on them. My car seems to have a vaccum leak because it hesitates when I put my foot down and it bucks aswell. Does that mean the white carbon on the plugs is from having a lean engine? I am very determined to get my engine running the way it should and I'll be getting some new plugs tomorrow. I think I have to clean the carb aswell or it might need rebuilding, I hope not though lol I really have to fix this vaccum leak
Greetings...Kaes seaK...........You're welcome, and, thanks for watching..........Try this...while your engine is fully warmed up to operating temperature, try putting your foot down "slowly", as in, apply the gas pedal "gradually/at a very slow rate", and see how the engine responds..........If your vehicle's engine runs ok this way, and runs bad, while you push the gas pedal down really fast, then, there's a good chance, that your carburetor's accelerator pump, or accelerating fuel circuit, "is not", shall we say, "squirting" enough gasoline, while doing a fast acceleration...........Carbon is usually "black" (not white)..........Is the "white" color, on your spark plugs, as white as, the white color, of the spark plug's porcelain...???...because if it is, then, that's probably a "lean" condition, considering that, your engine has a carburetor on it..........If the color looks kinda "gray", then, that might be a bit lean as well.........If the gasoline has lots of ethanol (alcohol), in its blend, then, that can also, make an engine run on the lean side as well..........Yes-Sir-ee-Bob...get that "vacuum leak fixed", as soon as possible, or (and hopefully not), your engine might start getting "damaged" (same as saying, expensive...don't-cha-think...maybe...???...lol).........."Never" go hard, on the gas pedal, with a vacuum leak, or, too lean of an air/fuel ratio (mixture), because, that's usually, the engine's operating condition, where the "Most" engine "Damage" will probably happen, as opposed to, just going very easy, on the gas pedal (still not good).........Try to keep up with maintenance, that Toyota recommends for your Corolla, as in...all filters...PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) Valve...check/adjust ignition timing...replacing old spark plug Wires...new coolant (antifreeze & water)...etc...oh and, of course...spark plugs too..........Good luck, and......till next time.......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
What about how the timing affects the plugs? I have read that the ground strap is used to verify heat range and timing, and that the base ring is used for jetting, and lastly the porcelain is used for signs of detonation/preignition, and that you should never use the insulator as a reference for jetting, also putting to use a 10x power scope to really dial things in. Comments/thoughts?
Greetings enoch powellsghost....Thanks kindly, for Your very nice comment, my Friend....I'm not so sure, that, any of my RUclips videos are all that Professional, as, I'm just an "Average Joe", so to speak....As for this Spark Plug video of mine, I just rounded-up (aka, gathered) a bunch of old/used spark plugs, that I had in storage for quite some time, and I chose the ones, that I thought, would be the best "Candidates", that would be able to, actually show Folks, what it is, for the most part, to be looking out for, as it pertains to, just how well, or, how bad, the spark plugs "Look", as in the Deposits found on them, as well as, the Electrode's Wear Rate. Depending on the "Formulation" of Gasoline, that You purchase, where You Live, will sometimes "Alter", the actual "Deposits" that may, or, may not be showing on Your Engines Spark Plugs, due to the amount of "Ethanol" (Ethanol = Alcohol, usually derived from something like Corn), and also, something like "Oxygenates" and Fuel System "Cleaners", that the Gasoline Producers, "Added" into their so called, Gasoline "Blend". Thanks again, for Your "Super Nice Comment!" Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings Bashir Ahmed....Indeed, over here in North America, daily life in general terms, seem to be something that we take for granted, probably because we are not subjected to all of the pain and suffering that others around the world are experiencing, mainly due to disagreements and power struggles....It is one thing that adults harm one another, but, it is just not morally right to cause harm to children, in any way, shape, or form....Take care, and, best wishes, my Friend...
...From my experience/experiences, sometimes electrical, and mechanical problems, turn out to be something different from what I first thought it was....There is also a thing called "Ignition Reserve"....That's when you have more available electricity at the ignition coil to fire your spark plug/plugs....When something like a fouled spark plug, or bad wiring tries to use more electricity then is available (ignition reserve), then it usually results in an ignition miss-fire....(con't)...
+DieselSmoke92 Greetings DieselSmoke92....Thanks for Your nice comment, and, Thanks for watching...........You'll probably find, in a lot of cases, that, the some-what newer, (gasoline), Fuel Injected/Computer Controlled Engine's, Spark Plug "Deposits", might not be so much, well, as compared to the "Deposits" that You saw, on the spark plug samples, that I used in this particular RUclips Video of mine, and, might be looking, kinda white-ish in color at times.................From what I've heard/read about, the Higher the Ethanol (alcohol) %-age/percent-age, that is actually in the Gasoline Blend, that the Engine burns, then, the (probably/maybe?) Less Deposits, might be found, showing-up, on the spark plugs, in that particular engine, perhaps..................Some Folks, are using, what appears to be, kinda looking-like, that special flash-light, that a Doctor might use, to examine Your Ears, in order to have a much Closer look, at the Deposits, that happen to be, on the spark plugs................Perhaps, have a look around, on, some of the Web-Sites, for that, what I like to call, the..."Rocket-Science-Method"...(as in, using that special flashlight/magnifier, thing-ah-ma-bob)...in order to have..."Close-Encounters-of-the-Spark-Plug-kind"...!!!...lol...and...........till next time............Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
on my plugs in my EFI 302 it has a little white around the base of the electrode and then transitions into a dark brown on the tip, there is no deterioration on the tip of either side. nothing filling the gap and the rest is pretty clean. I always thought it was running rich cause of the constant backfire (I have no cats). based on what you said white means lean, but I see some other guys with a little bit of white and they say it's good.
Greetings...TheSamplebridge.............Nice Car there, and, Thanks for watching.............Yes, indeed, it seems that, most Fuel Injected Engines, that are controlled by Computers, will probably have less, in the way of spark plug Deposits, most times, but only "if", all of the Components are behaving themselves, and are working, as they should be do-in.................Most of the spark plugs, that I used as, shall we say "Props" (aka, stationary Movie Stars...!!!...lol), were, for the most part (with an exception or two), were out of Low Compression Engines (no more than, about 8.5 to 1 compression ratio), that also had, Oil Filled, cylindrically shaped Ignition Coils, in the Ignition System/circuit................The Heat Range, of a Spark Plug, is very important, as it applies to, its Self Cleaning Temperature...Too Cold...then, probably Too Many Deposits, will be getting stuck on, and showing up, on the business end of the Spark Plug/s........Too Hot (of a heat range), then...Bad Things...might happen, such as Pre-Ignition (that's where, the Air/Fuel Mixture Ignites, "Before", the spark plug goes "Spark"...!!!), and, if that starts happening, get ready, for some possible, Expensive, & Un-Wanted Engine "Damage"...!!!...Yikes...!!! (so, if You happen to Hear any...Pinging...Rattling...or...Knocking Sounds, coming from Your Engine, get it Fixed without Delay...!!!)...............Speaking of the Heat Range, of a Spark Plug, I just recalled something, that may be of interest.................I had a Stock, 8.5 to 1 C/R...V-8 Engine, that would get started, oh, about once-ah-month, there-abouts, in a vehicle, that wasn't being driven on the street, at the time, and it had, as I recall, Factory/Originally installed...Champion...N-12-Y Spark Plugs...in it (and those spark plugs, got discontinued, according to the Parts Guy, and, was replaced with, as I recall...Champion...RN-12-YC...that should have the changes-of, going to a Resistor type of spark plug, @ 5,000, or 10,000 Ohms...???...as well as, adding-in, a Copper/center electrode, well, if I get it right that is), and that, in itself, is not the whole story at all...say what...???...............If memory serves me right, I believe that, I probably Cracked, one of the spark plug's, Ceramic insulators, when I removed, that, stubborn, what-sha-ma-call-it, from the engine's cylinder head, so now what...???...so, I goes over to my, not so secret...lol...spark plug Collection, some of which, were Used, and a few, of the others, were "New"...!!!......"Wowsers"...!!!...What I saw, and had, was, a Brand New, either...Champion...N-14-Y...or was it a...RN-14-YC...I forget, but, with either one of them, I would have a Spark Plug, that was...2-Heat Ranges HOTTER...then the...N-12-Y...or the...RN-12-YC...so, I installed the "New"..."14" Heat Range spark plug, into one cylinder (head) only.................A few months, and Start-ups later, I pulled the "14" Heat Range spark plug, to have a look-see, at the Deposits, on "it", and to my (surprise...???)...Wowsers...!!!...by just going..."Up"...by..."2-Heat Range"...Numbers...that..."14-Heat-Range" spark plug, sure looks..."Ah-Lot-CLEANER"...than, those..."12-Heat-Range" spark plugs, ever did...!!! (please note...that, this Engine, was mostly running at Idle Speed, with a Blip of the Throttle, every now and again)...............Gee, I wonder...??? (with a stupid look on my face...lol), just How Clean, and maybe Too Hot (looking), that, that..."14-Heat-Range"...Spark Plug, just might be, if I were to actually Drive, at Sustained Highway Speeds, for Lot-sa Miles...???...maybe too Clean, as well as too Hot...???...and maybe, some possible Engine Damage...??? (I'm thinkin')...............Might be Ok, at Low, City Speeds, without harming the Engine perhaps...???................Just goes to show, how important it is, to be installing, the Correct "Heat Range" of Spark Plug, in just about any, Gasoline Burnin' Engine alright................The good ole rule of thumb, use to be, that, let's say, a car gets driven in the City, at mostly slower speeds, almost all of the time, then, a Person, might consider, having spark plugs, having a slightly Higher Heat Range, then Stock...where-as...let's say, a car, gets driven mostly at higher, highway speeds, most of the time, then, a Person, might install, spark plugs, that are, of a slightly, Lower Heat Range, then Stock...Why You ask...???...well, it's now time, to revert back to, that good ole..."Self Cleaning Temperature"...alright..............Lem-me try to x-splain........Lots of Cold Starts, followed up, with lots of slow speed, city-like driving, will more than likely, be leaving More Deposits, on the spark plugs...as opposed to...something like, a Vehicle, that spends most of its life, Cruising, for hours at a time, at sustained, Highway Speeds...........If it were me (do-in the head-scratchin'), then, I'd probably select, a Spark Plug's Heat Range, based-on, a Heat Range, that was "just" Hot Enough to, shall we say..."Burn-Off"...most of the Deposits, for the Type of Driving/Use, that, that particular Vehicle, would ever be seeing, just, "Never Too Hot", to avoid any Engine Damage (Pre-Ignition, etc.)................For the older, regular Spark Plugs (kinda, like the Champion...N-12-Y...as an example), another Rule of Thumb, for those older ones, use to be, to have no more than, about .001"/one thousandths of an Inch..."Gap Growth"...per Thousand Miles, that the vehicle travelled (wear/increase, cuz of, the...electrical, Arc/spark Erosion, between the spark plug's Electrodes)...........Any more than that, to me, is somewhat suspicious, don't-cha-think...???...might even be...too Hot of a Heat Range perhaps...???..........Also, things like...Too Lean of an Air/Fuel Ratio/Mixture, for the needs, of the engine, at about, any given time, can affect, the way a spark plug looks.......Too Much, or, Too Little...Ignition Timing Advance, at about any RPM and Load condition, will probably have, its share of things, to say as well.........The (coolant) Temperature of the Engine (thermostat rating), will probably also, have an affect as well, seeing as how, some of the Old School Thermostats, probably went as Low as, about "160" Degrees Fahrenheit, and some, that I've probably come across, were as High as, about..."205" Degrees Fahrenheit......interesting that..............Then, among other things (as well), there's..."Spark Intensity" (between the spark plug's Electrodes), oh, and, there be lots, did I say LOTS, of things, go-in on, as in, just about anything, and everything, as it relates to, the Vehicle's Ignition System itself (and then some...lol), so much so, that I can't do it, here and now...lol...but rather, I'm almost at the point, of (somewhat), be-in able to write a little book about "it"...maybe...???................Maybe, install a "Wideband Oxygen Sensor", in Your Exhaust System, along with the matching, Dash-Mounted, "Air/Fuel Ratio Gauge" (can be purchased as a Kit), so You'll be able to see, the "Air/Fuel Ratio", that Ur Engine is Running at, under all RPM's and Load conditions, in Real Time..............So then, just about every, Gasoline Burnin' Engine, out there (to me, that is), seems to have, a, shall we say, "Personality", all of its Own, kinda like People somewhat (just sayin' now), and.........till next time.........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Well dad has a lot of knowledge as he is 67 yr old. He has seen a lot, he taught me how to service breaks both drum and pad, he said he use to use a vacuum reading to set the carburetors on the old cars. He hasn't much knowledge on fuel injected though, I've recently worked on his truck trying to fix an issue with the idle and overall running/ performance. That truck must have fuel issues I've changed the fuel filter, mad sensor and spark plugs. The truck will not stay crank! Lol it dies after cranking unless you hold the throttle down till it gets warm. Any suggestions? I'm leaning towards fuel pump but I haven't a gauge that will attach to the shrader valve so I'm kinda in the dark there. Yeah, dad has taught me a lot. Carpentry, plumbing, electrical wiring, small engine and automotive, weilding , machine trade. Along with tricks of all kinds but I'm still young and learning. I'm in a fast learning mode now days I don't struggle with things like I once did but still need some experience. I'm glad to of talked with you its hard to find people with knowledge now days, most are parts changers instead of mechanics.
Greetings Jon Stone....It's good to know, that, you are interested in, what most Guys from the Past use to do on a Regular Basis....In that, I mean, "Do It Yourself", as opposed, to, calling a Home "RepairMan/RepairWoman", or, just taking your Vehicle to the "Shop", and let them Fix It (way too Expensive for my liking!...lol)....Big Name Car Dealerships charge in excess of "$100" (One Hundred Canadian Dollars) Per Hour for Labor Only!!! (and, still No Parts in Sight!...lol)....Most of the Current Generation, seem to be spending most of their time, Staring at their "Cell-Phones", and, I have seen some pretty Dangerous Situations, while they are "Texting", both, Driving a Vehicle, and, while they are Walking!....Please, don't get me wrong, as I'm Not Anti-Cell Phone, or, Anti-Technology, but, (in my view), there comes a time, when, I Personally put "Safety" ah-head (at the top of the list), before almost Everything Else! : ) Me, a Mechanic?....I have never Officially worked as a Mechanic, and, I'm not Certified either (say what!...lol)....Truth be told, Auto-Mechanics is just One of my Hobbies, that's all....I'm Self Taught, with some help from my Dad and Friends, while I was just getting started....Believe it or not, most of my Basic Automotive Knowledge was learned from a Book that I purchased for about 5 Bucks (5 Dollars), and, I still have it to this very day!....I still read parts of it from time to time, and, the Poor Book is Falling Apart! (became Unbound, due to Over-Use!...lol)....I personally can't Rate this Book "Highly" Enough, as it is really that good!....The Book was Published by "Petersen's" in 1977, and the Title is..."Basic Auto Repair Manual" (No 8)....Keep an eye out for it, and, you might even find it in a Thrift Store!....It's a Soft Cover Book, and, it's just slightly smaller then a piece of Computer "Printer" Paper, and, almost 3/4 (three quarters) of an inch Thick....Please note, that it only covers vehicles to about 1977, and their related Fuel and Electrical Systems of that time period....Thanks Petersen's! Now then, about "Daddy's" Truck....Some possible things to consider are... Vacuum Leaks, and yes, Fuel Pump Pressure is very Important for Fuel Injected vehicles....With some General Motors vehicles (and maybe others as well), there can be an Electrical Fuel Pump "Relay" (that can go bad), and, in some cases is backed up by a "Switch" that "Senses" Oil Pressure, and, if the actual Fuel Pump Electrical "Relay" is Not Functioning, then, you have to "Crank" the engine (you know, starter motor Cranking engine over) until the Engines "Oil Pressure" is at least 4 PSI (pounds per square inch), then, that Oil Pressure "Switch" that I had mentioned will "Complete" the Electrical Circuit, to supply the Electric Fuel Pump with Electricity. (just thought that I should mention it, but, it may not apply to your Dad's Truck). Before you go on a "Wild Goose Chase", I would recommend that you Test that "Fuel Pump Pressure", or, you might find yourself wasting time and Money as well. How did the spark plugs look?....Dry?...Wet?...Smoke out of the Tail Pipe, while it was running? To check for Spark, while Cranking, or, Running the Engine....If you have an "Inductive" Timing Light" (the kind that has the spring loaded "Clamp" that you attach to a Spark Plug Lead/Wire), you can either have Dad, or someone hold the Trigger on the Timing Light (or, tape down the timing lights "Trigger", and, point the Timing Light towards you, as you Crank, or Run the Engine), and watch the "Flashes" (we are Not Setting Timing, just looking for a Pulse!...lol)....The "Flashes" should be at Regular "Intervals", Not "Skipping" all over the place, or, No Flash at all....Warning!, be Careful, and watch out for Hot, and Moving Parts!, and, make sure the Timing Lights "Wires" are Away from Hot and Moving Parts as well....Make sure (if you do it alone), that you Secure the Timing Light, so it Does Not Fall, get Damaged, or gets wrapped up by Fan Belts and such! Maybe try this, next time you try to Start "Pop's" Truck....Before you start Cranking the Engine, hold the Key in the "Run" Position (Not Start Position!), and, Listen Closely for the Electric Fuel Pump Operating "Sound/Noise" (yeah, I know that it works somewhat, But...), what you want to be Listening for, is, if that Electric Fuel Pump is Sounding Healthy....Please Note, that Fuel Pump might only be working for 2 seconds, or a wee bit longer, as, some of them do a "Prime Only", to bring the Fuel Pressure Up to Pressurize the Fuel Lines....In some cases, you can do this many times....Just Turn the Ignition Off, for a Minute or so, then, turn the Key to the "Run" Position, and Listen (again...lol). Hmmmm, your Pop's Truck might even have a "Plugged-Up" Cat (Meow...lol, nah, more like a Catalytic Converter!)....If indeed it is Plugged up, or Partially Plugged up, what this does, is, creates Way Too Much "Back Pressure" in the Exhaust System!, and, in some cases, you would be lucky to make it out of your Driveway!....Yes-Siree-Bob, Too much Exhaust Back Pressure actually keeps the Engine from "Breathing!!!" (aka, Suffocation)....Hey Pop's, do you still have your "Vacuum Gauge?"....You can use a Vacuum Gauge to somewhat test for a Plugged "Cat" (Catalytic Converter), or Exhaust System for that Matter....Hook up the Vacuum Gauge, and watch what it does....Once the Engine is Running at Idle, that should give you about 15 inches (or more) of Vacuum showing on the Gauge....Now, Rev up the Engine a bit (not too fast now), and hold the revs there....The Vacuum reading should stay Put!....If the Vacuum Reading Starts to drop, as you keep the Revs Steady, then, that's a darn good indication that the "Cat" is Plugged somewhat, or, the Exhaust System has become "Restricted" (preventing Free Exhaust Flow)....Maybe somehow, the Trucks Exhaust System (Pipes) got Kinked, or Bent, by contacting something perhaps?....Off-Roading (aka, 4-Wheelin) at all? Also, next time you try to Start Pop's Truck, Hold the Gas Pedal about 1/4 (one quarter) of the way Down, as this has worked for me, on a 4.3 Liter (262 cubic inch) V-6 General Motors Engine, and, (for me) doing this Helps the Engine Start-Up Better when the Engine is Hot or Cold! : ) Let me know what the "Patient" actually is (you know, Make, Model, Engine Size and Number of Cylinders, etc.), or, I will be the One, going on the "Wild Goose Chase!"...lol. Take care, and, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!"
RockysRoadshow Thank you Thank You!! I have wanted that knowledge for years, I use to own a 1994 f150 but since sold it and had a service manual and can't find that either. Dad's truck is a 2000 f-150 v 6 engine can't remember if the engine is a 4.2 or?... I appreciate the common info on the general ideas of what could cause such a problem. The ole truck is still worth fixing just got to get it so. If dad was a younger man he"d already had it fixed. Arthritis isn't his friend for sure, I do not think he still has that vacuum gauge but I'm an appliance and a/c tech and have such gauges all I have to do is adapt it to fit. Is there a particular hose i should attach it to? For the vacuum procedure? I didn't think about the CAT, my brother in law had a van with that very problem and he got under it and pocked holes in it and it ran fine for a while. I don't intend to do that though, I am on the look out for that book you mentioned any knowledge is good I need a foundation first so i can build on it. You certainly gave me a good start. I've always wanted to learn these things since i was a boy about seven years old and took my first motor apart. lol, that was fun to me, Dad showed me on that briggs&startton how to set the time and told me about top dead center ect. He even showed how to set gap on plugs and used an old ISBM card or a feeler gauge to set the coil to flywheel gap. I'm better with carburetors than fuel injection, I thought about vacuum leaks before but most people say to start the engine and spray the carburetor cleaner around vacuum hoses, I do not like that method. Yours makes better since, I have plenty of gauges that will read both pressure and vacuum, just have to figure out the thread size on the fuel pressure valve. I've plenty of thread gauges for that as well. I kinda took you as a mechanic since you know so much but yet my dad can lay bricks, blocks and do carpentry but he hasn't a license nor has he done that for a living much. Sorry wasn't trying to profile you, I can check the fuel pump relay and overall voltage if need be. I'll have to get the pressure specifications and I'll test the fuel pressure. I do know that the truck will start to run after it warms up but still shaky and not smooth. I know he has a valve cover oil leak, I replaced the spark plugs the other day and it needed it. Had some oil on three of the plugs and a brown/ white build up on the others. The plugs with the oil were right where the oil leaks is. A gasket isn't much and is easy to change. May just need tightening, I'll check that too, I am thinking the vacuum and fuel pressure testing should be my top priority for now and work my way from there. While an oil leak isn't good my old ford had the same and it ran just fine. Where do you suggest the best place to check vacuum for the cat? I'll give you a synopsis of what I have done to the truck this year. I replaced the O2 sensors this summer and the maf sensor, replaced the fuel filter too, as I mentioned above I replaced plugs the other day. That's mostly what I have done, I have experience from my line of work that when things aren't running smoothly check your basics first and usually it's a simple solution. I'm going to try and do what you suggested, I'll listen for the pump like you said first then follow through from there. I do know that some pressure is there because after cranking it I made the schrader valve and gas sprayed from it. Just have to keep throttle down until it has about a minute to run then it will idle but rough idle. Hope that catalytic converter isn't clogged, one time we had a tiller with a briggs engine and an old muffler and that muffler glowed red wow i thought! Dad said it's stopped up so he tried to clean it out but he took it out for the time being and bought a new one afterwards. Yeah, i should have thought about the cat. being clogged a bit. It wouldn't hurt to lie down and look at it when engine is hot might see a glow. Well, I'm off for now, I hope your New Year was great! i hope this year is better than the last 5 as times have been hard here. This will be a great dad and son project, I'll get dad to help when I need three hands. Again I thank you very very much, I am bound and set on getting that truck fixed. Always great working with dad these days there aren't enough of that as in years past. The man has taught me a lot even old arts like braiding leather into whips and one time had an aircraft cable to break while hoisting a heavy load. What did he do? Cut the loose ends, unraveled the wire, wrapped it around the load and braided it to itself. I really have a long ways to go lol! Thanks!!! Jon
Jon Stone Ooops, I made a Boo Boo....When I was talking about the EGR Valve, and when it was Supposed to be Open, and when it was Supposed to be Closed....I should have said, that, the EGR Valve is Supposed to be "Closed" at "Idle" (speed), and, at "Wide Open Throttle"....Usually, the only time that the EGR Valve is "Open", is when, the Engine is at Operating Temperature (fully warmed up), and, the Engine is at "Cruising Speed", with a light Throttle (gas pedal applied)....Thank Goodness for the term "Proof Reading!"...lol.
Sounds like Idle air control valve. On the 4.0 modular v6s I'm not sure exactly where on the throttle body they are. But it's easy to pull off and clean it. Do that and see if it has a lot of carbon deposits. Also get a fuel pressure gauge and hook it up to the fuel bleeder shcrader valve on one end of the fuel rail. And test with a few key cycle's to make sure it's hold pressure at probably around 44-50 psi and make sure it doesn't bleed off. If it does it might be the fuel pressure regulator. If it doesn't bleed off any pressure proceed to test with engine running. If it doesn't maintain pressure at about the same as standing then it might be a clogged fuel line or the fuel pump is bad. Just some do it yourself stuff that's easy. Also one thing to check that I've seen is a fuel pump relay dropping off voltage at load from worn contacts. Just a few tests and ideas.
blargblarghonk Greetings blargblarghonk....Thanks for helping out....You presented some very good possible solutions, and, above all, you are stepping in, and trying to help....Take care, and, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
The truck is 1991 silverado 4x4 5.7l auto with 97K miles I think. Motor #2. I just found the distributer hold down bolt loose, its been slowly turning. EGR valve was stuck also. Plugs only had 2000 miles on them. A stock Tbi motor that has had a stalling problem, at idle, RPM just falls off to 0. After resetting timing, all new tune-up parts installed and new EGR, runs smooth, but stalling after a few seconds of slow idle is back. Fuel pump, filter,lines all about three yrs old. Plus, dash oil psi gauge reads 20psi at start-up, less when hot. No engine knock, but only OBD1 code is knock sensor. Thanks, Cat
Greetings...Cat Dakman………..Wowsers…!!!...good job, on describing, just about everything...…...A distributor that "self-adjusts"...???...lol...…….There can be quite a few things, that can cause an engine, such as yours is, to stall (stop running), while at idle speed RPM's...…...Now then, about you sayin'...re-setting the timing...…….Did you (or who-ever?), use the correct procedure, along with, setting it, at the "specified" base ignition timing...???...…...I'm pretty sure, that, the procedure, might be, to have the engine fully warmed up to operating temperature first, then, shut off the engine...then...disconnect that tan colored wiring connector, that's reasonably close to, the distributor...then...start the engine...then, with a timing light, probably set the "base" ignition timing, at the specified number of degrees (with my, four years newer, GMC V-6 engine, the base timing, is set at "Zero" degrees, as an example, oh, and also, on my harmonic balancer, had "2" lines/grooves in it, so, I had to make sure and use, the correct line/groove, or, the base timing, wouldn't even be close...!!!)………..Once you are absolutely sure, that, the "base" timing is set "correctly", as is "specified", for your exact engine and vehicle, then, we can move on further...…….The "idle air control valve" (IAC), can also cause idling problems too, as, this IAC, really only affects idle speed ("it" controls the amount of air, that enters the engine, at idle speed only)……...Careful now, if adjusting or replacing an IAC, because, there might be two types/styles of them, and, they are pre-set differently...get it wrong, and, a new one will be needed...……Have a look, inside of your distributor, with the cap, off of it, and have a look-see, where those 8 triangles are located...…….If Ya can see, what looks to be, a magnet near those 8 triangles, then, look very closely, maybe, even with a magnifying glass, for any "cracks" in, said magnet...……Cracks = not good, and, might cause, shall we say, ghost signals, that will probably make for, a very confused signal, for the ignition control module, as well as, the vehicle's on-board computer, as well...…….Also, while Ur at it, have a look-see, inside of the distributor cap, and inspect that center, contact button (if it's the small type, that's spring loaded, they sure don't last very long...!!!)………..Did you clear that OBD-1 code, as in, "knock sensor"...???...…...With a properly operating EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) valve, then, the ignition timing "advance", can be increased a few degrees, and not trigger, that about 6300 Hz (cycles per second), knock triggering frequency, where-as, a non-functioning EGR valve, won't dilute the air/fuel mixture enough, before it ignites, inside of the engine's cylinders (please note, that, it's the vehicle's on-board computer, that controls the ignition timing advance amount/degrees, and, if, the knock sensor, sends a, shall we say, knock "signal" to the computer, then, the computer, will usually, back-off/reduce, the ignition timing advance, just enough, in order to not allow any more engine knock, to take place...…..Some computers, might only back-off/reduce, the ignition timing advance, by about 10 crankshaft degrees....maybe...???)………..Are you putting the specified "Octane" rated gasoline, into the Silverado's gas tank...???...…...If you happen to put in 87 Octane, into a vehicle's gas tank, that was specified to have 90 or above, then, that alone, could very well cause a knock signal or two, especially if, the on-board computer, wasn't able to compensate, for doin' such a thing...just sayin' now...……Get a hold of a fuel pressure gauge, and, check the fuel pressure, at idle, and different RPM's as well...…...A throttle body fuel injection system, will probably have, up to about 13 PSI/Pounds per Square Inch, of fuel pressure...but, always look up, the "exact specifications", for your vehicle first...!!!...…...Air and fuel filters clean...???...…….Make sure, that, your EGR valve stays "closed", during idle speed, or otherwise, if the EGR valve allows any exhaust gas, to get inhaled into the engine, while at idle speed, then, it might be a sHaKiNg engine, or like yours is now...silent...lol...…...Now then, my take, on oil pressure...…….Ya can get away with, about 10 PSI, at idle speed, on a factory stock engine...…...The good ole rule of thumb (so to speak), was to, have about, 10 PSI, for every 1,000 engine RPM's (probably be a minimum...huh), oh, and, those PSI's, would be, when the engine is up to full, operating temperature (cold oil pressure, sure looks impressive alright, but, hot oil, is the true nature of the beast...lol)………..Another thing to do, is to, shine a timing light at the harmonic balancer, while the engine is running, while the gear selector is in park, with the emergency on...……..Now then, what Ur looking for, is, is the timing mark staying in one place, while the engine RPM's are being held steady, or, is that timing mark moving forwards or backwards...……..If it's "not stationary", while holing the engine RPM's steady, then, it will probably be an ignition related problem...……..Sometimes, the timing light's flashes, will appear to be skipping, or missing, and, not be, at steady/regular intervals (this might indicate an ignition system problem as well, or maybe, it's time to get a new timing light...maybe...???...lol)……….It's a 4x4...yes...???...well, if, while in any 4x4 mode, that actually "lock" the front differential (axle), with the rear one, then, watch out for "wind-up", which has been known, to destroy a transfer case or two...…….To try and avoid that, so called 4x4 "wind-up", then, make sure, that, the "outside" diameter, of, all 4 tires, are all (reasonably) the "same" (outside) diameter, oh, and, I'll even bet, that, tire pressure, might just play, some kind of a role as well, maybe...???...you be the judge, and...….till next time...….Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings (once again) Cat Dakman……….Here's something else, that, I didn't mention, in my last reply to you, about, what might be causing, your Silverado's engine, to be stalling, at idle speed rpm's..……..Another thing to check-for, happens to be, any "intake" related (air) "vacuum leaks", as in, any air leak, that shouldn't be taking place, as a result of, something like, a faulty gasket/loose bolts or nuts, or perhaps, a small diameter, rubber-like vacuum hose, or maybe, it's made out of hard plastic pipe/tubing, that has become disconnected, or perhaps, cracked or split, which will allow un-wanted/un-metered air, to be inhaled, by the engine...……..Vacuum leaks, are usually, most noticed, while the engine is at idle speed rpm's, and, sometimes, the engine will shake a little bit, or lots, depending on, just how bad, that hypothetical vacuum leak, happens to be, and yes, if a vacuum leak is bad enough, a stalling engine, it could very well be...……….I use a Vacuum "Gauge" (about $50 Dollars, give or take a bit), and hook it's rubber-like hose, to a port, or fitting, that goes into the intake manifold, on a throttle body/fuel injected, or carbureted engine, and, on the newer types of fuel injected engines, I hook the vacuum gauge's rubber-like hose, to a vacuum source, that goes, directly into, the intake (air) plenum (the word plenum, is just a fancy name, for an air chamber...lol)………..All-righty-then, with my fully warmed-up, 4.3 liter V-6 engine, I saw about 17" Hg at idle speed rpm's (Hg = inches of mercury, showing on the vacuum gauge), which is about normal, oh, and, the gauge's indicating needle/pointer, held steady, and didn't wave at me...lol...which I don't want it to do, as, that would be indicating, one of the many problems, that, a vacuum gauge, has the ability/reputation, for being able to show, as in, detecting/diagnosing a multitude of problems/running defects, well, if Ya can interpret the needle/pointer's behaviour, properly, that is...lol...………On some, if not most, vacuum gauges, there is usually seen, some different colored lines, and, if the needle/pointer, is with-in the green color band, then, a good day, it will usually be...…….Lem-me-see-now.....your vacuum leak, if there happens to be one, that is, might be, a port or fitting, on the throttle body, or, intake manifold, that is open to the atmosphere, and doesn't have a vacuum hose connected to it, where there should be one, or perhaps, a rubber-like plug or cap, might be missing (do a visual check, for anything, that might cause, an un-wanted, vacuum/air leak)………..Are the throttle body's, bolts or nuts tight enough...???...…….Are all of the intake manifold bolts, and/or nuts, tightened down properly...???...…….The gasket, that's sandwiched, between the bottom of the throttle body, and, the top of the intake manifold, has to be in very good condition...…… The two intake manifold gaskets, on a V-8 (or V-6) engine, have to be, in, very, very good condition, or, if not, then that, in itself, is just begging for, a good ole "vacuum leak"...lol...……I replaced my V-6's intake manifold gaskets, and, it sure helped a lot, probably because, the original factory ones, were laminated (sandwiched) together, as in, gasket material, was on one side, sheet metal in the middle, then, another layer of gasket material on the other side...…….I found, that, just by looking at the old intake manifold gaskets, that, they looked to be, really dry (brittle...???), and, where they were squished, between the intake manifold, and the cylinder head, well, they didn't look so good to me, at all, so then, I installed, a set of Felpro (good quality) intake manifold gaskets, and, I'm sure that helped quite a bit, with the rough idle, that I had at the time...……Have a look, at your Silverado's "oxygen sensor/s" sometime, as, by doing so, is, well, kinda, the same-as, looking at a spark plug, somewhat...……I've had it, where, the engine was running, really, really "rich" (air-fuel ratio/mixture-wise) due to a fuel injection problem, and, the oxygen sensor, was all covered, (big-time), with lots of, dry, black carbon...!!!...……It got so bad one time, where, it seemed like, I smelled something "burning", somewhat (the mini-van was parked, engine was running, and, I had the doghouse, aka, engine cover, off, of the engine, at the time), so, I jumped out, and had a look underneath the van, and...Hole-ee-gwalk-ah-mole-ee...the damn...catalytic converter...was..."Glowing"...a..."Bright Orange Color...!!!...(now, that's HOT...!!!)...needless to say, it sure didn't take me very long, to turn off that ignition key...!!!...lol...……..So yeah, never park a "rich" running, catalytic converter equipped vehicle, on top of, any dry grass, or flammable material, or..."hear that"...???...here come the Firetrucks...!!!...lol...……Well, maybe I'm a bit too late, as in, Ya got er fixed already, maybe...???...and...….till next time......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
@@RockysRoadshow Thank you VERY MUCH for your input. I do have one vacume line to check. Plastic tube with rubber ends that are different sizes at each end. Cold temps outside hear now so have to prepare to be outside. I will let you know. Thanks again, CAT
Fixed a vacuum leak....... now truck will not start cold. 35 degrees or less motor only starts after putting fuel or eather down tbi. Then runs fine. Got to go now....
Greetings David Smith....I hear Ya....A couple of things come to mind....I wonder if a newly certified Mechanic would be able to figure out a Carburetor?....I'm speaking of the younger Lads that probably were not exposed to Carburetors, and only Fuel Injection....The reason being, that since the 80's, the transition to fuel injection became quite obvious on Newer Factory Vehicles....Also, some years ago, I asked a Manager at a Transmission Fix-Em-Up Establishment,...(con't)
I bought a bike that has been sitting for 10 years and when I got it the oil was all black as well as the spark plug all black and full of soot. What would you say this is an indication of? What do I need to do before replacing the spark plug with a new one? Should I clean the inside where it sits or spray it with something first? I've changed the oil and gas and cleaned the carb. The bike ran very bad before and died when reaching 4:th gear after some time and when riding it for a while. So I have it taken apart now since I will be replacing the petcock since it was leaking.
theblackslcmamba Greetings theblackslcmamba....(as I Hear You, "Exclaim" the Word..."Outstanding", I turn around, to have a look-see, behind me, at...Who-ever-it-just-might-be...that You were Directing, that there, "Outstanding", Verbal, Generosity...Towards...as You were Lookin' in my Direction, and, there was..."Nobody Else, Near-by...What-so-ever...!!!)...so, I say to myself..."Holy-Gwalk-ah-Mole-ee"...as, it appears, as though, this "Person"...(YOU...!!!)...were...Directing that..."Outstanding"...Verbal, and, Very Generous...Comment...at, and, Towards..."ME"...!!!..."Wowsers"...!!!...lol...................Thanks kindly, my Friend, for Your "Super-Duper" Comment, and also, for watching, this here, RUclips Video of mine as well..................................Just so You know, most, if not all, of the "Spark Plugs", that You happened, to have Seen, in this particular...How to Read Spark Plugs...RUclips Video of mine, had Spark Plug "Deposits", on "Them", as a result of being "Fed" (as in Feed...lol), an..."Air/Fuel Mixture" (aka, Air/Fuel Ratio), from/and by..."Carburetors"...and..."Not Fuel Injection"...where-by, for the most part, a Good Running/Operating..."Fuel Injected Engine"...will probably, as I see it, no, rather, as I "Think" it...lol...will probably have "Less Deposits Showing", on the Fuel Injected Engine's Spark Plugs, and probably, be Lookin', quite a "Bit Cleaner/Less Deposits", as Compared to, the Spark Plug "Deposits", that are "On", the "Stars" (Red Carpet...???...lol), be-in, the "Movie Props/Spark Plugs", that You, and, Everyone-Else, have "Seen", in this particular, RUclips Video of mine, that had a "Steady Diet", be-in that of "Gasoline", be-in "Administered", along with some "Air", in the Desirable/some-what Correct, "Proportions", by a "Carburetor", some-what, just like a "Food Diet", and something along the lines of "Portion Control"...lol (pretty much meaning, Not to Intake, too many Calories, in the Food-wise sense, but, seein', as how this particular matter, concerns, the "Feeding", of the "Air/Fuel Mixture", to a..."Gasoline, Internal Combustion Engine"...and no, not with a "Spoon"...lol...but, by means, of using a "Carburetor", on Top, of the Engine's Intake Manifold, to act, just like a "Mixer", and no, Not a Kitchen, "Mix-Master Mixer or, a, Kitchen-Aid Mixer...!!!...lol...but, rather, the "Mixer", that I'm referin' to, is, that there, "Carburetor"..."Air/Fuel...Mixture/Ratio"..."Mixer"...!!!...lol).........................Then, there is, what-ever-is-in-the "Gasoline Blend", these days...???...say what...???...lol.................................So many Country/Places, these Days, on Planet Earth, are Adding "Ethanol" (aka, Alcohol, sometimes derived from Corn, as in, Corn-on-the-Cob), and, around here, where I Live, the Gasoline, that I put in my Gas Tank, has, as far as I know, about 10% (10 per-cent, or, 10 parts out of 100 parts), of "Ethanol/Alcohol"..."Blended"...right into...the "Gasoline"...................................A Computer Controlled/Fuel Injected Engine, hopefully, will make the required "Adjustments", to the Air/Fuel...Ratio/Mixture, depending on, just "How Much Ethanol...%-wise", that there happens to be, in the Gasoline, that gets Pumped Into that particular Vehicle's Gas Tank................................I had a "Carburetor" Equipped Engine, starting to "Lean-Surge" on me, to what, I attributed to, this, oh, about..."10% Ethanol"...there-abouts, at the time, that was "Blended" Into the "Gasoline", and this "Lean-Surging", that I was mentioning, was when that particular Vehicle would "Buck, or Jerk, back and forth", while go-in, City Speed, on a Level Road, while keeping the Gas Pedal, in a Fixed, and not moving position.................................The Air/Fuel Ratio, for "Ethanol/Alcohol", has to be, quite a Bit "Richer", then, that of "100% Gasoline", that "Does Not" have Any "Ethanol/Alcohol", in "its"..."Blend"...!!!...as I found out, when my Engine, at the time (back then), was do-in, the, shall I say..."Herk-ee-Jerk-ee"...lol...Needless to say..."Lesson learned"...!!! (by Me, that is...!!!...lol)...............................Oh darn, now it's..."Coffee Time"...!!!...lol...........................So then..."Thanks" again, for Your "Super Comment", my Friend, and............Till next time...........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
kelhawk1 Greetings kelhawk1....Thanks kindly, for Your well appreciated comment, my Friend............................Most of the Spark Plugs that You saw in this RUclips Video of mine, were, for the most part, out of, shall we say..."Older Engines"...that had Lower Compression Ratios, and the "Deposits" that You, Others, and I, saw, on these particular Spark Plugs, were kinda "Dark", if You will............................................The "Deposits", that a Person will usually see, on Spark Plugs, out of a much Newer Engine, right up to the Engines that are being Manufactured currently, will probably Not have, Very Much/Many, "Deposit/Deposits", Showing on the Spark Plugs, and might even appear to look, almost like the "White Porcelain", that surrounds, the Inner Electrode, probably due to, as I'm thinkin', an "Engine Design", that is somewhat "More Efficient", with the Help of "Fuel Injection", and a "Higher Secondary Output Voltage, Ignition Coil", or, "Number of Ignition Coils", as the case may be, and, an "Engine Management System", that is "Controlled", by the Vehicle's "On-Board Computer".............................................Then, another "Factor", that will Determine the Coloration, and Amount of "Deposit/s", that are actually found on, just about any Spark Plug, will, as I see it, be the "Gasoline" Itself................................I'm thinkin', that, the "More Ethanol" (aka, Ethanol = Alcohol, sometimes, derived from "Corn", as in "Corn-on-the-Cob"), that is "Blended/Added" to the "Gasoline Blend", that goes into the Vehicle's Gas Tank, the "Less Deposits", that a Person will usually "See", on those particular Spark Plugs..............................................................The Gasoline, that I "Feed" my Vehicle, these days, should have about "10% Ethanol" in its "Blend" (lol, the Sticker, that I use to see on some Gas Pump/Bandits around here, Indicated, in its Wording..."May Contain Up To 10% Ethanol"...???...Really...lol), but, what-ever it is, that They want to throw at me, I never have much of a problem, getting things to Run as they should, when-ever "They"...Keep "Changing the Goal-Posts"...!!!...lol...Yes-Sir-ee-Bob...I always "Score in the End"...!!!...(Me thinks, that They might need a "Better Goal Tender", but wait...even the..."Goal Tender"...might have a Dickens of a time as well, see-in, that "They" keep..."Changing the Goal Posts"...!!!...lol......Then there's some "Stuff", called..."E-85"...I believe that Designation boils down to a "Blend" of..."85 % Ethanol"...and..."15% Real Gasoline"..........................Given all of that "Al-Chem-Ah-Hall", in that particular Gasoline "Blend", I don't think, I'd be See-in, much, in the way of, Spark Plug Deposits" at all, unless, the Engine wasn't Running very well, that is.....................................If a Person, wanted to have a, shall we say, "Super Close-Up", of the "Deposits" on a Spark Plug, there is a "Magnifier", with a Light built into it, that's "Specifically" Designed for just that purpose, unless I'm mistaken, cuz, it kinda looks, just like a "Medical Instrument", that You'd find in an "OR" (Operating Room), in a Hospital, or, maybe in a "Doctor's Office", where I can hear the "Doc" sayin'..."Open Wide...& Say Awwwww"...or....was the "Doc"..."Lookin' in one of my EARS"...???...lol........(Please, disregard all of the previous "Medical Shin-an-ig-ins")...cuz...that there..."Instrument"...Really...Is-For..."Spark Plug Deposit See-in/Reading"...!!!......................Thanks again, for Your Great comment.........Till next time........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Awesome video, you really know what your talking about. I have a 305 vortec fuely and one of the plugs is always like the last one in your video or worse, white solid deposits. I thought maybe it was overheating or sucking coolant, but I guess that cylinder has too much oil going into it. That's better than overheating or coolant in my books. Every couple thousand KM I just change that plug, not the right way of going about it but I don't think I am gonna pull apart a 305 with 134,000 miles on it!
ssShortBoxKid⧓ Greetings ssShortBoxKid....Thanks for the Great comment, my Friend.......................................................Truth be told...as it applies to that Spark Plug, with that over-abundant amount of Deposit/s, in this RUclips Video, that You were talking about..................................................From what I recall, that..."White-ish" Looking "Deposit"..."Was Not"...on that particular, Number "6" Cylinder's Spark Plug, when I removed it, from my 1979 Chevy "400 cubic inch/6.6 Litre (displacement) small block V-8 Engine...!!!..................................................I believe that, that..."White-ish"...Colored, looking, part of that particular..."Deposit"...may have been..."Formed/Forming"...During the amount of Time, that, that good ole Spark Plug..."Was in Storage"...and..."Was Not"...in the Engine"...!!!............................................To me, that..."White-ish Looking Stuff, that "Attached" Itself, to the rest of that "Major" Deposit, looks, kinda, like a, shall we say, a..."Lime-Like, or Calcium-Like"...looking..."What-sham-ah-call-it"...for my lack of, a better Description...!!!...lol..............................................The "White-ish" Deposit, that You found, on "One" of Your Engine's Spark Plugs, might still be the result of, Burning some "Extra", and not wanted/needed...Motor Oil...in that "One" particular Engine Cylinder, alright......................................................That "Deposit", on Your Engine's, "One Only" Spark Plug, could be caused by a number of things.....................................................I'll start with some..."Motor Oil" Related possibilities...........................................................In the past, I have found that, on a "V-8 Engine", that had Lots Of..."Blow-By"...Combustion Gas, that went past the Pistons, then Entered the Lower Crankcase/Oil Pan area (internally), as a result of High Mileage, that resulted in, having the Piston "Rings End Gaps" getting Way Too Large, due to Wear, that "Allowed", all of that "Blow-By", high pressure, Cylinder, Combusted (exhaust) Gas, to get Past, all 8 Pistons, and over quite a few Years, all of that "Not being able to Completely "Vent with Fresh Air", due to the PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) System, being Overwhelmed (aka, couldn't keep up), resulting in..."Major Sludge"...that actually..."Plugged Up"...most of the Engine's..."Motor Oil"..."Drain Back"..."Holes/Passageways"...in Both Cylinder Heads, and down in the Engine Block's "Valley", that's located...Under the Intake Manifold...and where the Hydraulic Valve Lifters were Hide-in...!!!...............................................When this, shall we say..."Motor Oil"..."Accumulates"...kinda like a Swimming Pool, if You will, then, the Motor Oil Level, will usually "Rise Up Higher" on Top of the Cylinder Heads, (below the Valve/Rocker Covers), and will then, usually, get so high, that the "Valve Guide Seals"..."Will Not"...be able to..."Stop"...all of that...Motor Oil...from making its Way, right..."Into the Valve Guides, where the Valve Stems, go Up and Down"...and probably..."More So"...on the..."Rear Most"...."Cylinders"...in that particular Engine, usually, due the, the..."Angle"...that the Engine is Mounted at, especially, as it applies to a..."Rear Wheel Drive"...North American Vehicle, as opposed to, a..."Front Wheel Drive"...Vehicle..........................................................Could be "Oil Control", for that particular Cylinder as well, as in...the usually..."3 Ring" (No Sir-ee-Bob, not a Circus...lol), but rather, the "2" Oil (scraper?) Rings, and the Expander/Spacer (weird looking thing), that is "Sandwiched", between, those "2" Oil Control Rings, that I was just talkin' about....................................................Keep a "Close-Eye", on "All" of Your Vehicle/Engine..."Fluid Levels"...and, the..."Gas Mileage/Kilometer-age"...that Your Vehicle is getting, as that my Friend, is, as I see it..."Are Very Good CLUES"...that will let, just about Anyone "Know", that there may be..."Trouble Brewing in Paradise"...!!!...lol........................................Might be a, Not so Good..."Head Gasket"...or, might even be, a Not so Good..."Intake Manifold Gasket" Set (or sheet metal/Valley Pan style, if applicable) perhaps...???.............................................Those "Gaskets", if not doing "Their Job Properly"...can Result in..."Motor Oil"..."Coolant" (anti-freeze n water mixture)...or, maybe even..."Exhaust Gas" (from the exhaust gas Crossover Passageway), making Its, or, Their way..."Into Places"...that It, or They..."Should Not Be Getting Into"...!!! (not including any Vacuum Leaks, that are also possible, as well...!!!)...................................................If any "Coolant" (anti-freeze n water mixture) happens to find its way, into Your Engine's..."Oiling System"...that, in itself, can cause..."Engine Damage" (perhaps, Locking Up/Seizing) the Engine, up to the point, of, having the Crankshaft, not being able to Turn/Spin...!!!..........................................The "Clue/Warning Sign", to be Watchin' out for, is..."Seeing"...what looks, kinda like a..."Milkshake Looking"...(cream-like color) Liquid...that will be able, to be seen, on Your Engine's..."Oil Level Checking Dipstick"...Yes-siree-Bob...been there, seen that, and..."Never want to Go There Again"...!!!...(lol now, but, No lol, back then...!!!)...lol.........................................................Maybe, "Ignition System" Related perhaps...???.....................................................Might be...Not Enough..."High Voltage"...making its Way, to that..."One, Deposit Covered"...Spark Plug...perhaps...???......................................................So then, as long as Your Engine is Running and Performing OK, and all it takes, is Changing that "One" Spark Plug, every so often, then, as I see it..."Life is Good"...!!!..............................................Good ole "305"..........................................Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Hi there, Thanks for the reply! That very well could be calcium or some type of growth from sitting, I have seen that happen many times before to things that have sat a while. I think my rings are good on the motor because the oil stays clean for a long time and never seems to smell like fuel/have fuel contamination, although I have never checked the compression of any cylinder on that motor. I feel like it could be the valve stem seals/guide seals, it could only be the intake side though right? The exhaust side would just smoke for a few minutes upon start up? It doesn't seem to consume much oil either, I run 15w40 conventional diesel oil in it now days cause it's thicker and I have it already for my Duramax, I change the oil every 5,000 km/3,000 mi and it only uses maybe 250-500 ml maximum of oil in between oil changes. Coolant never seems to get lower, have never added any for years. Should flush it soon I suppose. I had my cousin who is a licensed GM mechanic do the intake manifold gasket and the head gasket 3 years ago, I hope he did a good job and that is not the problem. Intake manifold gasket doesn't seem to leak when I tried to test it, never checked head gasket. I am gonna check out the distributor/wires and hopefully I find something there, because I have an aftermarket MSD distributor and I don't much like aftermarket distributor/plug wires. Life is good! I may just keep changing one spark plug because when that one plug is clean it idles smooth and runs like a bat out of hell for a 305 with that many miles on it. Thanks again, learnt quite a bit talking, lots more to learn I am sure as I am only 20 years old! Kodi
ssShortBoxKid⧓ Greetings ssShortBoxKid....Now I'm wondering, just what Year of Vehicle, that Your "305 Vortec Fuely" (as You put it), happens to be Installed in...???...........................................The reason being, that, it probably might have an "On-Board Computer" in it, and, even more beneficial, would be, as I see, if Your Vehicle was about..."1996 or Newer"...because, then, it would probably be the..."OBD-2" (On Board Diagnostic/s-Version 2), System, which, when a..."Scan Tool"...is Plugged into the..."Diagnostic Port"...that good ole "Scan Tool", will be telling You, some very "Specific Information", on "Any"..."Trouble Codes"...that, just might be Stored "Inside", that particular "OBD-2" Computer, which, will be able to tell You, just about "Anything" that is "Misbehaving", as far as, just about "Any", of the "Sensors and Actuators", are concerned...!!!...........................................If You care to, just let me know, what the Vehicle "Is", as well as, the "Year", and If "Any Modifications" have been done to it, over and above that, of what the Factory "Originally" Equipped it with......................................................Now then, about that "Diesel Motor Oil", that You are Using in Your "Gasoline Engine"...............................................You might want to "Check", and see "If" that "Diesel Motor Oil", is Actually "Formulated" for a "Gasoline Engine"...................................................Way back when, I did quite a bit of reading, about such things...........................................Just about everything, that I read, concerning, Using "Diesel Motor Oil" in a "Gasoline Engine", and, the Opposite way around, as well, was..."Not to do so"...!!!..........................................Do an Internet search, and I'm pretty sure, that You will probably Find Plenty, on that particular Subject matter (Engine Damage maybe?).................................................Now then, about "Coolant" (aka, anti-freeze n water mixture)..................................................The Older "Lime Green" Stuff (Ethel Glycol), was usually Only good for, about "2 Years", and probably, while it was in a vehicle, that was regularly Driven........................................The "Dex-Cool" (spelling?...and was GMC's Name) for..."Long Life Anti-Freeze"...and there are quite a few "Others" as well, that were supposedly, good for about "5 Years of Use", generally speaking.................................Usually, when-ever, the "Coolant" (I say again...Anti-Freeze & Water Mixture...lol), is left in the Vehicle's "Cooling System", for, too long of a Time Period, what will usually happen, is..."The Corrosion Inhibitors"...will usually..."Get Used Up"...and now, it's just a matter of Time, as to when, the..."Corrosion and Unwanted Deposits, Start to Manifest Themselves"..."Inside" Things, like, Radiators and Heater Cores, and given enough Time, "They" will usually..."Spring-ah-Leak"...!!! (repeat after me...expensive...Expensive...EXPENSIVE...!!!), well, maybe, not quite that Bad, but, I'm guessin', that You get the Picture....................................................Make Sure, that You "Read", what is on the "Jug" of "Anti-Freeze".............................................Usually a "Mixture" of 50/50 Anti-Freeze and Distilled or Soft Water, will usually do the Trick, and is a very good Mixing Ratio, that will promote Good Cooling, and sufficient Corrosion Protection..................................................The "Jug" will probably be indicating..."Not To Use Any More Then 70% Anti-Freeze, in the Coolant Mixture...!!!................................................You see my Friend, the "Anti-Freeze"..."Depends", on a Certain Amount of Water, in the "Mix", in order for it to do, its "Magical Chemical Interaction"...........................................A While back, I topped off a vehicle's radiator with 100% Anti-Freeze, and, I re-started the Engine, to, shall we say, "Mix", that nice New Anti-Freeze, with what was already in the Cooling System............................................As the Engine approached "Operating Temperature", as Indicated on that rather "Sensitive" Coolant Temperature Gauge, I was kinda in "Disbelief", as I watched that, good ole Coolant Temperature Gauge..."Keep On Climbing "Past" the Normal Temperature Range...and Kept On Getting Hotter and HOTTER"...!!!...so I Stopped the Engine, and, was askin' myself..."WHY"...???.................Like they say..."READ THE INSTRUCTIONS"...!!!...lol..........................................Later, after the Engine cooled off, I used my Trusty "Anti-Freeze Coolant Testing Gauge", and the Coolant, that was sucked up, into the Gauge, was Reading rather Strong, to say the least!.............................................I Drained, quite a bit of Coolant from the Radiator, and "Refilled" It, with a much closer to be-in a "50/50-Mix", then re-started the Engine, all the while, keeping an "Eagle Eye" on that there "Coolant Temperature Gauge"...and..."Look Ma"...unlike Me...It's..."Behaving Itself"...lol...............................The End.................................................Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
***** No I haven't but I think I will do a leakdown test in the spring. I could possibly have a vacuum leak because it shows other symptoms of that aswell.
RockysRoadshow Hi again, the vehicle is a 1998 K1500 Chevy truck, It has OBD2 but it has no codes right now, I only have a cheap scanner that can scan and erase codes, it can’t show me any data or values. Nobody likes figuring out problems with modified vehicles, but bear with me.. The computer has a BlackBear performance 87 octane tune, MSD street fire distributor, accel 8.8 wires, hooker long tube competition headers with flow master 10 2.5” true duals dumped out the side, 2.5 electric exhaust cutouts/dumps, EGR/AIR deleted and tuned out, rear 02 sensors deleted/tuned out, torque management turned off/tuned out.. and the rest is mostly cosmetic/replaced a broke factory part.. many of them lol! The diesel oil I use claims it’s good for “mixed fleet” aka gas and diesel, and is certified for gas use apparently as well. I know most of the diesel oils like you are saying don’t do very well in a gas motor.. I just switched this summer to using it because that is when I got my other diesel truck. It didn’t seem to have any adverse affects on it, that I noticed anyways.. Winters almost here so I am going back to a 5w30 or 0w30 again anyways! 15w40 gets pretty thick around -15c! My truck calls for dex-cool but many moons ago someone switched it to the green stuff, I will likely end up flushing it in the spring because I know it has been a few years since it has been done, and it is probably losing it’s properties as you were saying. I don’t like dex-cool much because I’ve seen it gel up, but I think that’s the old dexcool formula that if you added Ethel Glycol antifreeze to it, it would crystallize. They have since changed it if I recall. Instructions are always good to read, I sometimes have problems with that as well. I think my truck has 60/40 antifreeze/water, but I think I should bust out my trusty coolant testing gauge as well and check, the mercury drops to -40 around here certain parts of the winter, 50/50 is normally good though. Antifreeze cools less than water apparently I read one time, but if you use too much water and not enough antifreeze it promotes over heating aswell. I guess that’s why 50/50 is the recommended mix! I noticed your from Canada, I’m surrey you experience the cold too, I’m from Ontario. Take her easy, and if she’s easy, take her twice, have a good one. Kodi
Those original Chevy plugs show the right heat range at least, around two thirds of the earth electrode was coloured correctly. Perhaps you could do a further video on how to read plugs on an engine with pre-ignition or "pinging"?
Greetings...Jake Elliott...…….Thanks for watching...…...Well, I don't happen to have, any spark plugs, that have any real damage on them, other than, a well worn/worn-out, high mileage on them, spark plugs, that have electrodes, that are, all, eaten-away by, high voltage "arcing" (sparking...lol), with rounded off corners, or, are all covered with, too many deposits, that might cause, a cylinder misfire...…...Come to think of it, I do have a few, spark plugs, that have, the Ceramic part of the spark plug..."Broken-in-two-Pieces"...and no, not caused when an engine was running, more like the Guy (Me...!!!...lol), that never kept the spark plug "socket-extension-and-ratchet", in line with the spark plug, as it was being installed, or sometimes, removed from an engine's cylinder head...!!!...lol...…….The newer vehicle's engines, that are fuel injected and computer controlled, will probably have "knock sensors" on them, so, once the knock "frequency" becomes present, then, the knock sensor will then be telling the vehicle's on-board computer, to..."Back-Off" the ignition timing advance amount, until that knock "frequency" is gone...!!!...so, if the gasoline Octane is too low, for an engine that requires a higher Octane rating, then, the engine, will usually be protected from any real damage, by what the knock sensor/s monitor...…….On the older carbureted engines, without an on-board computer, then yes, engine pinging and knocking, sure are possible alright...…….Too low of an Octane rating, for an engine, that requires a Higher Octane rating...too much ignition advance (in a distributor)...or...too lean of an air/fuel ratio (mixture), can sometimes be a problem, and, if really bad, engine damage can be quite severe, especially when, going "wide open throttle/pedal to the metal"...!!!...and......till next time...…..Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings Sameer2762....Congratulations on getting your engine running good again....You were saying that your engine is air cooled, and, is your engine a 2-Stroke cycle or a 4-Stoke cycle engine?...I have worked on both types....Also, that close-up of that spark plug (thumbnail view), that shows at the top of this page was what you see after I re-jetted my Thermoquad carburetor on a 360 cubic inch car engine....Take care, and have a good one.
Thanks for the informative video. I wish I could upload a picture of what I pulled out of my motor. I daily drive a Chevy 8.1L in my Silverado. So let me ask you this... this plug I got in my hand is severely messed up. I have 206K on the truck and have only changed the plug at 100k and now 206k as per the owners manual. Is that stupid to listen too? This truck runs great for its age and frankly have only noticed a drop in fuel mileage when towing. Every other time the truck gets the normal 10-13.5mpg. This plug has deposits stuck on it, no oil. Clean otherwise except for this melted material on it. Any advice is appreciated. Read some forums strings about upgrading these plug to the double platinum models and I'm doing that. Should I increase the interval to replace these plugs to every 50K? Thanks in advance! Pretty sure I'll get a lot more miles out of the truck.
Greetings...Ed Vita..........You're welcome, and, thanks for watching...........Well, here are some of my thoughts, as it applies to..."just leave those spark plugs in the engine, for, a very, very long time, without having a look at them, every, once in a while"...........The (precious?) metal, that, the spark plug's electrodes are made out of, are pretty much, what prevents the "gap", that's between the spark plug's "two electrodes" from "eroding-away" (as in, high voltage arcing/sparking), at too fast of a rate, such as, the good ole, much older, plain electrode material, who's electrode "gap", would probably get larger, by about .001" (that be, one thousandths, of one inch), for every 1,000 miles, that the vehicle travelled, well, on a good day, that is...........If you think that "platinum" is tough, then, just have a look at "iridium"...!!!...........Double platinum, as far as I recall, just means that, "both" electrodes have the platinum on them............High voltage, finds it much easier, to, shall we say, "make-the-jump", between two electrodes, if they happen to have sharp edges, or, are very small in diameter, just like, most of those precious metal "electrodes", that will usually be showing up, as a "fine wire", if you will............Me, myself, I like to have a look-see, at the spark plugs, at least once a year, and, even more often, if I'm dealing with, a good ole, "points & condenser distributor" equipped engine (aka, dinosaur...lol)...........About the "only thing", that would keep me from "visually inspecting" a set of spark plugs, at least once a year, would more than likely, be, due to the fact, that, some of the damn, engine/vehicle designers/engineers, never took into account, that, some of us "grease monkeys", would really appreciate..."being-able-to-get-at-those-maintenance-parts-&-pieces"...without having to use a..."shoe-horn"...!!!...lol...but, there's a good chance, that, I might still, be able to remove, at least "one" spark plug, to put my mind at ease...........When an engine gets older/accumulates lots of miles or kilometers on it, then, oh, at about the 100,000 mile mark (on the odometer), then, there's a pretty good chance, that, the piston "rings", will get worn a bit, and then, "blow-by" (that be, combustion gas, getting past the rings), starts to happen, and down into the crankcase/oil pan it goes (a form of pollution, some-what), and when it gets worse, the engine has to burn the blow-by gas, and the motor oil that it grabs, out of the crankcase & oil pan (probably due to the heat), then, the "PCV" (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) Valve, inhales this, shall we say, "smoke", then into, the intake air-steam it goes, so the engine can burn it (spark plugs burn it as well)..........If the vehicle is about 1996 or newer, then, it will probably be equipped, with an "OBD-2" (On Board Diagnostics-Version 2), engine management system (computer controlled), and, if the engine even "sneezes" (without you knowing about it), then, some of those, very "nosey, sensitive, and accurate" sensors, will be telling the vehicle's on-board computer all about it, and the computer will probably be storing this information, in its "memory", and, a good hand held "scan tool", will be able to extract the "codes", for further consideration/examination..........If the engine has "Aluminum Heads" (where the spark plugs go), then, I'll just put a bit of motor oil, or, a bit of common grease, on the spark plug's "screw threads", to prevent sticking/damage problems.............I don't use "anti-seize", especially the copper based stuff, on Aluminum heads, because of, a possible bad "reaction", between the different metals/compounds..........Spark Plug longevity, is, well, kinda like shoes somewhat, as in, anything will do, while mucking about, around the house, but, if Ur in a Tuxedo, Ya gotta have some pretty spiffy, and, in very, very Good Condition Footwear...correct...???...lol...........So yeah, keep the spark plugs, some-what "fresh", as well as, keep up with all of the "other" maintenance parts & pieces as well, as in, nice-n-clean...Air filter...Motor oil & filter...Tire Pressure (which, in itself, helps with gallons per mile...ooops...I meant to say...miles per gallon...lol)...clean & unrestricted Fuel filter)...etc..........I'll now, wind-er-down, with this (might save you, a few hundred dollars), and, is, as simple as..."Keeping the gasoline, in the Gas Tank, at least 1/4 Full, at all times", especially when it's hot outside...why you ask...???...well, it's that sloshing gasoline, in the gas tank, that keeps the (hiding-in-the-gas-tank), electric fuel pump "cool" (so it doesn't overheat, and quit on you, in the middle of no-where), and, some folks are sayin', that, the liquid gasoline, lubricates the electric fuel pump as well, oh, and, a plugged-up-really-bad, "fuel filter", has been known, to "destroy" a fuel pump as well, just so Ya know...and........till next time........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Reading my plugs is leaving more confused than before I pulled them. I have a bit of oil moisture on the threads and around the connector for the plug wire but the ground strap and insulator are a white/gray color. Also there are brownish streaks coming up from the insulator where it meets the hexagonal fitting that is used to tighten down the plug. These may all be unrelated so I'm paying more attention to the groundstrap and insulator. Color shows I might be running lean but I have a enough fuel capacity at the fuel pump, a new in tank filter and new fuel tank. The under hood fuel filter has less than 10k miles on it so it *shouldn't* be clogged unless the higher capacity fuel pump freed up gunk in the fuel lines. The last evidence of a fuel issue os I have carbon buildup on the rear bumper above the exhaust. Any thoughts?
Greetings...Richard Bossman............Thanks for watching...........Well, it would really help, if you can tell me more, about the "Patient"...lol...as in...Year...Make...Model...Engine size...any modifications...etc...that way, I'll have a much better chance, at helping you out...thanks..........Oil on spark plugs and connector?...leaking valve cover (gasket) maybe?...........Brownish streaks on the spark plug's porcelain, is sometimes normal..........Black carbon, around the tailpipe exit...carburetor choke stuck, or, on too long (if applicable)...or, too rich, of an air/fuel ratio, etc.........If your engine has a carburetor on it, then, consider installing, a...wide band (oxygen sensor), air/fuel ratio gauge...kit...that way, you can monitor your engine's air/fuel ratio, in real time, as you are driving, at all speeds and engine loading conditions...........Old school, air/fuel ratios for 100% gasoline/No Ethanol, at sea level (ballpark figures only!), were about 12.5 to 1, while going WOT (Wide Open Throttle), and about 14.7 to 1, there-abouts, while just cruzin' along, not too fast (14.7 to 1, is usually, what computerized fuel injection uses, while, cruzin' along as well)...........So then, let me know more about, what you have there, well, if you care to that is, and........till next time.......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Usually coolant will build up a white ashy look and over time will actually cake up closing up the gap and filling the bore of the plug with the same look.
Greetings higgout....Thanks for your comment....You might have Spark Plug Deposits that show a much Leaner (maybe almost white perhaps) when you Read your Camry's Spark Plugs, due to your Computer Controlled Engine Management System, as compared to the Deposits that you see on my videos Spark Plugs, because my spark plugs were Fed with Carburetors, and No Computer!...If your Engine is running too "Lean", you should be getting some Trouble Codes showing on your Dashboard to warn you of...(con't)
Sorry, I missed your other posts....I see that you have added some new parts...First thing that I'm thinking, is, when you replaced your spark plug wires, did you also install the "Spark Plug Wire Separator Plastic Clips" that clip onto the spark plug wires to keep them apart from one another?...Because if you have them too close to each other you may be getting "Induction Crossfire!"...That's when high voltage jumps from one wire to another one, causing a "Miss-Like" situation.
Greetings Chris....I have read about the things that you have mentioned about "Reading" the different parts of spark plugs a few years ago, and, if you look at my videos "Thumbnail" picture, you know, the one with the nice light tan colored coating on the porcelain surrounding the center electrode, and on the outer electrode (ground strap), and also the black carbon coating on the threaded metal shells surface, perpendicular to the threads, that, that's what I like to see, simply put....(con't)
Hey there! I’ve got a 2 stroke snowmobile that’s not running right. The throttle is very delayed , and it’s not running right. I assumed it’s to rich, and the spark is inconsistent, but there are some people who says it’s fine. It’s a little oily-ish on the rings, but relatively dry on the inside of the plug. The electrode is coated with a thin layer of black all around. I’ve only run these plugs for a week total.
Greetings...Skii.........Thanks for watching........Is your spark plug's "heat range" correct for your exact engine, as in, the same spark plug that was in your engine when brand new...???.........Sometimes, when using a different brand of spark plug, the cross referencing isn't right, or maybe, the parts guy made a boo boo maybe........If you have a manual choke, try to shut it off as soon as possible, while still having the engine, keep running without stalling........Try not to idle your engine too long, and keep the RPM's up, as, lugging the engine down, at low RPM's, tends to foul spark plugs somewhat.........Don't use a dirty, carbon, or oil fouled spark plug, or it's probably gonna be, an engine "misfire", that you'll end up with, which causes even more carbon buildup........Try a new spark plug, that is the same brand and part number as the factory installed one, and also, make sure that, the spark plug's "Gap" (distance between the two electrodes), is set at the factory "Specified" measurement...........Are you using the correct gasoline to two stroke oil ratio...??? (or maybe you have an auto-lube system)..........Correct gasoline "Octane", as per your owners manual...???..........Good luck, and.....till next time......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
...there is something that it might also be, considering that you had mentioned that you are running the "hottest" spark plug available....If you have a liquid cooled engine, then, it could very well be that your engine isn't even getting hot enough to burn the air/fuel mixture properly....If your engine has a radiator, and perhaps a thermostat, then it might be that the engine is being over-cooled because of a bad thermostat or whatever controls the actual volume of coolant flow....(con't)...
Авто/Мото
I absolutely am grateful that you made a graduated comparison of how the spark plugs are supposed to look. This vid really helped me out in the carburated moter department. New moter enthusiest here so I don't have the experience and knowledge y'all do and I'm grateful you all on you tube are willing to help us out with your knowledge and tips.
I bought a 70 Pontiac two years ago , lost my job it sat , never got to drive it . Last week , I drained and replaced the fuel , today I pulled the plugs and cleaned ' em with a wire brush . Cranked the motor , installed the plugs an Viola ! ? Started on the first turn ! Your video came up today and timing was perfect ! Your explanations brought it all back to me ! Thank you
Greetings...Dave Bruton………..You're welcome, and, thanks for watching...…….Good to hear, that, your car, was..."waiting-for-you"...lol.....…...Ah yes, kinda like, a dream-come-true, so to speak.........Here's some information, that, should help you out.........If the "coolant" (anti-freeze and distilled water mixture), hasn't been changed in some time, then, there can be, some unseen "corrosion" going on, inside of your radiator, and heater core too (oh, and, some heater cores, are a, pain-in-the-you-know-what, to remove and replace...!!!...lol)......... Is the Motor oil, nice-n-clean...??? (dirty motor oil, usually, starts plugging up the hydraulic valve lifters, over time, and, at first, it's usually, tick-tick-tick, that you'll hear, then sometimes, gets louder, and starts going, Clack-Clack-Clack...!!!...um, no thanks...lol)..........Automatic transmission...???...clean auto-transmission fluid, showing on the dipstick..???...........Rear axle (differential) gear oil, filled up to, where it should be...???...how dirty is it...???...and....the list, goes on and on...lol..........Enjoy your ride, and.......till next time.......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
read and pass a test. I am a transmission man of 35 years. I took the ASE a few times over the years and I am sure my last one expired 20 years ago. LOL!! Of all the tube vids I see I am impressed by those that are informative as yours was. You can learn a lot here. But there are a lot of posts that simply leave you hanging. Again great job.
you are the man. so many companies have not done a video, or even racers, or even mechanics thank you for this.
Greetings...richard mouton.................Thanks for the nice comment, and, for watching as well......................Here, I had a bunch of, older, used Spark Plugs, that I kinda hung on-to, that were out of, mostly older Engines, that had Carburetors (not fuel injection) on them, while also, for the most part, also having, a, shall we say, Ignition System, with a Lower High Voltage Output, as compared to, some of the other, Factory installed, Higher Secondary Voltage (Output) Ignition Systems, that started, oh, some-where around 1975 there-abouts (using the good ole General Motors HEI/High Energy Ignition System as a reference point...in time, that is)......................You'll probably find, that, there probably won't be as many Deposits, showing-up, on the Spark Plugs, that were removed from, a much newer, Computer Controlled, Fuel Injected Engine, and also, while probably having a certain percentage of Ethanol (alcohol), added into the Gasoline, at the very same time................There are some Folks, Racers perhaps...???...that might be using a Magnifier/Flashlight lookin' thing, where-by, they can have a really good "Close-Up", of the Spark Plug, that they are Reading, so to speak....................Thanks again, and.........till next time..........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Really excellent and clear, unhurried explanation. Best I've seen here. Many thanks.
Greetings...James Trigwell………..You're welcome, and, thanks kindly, for your very nice comment...…...It's a good thing, that I'm able to slow down my speaking, because, my thinking process/imagination, operates very fast, but somehow, I'm still able to relax...go figure...lol...……..I have a lot of ideas, maybe, too many, that, probably won't see the light of day, so to speak...……As for spark plug reading, then, my way, is very general/old school, where-as, some of the 1/4 mile drag racers, use-tah (maybe, still do), remove the spark plugs, right after doing a run/race, and look down, into the depths, of the spark plug's firing end, with, what might resemble, a Doctor's, ear examining, magnifying flashlight, in order to, closely inspect, way down in there...…….There are probably some websites. that might show, what there were looking at/for...……...Thanks again, and...….till next time...….Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
i really appreciate people who willing to share their knowledge to others, thank you sir, love your video n greeting from Indonesia!
The outer edge of the spark plug indicates low rpm mixture (pilot mixture screw and primary jet), and looking down the well will indicate midrange rpm (needle jet and jet needle), and the porcelain centre will indicate high rpm (main jet)... these days with unleaded fuel it’s much more difficult to ‘read’ plugs then in the old days with leaded fuels...
Finally found a proper video that actually talks about what the title says
Rockys Roadshow. Very good lesson, very good indeed. I've some knowledge about the "shape" of Spark Plugs, and what may cause it, but after I saw this video, I learned some more about the issue. Thank you very much.
Greetings...JOAO VILACA.............You're welcome, and, thanks for watching............This Spark Plug video of mine, is only very basic in nature, as compared to some others..............Some, shall we say, spark plug experts, go as far as, using, what appears to be, comparable to that, of what a Doctor uses, to look inside, of a patient's ear.............It kinda looks like a Flash-Light, that's bent at a 90 degree angle on one end, that also has a magnifying glass-like thing, and maybe a light as well, so as to, have a really good Close-up, at the spark plug itself (I think).............Then, some, go as far as, cutting the screw-threaded part of the spark plug off, to probably, have a much better look, at, what the color of the deposit is (if any), that might be on, that particular part, of that spark plug....and.......till next time.......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Hi, thanks very much I found your videos very interesting and very helpful I was glued to my smartphone, I'm the sort of a guy that really needs to listen to you a lot thank you
+Paul Gregroy Greetings Paul Gregroy....Thanks for Your Great comment, and, for watching as well..............................I guess, that I'll just start out with..."If a Person is Interested in a certain Subject, that Person will Learn"...and, as I see it, it's pretty much a given alright..........................My method of Reading Spark Plugs, is a some-what Old-School way of doing things, as compared to some Folks, that, might be using, that fancy-schmancy, wanna-be, and kinda looks-like, a Doctor's Ear-Checking Flash-light, to really have a close-up look, at a spark plug's Deposits/Condition, but, call me different, just never, ever, call me..."Late-For-Dinner"...!!!...lol.........................When a Spark Plug (or more than one), has a reasonable amount of Mileage/Kilometer-age/Engine running time, on them, and, are removed from an Engine, to have a look-see at them, as to, just, what-ever the Wear Rate of the Electrodes, and the amount of Deposits, or lack there-of, on them, happens to be, I would say, that, that's about, be-in, in the same Ball-Park, as a (certified) Doctor, armed with a Tongue Depressor (kinda looks like a pop-sic-le stick on steroids...lol), and this (imaginary) Doctor, asks the Patient, to, open-wide, and say Awwwww, so's He, or She, can have a look-see, at, presumably, the Patient's Tonsils, perhaps...???...lol............................Well now, on a more serious note, most of these Spark Plugs, that You saw in this particular RUclips Video of mine, were, for the most part, out of Engines, that were Fed, the Air/Fuel (gasoline) Mixture, by a Carburetor, and not, Fuel Injection, that used, one or more Fuel Injectors, which started, oh, around the mid 1980's, in North America, as I recall...........................The newer, Fuel Injected Engine's Spark Plugs, will probably, not have, as many Deposits on them, and, quite a few of them, will probably be showing, an almost white-ish color, on the spark plug's Porcelain-looking material, that usually surrounds the center electrode, just so You know.......................Before I depart...Please, always, try to Remember, to..."Not-Be-Looking-at-Your-Smart/Cell-or-what-ever-Phone", when-ever, You are...Driving a Vehicle...or...just being a..."Pedestrian"...cuz, the last thing, that I want to hear about, is..."He, (meaning You), was watching a..."RockysRoadshow"...RUclips Video..."When-it-Happened"...!!!...and...I sure hope not.........................The reason, that I mentioned, what, I just did, is, cuz, I recall seeing a Pedestrian, while, as, You were sayin', being..."Glued" to Her Smart-Phone (well, maybe I should clarify, just a wee bit, perhaps, as in, Her Hand, was "Glued" to the Smart Phone, that, in-itself wasn't the real problem, but rather, Her..."Eyes"...were Fixated/Staring-at, the Smart Phone's..."Screen/Display"...when..."it"...Happened...say what...???...Yes-Sir-ee-Bob..."She"...Walked-Right-Into-a..."TELEPHONE POLE"...!!!...Ouch...!!!..........That particular incident, is only, One of the reasons, that I tend, to end, a Post/Reply, such as this one, with................Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Thank you for your effort to bring us this valuable material.
Greetings...Alex Pavlyuchenko....You are Welcome, and, Thanks for the nice comment, and for watching as well....................The Spark Plugs, that I used in this Video, are mostly out of, much older, lower compression (ratio), Carburetor equipped Engines, and, as You saw, they had quite a bit, in the way of Deposits, showing on them...................You will more than likely, not be seeing, as many Deposits, on the Spark Plugs, that come out of, the much Newer Engines...unless...there happens to be an "issue/problem", with either, the (computerized) Ignition System (weak or faulty), or, the Fuel (gasoline) System (too rich of an air/fuel ratio/mixture), that is usually, a (computerized) Fuel Injection, type of fuel system (since about the mid 1980's there-abouts, in the USA or Canada, that is).............Thanks again, and........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
This is really helpfull to me.im kinda new to 2 stroke motorized bicycle motors and this is helping me diagnose my issues and helps me help other people with them
Greetings...David Chapman.........Thanks for watching.........Well, I've spent, quite a bit of time, with, the good ole "2-Smokes", ooops, I meant to say, "2-Strokes" (as in, 2-Stroke cycle engines)...........About the only thing, that might, make reading, a 2-stroke-cycle engine's, spark plug colors, more difficult to read, than, that of, a 4 stroke cycle engine, is probably, a really low ratio, of, gasoline, to, 2-stroke oil mixture..........Let's take for example, some of those, gasoline to oil mixture "ratios", shall we..........Some, much older, 2- stroke, motorcycle engines, as I recall, could have had, a 20-to-1 (gasoline to 2-stroke oil) mixing ratio.............There was also, a 2-stroke oil (was it Optimol?), that was mixed, up to, 100 to 1...!!!...(Wowsers...!!!)..........Then, there are also synthetic, 2-stroke oils, as well as, blended, 2-stroke oils too..........Then, some folks, still like using, castor (bean) oil (old school stuff, that works...!!!)...........I usually, end up, using 50 to 1 ratio, for most 2-strokes, these days, and, even that ratio/mixture, can show up on a spark plug, as well...........Here are a few things, that you might want to think about..........What Gasoline, type and octane rating, does your motor's manufacturer recommend...???............What type of 2-stroke oil, and (mixing) ratio, is recommended...???...........Always, try to use the Factory "recommended" spark plug, to help keep your engine "safe", especially so, the "heat range" of the spark plug, so, you don't end up with engine "damage"...!!! (try to get the same spark plug brand and type/numbers, and/or letters on it), that was "originally installed", in the engine, by the manufacturer..........Make sure, that, the spark plug's "Gap" (that be, the air space, that's between, the spark plug's, 2 electrodes), is, the same as, what your engine's Manufacturer "specifies", or, if not, Ya might end up with a weak spark, at the spark plug, or maybe, if it's too Big, then, that in itself, can overwork the ignition coil (if it has one, that is)..........Use good quality 2-Stroke oil (never use the cheap/junk stuff), so, your engine lasts a long time...........Always, try to use, "fresh" gasoline, not, old, sitting around for a long time, gasoline, because, it's crap (so to speak)...........If the spark plug gets really dirty (might be carbon deposits), then, that can cause a..."Weak Spark"...or, a..."No Spark"...situation, where, that high voltage, will usually, try to find the easiest way, to an (electrical) ground source, and might be, right through, something like, carbon contamination, that's, stuck onto the spark plug's porcelain, as an example..........Also, keep your engine's "air filter"..."Clean"...because, that engine has to breathe, oh, and, a Dirty air filter, will usually make the engine run "Rich" (air to fuel ratio/too much fuel in the ratio), and less performance, and less gas mileage, it will usually be............So, if Ya keep things fresh, clean, and not too old, parts-wise, then, your 2-stroke cycle engine, should have the best chance, at being "trouble free", well, hopefully, that is...........Good luck, and......till next time......Be Safe (wear a helmet...!!!).....take care, and have a good one.
RockysRoadshow i apreciate the help!thank you!
Good job glad to see a video that explains this issue well.
Thanks kindly, my Friend from Indonesia!...It's nice to know that I'm able to help out People from all around the World...Your Kind Comment, along with all of the other Great Comments, that I have received (and, still am receiving) on most of my Videos so far, are really letting me know that I'm doing an alright job...I sure didn't know very much about anything, when I was a Kid...But, as I got interested in how things work, I looked closer at, and learned a great deal about...Take care Ricky.
I have created spark plugs of all these great colours at sometime in my life. Thanks for the memories.
+thra5herxb12s Greetings thra5herxb12s....Thanks for watching, and You're welcome, for a visual reminder, of the, shall we say..."Good ole Days"...back when..."Points and Condenser Distributors..."Ruled the Streets"...well, until, the..."Dual Point Distributors"...showed up, that is, and, most Spark Plug "Gaps", for most of those Points & Condenser Distributors, as I recall, were usually, only set to, oh, about .035"/thirty-five thousandths of an inch, and the Go Juice (aka, Guzz-oh-leen), had real Genuine (Tetra Ethyl) Lead in it...Wowsers...!!!...lol..............................These days..."Chrome Bumpers", aren't seen much...(excluding, some of the Pick-em-up-Trucks)...Until...a good ole..."Classic, or Old School Muscle Car"...passes by, and, for some of the Older Folks, that would probably be the equivalent, of a..."Big Flashy Fishing Lure"...being..."Dangled, right in front of a very Hungry Fish"...!!!...lol...............Well, in this Day and Age, having New Vehicles, equipped with Fuel Injection, and Space Age Computers, and other Futuristic Gadgetry, and the like, not to mention, that, so called..."Un-Leaded"...Gasoline, and even the..."Distributors"...as we know them, or use to know them, are disappearing from, some of the Engines all together, and, go by the name, of..."Distributor-less"...how about that................................Hmmmmmm...just thinkin'...........was it Carol Brunette (spelling?), that use to Sing...."Thanks for the Memories"...???................................So, there You have it, well, for now, that is, and.......Till next time.........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
And not forgetting the days of High octane 5 star leaded mega death.
+thra5herxb12s Greetings thra5herxb12s....Yes-Sir-ee-Bob........that "High Test", with all that "Lead" (led)....might have only been 10-Cents per Gallon...way-back-when...and...now-ah-dayz........a Quart or Liter of Guzz-oh-leen, might jump Up/Increase by, 10-Cents...over-night...!!!...Yikes...!!!...Then, in the 60's, or was it the 70's, we sorta, had to say..."Good-bye"...to those good ole..."Bias Ply"...Tires...(on Cars), and...Hello...to..."Radials" (Tires, that is), and, I recall seein', something along the lines, of a Car, having some words, like..."Radial Tuned Suspension", on, or near the Dash, possibly (1973-ish Firebird...maybe...???)...ah yes...the good ole days, and, mustn't forget, that good ole..."Shag Carpet"...and, the "Disco" (type of Dancing), that went along with it...!!!...lol..............................Well, till next time...............Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Thanks so much for the education. I wish I had a pic of the plugs I pulled from a 2006 Ford Explorer. The outer electrodes was eaten away back to where the electrode curved. We put new plugs in and it was a completely different car. Thanks again.
Greetings...Eric Stephens.........You're welcome, and, thanks for watching.........It's good to hear, that, all the engine needed, was a new set of spark plugs, b-cuz, the cost of doing so, isn't all that much at all, when being compared to, one of those...(and, I'll use PG-13 terminology), as in..."Oh My Goodness"...I just spent my Vacation Pay, to fix the car...truck...or...what-ever...the heck it is...lol...........I'm guessin', that, your 2006 Ford Explorer, has a V-6 Engine in it, b-cuz, if it was a V-8 Engine, then, those particular spark plugs, are very long, and can sometimes get stuck, and, sometimes, they can be quite the headache, to get them removed safely, from the (V-8 engine's) cylinder head............If you do have the (4-liter) V-6, then, from what I saw, was that, it would probably be using, some conventional/common looking spark plugs...........I always "check" (aka, measure), the..."Gap"...that is between the spark plug's Electrodes, and, make sure that, that Gap, is with-in the Gap-size (usually measured in, thousandths of an inch), that, the vehicle Manufacturer, recommends, for that "exact" engine (please note, that, some spark plug designs..."are not"...Adjustable/Gap-able...!!!)...........Those..."eaten-away"...electrodes, would probably have caused, the "Gap", to increase, to quite the BIG Gap-size alright..........When-ever the spark plug's "Gap-size", shall we say, grows "Bigger" then Specified, then, the Ignition coil, or coils, as the case may be, will have to Work a Lot Harder (think in terms, of the ignition coil, being over-stressed), in order to make a "Spark", jump between those, "much further apart", Electrodes..........If the spark plugs are the common/older type (no precious metals on them), then, they usually don't last all that long, and, they should be changed, at the Manufacturer's recommended "interval"...........Same goes for all ignition system parts, Filters, etc...........Installing, New Ford/specified spark plugs, that have the correct electrode Gap, will more than likely, result in much better Performance, and better Gas Mileage too, but, only, if Ya can keep Ur Big Foot...under control...!!!...lol...and........till next time.......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
I like your explanations and visuals on reading spark plugs. I just rebuild the sbc 350 in my Nova and I want to keep an eye on my plugs to check my work. The plugs look good going by your video, thanks.
Greetings...DIY Dave..........Thanks for the nice comment, and, thanks for watching...........I'ts good to hear, that, your engine, seems to be healthy...........If you are using, those old school, cheaper spark plugs, then, check the spark plug's "gap", once in a while, as, the old rule of thumb, use-tah be, that, there would be, about .001" (one thousandths of an inch), gap "growth", for every 1,000 Miles, that, the vehicle travelled...........Also, on those older style/cheaper spark plugs, when the "center" electrode's outside edges (around its perimeter), started to get rounded over (not a sharp edge anymore), then, the ignition coil, would have to, work a lot harder, to make that spark, jump the gap...why you ask, well...from what I've heard in the past, was that, high voltage sparks, find it much easier, to jump from "sharp" edges..........Makes sense to me alright, as, the much newer spark plug's "center" electrodes, are very small in diameter, and usually made out of precious metal (platinum/iridium), so, the center electrode would be able to last longer, seeing as how, it was so tiny, as compared to, the older/cheaper spark plugs, that had, the much larger diameter, center electrode, which was not, made out of a precious metal at all, and.......till next time........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Just want to say thanks for the show!
Thanks again, you've been more than helpful.
The car runs great but needed to do the timming. I just pulled the plugs out , repkaced with new ones and then I went through your video two more times to see the your good plug and my old one. Thanks a gain !!
Greetings 9011combo....Congratulations on getting Your Engine to Run "Great", my Friend!!!....I hope that you "Set" your Spark Plugs "Gaps", to the "Gap-Size" that your Vehicles Engine Manufacturer "Specifies???"....The Proper and "Specified" Spark Plug "Gap" Size, that your Vehicle Manufacturer Recommends, will give Your Engine "The Best Chance", at Running and Idling Very Good, well, at least as far as Spark Plug "Gaps" are concerned, that is....If You haven't seen My RUclips Video on, How To Set Spark Plug "Gaps" yet, You can find it on my RUclips Channel...RockysRoadshow...enjoy.
Did you actually get that 1/16" "Gouge" Removed from that "One" Bad Cylinder?
If, there is still a "Gouge" (aka, broken ring caused Groove) in that One Cylinder, then, keep a..."Close Watch on your Engines Motor Oil Level!!!"
also...
Check your Spark Plugs once in a while, Especially, if you still have that One "Gouged" Cylinder Wall in your Engine, as, that particular Spark Plug, may become "Oil-Fouled", and cause a "Miss-Fire" in that "Cylinder!"
Oh yeah, You are Welcome, for any Help that I have rendered, and, Thanks kindly, for your Nice comment as well.
Best of Luck, to You, and your Engine...
Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
You are most certainly welcome, my Friend....I'm glad that my video was able to be of some help to you...Take care, and have yourself a nice day!
Found oil on
a cross-threatened plug. Replaced with a new plug with the washer that came with it. Car starting up smooth now.
Will re-thread eventually. The original plug did not get wet until about 3-400 miles. When the car started up missing, that's when I found the oil.
A good video for all to know
Greetings...Steven Brooks...……..Thanks for watching...…….It's good to hear, that, you fixed the problem, even if it happens to be, somewhat temporary...…...The older, common type of spark plugs, usually don't cost very much, so, not a big deal at all...…….If the cylinder head's, screw-threads, are damaged really bad, then, it's usually, just a matter of, removing the damaged cylinder head, and, probably installing a "heli-coil" (aka, a screw-threaded insert), which will usually restore, those damaged screw-threads, back to being, in, like-new condition...…….The way that I see it, then, the "cleaner" the spark plug, the better, that way, it won't usually be, the spark plug, that causes an engine misfire, as long as, the spark plug isn't faulty, that is...…….Good luck, with the "permanent" repair, and......till next time...….Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Excellent video and great information, thanks.
Superb explanation and set of examples!
Greetings...Gerald's Videos............Thanks for the nice comment, and for, watching too............Most, if not all, of the (used) Spark Plugs, that You saw in this RUclips Video of mine, were out of engines, that had a Carburetor, mounted on an intake manifold (as opposed to, an engine, that is Fuel Injected), and, there probably won't be much, in the way of Deposits, Showing, on a set of used spark plugs, that were removed from, something like, a much Newer, fuel injected engine, that's usually controlled by, its/the vehicle's On-Board Computer, and the many Sensors and Actuators that go along with it, as long as, the Engine is running correctly, and as it should be............The Deposits, that are showing on a spark plug, or set of them, sure do help quite a bit, cuz, it's a really easy way, to see, just how good or bad, each of the engine's cylinders, are burning the air/fuel mixture, and/or, if there happens to be a problem or two, at the very same time, and........till next time........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Thanks for the nice comment Javier....While most people throw away all of their used parts (car or truck), I tend to keep most of the old/used parts just in case I want to back to them for further examination....I had no idea that this thing called RUclips would appear in the Future (well, back then anyways)....So, I guess that it was rather fortunate that I kept the old stuff that you see in some, if not most of my Videos, enabling me tell you about them....Take care, and have a nice day.
Hello...and yes your video very helpful cus one of my Honda's plugs have lots of oil at the end of it and I think and believe that the piston ring is bad...so now I'm in the process of pulling my engine apart and rebuild it...
Greetings once again 9011combo....Thanks for your comment and question, my Friend....I'm just assuming that your Honda, is a Car, and not one of the "Many" other Vehicles/Products/Engines that, Honda "Manufactures", and has a very Good Reputation for, as well....Now then, "Before" you start "Dismantling" (taking apart) your Honda's Engine, I would recommend (suggest) that you do a few more "Checks/Tests", before Blaming the Piston Ring/s for the "Oil-Deposit/s", on Only "1" of your Honda's Engine Spark Plugs....I don't work on Honda's, (well, at least not yet, that is), but, there may be some Items/Things, that Honda Engines "Share" with Many Other "Types" of Internal Combustion Gasoline Engines....The first thing that comes to mind is, Your Honda Engine should/might have "Valve Stem Oil Seals", and if they Don't "Seal" properly, Motor Oil can Trickle down the Valve Stem/s, and make its way into your Engine's Combustion Chamber (the Area between the Top of your Piston/s and your Cylinder Head, where your Valves and spark plugs are located).
Another thing (I have seen this on "Domestic/North American" V-8's), is, when an "Oil Drain Hole", in One or Both (1 or 2) Cylinder Heads, at the Rear of the Engine, and because of the Angle/Slope that the Engine sits at, in the Engine Bay, gets "Plugged-Up, and "Prevents" the Oil from Draining Back down the Passageways, then, into the Oil Pan, at the bottom of the engine, will cause a "High" Oil Level (where there "Should-Not" be One!) in the rear of that/those cylinder heads, "Causing" that (shouldn't be there) High Oil Level, to "Flood" the Rear-Most Valve Stem Seals, then the Oil Flows Down the "Valve Guides", and, into the "Combustion Chamber!"
Also, check out your P.C.V. (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) System.
There should be a P.C.V. "Valve" somewhere (usually in, or near your Valve/Rocker Cover), that has to be Working Properly, in order to Vent/Re-Burn the Blow-By Gasses that gets past your Pistons Rings, and down into your Oil Pan.
These "Blow-By" Gasses (unburned Gasoline/Hydrocarbons), eventually make their way to the Top of your engine, due to the Airflow created by your P.C.V. System.
If your Engines P.C.V. System is Plugged, or, the P.C.V. Valve is stuck open, or plugged as well, this can cause some Unwanted Problems too.
If the P.C.V. System gets Plugged-Up, I've heard that, it can cause enough "Unwanted-Pressure", and can even Make an Oil Seal start to "Leak!"
You might also want to have your Engines "Compression Checked".
The Compression Check, has the ability to tell you things about your Engine.
It can tell you, how Worn the Pistons Compression Rings are.
It can tell you if the Intake and Exhaust Valves are Leaking.
It can also tell you if you happen to have a "Bad" Head Gasket as well.
There are so many Tests/Observations that can be done, with almost any Engine, that will save you a "Ton-of Money", if those Tests/Observations tell you, that you might not have to "Dismantle" your Engine, to get the "Problem-Fixed!"
So then, "Before" you start "Dis-Assembling" Your Honda's Engine, may I suggest that you have someone, that has lots of Experience with Honda Engines, run a few "Tests", Before you spend Extra Time and Money on your Honda, that may Not be needed after all.
I wish you the best of luck, in getting your Honda's Engine "Healthy" once again.
Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Hey Rocky, thanks for taking the trouble to make this vid man :). I have some issues with my engine and I learnt a lot from it. It was great help in learning to how to actually read my plugs!
If you could offer some advice on my issues listed below, I would be indebted!
I have a 396ci Chevy Small block in my track car (an Ultima) weighing in at 1000kgs. It has a 750cfm Edelbrock carb, running 10.4:1 comp putting out around 500Hp. It's a dressed crate engine ie came complete with carbs and HEI dist. The issue I have is detonation (at load and WOT) when I set timing at 16 deg initial and 34 total. Backing it off to 31 deg total still sees some detonation. I then had some misfire. When I pulled the plugs, 3 out of 4 from the left bank had glazing on them. The right bank ones looked ok (from your vid; medium/dark tan on the ground strap and tip of center electrode). The porcelain did turn black towards it's base though (as seen with a bright LED point light). The plugs were Champion C59YC.
Are the plugs too cold for my application? They are black towards the base of the center electrode and the base ring of the plug. And why am I seeing detonation?
I have installed a set of NGK's with a 7 heat range on them (2 steps hotter?). Misfire has gone and she revs clean and idles well but all this when parked (I haven't taken her out to the track yet and she isn't road legal). Would the 7 heat range on the NGK be ok?
If you could point me in the right direction :) ?
Thanks in advance!
Kris
Greetings kris993tt....I will open with, Thanks for your nice comment, and, for thanking me in advance, my Friend....Now then..."Doctor Rocky" in da House!...now, bring me the "Patient!" (aka, your Ailing 396 Chevy small block Engine)...lol....Oh my gosh, where to begin....I know, how about I start with the "Imbalance", as in One of your Engine Banks seems to be burning the Fuel quite well, whereas, the Other Bank is "Not" doing so good, well at least 3 of the 4 Spark Plugs on that particular Bank looked "Glazed" as you had indicated....To me, those 3 Glazed spark plugs are trying to let you know, that, they are not very happy!....My first though has me thinking that, it could perhaps be an "Imbalance" with your Edelbrock carburetor, or perhaps even a "Distribution" Imbalance with your "Intake Manifold', or even might be a "Vacuum Leak" at any of those 3 out of 4 Intake Ports on the Intake Manifold, to the matching Ports on the Cylinder Head, with that there "Gasket" being responsible for maintaining a good "Seal" between the 2....The very Fact, that only 3 out of the 8 Spark Plugs in your Engine are having the Problem that you had mentioned, also has me thinking that, there might also be an Ignition related issue as well perhaps?
Just to let you know...
My Method of Reading Spark Plugs is "Old School".
Some of the Folks that are Really into it, are Cutting-Off the Metal Shell (threaded portion), and having a Close-Up Look at the Center Electrodes Porcelain, way down where you can't usually see it, and, those High Tech Guys/Gals, are using a Magnifying Glass, of one sort, or another!
In this Day and Age, your Best, and Safest Bet, to ensure that you Don't Damage or Destroy your High Horsepower Engine, is, to Invest, and Install a "Wide-Band"...or better yet, "2" Wide Band Oxygen Sensors, one in each of your Dual (I hope) Exhaust Manifolds/Headers, that usually comes in a "Kit" with an "Air/Fuel" Ratio Gauge, that will give you a "Read-Out" in Real-Time, as you are Driving/Racing.
and... a REV-Limiter for your Ignition System, so you Don't Blow-Up Your Engine!!!
Oh yeah, about installing the/those Wide Band Oxygen Sensors...
I would recommend Installing "2" Wide Band Oxygen Sensors (again I say, one on/in each exhaust manifold/header!...lol).
You can wire it with a switch, so you can switch between both "Banks", while having only "1" Air/Fuel" Ratio Gauge.
or...
Go the A-List (Actors) way, or in other words, Spare No Expense!..lol.
Seriously now, what I meant to say, was to, have "2" Air/Fuel Ratio "Gauges" on, in, or near your Dash (as in dashboard), that way, You can "Monitor" Both Exhaust "Banks" at the very Same Time!...thus Preventing some very Tearful, and Expensive Engine "Damage!"
The, so called "Glazing" that I'm use to seeing, is when, you have a set of spark plugs in your Engine, that are all coated with Deposits, and, the Engine only sees City Speeds for the most part...Until, that Car, or Truck, gets taken on a lengthy Drive on the Highway/Interstate/Autobahn/etc., with the Resulting increase in spark plug Temperature, that, kinda melts, and Fuses, those there Deposits into a wanna be Kiln Fired Glaze, that you see on some Tacky "Glazed" Pottery Object!...lol...but, unlike a stationary Pottery Object, that there "Glazing" on the Spark Plugs becomes "Conductive", resulting in, one or more "Shorted-Out" (to Ground) Spark Plug/s!!!
I never Rule Out any possible things, that may be causing a Problem, as, I keep finding "New" things from time to time, when I, like others Assumed that, I think it's this, or, I think it's that...We just have to Keep-On-Lookin until We actually Track Down and Find that Culprit/Gremlin!
Now, about your "Detonation" Problem...
What Fuel are you using?
I hope that it's Very High "Octane", because of your "High" 10.4 to 1 Compression Ratio!
I'm not even sure that 93 Octane (R+M divided by 2) Pump Gas would satisfy your Engines needs, when you are pushing it that hard.
Or, are you using Race Gas/Aviation Gas Perhaps?
Also, try to find out if your Fuel (gasoline?) has any "Ethanol" in its Mix, and perhaps, let me know.
With having the 5 out of the 8 Spark Plugs Showing the Tan Color, as you had mentioned, that to me Indicates a "Not too Lean" Mixture (Air/Fuel Ratio).
Also, by seeing that usually "Safe" Tan Color, it shouldn't hurt your Engine, as compared to a spark plug that enters that, White Colored Porcelain, that I will call, the..."Destruction Zone!"
Generally speaking, when you are running a Race Car, more then likely, you will be running spark plugs with a Lower Heat Range, for the reason (my train of thought), that, you are Really "Working that Engine Hard", and, the spark plugs will be running hotter because of that...
whereas..
If you tried to run a Heat Range of that "9" (Champion Heat Range) on the Street, in No-Time, those spark plugs would be covered in Carbon, especially, in slow and non-moving Traffic!
A higher heat Range is needed on the Street, so, the spark plugs Reach their "Self-Cleaning" Temperature.
If it was me, with having your situation, I would be sticking with the Installed/Recommended Spark Plugs that were in the Engine, when it was in the "Crate", and, hopefully, your Crate Engine was Built/Adjusted by a "Reputable" Dealer/Person, that knows what they are doing.
Watch out now...With the Champion Spark Plugs, the Higher the Number = a Higher Heat Range...
whereas...
with the NGK's, the "LOWER" the Number = a HOTTER Heat Range!!! (at least from what I recall, that is).
Even Your Champions Numbers are a bit different, to what I'm use to seeing.
Probably/maybe, they might just be Racing Spark Plugs perhaps.
I had a look-see, and with your Champions, they appeared to be a Number "9" Heat Range, which must be Racing Plugs, because, I usually run a Champion Heat Range of "12" on the Street.
The black, probably "Carbon" that you see at the spark plug/s "Base", is probably the Result of having your Carburetor with the "Choke" On, that provides a Really "Rich" air/fuel Ratio/Mixture, on your Very Cold Engine, before it reaches Operating Temperature.
Another thing...Has your Engines Piston Rings "Seated" in their Cylinder Bores yet?
Keep an eye on your Oil Level, Oil Pressure and Oil Temperature.
Hmmmm, gee, I wonder if Kris has an Adequately Sized "RADIATOR", with the Ability to "Shed" (Transfer that Very Hot Coolant, aka, antifreeze/water mixture) of all of that "Large Quantity" of "Heat", that his Mighty 396 Chevy V-8 Develops, that rivals that, of a Nuke-lee-ear Power Plant?
Hey Kris, make sure that your "Radiator" has the "Capacity" and "Rating" that can Handle your 500 Horses!!!
Also, the "Newer" the Radiator, the Better.
Why you ask?...
Because, I have already had at least "2" instances, where, those Radiators of mine, became very Sneaky, and did it Silently as well, in that, they started to Corrode/Plug-Up "Internally", causing "Over-Heating" of the Engines "Coolant" (again I say, antifreeze and water mixture!...lol).
Find out what your Engine Manufacturer "Recommends" for a "Thermostat Temperature", as it Applies to the way in which your Ultima will be Driven/Raced, by You, the "Driver!"
Engine Temperature is "Critical", and very, very Important, as it applies to Maximum Engine Performance, as well as, how long Your Engine is going to "Last" (seconds, minutes, laps, miles, kilometers, just pick one!...lol).
Whenever you "Adjust" your "Total" Timing (with your HEI Distributor), you also "Change" the "Initial" Timing, and, how much Timing that there use to be, at any given RPM's Timing Advance, as compared with the Original/Previous Timing Setting.
I would do the following...
Clean the "Original" Spark Plugs, Check the Spark Plugs Gap Settings, then, Re-Install them in your Engine...or...Break out your Wallet, and purchase the Same Spark Plugs that were Installed in Your Engine while it was in its "Crate".
Re-Set your HEI Distributor to where it was "Originally", as it came in the Crate.
Find out just "What" Fuel (gasoline or whatever your Engines Manufacturer) Recommends for Your 500 HorsePower Engine, and, please, especially with 10.4 to 1 Compression, don't entertain the Thought of buying Cheap/Low Octane Fuel (gasoline?), unless, you can Add some Octane Booster "Concentrate", to Insure that you have the Required "Octane Level" to Scare Away all of that Detonation!!!
Bottom line...Engines with High Compression Ratios "Need" High Octane Fuel, that's a given.
You can only "Back Off" your Timing so much, then, Trouble will be Brewing.
Check for any Vacuum Leaks, as in, everything like, Hoses and what they connect to, Gaskets, Carburetor mounting nuts or bolts, etc.
Check all Electrical Wiring, and connections.
Your Edelbrock carburetor might possibly have some Dirt/Debris/Crud inside it, perhaps from something like little pieces of Rubber Fuel Hose, when it may have been cut to length, and, those little rubber Bits were washed into your Carburetor, when the Fuel was pumped on through.
So, there you have it (well, for now, anyways).
I hope some of my Long-Winded-Ness, might help you find Your Engines, Culprit/Gremlins...
Let me know, how it's going, if you care to, and, I'll help you out, as best I can.
Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings once again kris993tt....I have a quite a few Automotive "Videos" on my RUclips Channel, that will probably help you out with your Ultima....To find them, just go to RUclips's "Main" Page, and, type...RockysRoadshow...into the Search Bar/Box at the Top of RUclips's "Main" Page....Doing the Search, should bring up about "77" Videos that I currently have on my Channel, and, most are Automotive related....The "First" Video of mine, that you should watch is titled...Spark Plug Misfire...and, this particular Video of mine, will show, how You, Others, and Myself as well, can at least somewhat "See", if that "High Voltage Electricity" that the HEI Produces, makes its way, all the way to "Each", and every Spark Plug, to make sure, that the Spark Plugs are "Receiving" that "High Voltage Pulse" from the HEI Distributor, in order for all of your Engines Spark Plugs, to be able to "Create" a nice "Strong Spark" between its 2 "Electrodes!"
I use a "Flashlight" to Demonstrate, How the "High Voltage Pulses" should be making an "Inductive" type of "Timing Light" Behave, when the Ignition System is working Properly, and, as it should.
I had a very Bad Ignition "Misfire", on a Chevy V-6 Engine a while back, and, I barely made it home that day, because the Engine was running Horribly/very sick.
It turned out to be 1 of the spark plug Wires/Leads, Electrically "Arced", where the Wire/Lead gets attached/crimped to its Metal Terminal, way down inside the spark plug "Boot!"
It did show up, when I took some Ohm's (resistance) readings, and, also, I did notice some White-ish, Corrosion-like Deposits on that particular Wire/Lead as well.
Now I'm thinking, just because something like, a Set of spark plug Wires/Leads that are "Factory Fresh", (in my opinion), doesn't mean that they are absolutely 100% "Fool-Proof", or, in other words, perhaps a "Manufacturing Defect", might just be causing a problem or two.
If the "Crimping/Mechanical Attachment" is not 100% Positive, where the spark plug Wires/Leads "Conductive Core" gets Fastened to the Metal Terminal, down inside, either the spark plug "Boot", or the down inside the "Boot" at the HEI's Distributor Towers end of things, that alone will eventually cause some very Unwanted High Voltage Electrical "Arcing" to be happening, resulting in, a very Bad "Misfire" like I was telling you about, a few paragraphs earlier (above).
I have learned over the years, to, Never take things for granted, as, like always, "Things Happen!"
Good Luck with your Ultima...
Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings Swaggerboy740....Thanks for your nice comment, and, I'm glad that you liked it as well....Take care, and have a good one...
Thanks for this very educational video. It certainly has helped me in understanding my own problems a bit more. I fly an ultra-light aircraft using a Rotax 582 inverted engine. That is... the engine is upside down with the plugs at the bottom. The manual says to change them every 50 hours, but mine never show hardly any wear, so I am tempted to leave them in for a while longer. They always are a wet dark grey colour without any build up at all. Its a 2 stroke engine, which accounts for wetness.
Thanks for the video, very helpful!
Greetings...Matt B...........You're welcome, and thanks for watching...........You might find that, some of the newer, fuel injection equipped engine's, spark plug's inner porcelain, might very well look, an almost, off-whitish color, as opposed to, the used spark plugs samples, that I was showing in this particular video, that were being fed the air/fuel mixture, from a carburetor mostly...........It's usually a pretty good idea, to compare, each spark plug, to each of the other ones, that make up the whole set of spark plugs, for that particular engine, as, if one or more of them (in the set), look kinda different, from the others, then, that, at times, could be a very useful clue, that something, isn't working or operating, as good as it should be doing, and......till next time.......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Hey, there, Mr. Rocky! I just made a great discovery after experimenting with my vehicle's ignition switch! Since it appeared to me that my starting issues may be simply related to sensor, fuse, or timing, I conducted 2 different experiments. 1) I quickly turned the key only to the point where the dashboard lights up, then I turned they back off. I did this quickly, back-to-back 3 times. The 3rd time, I left it in the position where the dashboard lights came on. Then, I discovered that the mileage box revealed DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES, one at a time. Then, a horizontal line of dashes appeared. Then, it said DONE. This meant that my experiment caused my 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan to self check for trouble codes. My codes were P0700 & P1684. When I googled these codes, I realized that the diagnoses coincides with your guess about my starting issues. 2) When the engine didn't start on the first try, I turned the key as far as it would go and held it there. After a little less than a minute, it automatically started, smoothly, on its own. This time, the engine wasn't dying down, causing me to gun the accelerator to clear the path.
Greetings...Lisa Gooch...…….Wowsers…!!!...you sure have a fast learning curve, when it comes to learning about automotives………..Be careful, as to how long, that you have the ignition key turned to the (engine) "cranking" position, as in, when the ignition key is turned, as far as it will go...……...The reason being, is that, that (electric) starter motor, gets quite "Hot", when it is cranking the engine over for a long time, and, if too long (of a time), then, the starter motor can actually "cook" itself, and look Ma, now I have to go and get a new one (or, a re-man/remanufactured unit)…………My rule of thumb (or call it what you will), is to, only "crank" the (stubborn/hard to start) engine over, for only, about, 30 seconds max (maximum), then, let it rest (cool-off), for about a minute or two, then, if need be, repeat the 30 seconds "on" time routine, then, let it rest between starting attempts (more rest time, between starting attempts, is even better, especially on a hot day)...……..Years ago, I cranked over an older Dodge (parent company, being Chrysler) V-8 engine, for too long of a time, and then, the starter motor got so hot, that, the bronze bushings (aka, bearings), inside of, that poor ole starter motor, actually, started "squeeling"...!!! (nope, wasn't, that there, well known piggy sound...lol)…good thing was, is that, the starter motor worked good again, "without" the squeeling, once it cooled down...…….Most of the fuel injected, computer controlled (gasoline) engines, will probably have a way, to deal with, a (gasoline) "flooded" engine, and here's how, that (gimmick...???...lol) works...…….The fancy name for it, happens to be..."Clear Flood Mode", and, it's simple to do...…….If Ya feel that, the engine is flooded with too much gasoline, then, all Ya have tah do, is to, push the gas pedal all the way down (to the floor-board), then, crank the engine over, then, "very...Very Important"...!!!...if the engine actually tries to start, then, get Ur foot, "Off of the Gas Pedal", or, you'll over-rev the engine (engine will scream...!!!), and then, it will get damaged, to..."Infinity and Beyond"...!!!...……...As far as I recall, is that, during this "Clear Flood Mode" procedure, is that, it basically "shuts off" the fuel injectors, so that, no "additional" gasoline, is gonna be added into, an engine, that already has too much gasoline inside of it, to begin with...…….Most fuel injected (gasoline) engines, will have, what is called, an "idle air control valve", and, it controls the amount of air, that the engine inhales, during idle speed, and, if this valve becomes faulty, or gets all covered in black dry carbon (powder), then, the engine might not idle so well, or maybe stall...…….This is why, I might have mentioned, a while ago, about, holding down the gas pedal, just a wee bit, to help the engine start, and to keep it running, at idle speed/low RPM's (that be, Revolutions Per Minute, of the engine's crankshaft)…………Fuel injectors, can also get plugged up as well (when gasoline evaporates, it's, not as clean as you think, cuz...it's nasty stuff...!!!...lol)………..Sometimes, only a few, of the fuel injectors, will get plugged-up, which will usually result in, having some of the engine's cylinders, running a bit "leaner" (air/fuel ratio/mixture-wise), than, some of the other cylinders, that were properly fueled (or fed, as in, feed, or feeding), and, might show up as, a shaking engine at idle speed, as an example...…….Quite interesting, that, your OBD-2 (On Board Diagnostics-version 2) equipped mini-van, has that, shall we say, "feature", that you discovered...congrats...…….If your mini-van, is starting and running, to your satisfaction, then, enjoy, otherwise, keep your shovel in close proximity, just in case, Ya might have to do some more..."digging"...to cure your ride...!!!...lol.....and...….till next time...….Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
The Spark Plug Doctor will see you now. Great Video
Greetings...NoneSponsored/BunkAssMechanic………….Thanks for the nice comment, and thanks, for watching too...…….Well, automotives, is just one, of my many hobbies, and, my way of, shall we say, reading a spark plug, is just a basic, quick, visual check, to see how much electrode wear/gap growth has taken place, as well as, what, if any, deposits, are stuck onto the business end of the spark plug, that just came out of, that particular engine's cylinder head...……..Then, there's the, shall we call them, racing crowd perhaps, where-by, they will look, really, really close, down into the spark plug, where the porcelain, meets up with, the inside of, that screw-threaded metal shell...……..They will sometimes remove a spark plug, after, just doing, a 1/4 mile drag-race (might only be 1,000 feet at some race tracks, perhaps), and then, they will probably get out their, what kinda resembles, a doctor's, ear checking, magnifying, flashlight, kinda thing, and then, look deep down, into the spark plug, to see what kind of, light, deposit/coating shows up, and if need be, they can also change fuel jets, in a carburetor, if so equipped, and/or, what-ever else is needed, in order to adjust/correct, the air/fuel ratio, that will give the best 1/4 mile time, while also, keeping the engine safe, from being damaged, by going too lean, of an air/fuel ratio, while going full out/pedal to the metal...……...Now-ah-days, Ya can just install a wide-band (oxygen sensor), that comes in a kit, along with, an air/fuel ratio gauge, that will be a able to show, just what, the air/fuel ratio is, in real time, as you are driving along, at any speed, and throttle (gas pedal) position, that you so choose, and...…..till next time...….Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
@@RockysRoadshow you really know what you are doing. This has the longest reply I've ever recieved. Thank you.
Great intense video. Thanks for sharing.
Greetings...Denis Railey...........You're welcome, and thanks, for the nice comment, and for watching too...........These older spark plugs, that you saw in this RUclips video of mine, were mostly out of older, higher mileage engines, that I had stored away, for quite a few years..........There's a pretty good chance, that, the much newer, fuel injected/computer controlled engines, will probably have a lot less, in the way of deposits, showing on their spark plugs, so maybe, keep that in mind, just in case...........Might even find, that, the newer lawn mowers these days, might also have their spark plugs, showing less deposits on them as well...maybe...???...and.......till next time.......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings Wildfalcon55...Good job in coming up with your spark plug Holding Rack...I have done pretty much the same thing, only the blocks of wood that I use are currently organizing some screwdriver bits, and a needle file set...I usually remove one spark plug at a time, so I don't have to keep track of all of those spark plug leads...Just remember, if you trade in your vehicle, lets say you switch from Ford to Chevy, or Chevy to Ford, the cylinder numbering is different!...Take care my Friend
Greetings TylerART....Thanks for your comment....One of the Best Design Features of Holley Carburetors is that some of them have "Externally-Adjustable-Float-Level-Settings", (Yes-Sir, I'm talking about the ones with "Duel" float Bowls, one front, and one rear), and even if you have to remove the "Plug" in order to watch the Gasoline/Fuel Dribble out in order to Confirm that the "Wet-Fuel-Level" is set properly (and, make sure your Vehicle is on "Level Ground" when you do so!), then...(con't)
thank, you for you're video. theirs a cold plug and a hot plug I, buy Rapid fire plugs for all of my trucks and high test gas.
...the Old-School method that I use, has served me very well, as I haven't Destroyed any engine thus far, due to having said engine jetted too lean, and running at Wide-Open-Throttle....If any of the engines that I have, or have had in the past, had any running issues at all, I most certainly would-not apply full-throttle, until I saw that "Safe" Tan color on my spark plugs....Also, with the older "Conventional" style of spark plugs, I keep a close watch on the Gap-Growth...(con't)
Thanks for sharing! Now I know for sure my bike's engine is running lean. Now I just gotta find out why and correct it.
you as well. thanks to your video i know i got a good runner.
Hey man, Really nice video. thanks
Awesome! thanks for the detail response,!
Greetings Thomas Ferrell....Thanks for your comment....I have run Lean a few times, but only while at lower RPM's and not at Wide Open Throttle! (luckily...whew!...lol)...Once, was when an EGR Valve got stuck open because of a chunk of Carbon (about the size of a pepper corn) got lodged between the valves pintle and the hole that it was suppose to close while at Idle, and wide open throttle....Another was a Nylon Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve "Disassembled" itself into 2 Parts!...(con't)
That was a lil long winded Rocky but a lot of info..back in the day.
When my brother and I went on jetting cruises his 68nova had a 375hp 396 with 4.56 gears..my 67 firebird had a BBC 427+125 12.5compression 8200rpm with 5.38s and 30" tires..we pretty much had all 4 bbls open a bit.;-)..the attention to detail pretty much made us undefeated in our hobby...few yrs ago I bought a 68 olds CS 350 that had been left at a shop for 17+yrs flawless body+ bad powerqlide trans..$400 all the plugs were beautiful lite brown..;-) must have spent its last days drinkin leaded go juice...thks for info..I still have my 67 firebird. +496 bbc.+4.88s
VN Dustoff Greetings VN Dustoff....Gee, my Lungs must be in Really Good Shape, see-in, as how, My "Wind", no, not the Breakin' kind, but rather, the Wind that makes my Vocal Chords "Vibrate", oh, shall I say, what seems, to be able to, give, that, good ole "Per-Pet-U-Al-Motion", a "Run" for "its" Money...lol...........................Even I was Surprised, at how Much Time was Gobbled-Up, when I made that First, Oil Filled Ignition Coil, RUclips, Video of mine, and I guess, that, in itself, is a Really Good example, of, just how, "Time Can Really Fly", and, be able to do, just that, Without any "Wings", what-so-ever...!!!...lol.......................................From what You were sayin' about those "Go Fast & be-in able to Accelerate", almost to the point of, be-in "Shot-Out-of-a-Cannon"..."Muscle Cars"...with all of that Neck-Snappin', and be-in Pinned to the Back of the Driver Seat..."Acceleration"...from a Stand-Still Start, is Very Impressive, but, it comes with a Hefty Price Tag, in the form of High Test/Premium Gasoline, Purchases, as, most of Us, Muscle Car, Guys & Gals, pretty much know, that High Compression/High Performance Engines, like and need, that..."Champagne"..."High Test/High-est Available Octane Rated"..."Gasoline"...that, that there...."Gas Pump Bandit"...was able to..."Dispense"...!!!...lol.........Those, pretty darn "High", Rear Diff/Axle Ratios, as I see it, aren't the greatest thing to have, while Cruzin', at Highway Speeds, especially, if Your Transmission, in Top Gear, only has a 1 to 1 Ratio, and some Torque Converter Slippage, if it's an Auto-Trans, without a Lock-Up Torque Converter, but, with that 5.38 Rear Diff Ratio (got "Reduced to"...4.88...???), having, like You were sayin', those 30 Inch Diameter Rear Tires, should, as I see it, Knock-off, a Few Engine RPM's, as opposed to having, something like 14 Inch Wheels, with 26 Inch, Outside Diameter Tires Mounted on them, making Your 30 Inch/Diameter Tires, some-what of a Blessing, if You will...lol.....................Hmmmm...the Tires, are we talkin'...Mickey Thompson...B F Goodrich/Radial TA's...Goodyears...or Firestone...etc...???...........................Low Profile, Fat Tires, out-back, and Skin-nee's on the Front...???..............Thrush (muffler) "Woody-Wood-Pecker"..."Sticker"...Stuck-on-any-of-those-Muscle Cars"...at all...???...lol...........Chrome Reverse Wheels.............. Baby Moon Hubcaps...???...................Crager SS, 5 Spoke Wheels...???......................Hurst Shifter...............oh and, mustn't forget the "Shag Rug/Carpeting" as well...lol.................................The "Scariest Ride", that I've ever been in, was my Friend's "Retired", 1/4 Mile..."Early 1970's...Chevy VEGA...that he bought, from a Guy, who use to Race "it" (1/4 Mile), and it had a Full Tube & Sheet Metal Interior, 2 Front Seats, became Street Legal, and "it" was bought, without an Engine or Transmission............................He got a hold of a Chevy 454 (not sure about the Build), and something along the lines of really Beef-ee, B&M Auto-Trans, and, I'm guessin', You'll probably have a really good Idea, and, be able to "Relate" to, "Just What"...???...that "Little Chevy Vega" was..."Capable Of"...do You not...???...as in..."YIKES"..."Hole-ee-Gwalk-ah-Mole-ee"...get out the "FEBREZE" (air freshener), and, get the Diaper, that who-ever?... was Wearin'..."Changed"...cuz...who-ever-it-was-Ridin'...in that..."Lil-Chevy-Vega"....just..."Shat"...lol..................................Even when I did a "Ride-Along", in that Vega, while my Buddy, was just "Gently", Drivin' the "Thing", every time, that, that Auto-Trans "Up-Shifted" (Normally), my "Neck Snapped Back", cuz of how "Crisp", that Vega's "Auto Trans"..."Shifted"...Gears...and I'm pretty sure, that, there "Never Was", an "Auto Trans"..."Shift Kit"...ever Made, that could make an Auto-Trans..."Shift"...like that Vega's...Auto-Trans..."DID"..."Wowsers"...!!!..............................I do recall, how He was sayin', about how His Vega's Cooling System, had the (bad) Habit of "Over-Heating", and how he was contemplating, Installing , a 4-Core Rad (Radiator), to Cool the damn Thing Down..............................Oh, and, from what He was sayin', way back then, was, just, How Much "Attention", that He was gettin', from the "Po-Leese", as I can just imagine...lol...................................Nice "Lottery Win", on gettin' a hold of that 68 CS (Cutlass Supreme...???), for such a Price, my Friend...!!!...........................I always "Liked", that Year & Body Style", of that "Olds", that You were tellin' me about........................Perhaps, consider Turning it into a 442, maybe...???................................I think, that, 442 designation, might be along the lines, of..."4" Barrel Carburetor..."4" Speed Transmission....and..."2", as in Dual Exhaust, well, as far as I remember, that is (hopefully)................................Have Fun...in, and with Your..."67 Firebird"..."In-the-City"...while..."Accelerating"...from..."Stop Light"...to..."Stop Light"...oh and, when You happen to see, Not just a Red Light..."Flashin',...but, also havin' a "Blue Light"...Mixed-In-With-that-Red-Flashin'-Light...along with Hearin'..that there..."SIREN"...just remain..."Calm"..."Pull-over-to-the-Side-of-the-Road"...and..."Sign"...that there..."Speedin' Ticket"...that, that..."Police Officer/State Trooper"..."Hands You"...cuz..."They Have a Gun"...and...the..."Police Cars"...will also be..."Equipped With Highway Gears'...that will enable them to go to Speeds, that are kinda like..."Infinity and Beyond"...as compared to...Your Firebird's..."Top Speed"...oh and..."Radio Waves"..."Travel, almost at the Speed of Light"...and, the..."Other Law Enforcement Officers"...will..."Be in Place"...maybe with a..."Road Block"...or two...oh and, maybe, just maybe...some of those...."Go Flat Tires on Your Car"..."Spike Belts"...that will probably..."Slow You Down"...quite a bit, might be..."Deployed"...as well...so..."Make Your Choice"..."WISELY"...!!!...lol....................................Well......Till next time..........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
...From what I recall, the 727-Torqueflite (Torqueflight) was supposed to be filled with Dexron, according to the books/manuals that I have read....I also recall hearing about, or maybe reading about, that the Dexron, had an Additive to help with the Auto-Transmissions Seals, as far as Conditioning the Seals, so that they don't start leaking perhaps?....Yes-Sir, nothing like having your car with a "No-Drive-in-any-gear-on-your-Shifter", while trying to get Home....Take care, and have a good one
awesome vdo mate! thanks for reminding. :)
Greetings strikemaster1....Thanks for your nice comment....I've heard that the Rotax engines are a great engine, with excellent build quality as well....If you do try extending your spark plug(s) replacement interval as suggested by your engines manufacturer, may I suggest for safety reasons that you pay very close attention to how your engine is running, you know, like, misfiring, or miss-behaving in any way, shape, or form, so as to prevent you from being harmed in any way...(con't)
Great analysis - Thanks !
Greetings...exwhyz33............You're welcome, and Thanks for watching.............Well, I guess that One could say, that, my method of reading spark plugs, is, shall we say, Old School, as compared to, what some Other Folks might be do-in, some of which, might be involved in, a certain type of Motor-Sport, such as...Drag Racing...Banked Oval...Road Course...etc...and no...Demolition Derby...probably, need not apply...and is a whole different animal all-together...!!!...lol...where was I...???...oh yeah, that's it....some of those Other, shall we say, Advanced Folks, that really, want to, get, shall we say..."Up Close and Personal"...and in..."Very Close Detail"...with Reading a Spark Plug, will probably be using, what kinda, looks-like, a Medical Doctor's, Ear Checking Flashlight, that has, something along the lines, of a Magnifying Glass built into it, and, will probably also have, a 90 Degree Bend, near the top of it, as well.................Some, might even Cut, and Remove, the Metal, Screw-Threaded portion, of the spark plug, so as to, be able to, see better, the Porcelain-like insulator, that is usually, deep-down-inside, that Metal, Screw-Threaded portion, of the spark plug, before it got removed, that is................If You care to, maybe do an internet search, for this, shall we say, Advanced Way, to Read a Spark Plug, and.........till next time........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Hello rocky...I took my motor apart and completed the rebuild process. I found out that one of the exhaust valves burned and the ring in that cylinder has dug into the wall of the cylinder bout 1/16" deep. This is my first rebuild job that I learned from RUclips. I do have mechanical skill but never done something this size before with no help from no other.
Greetings 9011combo....Thanks for your comment, and, Congratulations, for "D.I.Y.!!!" (Doing It Yourself)....In your comment, you had mentioned that you observed that One of the Exhaust Valves was "Burned", and that you also had One Cylinder that was "Gouged", about 1/16" (one sixteenth of an inch) deep!....Both of those Problems that you have there, can cause, Low Compression and Oil Burning (in that One Bad Cylinder), because of that "Gouge" in that Cylinder "Bore!"....That Bad cylinder needs to be restored to 100% (with No Gouges), in order to have Good (high or normal) Compression, and also, to keep the Motor Oil from getting "Past" the Piston Rings, then up, and into your engines Combustion Chamber....If that there Cylinder "Wall" (Bore) Is-Not Restored to 100%, the Engine will probably still Run, although, maybe a little Rough, with Less Power, and, also, Above Normal Motor Oil Consumption and Burning as well.
If you have to have your Vehicle Emissions (smog) Tested, the Employees at the Smog-Testing-Establisment, might Not Test your Vehicle, due to any "Smoke", as in Oil Burning, that they "See" coming out of your "Tail-Pipe" (aka, exhaust system), as you are waiting in the "Line-Up", waiting to be Tested!
If your Bad Cylinder Bore/Wall is still Not 100% Restored/Repaired, and, you Do-Not have to have Your Vehicle Smog Tested, then, you will probably be able to drive your Vehicle, with Less Power, and, make sure that you keep your Motor Oil "Topped-Up" to the Full Mark on your Engines Oil Level Checking "Dipstick", when the Engine/Vehicle is on Level Ground, and the Engine is "Cold", and, "Not-Running!", or, if the Oil Level gets Too "Low" (due to Oil Consumption/Burning), then there will probably be, even More Engine Damage Happening!
Also, an Engine that "Burns-Oil", Is-Not Good for your "Oxygen Sensor/Sensors", and your Vehicles "Cat" (Catalytic Converter) as well.
It's all about how much Money, that you want to Spend on Repairing your Engine.
If indeed, that "One" Cylinder Bore is "Gouged", about that 1/16" that you had mentioned, then, I'm quite sure, that, that Cylinder Won't be able to be "Bored and Honed", to the Maximum Bore Size that Your Engines Manufacturer "Specifies"...(Please, Check the Specifications for your Engine).
or...
Perhaps that "One" Cylinder can be "Re-Sleeved", as in, Install a Metal "Sleeve" in that One Bad cylinder, in order to be able to have that bad Cylinder Bored and Honed to a Size (diameter) that is reasonably Close to the remaining Cylinder "Bore Sizes" in your Engine.
If, your Engine needs to be "Over-Bored" and Honed to a Size that is Larger then, when the Engine was Brand New, then, your Engine would also need Larger Diameter Pistons and Rings that will Fit Properly in any of the Over-Sized Cylinder Bores in your Engine.
Now, about that "One" Burned Valve.
Looks like, that One Bad/Burned Exhaust Valve, needs to be Replaced alright.
The Valve "Seat", in your engines Cylinder Head, that the Bad/Burned Exhaust Valve Seated on, will need to be Repaired/Reconditioned, if it is in questionable Shape, as in, Not Being in Very Good Condition, or, that Cylinder will more then likely be suffering from a case of..."Low Compression" (due to that nasty leaking exhaust valve "Seat").
Like I was sayin...It's all about, just how much Money, that You want to spend on your vehicles "Engine".
I hope that your Engine gets "Healthy", once again.
Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
your videos are great!! and i would like to know a little about the actual plug and how to take the spring out and replace etc,do you have any video's on that topic?
Greetings Sameer2762....Why, thanks kindly my Friend for your great comment....Actually, it has only "1" Thermoquad carburetor on it, and that's all it needs (flows 850 CFM!)-(Cubic Feet per Minute!)....If it was any other carburetor, then, it would only require about a 600 CFM size...Thermoquads have the ability to be over the recommended size because of the way that the "Secondary" Air Door was engineered...Also, comments below my videos have lots of information that you can read....Take care
Greetings Wessel Lemmer....Thanks kindly for your great comment, my Friend...Those old Spark Plugs that I kept (luckily), allowed me to show others (World-Wide), what the older Conventional spark plugs looked like, that came out of some of the Engines that I had/have, and, please note, that, for the most part, that these spark plug Samples, and the way that they look in my video, are being Fed with "Carburetors", as opposed to "Fuel Injection/Injectors" with Computers...Take care, and Bye 4 now
SWEET ENLIGHTENING STUFF
Greetings...Charles mabando…………Thanks for the nice comment, and for, watching too...……..The spark plugs that I used in this RUclips video of mine, were the cheaper, older style/type, and the used ones that you saw, were also out of older engines as well...……….The, shall we say, newer engines (about 1985 and newer), in North America, started using on-board computerized fuel injection, while the pre- (before) 1985 engines, usually had a carburetor on the top of them...……..Some of those, so-called newer engines, in these newer vehicles, might have some more expensive spark plugs installed in them, right from the factory/manufacturer, and, will probably have, one or both of the spark plug's electrodes, made out of a precious metal, such as platinum, as an example...……..The toughest/longest wearing electrode material that I came across, was called iridium (spelling?), and might be able to last about 100,000 miles there-abouts...maybe...???...…….Those cheaper, older spark plugs, would only last for, about 12,000 miles or so, and...…..till next time...….Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Thank you for this interesting video. I was accelerating my car today to lets say 3,000 RPM (not too much I know) and strangely the outer tip of the spark plug blew off! This never happened to me before I guess this happened because the plugs were not the correct heat range and are very old. What do you think? .
Greetings Albinus81....Thanks for your comment, and great observation when reading your spark plugs with the various fuels used!....About the only thing that I may have seen, was something called "MMT", probably something that replaced Lead (led) as an anti-knock additive, which leaves a red-ish/brown color on the plugs....As long as your engine does not knock or ping and runs well, then all is good....Keep an eye on the Gap-Growth (electrode erosion)...Take care, and have a good one, my Friend
Greetings FriboZa....Thanks for your comment, my Friend....It was a long time ago (or, was it once upon a time?...lol), that I made myself very aware Not to assume that a certain problem was caused by "What I think it is", or was!....Like others, I replaced a few parts, Guessing, that, "That-otta-Fix-it", and, it didn't....With that aside (for the time being), while I wouldn't completely rule-out a Coolant Leak, I'll give you the "Patients-Vitals" (my 400 Cubic Inch Chevy V-8 Engine)....(con't)
I have a 318 with a old stromberg carb so its perfect thanks.
I have a question if i may, How long should i run new plugs before i start seeing these deposits and analyse conditions in the combustion chamber.
Good Evening
Can you give me advise about this spark plugs showing in attached pictures.
...the method that I have been using for a very long time, to read my spark plugs, is what works for me....However, since most of the Gasoline that had Lead (pronounced Led), and is no longer available for street use, makes it more difficult for some to actually see, or read spark plugs, due to the "Un-Leaded" Gasoline, and some of the newer Formulations out there, leaving next to No-Deposits on your spark plugs to "Read!"....I hope that you find some (crossing fingers...lol)....Take care
Thank you thank you for all the details u just provided frnd, love ya, and yes i will do what ye just told me. :) take care mate :D
Great video
...also, before I forget, it also had the Factory "Transistorized" ignition (module mounted on firewall), and a separate oil filled ignition coil mounted at the rear of the intake manifold....Also, spark plugs gaps were set at .035"....this/these spark plugs only had a few hundred miles on them, and, as you can see, they sure look good (to me that is, lol)....The way that they would look at the manufacturers replacement interval (12,000 miles), would have more deposits on them....(con't)
Greetings once again Chris Norwick....I for got to mention the reason that I usually look for that "Tan" Color on the spark plugs that I use, and have used in the past....Most books that I have read, have pictures and explanations of what "Normal" spark plugs should look like when you take a look at them, with some time/mileage on them....The books say to look for Tan, or Gray-ish Tan (pictures show this as well), although, some of the Newer-Engines may show the "Scary-White" color...(con't)
Thank you for these videos! They say if a picture is worth a thousand words a video has got to be worth a million.
+Bill Brobst ....Greetings Bill Brobst....(as I'm pointing my finger at Bill...I say)..."What He Said"...lol (in regard to, what Bill had to say, about the Scorecard, havin'...Pictures, bein' worth "A Thousand Words"..and...Videos, bein' worth "A Million Words")..................Hmmmmm...just thinkin', that, If I were to "Babble-on", in a very Long RUclips Video, I might just make it to "One Million" Spoken Words, but, then again, those "Million Words" (Jibberish?..lol), that I (hypothetically) Spoke, probably wouldn't amount to very much at all (other than, accomplishing, that, One Million Words Spoken "Milestone", that I was tryin' to conquer, that is...lol)...................Thanks for watching my RUclips Videos, and.........till next time..........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Thank you Rocky. I really enjoyed reading your comments.I found a video or 2 of yours to be of value, and I couldn't seem to have time to come back to listen, but reading your analysis of spark plugs?
Total gold for me. :)
Greetings...DE "AutoBravado" Nichols...........You're welcome, and thanks for watching...............My (so called) Method of Reading Spark Plugs, is, shall we say, Old School, as compared to, the Method, that some of the other Folks, that are out there, in Cyber-Space (and probably living on Planet Earth at the very same time...lol), might be using.....................The other Method, will probably involve, using, what appears to be, something, that could very well be found in a Doctor's office, and kinda looks like, a Doctor's, Ear Checking Magnifier/Flashlight, that, might be bent, at a 90 Degree angle, up towards, the business end of the device................Probably, when the, shall we say, more advanced, Spark Plug Readin' Folks, are using this Magnifier/Flashlight to Read a Spark Plug, they will probably be looking, down into the Depths, of the Electrode end of, of the Spark Plug, looking for some of the following.....................The Fuel Ring, and probably, any small Dots, stuck to the Porcelain lookin' stuff, that surrounds the Inner (center) Electrode, and might be, silver or black colored (small) Dots, that will usually be an indication, that some internal engine damage, is taking place...!!!...Ouch...!!!..........Also, where the Color Change takes place, on the Outer Electrode (that be, that J shaped thing, that's usually found, on the more common, type of spark plugs....................Maybe, do an internet search, for Reading Spark Plugs, and You'll probably find, some Mind Boggling information, by doing so...................Some Folks are sayin,' that, not many Deposits, will be found on the Spark Plugs, that were removed from an Engine, that was burning Gasoline, that had Ethanol (aka, alcohol), in its Blend...???...................Well now, this RUclips Video's Thumbnail Picture, that's showing that Tan Color on it, was a result, of having, 87 Octane Gasoline (R+M divided by 2, rating method), that supposedly had, oh, about 10% Ethanol (alcohol) in its Blend, in the vehicle's gas tank, and also, it was, just after, I re-jetted my Thermoquad Carburetor's primary (fuel) jets, Richer (air/fuel ratio/mixture wise), that I did, in order to get rid of, that very annoying Lean Surge (car was bucking back and forth at city speed), that I had at the time.....................Some of the Older Carbureted Engines, don't care so much, for the Ethanol laced Gasoline, that are at the gas pumps today, as, most of em, were Calibrated/Set-up for 100% "Real Gasoline"...lol (No Ethanol/alcohol, in that good ole stuff), and, may very well, have been Leaded (pronounced Led-ed) Gasoline as well (as in, the additive, being, Tetra Ethel Lead, added into the gasoline, which is rather Toxic)...................Oh, I guess, that, a Spark Plug, has the "Last Say", when it comes to, gettin' the "Fire Lit", inside of, an internal combustion, gasoline burnin' Engine alright, but there are so many "Other" parts and pieces, that make up the entire Vehicle's "Ignition System", be-in, everything from the Battery, the Charging system, Ignition Coil/s, all Wiring, etc. ..................So, my best advice, as it applies, to a Vehicle's Ignition System, is to be thinkin', about that good ole saying, and that saying, happens to be..."The Chain, is only as Strong, as its Weakest Link"...(and, I like to apply, that good ole Sayin', to, All of the Parts & Pieces, that make up the whole/complete ignition system), and, to me, that very same Sayin', goes a long way, in Life itself...well maybe, and..........till next time..........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
RockysRoadshow
My recent project is my 1989 Yamaha XT 600. The plug is perfectly stock. It is slightly rounded at the edges. It's all black, but very smooth. Here's an unusual one for you. The stock plug is special order. Copper, but nickel plated. The underside of the over reaching blade is black yes, but barely gray where the spark reaches from under it to the electrode.
The pointy electrode is clean metal. It turns out I was running this stock plug very hot based on it's core having 500k-900k resistance in ohms when it should be more like 4 with the ohm meter set at 20k.
I'm working on a video now so you can see it. I checked, it's super close up.
Greetings...DE "AutoBravado" Nichols................If You don't mind my asking...what is the..."Part Number and Brand"...of the Spark Plug, that is Specified by Yamaha, for Your "Exact" XT-600...???...cuz, by doing so, I'll probably be able to have a better chance, at being able to, help You out.....................There are a number of things, to take into consideration alright....................The Gasoline, might have "Changed" somewhat, from the Gasoline that Your XT-600, Engine's "Carburetor", was originally Calibrated/Set up with, back in 1989...???.................If Ethanol (aka, alcohol), is added into the Gasoline's Blend, for a Carburetor, that was originally (when new), was Calibrated/Set up, using "No Ethanol" Gasoline, then, there are times, where, the Carburetor has to be (fuel) Jetted a bit Richer, of an Air/Fuel Ratio/Mixture, in some cases, to avoid, having the Engine Run too Lean (air/fuel ratio/mixture-wise)...........Elevation/Altitude, in reference to Sea Level, has an affect on a Carburetor as well, as in, needs to be Richer at Sea Level, and, should be progressively Leaner, the Higher in Altitude, that the Engine is to be running at, just so You know.................Spark Plug Electrodes, that have their "Sharp Edges"..."Worn"...to a "Rounded-Over"...Edge (especially the Center Electrode), will usually, make it so, the Ignition Coil (if the XT has one, that is), will be Working Much Harder (Higher Voltage needed), as in, High Voltage "Sparks", find it much Easier, to Jump From, and to, Sharp Edges, as compared to Rounded Edges..................Sometimes, Spark Plug Manufacturers, will have the "Resistance" Value, of the Spark Plug, expressed as a Number or Letter (or maybe, a combination, there-of), in the spark plug's actual Part Number/Designation, so, maybe Check that out as well....................If the Choke on the Carburetor (if it has one, that is), is left, turned-on, for, too long, or is stuck somewhat, then, that can also cause, extra Carbon, to be getting stuck to, the electrode end of the spark plug, cuz of, the way too Rich Air/Fuel Mixture................If Your XT-600 was in Storage, for quite a long time, then, Old Gasoline, when it Evaporates, or just plain Disappears...lol...isn't as Clean, as You think it is...!!!...as, the, shall we say Residual, that be, the Ugly Stuff that gets left behind, when all of that Gasoline's Liquid portion is gone, and, if left alone long enough, the Carburetor, its Fuel Jets, (and other fuel related things as well), get kinda Plugged-Up, and at times..."Stuck"...!!!..............Gasoline, quite often, will be leaving behind, a Vanish-like Substance/Coating, if You will, and it tends to show up, inside, of the older/high mileage Carburetors, that I've worked on, in the past....................Make Sure, that, You "Set" (if need be), the spark plug's "Gap", that's Between, the spark plug's Inner and Outer Electrodes, to Yamaha's "Specification", for Your "Exact" Engine, cuz, it's very Important...!!!..................Also, the LARGER the Gap gets, Above Specification, makes the Ignition Coil Work Harder, as in, having to Output, Higher Secondary (high) Voltage, to make the Spark, Jump that much LARGER Gap...................For the, shall we say, Older, common looking spark plugs, that have that rather, large-looking center electrode (non-exotic type...lol), there's usually, a fairly good Ball-Park figure, that I recall, from many Moons ago, and, is, as follows................The Spark Plug "Gap", should only "Wear" (increase), about .001"/One Thousandths of an Inch, for every 1,000/One Thousand Miles, that the Vehicle Travelled...how about that.............So then, I'll be around here somewhere (I hope....lol), and.........till next time..........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Very interesting...thank u for good lesson...
Greetings 9011combo....I'm glad that this Spark Plug Video of mine was able to help you out, my Friend, and, Thanks very much, for your nice comment as well....Just to let you know, I'm "Not" a Certified (car or truck) Mechanic!....As for, the Car and Truck RUclips Videos that I make, they are just a "Hobby" of mine, and also, when I "DIY" (not really "Do It Yourself", but rather, "DIM", "Do it Myself!"...lol), I also Benefit from my so called "Hobby", by Not having to Pay (Money) to a "Fix-Em-Up-Establishment", in an amount, that now-a-days, can sometimes be "Over-100-Dollars-per Hour!!!" ($100.00-Canadian Dollars, that is)....To get as good as I am, (however good that is?...lol), I was always interested in how things work....So, I became quite the "Book-Worm" (read lots and lots of Books, Manuals, etc.), and, spent a very large amount of time, Working on, and "Tinkering", with almost anything that I could get my hands on, when it came to, especially "Mechanical Things!"....So, all of what you See and Hear in my RUclips Videos, are just some things that I needed to Fix, Replace Parts on, or Adjust, in order to make, the Mechanical (and sometimes Electrical too) "Unit or Device" perform/work at an acceptable level of Operation.
I also just happen to be, an "Average Joe", not some kind of "Rocket Scientist", that tries to use "Overly-Big-Words", to make himself appear to be "Someone Special", as, that's just "Not Me".
I just try to keep things "Simple", and, "Down to Earth", or call it, "Bread and Butter", or even, "Meat and Potatoes", if you like, as it applies to my "Style" of making these here Videos, that will be (I hope), able to help People, from "All-Walks-of-Life", in that, I may be able to, "Help-Them-Learn-and-Understand", even if "Just-a-Little-Bit", in as far as what, I have Learned, or Experienced, so far, in my Life here, on "Planet Earth".
Thanks for your Time.
Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings Ruffyatutube....You are welcome my Friend, and thanks for taking the time to post your great comment, that I really appreciate....I'm not sure why, but when I look at some of the used parts that I tend to keep around here, all I have to do, is look at just about any of those used parts, and for the most part, my mind goes into, shall we say, "Total Recall!" (and no, I'm not Arnold S. as in the movie with that same title! lol)....Take care, and have a good one...
Great vid.. Thank you!
Greetings...Jose Batistine..........You're welcome, and, thanks for the nice comment..........Some of the newer, gasoline, fuel injected engine's spark plug deposits, might be showing, towards an almost white-ish color, in some cases, quite possibly...........These spark plugs, that I was showing, in this video of mine, were out of older, carburetor equipped engines mostly, just so Ya know, and.......till next time.......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Thanks for your nice comment!....I got to thinking about the best way that I could show people the things that I was talking about...and...a decent "Close-Up" of the part that was being presented in this video was what I came up with...But, the closer that you "Zoom" in with the video camera, the more movements, and not so still hands (mine) get magnified, as if an Earthquake was happening at the time!...lol...and, therefore....Drill Press Vise to the Rescue!...Take care, and have a good one!
Thank you so much! I have a car that was saying system is too rich, but on observing checking out the spark plugs with this, is seems to be running lean! Now I know I may have problems with the O2 sensor giving wrong info.
+golavish Greetings golavish....Thanks for watching.....................Please note, that, some of the newer, (gasoline) Fuel Injected Engines, might not have very many Deposits showing on the Spark Plugs, and, at times, the Porcelain-looking material, that surrounds the Inner/Center Electrode, might be showing an almost White-ish Color, and perhaps more-so, if the %-age/Percentage of Ethanol (alcohol) gets higher, in the Gasoline (blend), that You put in Your Vehicle's gas tank............................There are 3 basic things, that should be done, on a Vehicle, that has a Gasoline, Fuel Injected Engine, before, You might start to change this part and that part, which at times, might not fix the problem, if indeed, there really happens to be one................................Has Your Vehicle been well Maintained, as well as, having the Parts, such-as, Air and Fuel Filters, new Spark Plugs, etc., that should be Replaced, at the Vehicle Manufacturer's Mileage/Kilometer-age or Time Interval...???...............................Then, the other 2 things are.......Have Your Vehicle's On-Board Computer (about ,1996 and newer), Scanned for "Trouble Codes", with a Scan Tool (kinda looks like, a slightly Larger, hand held Calculator), in order to see, whether or not, Your Vehicle's, Computer's Memory has Stored any Trouble Codes, that will really help You out, if there happens to be any, that is.........................Then, the Fuel System's, "Fuel Pressure", needs to be Checked/Verified, according to Your Vehicle Manufacturer's, Fuel Pressure "Specifications"..............Warning...!!!!...some of those Fuel Pressures, might be, as High as, "60 PSI/Pounds per Square Inch", which can be very Dangerous, and, always Wear Eye protection/Safety Glasses/Goggles, have a Fire Extinguisher near-by, and Do any Fuel related Testing or Maintenance, and also, when-ever the Engine is Running, "Outside", with plenty of Fresh Air and Ventilation, because, the Engine's Exhaust Gas is "Deadly"...!!!.........................Some of the Automotive Parts places, might "Scan" Your Vehicle's Computer for "Free", so, just make a few Phone calls, to see, if any, in Your area, actually do...........................If You care to, You can let me know, the...Year...Make...Model...Engine Size...and any Problems, that You might be having with Your Vehicle, and.............till next time............Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Very good vid thanks :)
...Golly-Gosh-Darn, Yes-Siree-Bob, I should also mention that some of the later Holley Carburetors even have a little Screw-In-Clear-Sight-Plug, that goes into that threaded hole that you used to watch the Gasoline/Fuel trickle out of....Much Safer, and time saving too!....In closing, you might need some "Jet-Extensions" for your Secondary Float Bowl, to avoid starving the secondary's of that much needed Rich air/fuel mixture during that "Neck-Snapping-Launch!"....Take care, and have a good one
Greetings David Smith....Thanks kindly for your nice comment, my Friend...What you saw in this particular Spark Plug video of mine, was just my way of showing, and informing People of what my thoughts were, and from what experience I have gained over the years, as a "Shade-Tree-Mechanic"...Yes-Sir, that's right, I'm not a Certified Mechanic by any stretch of ones imagination...lol...I guess all of those old spark plugs wanted me to tell "Their" Story, that's all...Take care, and have a good one
They have MMT over here, it's primarily used as an octane enhancer rather than an AVSR. I'm advanced 15 degrees BTDC running 100 octane w/ 10% ethanol. No detonation at all! Gap growth isn't usually an issue as I replace the plugs every 20,000KM out of habit LOL. Yeah, oils here seem to have more zinc in them than the US and the white deposits are similar to leaking coolant but synthetic oils stop this. Take care as well!
my plugs in my 383 are white , they look like they havent been used , they were nice and tan on my 327 , how many sizes should I go up in jetting to get them tan again , I think it has 72s in the primarys ?
Thanks for the informative video. I just checked my spark plugs today in my 89 toyota corolla with a 1.6 4af carb engine and all of the spark plugs had white coat of carbon on them. My car seems to have a vaccum leak because it hesitates when I put my foot down and it bucks aswell. Does that mean the white carbon on the plugs is from having a lean engine? I am very determined to get my engine running the way it should and I'll be getting some new plugs tomorrow. I think I have to clean the carb aswell or it might need rebuilding, I hope not though lol I really have to fix this vaccum leak
Greetings...Kaes seaK...........You're welcome, and, thanks for watching..........Try this...while your engine is fully warmed up to operating temperature, try putting your foot down "slowly", as in, apply the gas pedal "gradually/at a very slow rate", and see how the engine responds..........If your vehicle's engine runs ok this way, and runs bad, while you push the gas pedal down really fast, then, there's a good chance, that your carburetor's accelerator pump, or accelerating fuel circuit, "is not", shall we say, "squirting" enough gasoline, while doing a fast acceleration...........Carbon is usually "black" (not white)..........Is the "white" color, on your spark plugs, as white as, the white color, of the spark plug's porcelain...???...because if it is, then, that's probably a "lean" condition, considering that, your engine has a carburetor on it..........If the color looks kinda "gray", then, that might be a bit lean as well.........If the gasoline has lots of ethanol (alcohol), in its blend, then, that can also, make an engine run on the lean side as well..........Yes-Sir-ee-Bob...get that "vacuum leak fixed", as soon as possible, or (and hopefully not), your engine might start getting "damaged" (same as saying, expensive...don't-cha-think...maybe...???...lol).........."Never" go hard, on the gas pedal, with a vacuum leak, or, too lean of an air/fuel ratio (mixture), because, that's usually, the engine's operating condition, where the "Most" engine "Damage" will probably happen, as opposed to, just going very easy, on the gas pedal (still not good).........Try to keep up with maintenance, that Toyota recommends for your Corolla, as in...all filters...PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) Valve...check/adjust ignition timing...replacing old spark plug Wires...new coolant (antifreeze & water)...etc...oh and, of course...spark plugs too..........Good luck, and......till next time.......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
What about how the timing affects the plugs? I have read that the ground strap is used to verify heat range and timing, and that the base ring is used for jetting, and lastly the porcelain is used for signs of detonation/preignition, and that you should never use the insulator as a reference for jetting, also putting to use a 10x power scope to really dial things in. Comments/thoughts?
professional informative film well done!.
Greetings enoch powellsghost....Thanks kindly, for Your very nice comment, my Friend....I'm not so sure, that, any of my RUclips videos are all that Professional, as, I'm just an "Average Joe", so to speak....As for this Spark Plug video of mine, I just rounded-up (aka, gathered) a bunch of old/used spark plugs, that I had in storage for quite some time, and I chose the ones, that I thought, would be the best "Candidates", that would be able to, actually show Folks, what it is, for the most part, to be looking out for, as it pertains to, just how well, or, how bad, the spark plugs "Look", as in the Deposits found on them, as well as, the Electrode's Wear Rate.
Depending on the "Formulation" of Gasoline, that You purchase, where You Live, will sometimes "Alter", the actual "Deposits" that may, or, may not be showing on Your Engines Spark Plugs, due to the amount of "Ethanol" (Ethanol = Alcohol, usually derived from something like Corn), and also, something like "Oxygenates" and Fuel System "Cleaners", that the Gasoline Producers, "Added" into their so called, Gasoline "Blend".
Thanks again, for Your "Super Nice Comment!"
Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
A clean plug is a happy plug.
Greetings Bashir Ahmed....Indeed, over here in North America, daily life in general terms, seem to be something that we take for granted, probably because we are not subjected to all of the pain and suffering that others around the world are experiencing, mainly due to disagreements and power struggles....It is one thing that adults harm one another, but, it is just not morally right to cause harm to children, in any way, shape, or form....Take care, and, best wishes, my Friend...
...From my experience/experiences, sometimes electrical, and mechanical problems, turn out to be something different from what I first thought it was....There is also a thing called "Ignition Reserve"....That's when you have more available electricity at the ignition coil to fire your spark plug/plugs....When something like a fouled spark plug, or bad wiring tries to use more electricity then is available (ignition reserve), then it usually results in an ignition miss-fire....(con't)...
Could the buildup on the last spark plug be from the cooling system? I have had similar buildups in an engine with a tiny crack in the head...
great video thank you
+DieselSmoke92 Greetings DieselSmoke92....Thanks for Your nice comment, and, Thanks for watching...........You'll probably find, in a lot of cases, that, the some-what newer, (gasoline), Fuel Injected/Computer Controlled Engine's, Spark Plug "Deposits", might not be so much, well, as compared to the "Deposits" that You saw, on the spark plug samples, that I used in this particular RUclips Video of mine, and, might be looking, kinda white-ish in color at times.................From what I've heard/read about, the Higher the Ethanol (alcohol) %-age/percent-age, that is actually in the Gasoline Blend, that the Engine burns, then, the (probably/maybe?) Less Deposits, might be found, showing-up, on the spark plugs, in that particular engine, perhaps..................Some Folks, are using, what appears to be, kinda looking-like, that special flash-light, that a Doctor might use, to examine Your Ears, in order to have a much Closer look, at the Deposits, that happen to be, on the spark plugs................Perhaps, have a look around, on, some of the Web-Sites, for that, what I like to call, the..."Rocket-Science-Method"...(as in, using that special flashlight/magnifier, thing-ah-ma-bob)...in order to have..."Close-Encounters-of-the-Spark-Plug-kind"...!!!...lol...and...........till next time............Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
on my plugs in my EFI 302 it has a little white around the base of the electrode and then transitions into a dark brown on the tip, there is no deterioration on the tip of either side. nothing filling the gap and the rest is pretty clean. I always thought it was running rich cause of the constant backfire (I have no cats). based on what you said white means lean, but I see some other guys with a little bit of white and they say it's good.
Greetings...TheSamplebridge.............Nice Car there, and, Thanks for watching.............Yes, indeed, it seems that, most Fuel Injected Engines, that are controlled by Computers, will probably have less, in the way of spark plug Deposits, most times, but only "if", all of the Components are behaving themselves, and are working, as they should be do-in.................Most of the spark plugs, that I used as, shall we say "Props" (aka, stationary Movie Stars...!!!...lol), were, for the most part (with an exception or two), were out of Low Compression Engines (no more than, about 8.5 to 1 compression ratio), that also had, Oil Filled, cylindrically shaped Ignition Coils, in the Ignition System/circuit................The Heat Range, of a Spark Plug, is very important, as it applies to, its Self Cleaning Temperature...Too Cold...then, probably Too Many Deposits, will be getting stuck on, and showing up, on the business end of the Spark Plug/s........Too Hot (of a heat range), then...Bad Things...might happen, such as Pre-Ignition (that's where, the Air/Fuel Mixture Ignites, "Before", the spark plug goes "Spark"...!!!), and, if that starts happening, get ready, for some possible, Expensive, & Un-Wanted Engine "Damage"...!!!...Yikes...!!! (so, if You happen to Hear any...Pinging...Rattling...or...Knocking Sounds, coming from Your Engine, get it Fixed without Delay...!!!)...............Speaking of the Heat Range, of a Spark Plug, I just recalled something, that may be of interest.................I had a Stock, 8.5 to 1 C/R...V-8 Engine, that would get started, oh, about once-ah-month, there-abouts, in a vehicle, that wasn't being driven on the street, at the time, and it had, as I recall, Factory/Originally installed...Champion...N-12-Y Spark Plugs...in it (and those spark plugs, got discontinued, according to the Parts Guy, and, was replaced with, as I recall...Champion...RN-12-YC...that should have the changes-of, going to a Resistor type of spark plug, @ 5,000, or 10,000 Ohms...???...as well as, adding-in, a Copper/center electrode, well, if I get it right that is), and that, in itself, is not the whole story at all...say what...???...............If memory serves me right, I believe that, I probably Cracked, one of the spark plug's, Ceramic insulators, when I removed, that, stubborn, what-sha-ma-call-it, from the engine's cylinder head, so now what...???...so, I goes over to my, not so secret...lol...spark plug Collection, some of which, were Used, and a few, of the others, were "New"...!!!......"Wowsers"...!!!...What I saw, and had, was, a Brand New, either...Champion...N-14-Y...or was it a...RN-14-YC...I forget, but, with either one of them, I would have a Spark Plug, that was...2-Heat Ranges HOTTER...then the...N-12-Y...or the...RN-12-YC...so, I installed the "New"..."14" Heat Range spark plug, into one cylinder (head) only.................A few months, and Start-ups later, I pulled the "14" Heat Range spark plug, to have a look-see, at the Deposits, on "it", and to my (surprise...???)...Wowsers...!!!...by just going..."Up"...by..."2-Heat Range"...Numbers...that..."14-Heat-Range" spark plug, sure looks..."Ah-Lot-CLEANER"...than, those..."12-Heat-Range" spark plugs, ever did...!!! (please note...that, this Engine, was mostly running at Idle Speed, with a Blip of the Throttle, every now and again)...............Gee, I wonder...??? (with a stupid look on my face...lol), just How Clean, and maybe Too Hot (looking), that, that..."14-Heat-Range"...Spark Plug, just might be, if I were to actually Drive, at Sustained Highway Speeds, for Lot-sa Miles...???...maybe too Clean, as well as too Hot...???...and maybe, some possible Engine Damage...??? (I'm thinkin')...............Might be Ok, at Low, City Speeds, without harming the Engine perhaps...???................Just goes to show, how important it is, to be installing, the Correct "Heat Range" of Spark Plug, in just about any, Gasoline Burnin' Engine alright................The good ole rule of thumb, use to be, that, let's say, a car gets driven in the City, at mostly slower speeds, almost all of the time, then, a Person, might consider, having spark plugs, having a slightly Higher Heat Range, then Stock...where-as...let's say, a car, gets driven mostly at higher, highway speeds, most of the time, then, a Person, might install, spark plugs, that are, of a slightly, Lower Heat Range, then Stock...Why You ask...???...well, it's now time, to revert back to, that good ole..."Self Cleaning Temperature"...alright..............Lem-me try to x-splain........Lots of Cold Starts, followed up, with lots of slow speed, city-like driving, will more than likely, be leaving More Deposits, on the spark plugs...as opposed to...something like, a Vehicle, that spends most of its life, Cruising, for hours at a time, at sustained, Highway Speeds...........If it were me (do-in the head-scratchin'), then, I'd probably select, a Spark Plug's Heat Range, based-on, a Heat Range, that was "just" Hot Enough to, shall we say..."Burn-Off"...most of the Deposits, for the Type of Driving/Use, that, that particular Vehicle, would ever be seeing, just, "Never Too Hot", to avoid any Engine Damage (Pre-Ignition, etc.)................For the older, regular Spark Plugs (kinda, like the Champion...N-12-Y...as an example), another Rule of Thumb, for those older ones, use to be, to have no more than, about .001"/one thousandths of an Inch..."Gap Growth"...per Thousand Miles, that the vehicle travelled (wear/increase, cuz of, the...electrical, Arc/spark Erosion, between the spark plug's Electrodes)...........Any more than that, to me, is somewhat suspicious, don't-cha-think...???...might even be...too Hot of a Heat Range perhaps...???..........Also, things like...Too Lean of an Air/Fuel Ratio/Mixture, for the needs, of the engine, at about, any given time, can affect, the way a spark plug looks.......Too Much, or, Too Little...Ignition Timing Advance, at about any RPM and Load condition, will probably have, its share of things, to say as well.........The (coolant) Temperature of the Engine (thermostat rating), will probably also, have an affect as well, seeing as how, some of the Old School Thermostats, probably went as Low as, about "160" Degrees Fahrenheit, and some, that I've probably come across, were as High as, about..."205" Degrees Fahrenheit......interesting that..............Then, among other things (as well), there's..."Spark Intensity" (between the spark plug's Electrodes), oh, and, there be lots, did I say LOTS, of things, go-in on, as in, just about anything, and everything, as it relates to, the Vehicle's Ignition System itself (and then some...lol), so much so, that I can't do it, here and now...lol...but rather, I'm almost at the point, of (somewhat), be-in able to write a little book about "it"...maybe...???................Maybe, install a "Wideband Oxygen Sensor", in Your Exhaust System, along with the matching, Dash-Mounted, "Air/Fuel Ratio Gauge" (can be purchased as a Kit), so You'll be able to see, the "Air/Fuel Ratio", that Ur Engine is Running at, under all RPM's and Load conditions, in Real Time..............So then, just about every, Gasoline Burnin' Engine, out there (to me, that is), seems to have, a, shall we say, "Personality", all of its Own, kinda like People somewhat (just sayin' now), and.........till next time.........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Well dad has a lot of knowledge as he is 67 yr old. He has seen a lot, he taught me how to service breaks both drum and pad, he said he use to use a vacuum reading to set the carburetors on the old cars. He hasn't much knowledge on fuel injected though, I've recently worked on his truck trying to fix an issue with the idle and overall running/ performance. That truck must have fuel issues I've changed the fuel filter, mad sensor and spark plugs. The truck will not stay crank! Lol it dies after cranking unless you hold the throttle down till it gets warm. Any suggestions? I'm leaning towards fuel pump but I haven't a gauge that will attach to the shrader valve so I'm kinda in the dark there.
Yeah, dad has taught me a lot. Carpentry, plumbing, electrical wiring, small engine and automotive, weilding , machine trade. Along with tricks of all kinds but I'm still young and learning. I'm in a fast learning mode now days I don't struggle with things like I once did but still need some experience. I'm glad to of talked with you its hard to find people with knowledge now days, most are parts changers instead of mechanics.
Greetings Jon Stone....It's good to know, that, you are interested in, what most Guys from the Past use to do on a Regular Basis....In that, I mean, "Do It Yourself", as opposed, to, calling a Home "RepairMan/RepairWoman", or, just taking your Vehicle to the "Shop", and let them Fix It (way too Expensive for my liking!...lol)....Big Name Car Dealerships charge in excess of "$100" (One Hundred Canadian Dollars) Per Hour for Labor Only!!! (and, still No Parts in Sight!...lol)....Most of the Current Generation, seem to be spending most of their time, Staring at their "Cell-Phones", and, I have seen some pretty Dangerous Situations, while they are "Texting", both, Driving a Vehicle, and, while they are Walking!....Please, don't get me wrong, as I'm Not Anti-Cell Phone, or, Anti-Technology, but, (in my view), there comes a time, when, I Personally put "Safety" ah-head (at the top of the list), before almost Everything Else! : )
Me, a Mechanic?....I have never Officially worked as a Mechanic, and, I'm not Certified either (say what!...lol)....Truth be told, Auto-Mechanics is just One of my Hobbies, that's all....I'm Self Taught, with some help from my Dad and Friends, while I was just getting started....Believe it or not, most of my Basic Automotive Knowledge was learned from a Book that I purchased for about 5 Bucks (5 Dollars), and, I still have it to this very day!....I still read parts of it from time to time, and, the Poor Book is Falling Apart! (became Unbound, due to Over-Use!...lol)....I personally can't Rate this Book "Highly" Enough, as it is really that good!....The Book was Published by "Petersen's" in 1977, and the Title is..."Basic Auto Repair Manual" (No 8)....Keep an eye out for it, and, you might even find it in a Thrift Store!....It's a Soft Cover Book, and, it's just slightly smaller then a piece of Computer "Printer" Paper, and, almost 3/4 (three quarters) of an inch Thick....Please note, that it only covers vehicles to about 1977, and their related Fuel and Electrical Systems of that time period....Thanks Petersen's!
Now then, about "Daddy's" Truck....Some possible things to consider are...
Vacuum Leaks, and yes, Fuel Pump Pressure is very Important for Fuel Injected vehicles....With some General Motors vehicles (and maybe others as well), there can be an Electrical Fuel Pump "Relay" (that can go bad), and, in some cases is backed up by a "Switch" that "Senses" Oil Pressure, and, if the actual Fuel Pump Electrical "Relay" is Not Functioning, then, you have to "Crank" the engine (you know, starter motor Cranking engine over) until the Engines "Oil Pressure" is at least 4 PSI (pounds per square inch), then, that Oil Pressure "Switch" that I had mentioned will "Complete" the Electrical Circuit, to supply the Electric Fuel Pump with Electricity. (just thought that I should mention it, but, it may not apply to your Dad's Truck).
Before you go on a "Wild Goose Chase", I would recommend that you Test that "Fuel Pump Pressure", or, you might find yourself wasting time and Money as well.
How did the spark plugs look?....Dry?...Wet?...Smoke out of the Tail Pipe, while it was running?
To check for Spark, while Cranking, or, Running the Engine....If you have an "Inductive" Timing Light" (the kind that has the spring loaded "Clamp" that you attach to a Spark Plug Lead/Wire), you can either have Dad, or someone hold the Trigger on the Timing Light (or, tape down the timing lights "Trigger", and, point the Timing Light towards you, as you Crank, or Run the Engine), and watch the "Flashes" (we are Not Setting Timing, just looking for a Pulse!...lol)....The "Flashes" should be at Regular "Intervals", Not "Skipping" all over the place, or, No Flash at all....Warning!, be Careful, and watch out for Hot, and Moving Parts!, and, make sure the Timing Lights "Wires" are Away from Hot and Moving Parts as well....Make sure (if you do it alone), that you Secure the Timing Light, so it Does Not Fall, get Damaged, or gets wrapped up by Fan Belts and such!
Maybe try this, next time you try to Start "Pop's" Truck....Before you start Cranking the Engine, hold the Key in the "Run" Position (Not Start Position!), and, Listen Closely for the Electric Fuel Pump Operating "Sound/Noise" (yeah, I know that it works somewhat, But...), what you want to be Listening for, is, if that Electric Fuel Pump is Sounding Healthy....Please Note, that Fuel Pump might only be working for 2 seconds, or a wee bit longer, as, some of them do a "Prime Only", to bring the Fuel Pressure Up to Pressurize the Fuel Lines....In some cases, you can do this many times....Just Turn the Ignition Off, for a Minute or so, then, turn the Key to the "Run" Position, and Listen (again...lol).
Hmmmm, your Pop's Truck might even have a "Plugged-Up" Cat (Meow...lol, nah, more like a Catalytic Converter!)....If indeed it is Plugged up, or Partially Plugged up, what this does, is, creates Way Too Much "Back Pressure" in the Exhaust System!, and, in some cases, you would be lucky to make it out of your Driveway!....Yes-Siree-Bob, Too much Exhaust Back Pressure actually keeps the Engine from "Breathing!!!" (aka, Suffocation)....Hey Pop's, do you still have your "Vacuum Gauge?"....You can use a Vacuum Gauge to somewhat test for a Plugged "Cat" (Catalytic Converter), or Exhaust System for that Matter....Hook up the Vacuum Gauge, and watch what it does....Once the Engine is Running at Idle, that should give you about 15 inches (or more) of Vacuum showing on the Gauge....Now, Rev up the Engine a bit (not too fast now), and hold the revs there....The Vacuum reading should stay Put!....If the Vacuum Reading Starts to drop, as you keep the Revs Steady, then, that's a darn good indication that the "Cat" is Plugged somewhat, or, the Exhaust System has become "Restricted" (preventing Free Exhaust Flow)....Maybe somehow, the Trucks Exhaust System (Pipes) got Kinked, or Bent, by contacting something perhaps?....Off-Roading (aka, 4-Wheelin) at all?
Also, next time you try to Start Pop's Truck, Hold the Gas Pedal about 1/4 (one quarter) of the way Down, as this has worked for me, on a 4.3 Liter (262 cubic inch) V-6 General Motors Engine, and, (for me) doing this Helps the Engine Start-Up Better when the Engine is Hot or Cold! : )
Let me know what the "Patient" actually is (you know, Make, Model, Engine Size and Number of Cylinders, etc.), or, I will be the One, going on the "Wild Goose Chase!"...lol.
Take care, and, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!"
RockysRoadshow Thank you Thank You!! I have wanted that knowledge for years, I use to own a 1994 f150 but since sold it and had a service manual and can't find that either. Dad's truck is a 2000 f-150 v 6 engine can't remember if the engine is a 4.2 or?... I appreciate the common info on the general ideas of what could cause such a problem.
The ole truck is still worth fixing just got to get it so. If dad was a younger man he"d already had it fixed. Arthritis isn't his friend for sure, I do not think he still has that vacuum gauge but I'm an appliance and a/c tech and have such gauges all I have to do is adapt it to fit. Is there a particular hose i should attach it to? For the vacuum procedure? I didn't think about the CAT, my brother in law had a van with that very problem and he got under it and pocked holes in it and it ran fine for a while. I don't intend to do that though, I am on the look out for that book you mentioned any knowledge is good I need a foundation first so i can build on it. You certainly gave me a good start.
I've always wanted to learn these things since i was a boy about seven years old and took my first motor apart. lol, that was fun to me, Dad showed me on that briggs&startton how to set the time and told me about top dead center ect. He even showed how to set gap on plugs and used an old ISBM card or a feeler gauge to set the coil to flywheel gap. I'm better with carburetors than fuel injection, I thought about vacuum leaks before but most people say to start the engine and spray the carburetor cleaner around vacuum hoses, I do not like that method. Yours makes better since, I have plenty of gauges that will read both pressure and vacuum, just have to figure out the thread size on the fuel pressure valve. I've plenty of thread gauges for that as well.
I kinda took you as a mechanic since you know so much but yet my dad can lay bricks, blocks and do carpentry but he hasn't a license nor has he done that for a living much. Sorry wasn't trying to profile you, I can check the fuel pump relay and overall voltage if need be. I'll have to get the pressure specifications and I'll test the fuel pressure. I do know that the truck will start to run after it warms up but still shaky and not smooth. I know he has a valve cover oil leak, I replaced the spark plugs the other day and it needed it. Had some oil on three of the plugs and a brown/ white build up on the others.
The plugs with the oil were right where the oil leaks is. A gasket isn't much and is easy to change. May just need tightening, I'll check that too, I am thinking the vacuum and fuel pressure testing should be my top priority for now and work my way from there. While an oil leak isn't good my old ford had the same and it ran just fine. Where do you suggest the best place to check vacuum for the cat?
I'll give you a synopsis of what I have done to the truck this year. I replaced the O2 sensors this summer and the maf sensor, replaced the fuel filter too, as I mentioned above I replaced plugs the other day. That's mostly what I have done, I have experience from my line of work that when things aren't running smoothly check your basics first and usually it's a simple solution.
I'm going to try and do what you suggested, I'll listen for the pump like you said first then follow through from there. I do know that some pressure is there because after cranking it I made the schrader valve and gas sprayed from it. Just have to keep throttle down until it has about a minute to run then it will idle but rough idle. Hope that catalytic converter isn't clogged, one time we had a tiller with a briggs engine and an old muffler and that muffler glowed red wow i thought! Dad said it's stopped up so he tried to clean it out but he took it out for the time being and bought a new one afterwards.
Yeah, i should have thought about the cat. being clogged a bit. It wouldn't hurt to lie down and look at it when engine is hot might see a glow. Well, I'm off for now, I hope your New Year was great! i hope this year is better than the last 5 as times have been hard here. This will be a great dad and son project, I'll get dad to help when I need three hands. Again I thank you very very much, I am bound and set on getting that truck fixed. Always great working with dad these days there aren't enough of that as in years past. The man has taught me a lot even old arts like braiding leather into whips and one time had an aircraft cable to break while hoisting a heavy load. What did he do? Cut the loose ends, unraveled the wire, wrapped it around the load and braided it to itself.
I really have a long ways to go lol!
Thanks!!!
Jon
Jon Stone
Ooops, I made a Boo Boo....When I was talking about the EGR Valve, and when it was Supposed to be Open, and when it was Supposed to be Closed....I should have said, that, the EGR Valve is Supposed to be "Closed" at "Idle" (speed), and, at "Wide Open Throttle"....Usually, the only time that the EGR Valve is "Open", is when, the Engine is at Operating Temperature (fully warmed up), and, the Engine is at "Cruising Speed", with a light Throttle (gas pedal applied)....Thank Goodness for the term "Proof Reading!"...lol.
Sounds like Idle air control valve. On the 4.0 modular v6s I'm not sure exactly where on the throttle body they are. But it's easy to pull off and clean it. Do that and see if it has a lot of carbon deposits. Also get a fuel pressure gauge and hook it up to the fuel bleeder shcrader valve on one end of the fuel rail. And test with a few key cycle's to make sure it's hold pressure at probably around 44-50 psi and make sure it doesn't bleed off. If it does it might be the fuel pressure regulator. If it doesn't bleed off any pressure proceed to test with engine running. If it doesn't maintain pressure at about the same as standing then it might be a clogged fuel line or the fuel pump is bad. Just some do it yourself stuff that's easy. Also one thing to check that I've seen is a fuel pump relay dropping off voltage at load from worn contacts. Just a few tests and ideas.
blargblarghonk
Greetings blargblarghonk....Thanks for helping out....You presented some very good possible solutions, and, above all, you are stepping in, and trying to help....Take care, and, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
The truck is 1991 silverado 4x4 5.7l auto with 97K miles I think. Motor #2. I just found the distributer hold down bolt loose, its been slowly turning. EGR valve was stuck also. Plugs only had 2000 miles on them. A stock Tbi motor that has had a stalling problem, at idle, RPM just falls off to 0. After resetting timing, all new tune-up parts installed and new EGR, runs smooth, but stalling after a few seconds of slow idle is back. Fuel pump, filter,lines all about three yrs old. Plus, dash oil psi gauge reads 20psi at start-up, less when hot. No engine knock, but only OBD1 code is knock sensor. Thanks, Cat
Greetings...Cat Dakman………..Wowsers…!!!...good job, on describing, just about everything...…...A distributor that "self-adjusts"...???...lol...…….There can be quite a few things, that can cause an engine, such as yours is, to stall (stop running), while at idle speed RPM's...…...Now then, about you sayin'...re-setting the timing...…….Did you (or who-ever?), use the correct procedure, along with, setting it, at the "specified" base ignition timing...???...…...I'm pretty sure, that, the procedure, might be, to have the engine fully warmed up to operating temperature first, then, shut off the engine...then...disconnect that tan colored wiring connector, that's reasonably close to, the distributor...then...start the engine...then, with a timing light, probably set the "base" ignition timing, at the specified number of degrees (with my, four years newer, GMC V-6 engine, the base timing, is set at "Zero" degrees, as an example, oh, and also, on my harmonic balancer, had "2" lines/grooves in it, so, I had to make sure and use, the correct line/groove, or, the base timing, wouldn't even be close...!!!)………..Once you are absolutely sure, that, the "base" timing is set "correctly", as is "specified", for your exact engine and vehicle, then, we can move on further...…….The "idle air control valve" (IAC), can also cause idling problems too, as, this IAC, really only affects idle speed ("it" controls the amount of air, that enters the engine, at idle speed only)……...Careful now, if adjusting or replacing an IAC, because, there might be two types/styles of them, and, they are pre-set differently...get it wrong, and, a new one will be needed...……Have a look, inside of your distributor, with the cap, off of it, and have a look-see, where those 8 triangles are located...…….If Ya can see, what looks to be, a magnet near those 8 triangles, then, look very closely, maybe, even with a magnifying glass, for any "cracks" in, said magnet...……Cracks = not good, and, might cause, shall we say, ghost signals, that will probably make for, a very confused signal, for the ignition control module, as well as, the vehicle's on-board computer, as well...…….Also, while Ur at it, have a look-see, inside of the distributor cap, and inspect that center, contact button (if it's the small type, that's spring loaded, they sure don't last very long...!!!)………..Did you clear that OBD-1 code, as in, "knock sensor"...???...…...With a properly operating EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) valve, then, the ignition timing "advance", can be increased a few degrees, and not trigger, that about 6300 Hz (cycles per second), knock triggering frequency, where-as, a non-functioning EGR valve, won't dilute the air/fuel mixture enough, before it ignites, inside of the engine's cylinders (please note, that, it's the vehicle's on-board computer, that controls the ignition timing advance amount/degrees, and, if, the knock sensor, sends a, shall we say, knock "signal" to the computer, then, the computer, will usually, back-off/reduce, the ignition timing advance, just enough, in order to not allow any more engine knock, to take place...…..Some computers, might only back-off/reduce, the ignition timing advance, by about 10 crankshaft degrees....maybe...???)………..Are you putting the specified "Octane" rated gasoline, into the Silverado's gas tank...???...…...If you happen to put in 87 Octane, into a vehicle's gas tank, that was specified to have 90 or above, then, that alone, could very well cause a knock signal or two, especially if, the on-board computer, wasn't able to compensate, for doin' such a thing...just sayin' now...……Get a hold of a fuel pressure gauge, and, check the fuel pressure, at idle, and different RPM's as well...…...A throttle body fuel injection system, will probably have, up to about 13 PSI/Pounds per Square Inch, of fuel pressure...but, always look up, the "exact specifications", for your vehicle first...!!!...…...Air and fuel filters clean...???...…….Make sure, that, your EGR valve stays "closed", during idle speed, or otherwise, if the EGR valve allows any exhaust gas, to get inhaled into the engine, while at idle speed, then, it might be a sHaKiNg engine, or like yours is now...silent...lol...…...Now then, my take, on oil pressure...…….Ya can get away with, about 10 PSI, at idle speed, on a factory stock engine...…...The good ole rule of thumb (so to speak), was to, have about, 10 PSI, for every 1,000 engine RPM's (probably be a minimum...huh), oh, and, those PSI's, would be, when the engine is up to full, operating temperature (cold oil pressure, sure looks impressive alright, but, hot oil, is the true nature of the beast...lol)………..Another thing to do, is to, shine a timing light at the harmonic balancer, while the engine is running, while the gear selector is in park, with the emergency on...……..Now then, what Ur looking for, is, is the timing mark staying in one place, while the engine RPM's are being held steady, or, is that timing mark moving forwards or backwards...……..If it's "not stationary", while holing the engine RPM's steady, then, it will probably be an ignition related problem...……..Sometimes, the timing light's flashes, will appear to be skipping, or missing, and, not be, at steady/regular intervals (this might indicate an ignition system problem as well, or maybe, it's time to get a new timing light...maybe...???...lol)……….It's a 4x4...yes...???...well, if, while in any 4x4 mode, that actually "lock" the front differential (axle), with the rear one, then, watch out for "wind-up", which has been known, to destroy a transfer case or two...…….To try and avoid that, so called 4x4 "wind-up", then, make sure, that, the "outside" diameter, of, all 4 tires, are all (reasonably) the "same" (outside) diameter, oh, and, I'll even bet, that, tire pressure, might just play, some kind of a role as well, maybe...???...you be the judge, and...….till next time...….Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings (once again) Cat Dakman……….Here's something else, that, I didn't mention, in my last reply to you, about, what might be causing, your Silverado's engine, to be stalling, at idle speed rpm's..……..Another thing to check-for, happens to be, any "intake" related (air) "vacuum leaks", as in, any air leak, that shouldn't be taking place, as a result of, something like, a faulty gasket/loose bolts or nuts, or perhaps, a small diameter, rubber-like vacuum hose, or maybe, it's made out of hard plastic pipe/tubing, that has become disconnected, or perhaps, cracked or split, which will allow un-wanted/un-metered air, to be inhaled, by the engine...……..Vacuum leaks, are usually, most noticed, while the engine is at idle speed rpm's, and, sometimes, the engine will shake a little bit, or lots, depending on, just how bad, that hypothetical vacuum leak, happens to be, and yes, if a vacuum leak is bad enough, a stalling engine, it could very well be...……….I use a Vacuum "Gauge" (about $50 Dollars, give or take a bit), and hook it's rubber-like hose, to a port, or fitting, that goes into the intake manifold, on a throttle body/fuel injected, or carbureted engine, and, on the newer types of fuel injected engines, I hook the vacuum gauge's rubber-like hose, to a vacuum source, that goes, directly into, the intake (air) plenum (the word plenum, is just a fancy name, for an air chamber...lol)………..All-righty-then, with my fully warmed-up, 4.3 liter V-6 engine, I saw about 17" Hg at idle speed rpm's (Hg = inches of mercury, showing on the vacuum gauge), which is about normal, oh, and, the gauge's indicating needle/pointer, held steady, and didn't wave at me...lol...which I don't want it to do, as, that would be indicating, one of the many problems, that, a vacuum gauge, has the ability/reputation, for being able to show, as in, detecting/diagnosing a multitude of problems/running defects, well, if Ya can interpret the needle/pointer's behaviour, properly, that is...lol...………On some, if not most, vacuum gauges, there is usually seen, some different colored lines, and, if the needle/pointer, is with-in the green color band, then, a good day, it will usually be...…….Lem-me-see-now.....your vacuum leak, if there happens to be one, that is, might be, a port or fitting, on the throttle body, or, intake manifold, that is open to the atmosphere, and doesn't have a vacuum hose connected to it, where there should be one, or perhaps, a rubber-like plug or cap, might be missing (do a visual check, for anything, that might cause, an un-wanted, vacuum/air leak)………..Are the throttle body's, bolts or nuts tight enough...???...…….Are all of the intake manifold bolts, and/or nuts, tightened down properly...???...…….The gasket, that's sandwiched, between the bottom of the throttle body, and, the top of the intake manifold, has to be in very good condition...…… The two intake manifold gaskets, on a V-8 (or V-6) engine, have to be, in, very, very good condition, or, if not, then that, in itself, is just begging for, a good ole "vacuum leak"...lol...……I replaced my V-6's intake manifold gaskets, and, it sure helped a lot, probably because, the original factory ones, were laminated (sandwiched) together, as in, gasket material, was on one side, sheet metal in the middle, then, another layer of gasket material on the other side...…….I found, that, just by looking at the old intake manifold gaskets, that, they looked to be, really dry (brittle...???), and, where they were squished, between the intake manifold, and the cylinder head, well, they didn't look so good to me, at all, so then, I installed, a set of Felpro (good quality) intake manifold gaskets, and, I'm sure that helped quite a bit, with the rough idle, that I had at the time...……Have a look, at your Silverado's "oxygen sensor/s" sometime, as, by doing so, is, well, kinda, the same-as, looking at a spark plug, somewhat...……I've had it, where, the engine was running, really, really "rich" (air-fuel ratio/mixture-wise) due to a fuel injection problem, and, the oxygen sensor, was all covered, (big-time), with lots of, dry, black carbon...!!!...……It got so bad one time, where, it seemed like, I smelled something "burning", somewhat (the mini-van was parked, engine was running, and, I had the doghouse, aka, engine cover, off, of the engine, at the time), so, I jumped out, and had a look underneath the van, and...Hole-ee-gwalk-ah-mole-ee...the damn...catalytic converter...was..."Glowing"...a..."Bright Orange Color...!!!...(now, that's HOT...!!!)...needless to say, it sure didn't take me very long, to turn off that ignition key...!!!...lol...……..So yeah, never park a "rich" running, catalytic converter equipped vehicle, on top of, any dry grass, or flammable material, or..."hear that"...???...here come the Firetrucks...!!!...lol...……Well, maybe I'm a bit too late, as in, Ya got er fixed already, maybe...???...and...….till next time......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
@@RockysRoadshow Thank you VERY MUCH for your input. I do have one vacume line to check. Plastic tube with rubber ends that are different sizes at each end. Cold temps outside hear now so have to prepare to be outside. I will let you know. Thanks again, CAT
Fixed a vacuum leak....... now truck will not start cold. 35 degrees or less motor only starts after putting fuel or eather down tbi. Then runs fine. Got to go now....
Greetings David Smith....I hear Ya....A couple of things come to mind....I wonder if a newly certified Mechanic would be able to figure out a Carburetor?....I'm speaking of the younger Lads that probably were not exposed to Carburetors, and only Fuel Injection....The reason being, that since the 80's, the transition to fuel injection became quite obvious on Newer Factory Vehicles....Also, some years ago, I asked a Manager at a Transmission Fix-Em-Up Establishment,...(con't)
the video and pic is clear 👍
I bought a bike that has been sitting for 10 years and when I got it the oil was all black as well as the spark plug all black and full of soot. What would you say this is an indication of? What do I need to do before replacing the spark plug with a new one? Should I clean the inside where it sits or spray it with something first? I've changed the oil and gas and cleaned the carb. The bike ran very bad before and died when reaching 4:th gear after some time and when riding it for a while. So I have it taken apart now since I will be replacing the petcock since it was leaking.
Outstanding!!!!
theblackslcmamba Greetings theblackslcmamba....(as I Hear You, "Exclaim" the Word..."Outstanding", I turn around, to have a look-see, behind me, at...Who-ever-it-just-might-be...that You were Directing, that there, "Outstanding", Verbal, Generosity...Towards...as You were Lookin' in my Direction, and, there was..."Nobody Else, Near-by...What-so-ever...!!!)...so, I say to myself..."Holy-Gwalk-ah-Mole-ee"...as, it appears, as though, this "Person"...(YOU...!!!)...were...Directing that..."Outstanding"...Verbal, and, Very Generous...Comment...at, and, Towards..."ME"...!!!..."Wowsers"...!!!...lol...................Thanks kindly, my Friend, for Your "Super-Duper" Comment, and also, for watching, this here, RUclips Video of mine as well..................................Just so You know, most, if not all, of the "Spark Plugs", that You happened, to have Seen, in this particular...How to Read Spark Plugs...RUclips Video of mine, had Spark Plug "Deposits", on "Them", as a result of being "Fed" (as in Feed...lol), an..."Air/Fuel Mixture" (aka, Air/Fuel Ratio), from/and by..."Carburetors"...and..."Not Fuel Injection"...where-by, for the most part, a Good Running/Operating..."Fuel Injected Engine"...will probably, as I see it, no, rather, as I "Think" it...lol...will probably have "Less Deposits Showing", on the Fuel Injected Engine's Spark Plugs, and probably, be Lookin', quite a "Bit Cleaner/Less Deposits", as Compared to, the Spark Plug "Deposits", that are "On", the "Stars" (Red Carpet...???...lol), be-in, the "Movie Props/Spark Plugs", that You, and, Everyone-Else, have "Seen", in this particular, RUclips Video of mine, that had a "Steady Diet", be-in that of "Gasoline", be-in "Administered", along with some "Air", in the Desirable/some-what Correct, "Proportions", by a "Carburetor", some-what, just like a "Food Diet", and something along the lines of "Portion Control"...lol (pretty much meaning, Not to Intake, too many Calories, in the Food-wise sense, but, seein', as how this particular matter, concerns, the "Feeding", of the "Air/Fuel Mixture", to a..."Gasoline, Internal Combustion Engine"...and no, not with a "Spoon"...lol...but, by means, of using a "Carburetor", on Top, of the Engine's Intake Manifold, to act, just like a "Mixer", and no, Not a Kitchen, "Mix-Master Mixer or, a, Kitchen-Aid Mixer...!!!...lol...but, rather, the "Mixer", that I'm referin' to, is, that there, "Carburetor"..."Air/Fuel...Mixture/Ratio"..."Mixer"...!!!...lol).........................Then, there is, what-ever-is-in-the "Gasoline Blend", these days...???...say what...???...lol.................................So many Country/Places, these Days, on Planet Earth, are Adding "Ethanol" (aka, Alcohol, sometimes derived from Corn, as in, Corn-on-the-Cob), and, around here, where I Live, the Gasoline, that I put in my Gas Tank, has, as far as I know, about 10% (10 per-cent, or, 10 parts out of 100 parts), of "Ethanol/Alcohol"..."Blended"...right into...the "Gasoline"...................................A Computer Controlled/Fuel Injected Engine, hopefully, will make the required "Adjustments", to the Air/Fuel...Ratio/Mixture, depending on, just "How Much Ethanol...%-wise", that there happens to be, in the Gasoline, that gets Pumped Into that particular Vehicle's Gas Tank................................I had a "Carburetor" Equipped Engine, starting to "Lean-Surge" on me, to what, I attributed to, this, oh, about..."10% Ethanol"...there-abouts, at the time, that was "Blended" Into the "Gasoline", and this "Lean-Surging", that I was mentioning, was when that particular Vehicle would "Buck, or Jerk, back and forth", while go-in, City Speed, on a Level Road, while keeping the Gas Pedal, in a Fixed, and not moving position.................................The Air/Fuel Ratio, for "Ethanol/Alcohol", has to be, quite a Bit "Richer", then, that of "100% Gasoline", that "Does Not" have Any "Ethanol/Alcohol", in "its"..."Blend"...!!!...as I found out, when my Engine, at the time (back then), was do-in, the, shall I say..."Herk-ee-Jerk-ee"...lol...Needless to say..."Lesson learned"...!!! (by Me, that is...!!!...lol)...............................Oh darn, now it's..."Coffee Time"...!!!...lol...........................So then..."Thanks" again, for Your "Super Comment", my Friend, and............Till next time...........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Well done!
kelhawk1 Greetings kelhawk1....Thanks kindly, for Your well appreciated comment, my Friend............................Most of the Spark Plugs that You saw in this RUclips Video of mine, were, for the most part, out of, shall we say..."Older Engines"...that had Lower Compression Ratios, and the "Deposits" that You, Others, and I, saw, on these particular Spark Plugs, were kinda "Dark", if You will............................................The "Deposits", that a Person will usually see, on Spark Plugs, out of a much Newer Engine, right up to the Engines that are being Manufactured currently, will probably Not have, Very Much/Many, "Deposit/Deposits", Showing on the Spark Plugs, and might even appear to look, almost like the "White Porcelain", that surrounds, the Inner Electrode, probably due to, as I'm thinkin', an "Engine Design", that is somewhat "More Efficient", with the Help of "Fuel Injection", and a "Higher Secondary Output Voltage, Ignition Coil", or, "Number of Ignition Coils", as the case may be, and, an "Engine Management System", that is "Controlled", by the Vehicle's "On-Board Computer".............................................Then, another "Factor", that will Determine the Coloration, and Amount of "Deposit/s", that are actually found on, just about any Spark Plug, will, as I see it, be the "Gasoline" Itself................................I'm thinkin', that, the "More Ethanol" (aka, Ethanol = Alcohol, sometimes, derived from "Corn", as in "Corn-on-the-Cob"), that is "Blended/Added" to the "Gasoline Blend", that goes into the Vehicle's Gas Tank, the "Less Deposits", that a Person will usually "See", on those particular Spark Plugs..............................................................The Gasoline, that I "Feed" my Vehicle, these days, should have about "10% Ethanol" in its "Blend" (lol, the Sticker, that I use to see on some Gas Pump/Bandits around here, Indicated, in its Wording..."May Contain Up To 10% Ethanol"...???...Really...lol), but, what-ever it is, that They want to throw at me, I never have much of a problem, getting things to Run as they should, when-ever "They"...Keep "Changing the Goal-Posts"...!!!...lol...Yes-Sir-ee-Bob...I always "Score in the End"...!!!...(Me thinks, that They might need a "Better Goal Tender", but wait...even the..."Goal Tender"...might have a Dickens of a time as well, see-in, that "They" keep..."Changing the Goal Posts"...!!!...lol......Then there's some "Stuff", called..."E-85"...I believe that Designation boils down to a "Blend" of..."85 % Ethanol"...and..."15% Real Gasoline"..........................Given all of that "Al-Chem-Ah-Hall", in that particular Gasoline "Blend", I don't think, I'd be See-in, much, in the way of, Spark Plug Deposits" at all, unless, the Engine wasn't Running very well, that is.....................................If a Person, wanted to have a, shall we say, "Super Close-Up", of the "Deposits" on a Spark Plug, there is a "Magnifier", with a Light built into it, that's "Specifically" Designed for just that purpose, unless I'm mistaken, cuz, it kinda looks, just like a "Medical Instrument", that You'd find in an "OR" (Operating Room), in a Hospital, or, maybe in a "Doctor's Office", where I can hear the "Doc" sayin'..."Open Wide...& Say Awwwww"...or....was the "Doc"..."Lookin' in one of my EARS"...???...lol........(Please, disregard all of the previous "Medical Shin-an-ig-ins")...cuz...that there..."Instrument"...Really...Is-For..."Spark Plug Deposit See-in/Reading"...!!!......................Thanks again, for Your Great comment.........Till next time........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Awesome video, you really know what your talking about. I have a 305 vortec fuely and one of the plugs is always like the last one in your video or worse, white solid deposits. I thought maybe it was overheating or sucking coolant, but I guess that cylinder has too much oil going into it. That's better than overheating or coolant in my books. Every couple thousand KM I just change that plug, not the right way of going about it but I don't think I am gonna pull apart a 305 with 134,000 miles on it!
ssShortBoxKid⧓ Greetings ssShortBoxKid....Thanks for the Great comment, my Friend.......................................................Truth be told...as it applies to that Spark Plug, with that over-abundant amount of Deposit/s, in this RUclips Video, that You were talking about..................................................From what I recall, that..."White-ish" Looking "Deposit"..."Was Not"...on that particular, Number "6" Cylinder's Spark Plug, when I removed it, from my 1979 Chevy "400 cubic inch/6.6 Litre (displacement) small block V-8 Engine...!!!..................................................I believe that, that..."White-ish"...Colored, looking, part of that particular..."Deposit"...may have been..."Formed/Forming"...During the amount of Time, that, that good ole Spark Plug..."Was in Storage"...and..."Was Not"...in the Engine"...!!!............................................To me, that..."White-ish Looking Stuff, that "Attached" Itself, to the rest of that "Major" Deposit, looks, kinda, like a, shall we say, a..."Lime-Like, or Calcium-Like"...looking..."What-sham-ah-call-it"...for my lack of, a better Description...!!!...lol..............................................The "White-ish" Deposit, that You found, on "One" of Your Engine's Spark Plugs, might still be the result of, Burning some "Extra", and not wanted/needed...Motor Oil...in that "One" particular Engine Cylinder, alright......................................................That "Deposit", on Your Engine's, "One Only" Spark Plug, could be caused by a number of things.....................................................I'll start with some..."Motor Oil" Related possibilities...........................................................In the past, I have found that, on a "V-8 Engine", that had Lots Of..."Blow-By"...Combustion Gas, that went past the Pistons, then Entered the Lower Crankcase/Oil Pan area (internally), as a result of High Mileage, that resulted in, having the Piston "Rings End Gaps" getting Way Too Large, due to Wear, that "Allowed", all of that "Blow-By", high pressure, Cylinder, Combusted (exhaust) Gas, to get Past, all 8 Pistons, and over quite a few Years, all of that "Not being able to Completely "Vent with Fresh Air", due to the PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) System, being Overwhelmed (aka, couldn't keep up), resulting in..."Major Sludge"...that actually..."Plugged Up"...most of the Engine's..."Motor Oil"..."Drain Back"..."Holes/Passageways"...in Both Cylinder Heads, and down in the Engine Block's "Valley", that's located...Under the Intake Manifold...and where the Hydraulic Valve Lifters were Hide-in...!!!...............................................When this, shall we say..."Motor Oil"..."Accumulates"...kinda like a Swimming Pool, if You will, then, the Motor Oil Level, will usually "Rise Up Higher" on Top of the Cylinder Heads, (below the Valve/Rocker Covers), and will then, usually, get so high, that the "Valve Guide Seals"..."Will Not"...be able to..."Stop"...all of that...Motor Oil...from making its Way, right..."Into the Valve Guides, where the Valve Stems, go Up and Down"...and probably..."More So"...on the..."Rear Most"...."Cylinders"...in that particular Engine, usually, due the, the..."Angle"...that the Engine is Mounted at, especially, as it applies to a..."Rear Wheel Drive"...North American Vehicle, as opposed to, a..."Front Wheel Drive"...Vehicle..........................................................Could be "Oil Control", for that particular Cylinder as well, as in...the usually..."3 Ring" (No Sir-ee-Bob, not a Circus...lol), but rather, the "2" Oil (scraper?) Rings, and the Expander/Spacer (weird looking thing), that is "Sandwiched", between, those "2" Oil Control Rings, that I was just talkin' about....................................................Keep a "Close-Eye", on "All" of Your Vehicle/Engine..."Fluid Levels"...and, the..."Gas Mileage/Kilometer-age"...that Your Vehicle is getting, as that my Friend, is, as I see it..."Are Very Good CLUES"...that will let, just about Anyone "Know", that there may be..."Trouble Brewing in Paradise"...!!!...lol........................................Might be a, Not so Good..."Head Gasket"...or, might even be, a Not so Good..."Intake Manifold Gasket" Set (or sheet metal/Valley Pan style, if applicable) perhaps...???.............................................Those "Gaskets", if not doing "Their Job Properly"...can Result in..."Motor Oil"..."Coolant" (anti-freeze n water mixture)...or, maybe even..."Exhaust Gas" (from the exhaust gas Crossover Passageway), making Its, or, Their way..."Into Places"...that It, or They..."Should Not Be Getting Into"...!!! (not including any Vacuum Leaks, that are also possible, as well...!!!)...................................................If any "Coolant" (anti-freeze n water mixture) happens to find its way, into Your Engine's..."Oiling System"...that, in itself, can cause..."Engine Damage" (perhaps, Locking Up/Seizing) the Engine, up to the point, of, having the Crankshaft, not being able to Turn/Spin...!!!..........................................The "Clue/Warning Sign", to be Watchin' out for, is..."Seeing"...what looks, kinda like a..."Milkshake Looking"...(cream-like color) Liquid...that will be able, to be seen, on Your Engine's..."Oil Level Checking Dipstick"...Yes-siree-Bob...been there, seen that, and..."Never want to Go There Again"...!!!...(lol now, but, No lol, back then...!!!)...lol.........................................................Maybe, "Ignition System" Related perhaps...???.....................................................Might be...Not Enough..."High Voltage"...making its Way, to that..."One, Deposit Covered"...Spark Plug...perhaps...???......................................................So then, as long as Your Engine is Running and Performing OK, and all it takes, is Changing that "One" Spark Plug, every so often, then, as I see it..."Life is Good"...!!!..............................................Good ole "305"..........................................Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Hi there,
Thanks for the reply! That very well could be calcium or some type of growth from sitting, I have seen that happen many times before to things that have sat a while.
I think my rings are good on the motor because the oil stays clean for a long time and never seems to smell like fuel/have fuel contamination, although I have never checked the compression of any cylinder on that motor.
I feel like it could be the valve stem seals/guide seals, it could only be the intake side though right? The exhaust side would just smoke for a few minutes upon start up? It doesn't seem to consume much oil either, I run 15w40 conventional diesel oil in it now days cause it's thicker and I have it already for my Duramax, I change the oil every 5,000 km/3,000 mi and it only uses maybe 250-500 ml maximum of oil in between oil changes.
Coolant never seems to get lower, have never added any for years. Should flush it soon I suppose. I had my cousin who is a licensed GM mechanic do the intake manifold gasket and the head gasket 3 years ago, I hope he did a good job and that is not the problem. Intake manifold gasket doesn't seem to leak when I tried to test it, never checked head gasket.
I am gonna check out the distributor/wires and hopefully I find something there, because I have an aftermarket MSD distributor and I don't much like aftermarket distributor/plug wires.
Life is good! I may just keep changing one spark plug because when that one plug is clean it idles smooth and runs like a bat out of hell for a 305 with that many miles on it.
Thanks again, learnt quite a bit talking, lots more to learn I am sure as I am only 20 years old!
Kodi
ssShortBoxKid⧓ Greetings ssShortBoxKid....Now I'm wondering, just what Year of Vehicle, that Your "305 Vortec Fuely" (as You put it), happens to be Installed in...???...........................................The reason being, that, it probably might have an "On-Board Computer" in it, and, even more beneficial, would be, as I see, if Your Vehicle was about..."1996 or Newer"...because, then, it would probably be the..."OBD-2" (On Board Diagnostic/s-Version 2), System, which, when a..."Scan Tool"...is Plugged into the..."Diagnostic Port"...that good ole "Scan Tool", will be telling You, some very "Specific Information", on "Any"..."Trouble Codes"...that, just might be Stored "Inside", that particular "OBD-2" Computer, which, will be able to tell You, just about "Anything" that is "Misbehaving", as far as, just about "Any", of the "Sensors and Actuators", are concerned...!!!...........................................If You care to, just let me know, what the Vehicle "Is", as well as, the "Year", and If "Any Modifications" have been done to it, over and above that, of what the Factory "Originally" Equipped it with......................................................Now then, about that "Diesel Motor Oil", that You are Using in Your "Gasoline Engine"...............................................You might want to "Check", and see "If" that "Diesel Motor Oil", is Actually "Formulated" for a "Gasoline Engine"...................................................Way back when, I did quite a bit of reading, about such things...........................................Just about everything, that I read, concerning, Using "Diesel Motor Oil" in a "Gasoline Engine", and, the Opposite way around, as well, was..."Not to do so"...!!!..........................................Do an Internet search, and I'm pretty sure, that You will probably Find Plenty, on that particular Subject matter (Engine Damage maybe?).................................................Now then, about "Coolant" (aka, anti-freeze n water mixture)..................................................The Older "Lime Green" Stuff (Ethel Glycol), was usually Only good for, about "2 Years", and probably, while it was in a vehicle, that was regularly Driven........................................The "Dex-Cool" (spelling?...and was GMC's Name) for..."Long Life Anti-Freeze"...and there are quite a few "Others" as well, that were supposedly, good for about "5 Years of Use", generally speaking.................................Usually, when-ever, the "Coolant" (I say again...Anti-Freeze & Water Mixture...lol), is left in the Vehicle's "Cooling System", for, too long of a Time Period, what will usually happen, is..."The Corrosion Inhibitors"...will usually..."Get Used Up"...and now, it's just a matter of Time, as to when, the..."Corrosion and Unwanted Deposits, Start to Manifest Themselves"..."Inside" Things, like, Radiators and Heater Cores, and given enough Time, "They" will usually..."Spring-ah-Leak"...!!! (repeat after me...expensive...Expensive...EXPENSIVE...!!!), well, maybe, not quite that Bad, but, I'm guessin', that You get the Picture....................................................Make Sure, that You "Read", what is on the "Jug" of "Anti-Freeze".............................................Usually a "Mixture" of 50/50 Anti-Freeze and Distilled or Soft Water, will usually do the Trick, and is a very good Mixing Ratio, that will promote Good Cooling, and sufficient Corrosion Protection..................................................The "Jug" will probably be indicating..."Not To Use Any More Then 70% Anti-Freeze, in the Coolant Mixture...!!!................................................You see my Friend, the "Anti-Freeze"..."Depends", on a Certain Amount of Water, in the "Mix", in order for it to do, its "Magical Chemical Interaction"...........................................A While back, I topped off a vehicle's radiator with 100% Anti-Freeze, and, I re-started the Engine, to, shall we say, "Mix", that nice New Anti-Freeze, with what was already in the Cooling System............................................As the Engine approached "Operating Temperature", as Indicated on that rather "Sensitive" Coolant Temperature Gauge, I was kinda in "Disbelief", as I watched that, good ole Coolant Temperature Gauge..."Keep On Climbing "Past" the Normal Temperature Range...and Kept On Getting Hotter and HOTTER"...!!!...so I Stopped the Engine, and, was askin' myself..."WHY"...???.................Like they say..."READ THE INSTRUCTIONS"...!!!...lol..........................................Later, after the Engine cooled off, I used my Trusty "Anti-Freeze Coolant Testing Gauge", and the Coolant, that was sucked up, into the Gauge, was Reading rather Strong, to say the least!.............................................I Drained, quite a bit of Coolant from the Radiator, and "Refilled" It, with a much closer to be-in a "50/50-Mix", then re-started the Engine, all the while, keeping an "Eagle Eye" on that there "Coolant Temperature Gauge"...and..."Look Ma"...unlike Me...It's..."Behaving Itself"...lol...............................The End.................................................Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
*****
No I haven't but I think I will do a leakdown test in the spring. I could possibly have a vacuum leak because it shows other symptoms of that aswell.
RockysRoadshow
Hi again, the vehicle is a 1998 K1500 Chevy truck, It has OBD2 but it has no codes right now, I only have a cheap scanner that can scan and erase codes, it can’t show me any data or values.
Nobody likes figuring out problems with modified vehicles, but bear with me.. The computer has a BlackBear performance 87 octane tune, MSD street fire distributor, accel 8.8 wires, hooker long tube competition headers with flow master 10 2.5” true duals dumped out the side, 2.5 electric exhaust cutouts/dumps, EGR/AIR deleted and tuned out, rear 02 sensors deleted/tuned out, torque management turned off/tuned out.. and the rest is mostly cosmetic/replaced a broke factory part.. many of them lol!
The diesel oil I use claims it’s good for “mixed fleet” aka gas and diesel, and is certified for gas use apparently as well. I know most of the diesel oils like you are saying don’t do very well in a gas motor.. I just switched this summer to using it because that is when I got my other diesel truck. It didn’t seem to have any adverse affects on it, that I noticed anyways.. Winters almost here so I am going back to a 5w30 or 0w30 again anyways! 15w40 gets pretty thick around -15c!
My truck calls for dex-cool but many moons ago someone switched it to the green stuff, I will likely end up flushing it in the spring because I know it has been a few years since it has been done, and it is probably losing it’s properties as you were saying. I don’t like dex-cool much because I’ve seen it gel up, but I think that’s the old dexcool formula that if you added Ethel Glycol antifreeze to it, it would crystallize. They have since changed it if I recall. Instructions are always good to read, I sometimes have problems with that as well.
I think my truck has 60/40 antifreeze/water, but I think I should bust out my trusty coolant testing gauge as well and check, the mercury drops to -40 around here certain parts of the winter, 50/50 is normally good though. Antifreeze cools less than water apparently I read one time, but if you use too much water and not enough antifreeze it promotes over heating aswell. I guess that’s why 50/50 is the recommended mix! I noticed your from Canada, I’m surrey you experience the cold too, I’m from Ontario.
Take her easy, and if she’s easy, take her twice, have a good one.
Kodi
Those original Chevy plugs show the right heat range at least, around two thirds of the earth electrode was coloured correctly. Perhaps you could do a further video on how to read plugs on an engine with pre-ignition or "pinging"?
Greetings...Jake Elliott...…….Thanks for watching...…...Well, I don't happen to have, any spark plugs, that have any real damage on them, other than, a well worn/worn-out, high mileage on them, spark plugs, that have electrodes, that are, all, eaten-away by, high voltage "arcing" (sparking...lol), with rounded off corners, or, are all covered with, too many deposits, that might cause, a cylinder misfire...…...Come to think of it, I do have a few, spark plugs, that have, the Ceramic part of the spark plug..."Broken-in-two-Pieces"...and no, not caused when an engine was running, more like the Guy (Me...!!!...lol), that never kept the spark plug "socket-extension-and-ratchet", in line with the spark plug, as it was being installed, or sometimes, removed from an engine's cylinder head...!!!...lol...…….The newer vehicle's engines, that are fuel injected and computer controlled, will probably have "knock sensors" on them, so, once the knock "frequency" becomes present, then, the knock sensor will then be telling the vehicle's on-board computer, to..."Back-Off" the ignition timing advance amount, until that knock "frequency" is gone...!!!...so, if the gasoline Octane is too low, for an engine that requires a higher Octane rating, then, the engine, will usually be protected from any real damage, by what the knock sensor/s monitor...…….On the older carbureted engines, without an on-board computer, then yes, engine pinging and knocking, sure are possible alright...…….Too low of an Octane rating, for an engine, that requires a Higher Octane rating...too much ignition advance (in a distributor)...or...too lean of an air/fuel ratio (mixture), can sometimes be a problem, and, if really bad, engine damage can be quite severe, especially when, going "wide open throttle/pedal to the metal"...!!!...and......till next time...…..Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings Sameer2762....Congratulations on getting your engine running good again....You were saying that your engine is air cooled, and, is your engine a 2-Stroke cycle or a 4-Stoke cycle engine?...I have worked on both types....Also, that close-up of that spark plug (thumbnail view), that shows at the top of this page was what you see after I re-jetted my Thermoquad carburetor on a 360 cubic inch car engine....Take care, and have a good one.
Thanks for the informative video. I wish I could upload a picture of what I pulled out of my motor. I daily drive a Chevy 8.1L in my Silverado. So let me ask you this... this plug I got in my hand is severely messed up. I have 206K on the truck and have only changed the plug at 100k and now 206k as per the owners manual. Is that stupid to listen too? This truck runs great for its age and frankly have only noticed a drop in fuel mileage when towing. Every other time the truck gets the normal 10-13.5mpg. This plug has deposits stuck on it, no oil. Clean otherwise except for this melted material on it.
Any advice is appreciated. Read some forums strings about upgrading these plug to the double platinum models and I'm doing that. Should I increase the interval to replace these plugs to every 50K? Thanks in advance! Pretty sure I'll get a lot more miles out of the truck.
Greetings...Ed Vita..........You're welcome, and, thanks for watching...........Well, here are some of my thoughts, as it applies to..."just leave those spark plugs in the engine, for, a very, very long time, without having a look at them, every, once in a while"...........The (precious?) metal, that, the spark plug's electrodes are made out of, are pretty much, what prevents the "gap", that's between the spark plug's "two electrodes" from "eroding-away" (as in, high voltage arcing/sparking), at too fast of a rate, such as, the good ole, much older, plain electrode material, who's electrode "gap", would probably get larger, by about .001" (that be, one thousandths, of one inch), for every 1,000 miles, that the vehicle travelled, well, on a good day, that is...........If you think that "platinum" is tough, then, just have a look at "iridium"...!!!...........Double platinum, as far as I recall, just means that, "both" electrodes have the platinum on them............High voltage, finds it much easier, to, shall we say, "make-the-jump", between two electrodes, if they happen to have sharp edges, or, are very small in diameter, just like, most of those precious metal "electrodes", that will usually be showing up, as a "fine wire", if you will............Me, myself, I like to have a look-see, at the spark plugs, at least once a year, and, even more often, if I'm dealing with, a good ole, "points & condenser distributor" equipped engine (aka, dinosaur...lol)...........About the "only thing", that would keep me from "visually inspecting" a set of spark plugs, at least once a year, would more than likely, be, due to the fact, that, some of the damn, engine/vehicle designers/engineers, never took into account, that, some of us "grease monkeys", would really appreciate..."being-able-to-get-at-those-maintenance-parts-&-pieces"...without having to use a..."shoe-horn"...!!!...lol...but, there's a good chance, that, I might still, be able to remove, at least "one" spark plug, to put my mind at ease...........When an engine gets older/accumulates lots of miles or kilometers on it, then, oh, at about the 100,000 mile mark (on the odometer), then, there's a pretty good chance, that, the piston "rings", will get worn a bit, and then, "blow-by" (that be, combustion gas, getting past the rings), starts to happen, and down into the crankcase/oil pan it goes (a form of pollution, some-what), and when it gets worse, the engine has to burn the blow-by gas, and the motor oil that it grabs, out of the crankcase & oil pan (probably due to the heat), then, the "PCV" (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) Valve, inhales this, shall we say, "smoke", then into, the intake air-steam it goes, so the engine can burn it (spark plugs burn it as well)..........If the vehicle is about 1996 or newer, then, it will probably be equipped, with an "OBD-2" (On Board Diagnostics-Version 2), engine management system (computer controlled), and, if the engine even "sneezes" (without you knowing about it), then, some of those, very "nosey, sensitive, and accurate" sensors, will be telling the vehicle's on-board computer all about it, and the computer will probably be storing this information, in its "memory", and, a good hand held "scan tool", will be able to extract the "codes", for further consideration/examination..........If the engine has "Aluminum Heads" (where the spark plugs go), then, I'll just put a bit of motor oil, or, a bit of common grease, on the spark plug's "screw threads", to prevent sticking/damage problems.............I don't use "anti-seize", especially the copper based stuff, on Aluminum heads, because of, a possible bad "reaction", between the different metals/compounds..........Spark Plug longevity, is, well, kinda like shoes somewhat, as in, anything will do, while mucking about, around the house, but, if Ur in a Tuxedo, Ya gotta have some pretty spiffy, and, in very, very Good Condition Footwear...correct...???...lol...........So yeah, keep the spark plugs, some-what "fresh", as well as, keep up with all of the "other" maintenance parts & pieces as well, as in, nice-n-clean...Air filter...Motor oil & filter...Tire Pressure (which, in itself, helps with gallons per mile...ooops...I meant to say...miles per gallon...lol)...clean & unrestricted Fuel filter)...etc..........I'll now, wind-er-down, with this (might save you, a few hundred dollars), and, is, as simple as..."Keeping the gasoline, in the Gas Tank, at least 1/4 Full, at all times", especially when it's hot outside...why you ask...???...well, it's that sloshing gasoline, in the gas tank, that keeps the (hiding-in-the-gas-tank), electric fuel pump "cool" (so it doesn't overheat, and quit on you, in the middle of no-where), and, some folks are sayin', that, the liquid gasoline, lubricates the electric fuel pump as well, oh, and, a plugged-up-really-bad, "fuel filter", has been known, to "destroy" a fuel pump as well, just so Ya know...and........till next time........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Reading my plugs is leaving more confused than before I pulled them. I have a bit of oil moisture on the threads and around the connector for the plug wire but the ground strap and insulator are a white/gray color. Also there are brownish streaks coming up from the insulator where it meets the hexagonal fitting that is used to tighten down the plug. These may all be unrelated so I'm paying more attention to the groundstrap and insulator. Color shows I might be running lean but I have a enough fuel capacity at the fuel pump, a new in tank filter and new fuel tank. The under hood fuel filter has less than 10k miles on it so it *shouldn't* be clogged unless the higher capacity fuel pump freed up gunk in the fuel lines. The last evidence of a fuel issue os I have carbon buildup on the rear bumper above the exhaust. Any thoughts?
Greetings...Richard Bossman............Thanks for watching...........Well, it would really help, if you can tell me more, about the "Patient"...lol...as in...Year...Make...Model...Engine size...any modifications...etc...that way, I'll have a much better chance, at helping you out...thanks..........Oil on spark plugs and connector?...leaking valve cover (gasket) maybe?...........Brownish streaks on the spark plug's porcelain, is sometimes normal..........Black carbon, around the tailpipe exit...carburetor choke stuck, or, on too long (if applicable)...or, too rich, of an air/fuel ratio, etc.........If your engine has a carburetor on it, then, consider installing, a...wide band (oxygen sensor), air/fuel ratio gauge...kit...that way, you can monitor your engine's air/fuel ratio, in real time, as you are driving, at all speeds and engine loading conditions...........Old school, air/fuel ratios for 100% gasoline/No Ethanol, at sea level (ballpark figures only!), were about 12.5 to 1, while going WOT (Wide Open Throttle), and about 14.7 to 1, there-abouts, while just cruzin' along, not too fast (14.7 to 1, is usually, what computerized fuel injection uses, while, cruzin' along as well)...........So then, let me know more about, what you have there, well, if you care to that is, and........till next time.......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Usually coolant will build up a white ashy look and over time will actually cake up closing up the gap and filling the bore of the plug with the same look.
Greetings higgout....Thanks for your comment....You might have Spark Plug Deposits that show a much Leaner (maybe almost white perhaps) when you Read your Camry's Spark Plugs, due to your Computer Controlled Engine Management System, as compared to the Deposits that you see on my videos Spark Plugs, because my spark plugs were Fed with Carburetors, and No Computer!...If your Engine is running too "Lean", you should be getting some Trouble Codes showing on your Dashboard to warn you of...(con't)
Sorry, I missed your other posts....I see that you have added some new parts...First thing that I'm thinking, is, when you replaced your spark plug wires, did you also install the "Spark Plug Wire Separator Plastic Clips" that clip onto the spark plug wires to keep them apart from one another?...Because if you have them too close to each other you may be getting "Induction Crossfire!"...That's when high voltage jumps from one wire to another one, causing a "Miss-Like" situation.
Greetings Chris....I have read about the things that you have mentioned about "Reading" the different parts of spark plugs a few years ago, and, if you look at my videos "Thumbnail" picture, you know, the one with the nice light tan colored coating on the porcelain surrounding the center electrode, and on the outer electrode (ground strap), and also the black carbon coating on the threaded metal shells surface, perpendicular to the threads, that, that's what I like to see, simply put....(con't)
Hey there!
I’ve got a 2 stroke snowmobile that’s not running right. The throttle is very delayed , and it’s not running right. I assumed it’s to rich, and the spark is inconsistent, but there are some people who says it’s fine. It’s a little oily-ish on the rings, but relatively dry on the inside of the plug. The electrode is coated with a thin layer of black all around. I’ve only run these plugs for a week total.
Greetings...Skii.........Thanks for watching........Is your spark plug's "heat range" correct for your exact engine, as in, the same spark plug that was in your engine when brand new...???.........Sometimes, when using a different brand of spark plug, the cross referencing isn't right, or maybe, the parts guy made a boo boo maybe........If you have a manual choke, try to shut it off as soon as possible, while still having the engine, keep running without stalling........Try not to idle your engine too long, and keep the RPM's up, as, lugging the engine down, at low RPM's, tends to foul spark plugs somewhat.........Don't use a dirty, carbon, or oil fouled spark plug, or it's probably gonna be, an engine "misfire", that you'll end up with, which causes even more carbon buildup........Try a new spark plug, that is the same brand and part number as the factory installed one, and also, make sure that, the spark plug's "Gap" (distance between the two electrodes), is set at the factory "Specified" measurement...........Are you using the correct gasoline to two stroke oil ratio...??? (or maybe you have an auto-lube system)..........Correct gasoline "Octane", as per your owners manual...???..........Good luck, and.....till next time......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
...there is something that it might also be, considering that you had mentioned that you are running the "hottest" spark plug available....If you have a liquid cooled engine, then, it could very well be that your engine isn't even getting hot enough to burn the air/fuel mixture properly....If your engine has a radiator, and perhaps a thermostat, then it might be that the engine is being over-cooled because of a bad thermostat or whatever controls the actual volume of coolant flow....(con't)...