RT Help : Run w/o Spark Plug ? (1 Viewer)

[soggy60]

Think I've lost a cylinder; not sure if valve stuck open or closed; accel real bad: horrible thumping. Not as bad if granny accel- can still get to 65+ mph without pushing hard....

A 'get back' idea: remove plug from offending cylionder- run on 5

OK ?

- - - - -
Why I think #1 cyl: pulled plug, grey crystalized crud closed gap: plugs are 3K miles old: think I'm evaporating a piston :-(


Interesting: upon compression deaccel, feels quite fine - only during accel is the thumping bad. The harder I accel, the worse the thumping is.
Am concerned about stress on rest of 456K mile old engine.

200 miles from home & better tools- do have plug wrench...

TIA

Pete

 

[JohnnyC]

did you try to clean it off and regap?

its not wet?

try pulling the wire and replace with another cyl wire to see if the #1 wire is bad

see link:
http://opc.mr2oc.com/online_parts_catalog/emissions/spark_plugs.jpg

does it look more like the HOT or ASH?

 

[soggy60]

The crud on plug: scraped off; checked & set gap.

Crud was light grey...not as light as 'primer' grey; dull silvery grey...

Not wet; not oil,gas or water; very 'gritty' as it scraped off.

Had 'vavle job' done 3K miles ago; they said they found evidence of lean burn/piston evap...deposits in valve chamber. #1 pistion head did show signs of evap ( little pits).
Felt lean burn maybe due to leaky intake manifold gasket (old truck); new gasket in with valve job.

Saw pics on link you sent...none really 'fit', this grey 'plating' went from center electrode down insulator into plug.

 

[JohnnyC]

i would definatly try re-setting the valve clearance on #1...

things come loose

did you check the clearance since having the work done?

also did you try switching plug wires?

 

[FJ40Jim]

Pete,
Don't run w/ no plug. It will be blowing flammable gasoline vapor out the plug hole, then sucking dirt in the hole. Those are both Bad Things (tm).

Stick a clean plug in the hole and baby it back home. Make sure oil & coolant are topped off, just in case it is burning either of them, fouling the plug.

GL!

 

[JohnnyC]

definatly replace plug...from what you said it doesnt sound like its an easy cleaning...plug is probably gone

 

[soggy60]

Thanks everyone:

I'll keep plug in spark plug hole ....

I'll check valve lash (I set after reinstall head, I'll check again)

I'll check wire; but have a bad feeling that I am evaporating the top of the piston,,,,and the sliver grey crud is the aluminum condensing on the plug insulator....

I'll keep yaz posted....

Pete, 456xxx miles and 'walking' , , , , was running

 

[JohnnyC]

Thanks everyone:

I'll keep plug in spark plug hole ....

I'll check valve lash (I set after reinstall head, I'll check again)

I'll check wire; but have a bad feeling that I am evaporating the top of the piston,,,,and the sliver grey crud is the aluminum condensing on the plug insulator....

I'll keep yaz posted....

Pete, 456xxx miles and 'walking' , , , , was running

also check the timing to see if it is too advanced or retarted...happened to me and predetinated and the spark plug blew a hole in the top of the piston (in the triumph)

I am sorry to say you are probably correct....but...

its always good to check every thing ...just to rule out anything

BTW i just replaced my old engine...i see you have more miles than mine did

 

[cfdlighthouse]

i don't know if this helps, but i had same problem with a ford engine burnt hole in piston. turns out it was because the spark plug wires on the offended cylinder and the adjacent one were too close together. causing a misfire and out of time ignition from the adjacent cylinder. sometimes the easiest/ simplest things cause the worst problems. just a thought to see if the spark plug wires are not seperated sufficiently.

 

[ILUVMUD]

Spark plug wires TOO CLOSE???

I sure would like to hear more on the "spark plug wires being too close and causing a misfire". How close is TOO CLOSE?

 

[soggy60]

Ya Won't believe what I found !

. . .but then maybe ya might.

Opened rocker cover to start checking things out....

#1 cyl intake 'adjuster' completely backed out !

Reset that adjuster; checked & adjusted all the valves
really tightened the adjuster lock nut....all of 'em...many had come 'kinda loose' . . .

Varrrrrom ! runs like new....

In the spirit of "If it ain't one thing, it's another", on way to work (dark o'clock) this morn, 'cotter pin' on accel linkage 'fell out' ( maybe yesterday when I was working on it....): paper-clip for now....

Pete - heading for next odometer goal '456,789' miles....probably by the end of this week !

 

[Pighead]

So, you think you're evaporating a piston and it turns out all you needed was a valve adjustment? I love it when that happens.

 

[cruiser88]

I sure would like to hear more on the "spark plug wires being too close and causing a misfire". How close is TOO CLOSE?

It has been knowing to happen

 

[JohnnyC]

ahhhhh

 

[cruiser88]

. . .but then maybe ya might.

Opened rocker cover to start checking things out....

#1 cyl intake 'adjuster' completely backed out !

Reset that adjuster; checked & adjusted all the valves
really tightened the adjuster lock nut....all of 'em...many had come 'kinda loose' . . .

Varrrrrom ! runs like new....

In the spirit of "If it ain't one thing, it's another", on way to work (dark o'clock) this morn, 'cotter pin' on accel linkage 'fell out' ( maybe yesterday when I was working on it....): paper-clip for now....

Pete - heading for next odometer goal '456,789' miles....probably by the end of this week !

Man that is a incredible amount of miles

 

[soggy60]

Made the milestone

Wednesday (2-20-08), about 6:15 a.m., passed 456,789 miles....

 

[cruiser88]

Wednesday (2-20-08), about 6:15 a.m., passed 456,789 miles....

Just hit 360k...still amazed at this things after all these years....most has no clue

 

[lunyou]

i love high mileage trucks. I have friends and they are like my truck has 12x,xxx miles and I think I need a new one its running kind of rough. I say, "really?, My dad gave away a Toyota camry with 420k miles and their eyes get really big and then i tell them about my 4runner that was running great at 289k until some idiot ran a red light and I couldn't stop. High mileage makes great stories.

lunyou

 

[cfdlighthouse]

I sure would like to hear more on the "spark plug wires being too close and causing a misfire". How close is TOO CLOSE?

sorry to jump in, but wanted to answer. on my ford it was due to the factory plug wires touching #7 and #5 cylinders. as a good rule of thumb plug wires should be seperated by atleast a wires width. inexpesive but effective loom is to use zip ties. one around the group of wires to be seperated and then sinch one on the band in between each wire.

soggy60 - glad to hear it was a simple fix. hope the piston does not have to much damage. very impressed with the mileage = great preventative maintenance and oil changes i bet