I just got done doing the stang headers/2.5" O/R h-pipe/ 2.5" summit chanbered s and atainless tail conversion on the XR-7...
It was running REALLY rough afterwards, so I decided it was time for a tune up... The tune up didn't fix it (problem cured now though)but it was definatley WAY past due....
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb170/1WLDBRD/88%20XR7%20Cougar/DSC04124.jpg)
holy shiznit! Thats the first thing I did when I bought my car, and i couldnt even drive it! Oil change and full tune up!
Mine are new.
I last changed mine in 02.
But It hasn't moved more than 100 ft since then.
looks like it uses a bit of oil
mine were about that bad when i first got my car.
the left bank had the worst of the plugs:toilet:
I can't see the pics (I have photobucket blocked because it's retarded slow on dialup) but the plugs in my T-Bird should be OK - I changed 'em two years ago and have put about 100 miles on 'em.
However, one of the plugs in my Saturn was so fouled you couldn't see the center electrode, and I couldn't even sandblast all of the crud out of it.
I know what you're thinking: Why would I even try to sandblast a spark plug? Well, I was driving along one day and the engine fell right on its face and the check engine light started flashing. I limped it home determined that #3 was dead. I pulled the plug and lo-and-behold the plug was plugged solid. I live 60km from the nearest town and didn't want to drive there on three cylinders to get spark plugs, so I figured a quick sandblasting would make the plug last long enough to get to town. I didn't get all of the crud out, but I did get enough to re-expose the center electrode, so the plug started firing again and did last long enough to get to town (I changed it out right in Canadian Tire parking lot).
The worst thing is that it wasn't even an old plug. The day I bought the car I installed new plugs, and this was only 5000 km (3000 miles) later. The car simply burns that much oil. A quart every 200 km (120 miles), in fact. Saturns are notorious for it - the rings carbon up and seize, and they burn loads of oil. There will be a re-ring job this summer...
not much... It aced the E-test, but still... what would you expect with 261kms (156miles) on it...
Still runs strong and pulls hard, with no smoke out the tail pipes...
Next month I plan to swap in a HO and T5 anyways...
Over time the ash builds up on the electrodes no biggie,wasnt trying to insinuate anything bad about it.
I bet with some fresh plugs it runs a ton better all around.
Mine are only 4 months old. The ones I took out were only 8 months old.
No problem, yeah it runs WAY better now... I used Bosch Platnium +4's, (I know some people claim they are junk, but I have been running them in everything of mine with never an issue), accel custom wires, and a bosch cap and rotor.
Eh I use either Autolite or Motorcraft copper plugs. I just clean 'em each year before I pull the T-bird out of storage. I only put ~1,500 miles a year on the 88 T-bird so the plugs really never get that dirty ;)
I've never had a problem with Bosch plugs. Autolite and Champion have poor quality control IMHO and in my experiences as well.
I'm currently running Accel U-grooves
I used AC Delco, but only because I work for an AC Delco dealer :hick:
Me too but I will point out that Champion's quality control is top notch now, don't know about the past but there are quite a few AC Delco plugs that are actually made by Champion then reboxed. NGK makes some for AC as well.
champion, aren't even fit for a lawn mower...
Don't know much about plugs eh???
While not my favorites, I ran the same set of Champions for almost two years... When I pulled them out they weren't really worn and looked a 100 times better than the ones you pictured... And that was after two seasons of racing... It did pick up .4 in the 1/4mi on a fresh set of Motorcrafts(or were they Autolites?) but those runs were in Nov at the end of the season with absolutely perfect conditions...
Those plugs that were pictured (picture is currently gone) were among some of the absolute worst I've seen...
How long were they in for? What'd they go through?
Posting from my own experiences my friend, I tryied two new sets of them in my 85 3.8L years ago and one out of each package was dead. swapped to bosch platmiun +4 s and never had another issue, (mind you my favorite is motorcraft, with the electrode ground back a bit...but the ford dealers around here say they cant get 302 stuff anymore...)
sorry, cleaned up and re-arranged my photobucket account, the pic is back now...
I think they have almost 200kms(120miles) on them and was a daily highway driver for an older lady, and after I bought it I have never really beat on it. just recently I have started driving it abit harder thanks to a nice sounding exhaust, and the fact that I am throwing an HO/T5 in it as soon as the snow is gone, (hopefully next week or two)
If you have an O'Reilly nearby they stock em.