Help Read My Plugs?

[WyoSyclone]

Hi Guys,
Just did my first plug change... not too bad - remove right fenderwell, cruise bracket, PCV breather to airbox hose, loosen upper steering shaft joint and drop shaft.

Could you help me read my plugs? I've got some good NA experience but no gas turbo experience. This motor was fresh 500 miles ago (6 years - ouch!). Had KB (KaBoom) chip now gone. The original engine builders correctly specified 'race gas', but the place I bought it from had run a few tanks of 93 with 104 booster in it thinking that was good enough - sigh.

I replaced the KB chip, have been tuning with 59 till I found out my wastegate is stuck shut - RPM Stage1 on the way. Mods are in my Sig. I was forced into tuning with 93 octane running two cans of 108 booster in each tank (no torco or high octane available locally).

Pulled out these POS Bosch Platinum +4's - used them in a Saturn once and hated them. Have replaced them with UR5ix's gapped at .030.

Plugs are 1-6 left to right. 3 is a little dry (increased heat at rear of engine?), 4 is also dry (additional heat caused by turbo heat soak?), Anti-seize was used on thread which accounts for liquid look in threads...

edit...forgot to mention that the stock turbo had, I think, an oil seal going out. Inside of compressor housing had more oil than I think would come from the PCV system... could explain the residue on the plugs. Also, does anyone know if the flow characteristics of the stock manifold causes any differences in cylinder loading, etc.?

Any input?

 

[MRKING]

Re: Help Read My Plugs?

Looks like you were running rich before . Since you've made changes in your chip , you should pull them back out next weekend to see whats really going on . After some spirited driving around if you know what I mean . They could look like that from the kb chip alone .

 

[WyoSyclone]

Re: Help Read My Plugs?

Thanks Michael,
When I started tuning I was running pretty rich cuz I was using a stock 59 BIN, but had to modify it for my 40lb injectors... could have fouled them, then burn't the excess off. I do have to say, though, that it has always ran exceptionally smooth.

I'm going to wait till I get the new Stage1 on before I drive it anymore.... I also bought an oil accumulator that I want to get installed before the new turbo just to make sure I'm not sending a bunch of sludge into the IC.

 

[gjp]

Re: Help Read My Plugs?

Thats about what mine look like. For some reason 1,2, and 4 look a bit wetter compaired to my other plugs. I was running rich too. I an running leaner now. but my truck used to idle @ 12.7. now it idles in the 14 range. cruses in the 15 range and wot in the low 11's high 10's. I plan on pulling my plugs soon to see how they look. I run ur6's gapped at .28

 

[WyoSyclone]

Re: Help Read My Plugs?

Thanks for the confirmation that these are about what yours look like, Gary. I'll get the new turbo on, finish my tuning, then pull the NGK's and see how they compare.

 

[jwaller]

Re: Help Read My Plugs?

I had no luck with the IX plugs and high boost. went back to the std ngk's and all is well.

 

[ghettosled]

Re: Help Read My Plugs?

in the future your plug changing methods could save you alot of time..

All you need is a long 12" wobbly extension (key part), with a 5/8" socket and 3/4" hex head on the end. all plugs but #3 can be reached by jacking up the truck and going through the underside of the fenderwell. #3 you can get out without a wrench if you are willing to snap the plug in half. basically slide the socket over the plug, and pry to the side. pull out half the plug (now in the socket) and take out the rest now that it is short enough to clear the shaft. if you dont want to break the plug use a stubby 3/4" wrench and break the plug loose and twist out by hand.

Granted i have done a bazillion plug changes and can feel my way through it basically with my eyes closed, but it should take you no longer then 20-30 minutes as long as the headers arent burning hot.

 

[WyoSyclone]

Re: Help Read My Plugs?

in the future your plug changing methods could save you alot of time..

All you need is a long 12" wobbly extension (key part), with a 5/8" socket and 3/4" hex head on the end. all plugs but #3 can be reached by jacking up the truck and going through the underside of the fenderwell. #3 you can get out without a wrench if you are willing to snap the plug in half. basically slide the socket over the plug, and pry to the side. pull out half the plug (now in the socket) and take out the rest now that it is short enough to clear the shaft. if you dont want to break the plug use a stubby 3/4" wrench and break the plug loose and twist out by hand.

Granted i have done a bazillion plug changes and can feel my way through it basically with my eyes closed, but it should take you no longer then 20-30 minutes as long as the headers arent burning hot.

Thanks Mike.... I had the right fenderwell out in preparation for your new turbo
Taking the cruise control bracket and steering shaft loose only took about five minutes... I had the whole thing done in about 30 minutes, even taking my time gawking at the old plugs and making sure the plug wire clips were snapping onto the new plugs properly... I'll take a look at your method next time - maybe get it down to 20!

 

[WyoSyclone]

Re: Help Read My Plugs?

I had no luck with the IX plugs and high boost. went back to the std ngk's and all is well.

Thanks for the tip - I'll probably be running 16 to 18 lbs max... I'll run these for a few weeks while I finish my tune and see how they do. I might go one range colder as I was running into some knock (only 93 octane available here). Back in my drag racing days the ONLY plug we could use when running high rpm small block mopar and big block pontiacs were Autolites... everything else gave us a high rpm miss. It will be kind of fun to play around, do some documentation, and see what works best for this motor. I'll take some pics and post the results as I go thru those routines....

 

[Andreas]

Re: Help Read My Plugs?

Heres a good site for plugs

http://www.dansmc.com/Spark_Plugs/Spark_Plugs_catalog.html