I just pulled a set of plugs out of the car. I was wondering if I took some high resolution pics, if someone here, could cut them down. I'd like to be able to post a few pics of what *the perfect* plugs look like. I can try taking some pics, and see if we can edit them down small enough to be able to attach them to posts here.
Anyone willing to play, with doing this?.

Lacking that, the claims about not being able to get current fuels to read right on plugs, IMO, seems to be kind of bogus. Maybe in some high Alky fuels, or non attainment areas, but the stuff around here burns just as you'd expect.

 

sure i will. i look at plugs all day long. damn l1 cert.

 

For the countless times you've helped out -- I'd be glad to return a favor.

You can email me any pictures at adambros@claresco.com.

 

I would like to know more about this. Ive read some things on it and tried to figure things out.

Ive been working on getting the right heat range for my setup. so this would be interesting.

 

 

Can most people see this OK?.

 

It’s probably a little too dark on most people’s monitors, this is about as much as I could lighten it without washing it out too much/losing details/artificially coloring it. I could probably do better with a full size pic but if you have a bunch of them it would be a pain since I’m on dialup… how big are they/how many?

Really, a subject like that you'll need to light with something like a 300watt halogen lamp to get nice, detailed pictures for a low contrast medium like digital photography

 

no, you would just need to take the pic with a decent camera, preferably NOT digital. It's amazing to me how poorly those digital cameras perform in low light conditions. They add a whole bunch of noise to the image. If you can get your hands on a SLR or even a digital SLR you'd be floored at how little color artifacts, banding or noise show up after post processing. The CMOS image sensor is just to small.

This was a helpful article I found a while ago -- maybe you could 'borrow' some of the pics.
http://www.dragstuff.com/techarticle...ead-plugs.html

 

Grumpy
If you want to send me the plugs and I will take the pictures with my Canon D20 and post them up for you.

I did a fast setup and took this shot just now.

I would love to learn how to read plugs better.

Let me know and I will PM my address to you.

 

Z_ghost...Killer Pic! Cant believe the detail.

 

This is a great article on reading plugs I've wanted to see something like this.

 

bruce by the looks of that plug id take a gamble that the motor ate something. A screw a nut a bolt. combustion ring looks good. id think its time to pull a head and look at the piston.

 

.,

 

Was that electrode bent back to show a better pic. of the ground electrode?

 

The electrode was bent back to remove the shadow, so as to get as true of color as possible of the center electrode. It's critical to see as accurate of color as possible.

 

Thats what I thought....Ive never seen a ground electrode bent in that way before unless it was intentional .......

 

Thanks.
I am going to make a rig so it's easier to do, makes it easier to see the plug then using a magnifying glass and my eyes are not as good as they used to be.

 

i though it came out of the motor like that. ooppsss. i have seen that happen to a plug once when a motor ate a screw out of the carberator throttle shaft. looks like some preignition on the outside of the thread portion.

 

Grumpy,

What kind of gas do you burn? Is it reformulated, ethanol blend, whatever?

Regards,
Gary Anderson

 

Can you really get a good idea of whats going on using pump gas?

 

 

I've had pretty good luck taking pics of plugs in the daylight and flash with my Digicam (Panasonic FZ20). Here's an example.

 

Premium, just what ever's in the pump. Sometimes the 10% alky, it just depends on where I am. With 56 different brews, it's really hard to say which is what other then I just use what's available in the midwest.

 

Yep.
Way too often the stock plugs are too hot, and the tune so far off, that in oem form, there's little ash left to color the plug. The color ring is an ash deposit and for low to no maintance cars is an issue. Which in epaese means a no-no, since they've decided to take the owner out of being responsible for the car's maintance.

 

Another tip I've recently picked up is to use a small dremel cutoff wheel and cut the threads off the plug. That way you have a perfect shot of the porcelin all the way down to the fuel ring.

I have yet to do it, but I hear it's very helpful for newbies until we get used to what we are seeing and know what to look for. After I get my motor up and going I'll post some pics of my first sets of disected plugs.

Just thought I'd share

 

Macro setting on a digicam should be ok. I have a recently pulled set of plugs sitting in the garage but it's too late to go get them without waking up the house. I'll try to grab a good pic tomorrow.


That pic of a plug as big as my head is awesome. Plug reading for the blind.

 

A lathe can be used for cutting off the roll where the steel captures the porclean is a great way to get a full view.

 

Yup, only need to be careful pulling the piece out. As not to touch it to the inside of the shell.

Actually have an interesting plug sitting on my desk just like that. Just need to get good sunlight for a pic.

RBob.

 

Well, it was a little late in the day for the pic so the color balance is off. The blue is actually magenta on the plug. Camera was maxed to the red and min'd to the blue side.

As it is this is an Autolite 3926 which is a 3/4 reach plug. Hence the long cone. The bottom half of the cone prior to the seal is almost in contact with the shell. So the read stops there.

Note the trace detonation (fly specks) along with the magenta (blue) coloring from additives. Old plug thats been around for a while. I've been known to use the shells for making tools.

RBob.