Excessive carbon build up on spark plugs?

[shadowwalker_02]

I pulled the plugs on my 468bbc and plug #'s 1,3,5,2,4,6 all look like they have more carbon build up than normal. To me they look like spark plugs with high miles. The motor has about 20 or so miles on it and everything is new. Is this normal and part of the motor break in procedure or is there something amiss?

 

[wasted wages]

I would expect some discoloring while the rings seat... but not carbon build up..

Is it smoking out of the exhaust?
It would take a lot of burnt oil to carbon up a set of plugs in 20 miles..

 

[shadowwalker_02]

It's currently smoking like a freight train, but it did clear our neighborhood of all flying creatures though.

Cylinders # 7 and 8 are done for. Completely covered in oil and I highly suspect the rings gave out. #5 has a light oil sheen and carbon build up and I suspect the rings on that one as well.

However, the rings only gave out yesterday. I started it up after she was sitting for a month or two and she idled a bit rough but fine to my ears. After 30 seconds or so I heard something change in the sound of the motor and then she started puffing like a train. Heavy blue smoke and you could smell the oil being burnt.

I know she hates me...

 

[ryoken]

you answered your own question.. it's not carbon, it's oil fouled...

 

[shadowwalker_02]

On all plugs? The rings didn't give out until yesterday. Don't see how 2-3 minutes of running it would foul all the plugs like that?

I'm asking this mainly to see if I need to worry about the heads or not. At this point I no longer trust the builder and am wondering if he didn't do something right in the rebuild. Or it could just be the rings?

 

[ryoken]

the rings where failing prior.. just cause you saw smoke yesterday doesn't mean the plugs hadn't been burning it for awhile... rings don't just "fail" unless they crack... it's always somewhat of a progression varying from yr's to weeks depending on the issue...

in other words, it's VERY difficult for carbon to build up on a plug.. take a pic of said plugs..

 

[wasted wages]

At this point I no longer trust the builder and am wondering if he didn't do something right in the rebuild. Or it could just be the rings?

Let me get this straight.

You just had the engine built.

It only has 20 or so miles on it.

It's fouling plugs and smoking like a freight train.

The rings are toast and oil fouling two of the plugs.

And you are questioning if the builder didn't do something right ?



what am I missing here......

 

[shadowwalker_02]

The first pic is the #1 plug, 2nd pic #3 plug, they pretty much all look like these except #'s 5,7 and 8. Sorry about the size, trying to do anything on win8 sucks.

 

[shadowwalker_02]

Let me get this straight.

You just had the engine built.

It only has 20 or so miles on it.

It's fouling plugs and smoking like a freight train.

The rings are toast and oil fouling two of the plugs.

And you are questioning if the builder didn't do something right ?



what am I missing here......

Wow, where do I start. This is a long story.

I bought the block and a set of heads in 2007 and took them to a local engine builder. After a month of asking around for a good machinist his name was usually the first. I had to get the block machined as the #8 cylinder had a nasty gouge from the piston grenading inside. I don't know how, i just saw the gouge. So after he built it I went and picked it up, took it home and began to paint it when I noticed that the top piece of the rear main was sticking out.

I went back and explained it to him, he called me an idiot and pissed me off. I took it back he fixed the problem and I never saw him again.

After I had it built it basically sat until 2010 when I got around to finishing it. I made the dumb mistake of not covering the motor and I had to take it all apart and clean the dust and dirt out of it. I had my friends dad help me with taking it apart and putting it back together. I trust his work but not the machinist. From then on is all in my so called build thread.

 

[shadowwalker_02]

I should add that the machinist was around 70 years and still working his shop by himself. I personally think he was burnt out and should have quit a bit earlier.

And yes the motor only had about 20 miles on it. Lack of funds basically kept it in the back yard.

 

[wasted wages]

All that time sitting..... there is good chance the cylinders rusted and wiped out the rings when you fired it back up.....

At this point,,, If it were me,,,I would pull the motor...tear it down...see what damage is done.

Mic the block and pistons.... If all good, get it honed,, clean up the pistons and get a fresh set of rings, bearings and gasket set.

Put it back together and you are only out a few bucks....

It doesn't sound like what you have now is going to get any better at this point....

 

[ryoken]

eh, could be really rich too.. what's the induction?

 

[ryoken]

ok, just read the follow up.. yeah, you should be doing a comp, or better yet, leakdown test at this point.. tho as WW pointed out, your gonna be tearing it apart anyway..