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Old 05-22-2008, 08:30 PM
HawaiiBarb HawaiiBarb is offline
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Fouled plugs

I have a '78 Spider. Up until I moved to Hawaii Sally ran great. Now,new plugs are wet on top and black fouled inside. Mechanic can't find the answer.
Help! Weather is too nice to ge garaged.
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Old 05-23-2008, 12:38 AM
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Gary Williams Gary Williams is offline
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Without any information about the engine, fuel delivery system, plugs, etc., it's hard to know what to suggest. Is your car fuel injected or does it have carbs? What type of plugs are in it now? Did it sit for a while during and after your move so that you're running it on old gas? What did the mechanic do to try and troubleshoot the problem?

Regarding plugs, NGK has good information on their website. They recommend BP7ES plugs for stock versions of your car. Their BP6ES is a hotter plug that might help prevent fouling. The web address is: Contact NGK Spark Plugs

Here's text from NGK that describes causes of fouled plugs, taken directly from their site:

"What is a "fouled" spark plug?
A: A spark plug is considered fouled when the insulator nose at the firing tip becomes coated with a foreign substance such as fuel, oil or carbon. This coating makes it easier for the voltage to follow along the insulator nose, leach back down into the metal shell and ground out rather than bridging the gap and firing normally.

"Many factors can contribute to spark plug fouling. The air/fuel ratio may be too rich as a result of incorrect carburetor adjustment or a poorly performing fuel injection system. Worn piston rings or valve seals may allow too much oil to leak into the combustion chamber, leading to oil fouling. The ignition system may not be performing properly. Prolonged idling or continuous low-speed driving may keep the spark plug from reaching its optimum operating temperature. Using too cold a spark plug can lead to the same problem. Finally, a dirty air cleaner can create a too-rich condition which can lead to fouling.

"Fuel, oil and carbon fouling can all be the result of different causes but, once a spark plug is fouled, it will not provide adequate voltage to the firing tip and that cylinder will not fire properly. In many cases, the spark plug cannot be cleaned sufficiently to restore normal operation. Therefore, it is recommended that a plug be replaced once it is fouled."
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Old 05-23-2008, 06:39 AM
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Alfar7 Alfar7 is offline
Richard Jemison
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Plugs Fouling

Where did you move from? Altitude?
You likely need a jet change to accomodate sea level barrometric pressures..

Other issuse may be lack of "Italial Tune Up" driving due to the roads. Try hotter plugs. NGK fine wire tips are best.
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Old 05-27-2008, 09:13 AM
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lowmileage lowmileage is offline
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Fouled plugs

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gary Williams View Post
Without any information about the engine, fuel delivery system, plugs, etc., it's hard to know what to suggest. Is your car fuel injected or does it have carbs? What type of plugs are in it now? Did it sit for a while during and after your move so that you're running it on old gas? What did the mechanic do to try and troubleshoot the problem?

Regarding plugs, NGK has good information on their website. They recommend BP7ES plugs for stock versions of your car. Their BP6ES is a hotter plug that might help prevent fouling. The web address is: Contact NGK Spark Plugs

Here's text from NGK that describes causes of fouled plugs, taken directly from their site:

"What is a "fouled" spark plug?
A: A spark plug is considered fouled when the insulator nose at the firing tip becomes coated with a foreign substance such as fuel, oil or carbon. This coating makes it easier for the voltage to follow along the insulator nose, leach back down into the metal shell and ground out rather than bridging the gap and firing normally.

"Many factors can contribute to spark plug fouling. The air/fuel ratio may be too rich as a result of incorrect carburetor adjustment or a poorly performing fuel injection system. Worn piston rings or valve seals may allow too much oil to leak into the combustion chamber, leading to oil fouling. The ignition system may not be performing properly. Prolonged idling or continuous low-speed driving may keep the spark plug from reaching its optimum operating temperature. Using too cold a spark plug can lead to the same problem. Finally, a dirty air cleaner can create a too-rich condition which can lead to fouling.

"Fuel, oil and carbon fouling can all be the result of different causes but, once a spark plug is fouled, it will not provide adequate voltage to the firing tip and that cylinder will not fire properly. In many cases, the spark plug cannot be cleaned sufficiently to restore normal operation. Therefore, it is recommended that a plug be replaced once it is fouled."
I've had a very recent experience with fouled plugs. In setting up my new (rebuilt) TA, I excessively let the car idle too much to get up to operating temp while checking the infamous .019 gap. As I made more adjustments, the car ran crappier and in fact eventially wouldn't idle less than 1200 rpm. Even then the 1200 rpm wasn't really an idle - it ran still like crap and anything lower, it would pop thru the throttle bores and stall. I went "by the book" in sequence and came to 4 conclusions. It needed a fuel adjustment, the timing somehow all of a sudden was off, a valve got burnt or worst yet, I didn't know I was doing . I checked the distributor and it wasn't loose. I didn't have the tool to loosen the locknut for a fuel adjustment so I couldn't try that. I pulled the plugs looking to a lean (burnt) condition and didn't see any. Just for the heck of it, even though I put the plugs (NGK 7's) in last August and had less than 2K miles on them, I put in the prior set that I had pulled out before I put the new ones in last year. As soon as it fired up I knew what the problem is. My car does not like to be idled. The plugs had fouled in my repeated attempts to get the car to 175 degrees operating temperature while checking the TA gap. Do not let these cars idle too much and don't baby them when you drive them.
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Last edited by lowmileage; 05-27-2008 at 11:06 AM.
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Old 05-27-2008, 11:05 AM
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Roadtrip Roadtrip is offline
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With the engine fully warmed up, check the pump gap. It sounds as if you might have a TA going bad.
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