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Pulled plugs....ouch

  • Thread starter Thread starter 93GreenLX
  • Start date Start date Mar 2, 2004
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93GreenLX

Founding Member
Aug 22, 2002
776
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Southern Maryland
Mar 2, 2004
#1
  • Mar 2, 2004
  • #1
I pulled the old plugs and here is one
(click pic to see it bigger)

How much damage could this have done, possibly the cause of my idle problems??
 

bhuff30

Founding Member
Dec 11, 2001
6,037
35
129
Olathe KS
Mar 2, 2004
#2
  • Mar 2, 2004
  • #2
Are you turbocharged? That looks like the result of some hard core detonation. Is your head gasket still in place?
That will definatly cause an idle problem. A spark plug like that can't produce a spark, thus you get a cylinder that is missing.
The damage was done by some sort of detonation or knocking, and you need to figure out why it was caused. Don't be surprised if there is some collateral damage, like a blown headgasket.
What is your setup?
 

93GreenLX

Founding Member
Aug 22, 2002
776
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Southern Maryland
Mar 2, 2004
#3
  • Mar 2, 2004
  • #3
bhuff30 said:
Are you turbocharged?
Click to expand...
Nope
bhuff30 said:
That looks like the result of some hard core detonation. Is your head gasket still in place?
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure...cars runs fine unless I get on it, then it idles rough
bhuff30 said:
That will definatly cause an idle problem. A spark plug like that can't produce a spark, thus you get a cylinder that is missing.
The damage was done by some sort of detonation or knocking, and you need to figure out why it was caused.
Click to expand...
How, compression test?? What else?
bhuff30 said:
Don't be surprised if there is some collateral damage, like a blown headgasket.
What is your setup?
Click to expand...
Pretty much stock..intake, and full exhaust. The engine is stock though any other thoughts...do you think it went through the exhaust or is somewhere in the engine?
 
9

91_4ourBanger

New Member
Feb 8, 2004
255
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0
Mar 2, 2004
#4
  • Mar 2, 2004
  • #4
ive been having the same problems, maybe i should check mine too.
 

bhuff30

Founding Member
Dec 11, 2001
6,037
35
129
Olathe KS
Mar 2, 2004
#5
  • Mar 2, 2004
  • #5
A compression test would be a good place to start.
The only thing that comes to mind that could make that kind of damage would be a bad injector letting a certain cylinder run real lean.
 

93GreenLX

Founding Member
Aug 22, 2002
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Mar 3, 2004
#6
  • Mar 3, 2004
  • #6
Fuel injector?? Excuse my ignorance on for me please..
 

bhuff30

Founding Member
Dec 11, 2001
6,037
35
129
Olathe KS
Mar 3, 2004
#7
  • Mar 3, 2004
  • #7
93GreenLX said:
Fuel injector?? Excuse my ignorance on for me please..
Click to expand...
Yah, if it is plugged up or not working right, it could allow that one cylinder to run lean which could destroy a spark plug like that.
I realize that I also forgot to address your concerns with the rest of the spark plug. What hasn't been burn up, or shot out the exhaust probably isn't going to cause any problems.
 

93GreenLX

Founding Member
Aug 22, 2002
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Mar 3, 2004
#8
  • Mar 3, 2004
  • #8
What I'm going to do is wait abou a week and pull the plug and see if it happened to the new one. I'll do a compression check then too. Is there any way to check for bad injectors?
 

Mattsmustang

New Member
Mar 4, 2003
112
0
0
Kansas
Mar 3, 2004
#9
  • Mar 3, 2004
  • #9
could it have been a bad spark plug to start with? how do your others look? i have had bad spark plugs right out of the box from autolite but never from bosh so maybe quality control missed one or an employee dropped it as the were unloading it, which has happened to me

matthew
 

93GreenLX

Founding Member
Aug 22, 2002
776
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Southern Maryland
Mar 3, 2004
#10
  • Mar 3, 2004
  • #10
The rest look pretty good..one next to it was a little gased all others were fine.
 
P

Pro-Hawk

New Member
Dec 4, 2003
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West Texas
Mar 3, 2004
#11
  • Mar 3, 2004
  • #11
I think I would be happy that I pulled that plug and only noticed a bad mis and it still ran

That looks like you ran some nitrous and leaned out a bit, but who knows.
 

mr_woodster

Active Member
Jul 28, 2003
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36
Riverside, CA
Mar 3, 2004
#12
  • Mar 3, 2004
  • #12
that looks like one of those split-fire plugs(*hiss*)...maybe go with something cheaper, also check your timing! I've run nitrous and never done that to any of my cheap autolite 103's !
 

Cougar

Founding Member
Sep 29, 2001
913
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Manhattan Kansas, KSU
Mar 3, 2004
#13
  • Mar 3, 2004
  • #13
mr_woodster said:
that looks like one of those split-fire plugs(*hiss*)...maybe go with something cheaper, also check your timing! I've run nitrous and never done that to any of my cheap autolite 103's !
Click to expand...
^what he said
 
1

140cilx

Founding Member
Sep 7, 2001
2,385
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GA
Mar 3, 2004
#14
  • Mar 3, 2004
  • #14
not to be offensive, but your hands don't match.
 

93GreenLX

Founding Member
Aug 22, 2002
776
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0
Southern Maryland
Mar 3, 2004
#15
  • Mar 3, 2004
  • #15
140cilx said:
not to be offensive, but your hands don't match.
Click to expand...
I was born like that, they said it would grow to a normal size but it never did. Actually I get alot of looks. It comes in handy sometime..reaching into jars, behind couches etc. I 'm surprised someone had the balls to say something
 
S

stangs4evr-roy

New Member
Mar 26, 2004
57
0
0
Mar 26, 2004
#16
  • Mar 26, 2004
  • #16
l tried platinums,platinum+4s,NGKs in my 92 lx, no matter what l tried the car ran like crap.My next door neighbor is a ford tech and he was telling me that the 2.3 dual plug in the mustang as well as other 2.3s (tempo, topaz etc.) only seem to run right with the original motorcraft plugs and l totally agree.
 

85 Coupe 5.0

Founding Member
Dec 18, 2001
817
2
16
Kansas
Mar 26, 2004
#17
  • Mar 26, 2004
  • #17
That looks like a Bosch Platinum +2 or a Splitfire. JUNK

Use Autolite or Motorcraft Plugs. The Bosch plugs are a joke, all of them.
Use O.E. Plugs, they put them in from the factory for a reason...........
 

93GreenLX

Founding Member
Aug 22, 2002
776
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Southern Maryland
Mar 27, 2004
#18
  • Mar 27, 2004
  • #18
Yes those were Bosch Platinums +2
 

85 Coupe 5.0

Founding Member
Dec 18, 2001
817
2
16
Kansas
Mar 27, 2004
#19
  • Mar 27, 2004
  • #19
All Bosch Plugs are JUNK. Period.

ask to take a look at some next time you are in the parts store. Look at the center electrode. Look how small it is, it's tiny. Sure they are platinum, but there is hardly anything there. What happens is that tiny piece of platnium burns down into the insulator surrounding it. I can't count how many times people have brought these back to the store complaining about it. My reply is, you get what you pay for. C'mon, seriously, a $2.00 platnium plug, Please.

In addition, the additional prongs do nothing. absolutely nothing. There have been many studies done over it. We actually used some at school in a vehicle. With the lab scope hooked up to the car, it took no more or less voltage to jump the gap(s) on the plugs. Also, the sniffer detected no change with either plug.

Anyhow, that's just my opinion.
 

CruzNlife1

Founding Member
Feb 17, 2002
1,419
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0
West Palm Beach
Mar 27, 2004
#20
  • Mar 27, 2004
  • #20
you are kidding about the hands right LOL.... If not I apologize
 
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