im not realy in the know as to how to read plugs. here is a plug out of my truck that im trying to figurer out if its lean or rich. this would be a lean plug correct?

 

i had the motor running for about 5 minutes with varring rpms and varing amounts of load.

 

No that would be a blurry plug. Sorry, J/K, but maybe a better pic would help. Anyway,

a normal spark plug has a brown to grayish tan look. If it is darker or black looking its rich, or if its lighter its lean. From the pic it looks to be on the light side? Maybe on the lean side? Hard to tell from pic.

 

sorry its the best i can get with my camera. i tried and tried to get a better pic but it wouldnt work. but is 5 min enugh to get a good plug read. like i said varriang rpm and loads.

 

put the plugs in and take it out for a drive.
Go full throttle through 2-3-4 gear, then bring her home park it and pull a plug from each side. Thats all the drive time you need to tell. Though blurry, you still look like a fresh plug, try going up 3 jet sizes. remember to do both sides, pri. and sec.

 

they are out of an I-6 can really pull plugs from both sides vehicle currently is in the position to be taken for a drive through 3rd and 4th gear. (steering is quite sloppy and needs to be fixed before ill take it down the highway. but up and down my driveway is ok with 1 and 2. would that be enugh to tell?

 

Excuse me but, gray or tan? (wrong) computer controlled EFI engines produce a white insulator with the correct A/F ratio.

 

Umm, no. A/F ratio is just that. It doesn't matter if the fuel is supplied by a carburator or injector, the combustion chamber needs to see the same thing regardless.

 

Yeah I know, but with EFI the computer can read exaust several times per second and make changes to keep the A/f ratio right on under load or cruising where a carb (non comp. cont.) can't.
So, as long as the engine is in good mech. condition and all sensor's are working properly with clean injectors, the plug's will come out with a white insulator like the day they went in.
I've pulled plugs out of engines W/50'000mi. that looked dam near new! except with a little electrode wear.

 

A carb will feed increasing fuel demand mechanically through likages and jets, where as the EFI uses the TPS and the O2 sensor together to keep track of fuel needs. Your right in that means, but a proper plug reading should have the insulator tannish in color regardless of what type of induction your using. A white insulator means your burning way too hot and you need more fuel to be compressed with your incoming air level.

 

if you want to argue about what different types of induction do then start another thread. other wise please help me.

 

I already told you, go up 3 sizes in jets on both the primary and secondary. If you don't believe me then, fine.

 

Ok i went up another jet (this is an edelbrock carb.) went from a .098" jet to a .101" jet. here is the pics from teh .101 jet. its not even but 2/3s of the plug looks like a good plug but the other 1/3 looks rich.

 

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3

 

4

 

1st off, one of those pics will be delete...the 3 pic rule. 2nd. lay it on white or black lay the plug on it, then BACK UP. i doubt u have micro focus on that, and it's trying to focus on your pants. back up to where u can see the entire plug. i'm sure people will get the idea, sry it has nothing to do with your prob, but that was bothering me a lil

 

opps forgot about the 3 pic rule. please get rid of the last one then.

 

u can edit and delete it yourself...the mods have enough to deal with i'm sure, help em out

 

tried. it wouldnt let me.

 

First and foremost your goofy if your go by the porceiln for jetting issues, all the porcieln shows is if you have any detonation.

Corey, looking at the strap burn you can go 1 range colder on your plug, you want the burn line in the elbow of the electrode. The heat range does'nt effect hp in any way shape or form, but will allow timing adjustments without fear of detonation.

Take a picture looking straight down at the top of the plug. I want to see the fuel ring on the base circle and then I'll have an answer for you on what to do. And yes get the plug a lil further away so it focuses on the plug.

 

here ya are Josh. i have some other ones but this is the best. if you want me to i can email more to you so i dont clutter the boards up. but here is the pic you wanted. im not looking for any super duper power out of it.(its only a ford) i just want it to run and run well and hopefully get around 14-16 mpg.

 

That's how the chips/computer work when they do the "tuning" on the newer trucks, more power better mpg and guess how they do it...survey says...they lean out the fuel mixture.

Pic still a lil blurry, but by the look of the base circle from what I can make out still seems a little on the lean side. The base where the strap is connected to should have a sooted apperance about 7/8 of the way around it for a good all around tune. If you want some more power lean it out so so it's about 5/8 to 3/4 away around.

If you have nothing better to do tonight, keep shooting pics and before posting make sure it's a good clear shot of that exact picture you just posted, and shoot it to me personally then we can post it back so others know what they're supposed to be looking for.

 

Ill do that josh.


This really doesn't have a whole lot to pertain to this topic but it kinda does:

I have been thinking today that jeez this thing is taking a large jetting. then it occured to me. would the fuel requirements for a 4" stroke X 4" bore motor differ between a V8 and a I-6? i mean its only going to make the carb supply fuel when a cyl is on the intake stroke right? this would make sense correct? that would be why my friends carb'd 350 uses a smaller jet than my 300 I-6 right. as my motor has a higher fuel need just that it doesnt have as many cyl. maybe im just going insane.