As usual, not even 2 weeks left and a problem arises.



I heard a rattling noise briefly on the way home last night, kinda like a rocker loosened up. Today I find that #6 plug lost it's porcelain. I need to find out what's going on. Of all the problems I've had, every last one has been on the driver side bank.



The motor has been making no audible complaints about the tune. My 02 sensor says it's got enough fuel. I've never been able to get the plugs to be tan. I can get it so the fuel can be smelled from the exhaust and they'll still be white. I've heard that's just the way new gas is.

Everyone I talk to says detonation causes plugs to loose the porcelain. My exhaust is either too loud for me to hear it, or it's not loud detonation, or it's something else. I don't hear or feel anything like detonation when I drive it.



Some of the plugs do have colors- grays or reds. Here are pictures, starting with the "bad" bank. What do they mean?



#5







#6 or rather what's left.







#7







#8







#1







#2







#3







#4






Lawrenceville, GA

Looks like the #6 plug had flashover problems, and #8 is running too rich, or maybe with a bad valve seal, ore even the plug is not working good, from pictures is a little difficult to say. Very odd just one plug showing that kind of deposits. Some of the others appear to be working too hot.

This kind of thing indicates, in my oppinion, that the plugs are not very consistent. I would change to another brand, a give a try.

Túlio Lazzaroni "FORD", Florianópolis SC Brasil.

'74 Ford Galaxie 500 292 V8

'82 Ford Galaxie Landau 302 V8

'98 Chevrolet S10 4.3 V6

'01 Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec

Charlie, are you running a hotter than normal plug?

  Dennis in Lititz PA

Tulio,

I've had the same pattern with 2 brands of spark plugs. These are NGK WR5IX. The other is Autolite 45. The driver side bank is "dirtier" for some reason.

The last time this happened it was on cylinder 8, with the Autolite.



Dennis,

These cross to an Autolite 45 or 46 depending on where you get the info. If anything, they're no hotter than stock. I know Gary is running them with success.





Lawrenceville, GA

I am also running the iridium NGK's and really like them.

Here is a link to some spark plug reading. The guy is mopar but they still have pistons going up and down also.

http://www.4secondsflat.com/Spark_plug_reading.html

marv

That's a good link. Unfortunately, i wiped off the threads yesterday so the heat range check cannot be done.

According to that info, I have too much timing. I have 34 degrees total.



How about an outline on plug reading from some of the pros here? There's so much stuff on the web that is sometimes contradictory I don't know which ones to believe.



Lawrenceville, GA

Hi Charlie,  I agree with Tulio that #8 has too much oil, probably a bad valve guide or seal.  The heat range on some of them seems to be too hot.  The last time I checked an NGK catalog, they only offered one heat range for the Y-block engines.  I think you need a colder plug, I'd go with a copper plug until you get the heat range dialed in.  Good luck, Nick Brann - K.C., MO 

Hi Charlie,  I got to say "Thank You" for the excellent photos.  That really makes a difference for us who are trying to help.  Good luck, Nick Brann

There is something going on in the no. 1 hole. As for the porcelain chipping, it seems strange, but I have had it happen too. I guess I am a bit old fashioned, but I feel like my Y-blocks run the best with the old F14Y Champions. I buy them on eBay every chance I get. They also fit some Cushman engines and there are dealers who still have a bunch in stock.

Kenneth

Fredricksburg, Texas

Charlie, that #6 plug had a insulation problem, that black stain on the insulator, indicates spark jumping to the wrong place. May be caused by a crarck on the ceramic, it kind of makes sense that that plug broke.

I used Champions RF11YC and NGK APR5FS.

A cross reference table will indicate the heat range is equivalent, 11 on Champion ~= 5 NGK.

On practice, the Champions appear colder (get tanner) than NGK.

Everione around here running iridium plugs on Y-Blocks have the same problem you do, with overheated plugs.

The best ones untill now were the NGKs APR5FS, correct heat range, and troble free.















I would give it a try. Maybe I'm not a very "modern" guy, but the conventional plugs work great for me.

Túlio Lazzaroni "FORD", Florianópolis SC Brasil.

'74 Ford Galaxie 500 292 V8

'82 Ford Galaxie Landau 302 V8

'98 Chevrolet S10 4.3 V6

'01 Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec