Interesting spark plug..

Interesting spark plug..

Author
Discussion

Lagerlout

Original Poster:

1,810 posts

236 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
quotequote all
What do you think? Detonation?

Can anyone recommend a proper tuning company who knows Omex backwards? I have a little turbo charged Abarth pushing 300 bhp and I need someone who really knows their stuff not a backyard tuning/remap firm. It's a track car.


cptsideways

13,544 posts

252 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
quotequote all
Possibly wrong plug for the temps your seeing

stevieturbo

17,259 posts

247 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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Generally speaking yes, detonation, weak, bad tuning.

Depends if that is the bulk of the damage or what other problems there are.

And lets hope there isnt also piston damage and that the bit of the plug that melted off didnt also cause some damage.

Give Karl at Norris Motorsport a shout

Lagerlout

Original Poster:

1,810 posts

236 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
Just found out this is the only one of the four like this. Guess that would indicate either a bad injector or a wiring fault to the injector?

trickywoo

11,757 posts

230 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
Lagerlout said:
Just found out this is the only one of the four like this. Guess that would indicate either a bad injector or a wiring fault to the injector?
Depends where this cylinder is on the fuel rail. If fuelling is marginal this could still be detonation.

PeterBurgess

775 posts

146 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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It is always difficult 'working out' what we are presented with if we are not there in the flesh and only have a pic as evidence.
The plug looks a little 'oily' to me. If there is any oil contamination I have seen plugs melt really quickly as the combustion process is 'totally' wrong especially in a high power car, oil contamination can be from poorly piston/rings and the three good cylinders power the poorly cylinder to death. If the cylinder in question is perfect and it is not oil contamination is this plug from the known hottest cylinder? If so then as you say straightforward det problem from too much advance and or poor fuel quality? We do get folk who have the car set on top notch fuel with additive then wonder why the engine expires on cheapest fuel available! As Stevie says there may be associated piston damage. If you end up seeing Carl at NMS pop in and say hello to us as we are next door!
Peter

Lagerlout

Original Poster:

1,810 posts

236 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
quotequote all
Hi Peter, will do have owned several MG's so would love to see your place.

The plug was on cylinder 2 and it is oily and so were the other three. There is no sign of the engine burning oil at the tailpipe though but we've had a weird oil leak under boost which we're struggling to track down. Thought it was coming from the breather but hard to pinpoint.

We're going to take it all apart and have a look I guess it could be valve guides but the engine has just been rebuilt so struggling to see how it could be mechanical at this point.

Last time we had an issue it had cracked the block. That was running 1.8 bar of boost its down at 1.5 bar now.

Sylvaforever

2,212 posts

98 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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Confused at the lack of racing plugs tbh...

PeterBurgess

775 posts

146 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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What is a race plug and how does it know it is one? I always thought the correct plug was one which had the correct heat range for the spec and the correct plug gap to suit the spec, am I missing something?
Peter
I forgot to put, correct projection too!

Edited by PeterBurgess on Saturday 30th July 16:23

Boosted LS1

21,183 posts

260 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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There's not enough information to make a diagnosis imo. Clearly the plug stopped igniting hence the fuel contamination. The earth electrode tip is damaged to. What are the other plugs indicating? If they're showing correct heat range and fueling then you have an issue with that cylinder which indicates something mechanical imo.

Lagerlout

Original Poster:

1,810 posts

236 months

Monday 1st August 2016
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Engine should be apart later this week will post some further info. Thanks all.

Prizam

2,335 posts

141 months

Tuesday 2nd August 2016
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Possible it was just a dud spark plug. Manufacturing defect.

Is this the first plug in that cylinder to melt?