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  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
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Electrical Spark Plugs

  • Thread starter Thread starter jimzzilla
  • Start date Start date Feb 24, 2026
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Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell
Mod Dude
Feb 18, 2001
43,215
17,899
224
Massachusetts
Feb 26, 2026
#21
  • Feb 26, 2026
  • #21
AeroCoupe said:
What is interesting to me is that on a carb setup the four corners are showing fat and the center four are showing lean which I find to be opposite of what most get. Runners on the corners are longer so they tend to get less fuel. This is of course as long as the ignition system is working like it should.
Click to expand...


I was pondering the same. I don't have any suggestions here but I don't think changing spark plugs is the solution here
 
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AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes
Founding Member
Oct 28, 2001
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Feb 26, 2026
#22
  • Feb 26, 2026
  • #22
Have you run compression tests on all the cylinders? Would be really odd for all of the corners to be lower than the centers but it’s worth a check.
 
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jimzzilla

Member
Aug 9, 2024
28
5
13
Florida
Feb 26, 2026
#23
  • Feb 26, 2026
  • #23
AeroCoupe said:
Have you run compression tests on all the cylinders? Would be really odd for all of the corners to be lower than the centers but it’s worth a check.
Click to expand...
Compression check is good.
 

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair
5 Year Member
Aug 25, 2016
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polk county florida
Feb 26, 2026
#24
  • Feb 26, 2026
  • #24
Definitely a distribution issue rather than spark in my opinion.
The possibility of a bad distributor cap causing a weak spark on those cylinders,
I need to look and see what the floor of that intake looks like, is the spacer open or a 4 hole unit?
 
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DadLife0724

Active Member
Mar 22, 2024
263
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Cooperstown, PA
Feb 26, 2026
#25
  • Feb 26, 2026
  • #25
What are the odds of the distributor being wonky on one whole side of the motor?
 
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86HO5.0

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Apr 18, 2023
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Feb 26, 2026
#26
  • Feb 26, 2026
  • #26
The issue lies on the 4 corners, not bank to bank.

I second the notion of the carb spacer type, open or 4 hole?
 
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General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair
5 Year Member
Aug 25, 2016
27,867
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polk county florida
Feb 26, 2026
#27
  • Feb 26, 2026
  • #27
DadLife0724 said:
What are the odds of the distributor being wonky on one whole side of the motor?
Click to expand...
That's a valid point, compare the rotational order of the fat cylinders, are they next to each other in order? look for spark skatter inside the cap, check for a crack.
 
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AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes
Founding Member
Oct 28, 2001
5,816
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Feb 27, 2026
#28
  • Feb 27, 2026
  • #28
What were the results and were the cylinders balanced? Have you done a leak down test? Just trying to rule out any mechanical issues.
 

jimzzilla

Member
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Feb 27, 2026
#29
  • Feb 27, 2026
  • #29
General karthief said:
Definitely a distribution issue rather than spark in my opinion.
The possibility of a bad distributor cap causing a weak spark on those cylinders,
I need to look and see what the floor of that intake looks like, is the spacer open or a 4 hole unit?
Click to expand...
Open.
 
Reactions: General karthief

jimzzilla

Member
Aug 9, 2024
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Feb 27, 2026
#30
  • Feb 27, 2026
  • #30
General karthief said:
Definitely a distribution issue rather than spark in my opinion.
86HO5.0 said:
The issue lies on the 4 corners, not bank to bank.

I second the notion of the carb spacer type, open or 4 hole?
Click to expand...
open spacer.
The possibility of a bad distributor cap causing a weak spark on those cylinders,
I need to look and see what the floor of that intake looks like, is the spacer open or a 4 hole unit?
Click to expand...
 

jimzzilla

Member
Aug 9, 2024
28
5
13
Florida
Feb 27, 2026
#31
  • Feb 27, 2026
  • #31
AeroCoupe said:
What were the results and were the cylinders balanced? Have you done a leak down test? Just trying to rule out any mechanical issues.
Click to expand...
yes years ago, was good then.
 

jimzzilla

Member
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5
13
Florida
Feb 27, 2026
#32
  • Feb 27, 2026
  • #32
86HO5.0 said:
The issue lies on the 4 corners, not bank to bank.

I second the notion of the carb spacer type, open or 4 hole?
Click to expand...
open spacer.
 

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes
Founding Member
Oct 28, 2001
5,816
3,951
183
Claremore, OK
Feb 27, 2026
#33
  • Feb 27, 2026
  • #33
jimzzilla said:
yes years ago, was good then.
Click to expand...
So has this problem been there the whole time or is it recent? If it’s recent you may want to do it again.
 
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86HO5.0

Active Member
Apr 18, 2023
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Raleigh, NC
Feb 27, 2026
#34
  • Feb 27, 2026
  • #34
Would it be possible to get a datalog from the widebands and the MSD (MAP as well?)? It might help narrow down the cause.
 

jimzzilla

Member
Aug 9, 2024
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13
Florida
Feb 27, 2026
#35
  • Feb 27, 2026
  • #35
AeroCoupe said:
So has this problem been there the whole time or is it recent? If it’s recent you may want to do it again.
Click to expand...
I have had the problem the whole time, been on the road for about 5 years. I do not have any complaints as to how it runs, it runs great.
The only complaint I have is as I said the 4 corner cylinders being richer than the inner 4 cylinders.
The plugs end up getting fouled after about 20 hrs of run time and the O2 sensors last maybe 30 hrs before they malfunction.
The oil gets Black and has a gasoline smell so I change the oil when I change the plugs.
My tuner says it runs on the rich side but that is the best he can do to keep idle and driveable.
He said if that is not good enough then I should go the way of aftermarket EFI.
 

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes
Founding Member
Oct 28, 2001
5,816
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Claremore, OK
Feb 27, 2026
#36
  • Feb 27, 2026
  • #36
Well all I can tell you is that the 351W in my Thunderbird has a CarbShop 830 on it with a Victor Jr and the corners run just a shade lighter on the plugs than the center four. I have always attributed this to the shorter path of center four runners getting a little more fuel at higher rpm. When running the nitrous the corners are pilled one step higher than the center four on the fuel side to compensate for this and the plugs look dead even.

So from my experience and my engine builder's experience (he is the one that tuned the car) the corners run lean on carbureted motors. This is why your situation is weird but intriguing.
 
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AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes
Founding Member
Oct 28, 2001
5,816
3,951
183
Claremore, OK
Feb 27, 2026
#37
  • Feb 27, 2026
  • #37
Wonder if it is a fuel atomization issue i.e. its not getting atomized small enough so the corners cannot move the heavier particles to them like the center ones can?
 

jimzzilla

Member
Aug 9, 2024
28
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13
Florida
Feb 27, 2026
#38
  • Feb 27, 2026
  • #38
It runs pig rich at idle until it gets warmed up, the carbon spots are 1/16" thick.
Check out the spark plugs.
 
8

86HO5.0

Active Member
Apr 18, 2023
241
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Raleigh, NC
Feb 28, 2026
#39
  • Feb 28, 2026
  • #39
Lean it out. That is a tuning issue.
 
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jimzzilla

Member
Aug 9, 2024
28
5
13
Florida
Feb 28, 2026
#40
  • Feb 28, 2026
  • #40
86HO5.0 said:
Lean it out. That is a tuning issue.
Click to expand...
I was told that is as good as it gets to not have drive ability issues, I am unable to do it myself.
That's why I wanted to try 1 range hotter on the plugs.
 
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