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#1 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Anaheim, California
Posts: 105
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First, some background:
A few weeks ago I had a backfire. Following that I could not get the car to run right. The problem turned out to be injectors that were failing. I replaced all 16 injectors with Accel units that I got from JeffVette. Got those all installed and everything put back together. The engine ran great, most of the time. The idle would be very smooth and low speed running was just beautiful. Sometimes the idle was rough and there was a misfire at low speed. Up high it ran great and really took off. The fuel economy was poor too, running about 2 mpg less than before the injectors. Today I decided to change the plugs. As I pulled them out they all looked pretty nice but the gaps were a bit excessive. I was thinking that the plugs may be on the worn side. The have about 10,000 miles on them. Then I got to number 8. When I got that out I found that the center electrode and insulator are gone. Yes... gone! It's broken off about 0.5" above the ground electrode. It didn't happen upon removel either as the fracture face is blackened. This did not just happen. These are Bosch Platinum plugs so they're not dime store cheapies. Has anyone ever seen this before?? And an even larger question... What did it do to my engine?? One good thing I guess is the ground electrode isn't bent or deformed so nothing hit it and clobbered it. Edit: I just turned the engine over (backward from the alt. bolt) and the engine turned smoothly through about 1 1/4 revolutions. I did hear a small noise but it sounded like something in the front like timing chains or something. Do any of you guys have any suggestions?? Thanks, SharkPilot ![]()
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[CENTER][SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] 1991 ZR-1 #1135 Red/Red with both tops. Stock except for an open topped K&N filter.[/CENTER] Last edited by SharkPilot; 09-21-2008 at 09:16 PM. |
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#2 |
![]() Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Edmonton, Alberta or Phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 2,741
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probably went out the exhaust without even blinking an eye. i'm not a Bosch fan to begin with so i'll leave it at that...
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There are no limit's mans ingenuity, just as mans ingenuity will never conquer the forces & behavior of this planet...Smokey Y. |
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#3 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Anaheim, California
Posts: 105
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Thanks for the comment Ryan. Learned opinons always help.
Today I took the broken plug into work with me. Several people looked at it and agreed that the borken piece would be long gone. So when I got home I put the last four plugs in and cranked it up. Long story short... It runs fine and smooth. ![]() SharkPilot |
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#4 |
![]() Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: McHenry, Il.
Posts: 6,607
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Well SP I think you were lucky and all is well that ends well!
Glad you got to the bottom of it all and are up and running strong again!
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http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...9mcw/SIG-2.jpg http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o128/wb9mcw/vcm.gif "The Budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed, lest Rome will become bankrupt. People must again learn to work instead of living on public assistance." - Cicero, 55 BC " We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution." - Abraham Lincoln |
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#5 | |
![]() Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Edmonton, Alberta or Phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 2,741
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There are no limit's mans ingenuity, just as mans ingenuity will never conquer the forces & behavior of this planet...Smokey Y. |
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#6 | |
![]() Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Edmonton, Alberta or Phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 2,741
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__________________
There are no limit's mans ingenuity, just as mans ingenuity will never conquer the forces & behavior of this planet...Smokey Y. |
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#7 | |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Anaheim, California
Posts: 105
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One thing for sure... It sure looks weird to see a plug with no center electrode in there. It looks like a dark cavern in there. What we don't do for our cars... ![]() |
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#8 |
![]() Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Edmonton, Alberta or Phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 2,741
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not the first time i've seen problems with the Bosch fine wire platinums. i don't (can't) trust them.
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There are no limit's mans ingenuity, just as mans ingenuity will never conquer the forces & behavior of this planet...Smokey Y. |
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#9 |
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Portsmouth, VA
Posts: 245
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So what plugs do you use? NGK's?
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#10 |
![]() Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Edmonton, Alberta or Phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 2,741
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Yes. i was sponsored by NGK when i used to race proffesional moto/supercross & they always seemed to have their act together, although i was a lot younger & didn't know a lot i could see that much, when i started getting into engines i used NGK's, just out of loyalty. years later & 100's of engines out the door i'm still using them. IMO, they are a very sound, reliable plug. no flash & glam, just get it done. i can count on them. the more a guy learns the more he realizes there isn't any magic in plugs, among other things, i just want one i can count on.
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There are no limit's mans ingenuity, just as mans ingenuity will never conquer the forces & behavior of this planet...Smokey Y. |
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