lak2004
1/2 ton status
Well I changed my spark plugs last time and was wondering if you guys could tell me what all the stuff on them means? I have no clue here are pics:
CK5
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Spark plugs
- Thread starter lak2004
- Start date
by my eyes i see this
2 = oil buning bad
4 = not bad little lean with pure white porcilin
6 = little oil burn
8 = lean no real color change on porcilin
1 = oil burn
3 = oil burn
5 = lean
7 = lean
porcilin needs even slight tan for best color. not white like new.
and your motor needs open heart work. or at least the heads are shot with lots of leakage from valve seals and worn gides.
do a good comp test on the motor and post #s
good = no more than 10 psi diffrence from 1 to other and all across the board. i bet your oil plugs have low comp readings.
2 = oil buning bad
4 = not bad little lean with pure white porcilin
6 = little oil burn
8 = lean no real color change on porcilin
1 = oil burn
3 = oil burn
5 = lean
7 = lean
porcilin needs even slight tan for best color. not white like new.
and your motor needs open heart work. or at least the heads are shot with lots of leakage from valve seals and worn gides.
do a good comp test on the motor and post #s
good = no more than 10 psi diffrence from 1 to other and all across the board. i bet your oil plugs have low comp readings.
I see some tan on all of them, I wouldn't be worried about rich/lean.
#2 is pretty bad (oil fouled). You could have a really bad valve seal but its more likely a ring. I bet if you did a compression test #2 would look pretty bad compared to the others. At the very least I would replace that one plug to keep it going until you swap this motor out.
#2 is pretty bad (oil fouled). You could have a really bad valve seal but its more likely a ring. I bet if you did a compression test #2 would look pretty bad compared to the others. At the very least I would replace that one plug to keep it going until you swap this motor out.
lak2004
1/2 ton status
damn thats what I was afraid of, i am hoping to swap in a 6.2 but I am not sure if that will happen yet, if not guess it is time for new heads or get them rebuilt at least. I will try to get a compression test done tomorrow depending on how the weather is. Thanks!
lak2004
1/2 ton status
Too bad I dont still live up in Denver cuz I dont know anyone with tools to help me do an engine swap. Might have to make a trip up there soon and use my uncles shop or something.
Its not a head, its either a valve seal or a ring/bore problem. Valve seals are pretty easy/cheap (and don't even require pulling the head), if its a ring or worn cylinder wall you will have to rebuild it.
Spark plugs are cheap ($1-2), keep an eye on #2 and make sure that it doesn't foul. When it gets as bad as it is now it will significantly hurt your mileage.
lak2004
1/2 ton status
Yea it is probably really bad, but I havent been driving it lately because I have $0 to my name. Hopefully this week I can at least change out that one. I can already tell its fouled because it is missing bad, possibly on 2 cylinders even.
If it keeps fouling that bad, just clean it off and put it back in when you change your oil or whatever. No reason to be throwing money at it, the plug isn't worn out, just covered in junk. Little scraping, perhaps hit it with a bit of sandpaper and compressed air, and run it.
lak2004
1/2 ton status
I think I might go do that right now, can I use some brake kleen on it?
You can always put a heat range hotter plug in that hole if it keeps fouling. This will at least let you keep driving it a little longer while you figure out what you're going to do about it. I also would recommend NGK V-power plugs, they seem to last a whole lot longer than any other plug i've ever ran.
lak2004
1/2 ton status
In case the parts store people are as slow as I am, how will I know which plug to get that has a hotter heat range?
Just tell them you want a heat ranger hotter, they should be able to get it no problem.
I doubt brake kleen will cut it. Just scrape it, if you want to save the $$.
lak2004
1/2 ton status
Cool thanks guys I think I will get a couple of the NGKs since they are 1.99 and just keep the old ones I pull and clean em up.
I don't recommend running different kinds of plugs. If you're going to run NGK's then replace all the plugs with NGK's.
lak2004
1/2 ton status
ok will do
Hossbaby50
3/4 ton status
Hit that #2 plug with a brass wire brush and stick it back in. When it starts to miss again pull it out and wire brush it again. The motor in my Dad's Jeep CJ5 I used to DD has similar problems with fouling 2 of its plugs like that. It has been that way for years and will continue to be that way till he can afford to get the motor overhauled.
His CJ5 burns a quart of STRAIGHT 30w oil every WEEK if driven daily (250mi/wk). It also runs rich so it can foul out the plugs pretty quickly (1-2 mon). The motor still runs like a top as long as the 2 plugs aren't fouled, and it runs like a raped ape.
If it just fouls one plug every now and then don't sweat it. Run it till it goes or till you have money to put into getting it done right.
The rest of your plugs look fairly normal for a carb'ed engine with some miles on it. Hit them with a brass brush and stick them back in too. I used to pull my plugs every 3-4 months on my K5 and clean them and reinstall them. The Qjet ran rich and it burned a little oil. Now that I have FI my plugs come out the perfect shade of Tan every time.
If you don't have to add lots of oil to your motor and don't have to clean that plug very often then you should be in OK shape. If you start to burn lots of oil or that plug starts fouling quick then start worrying more.
Harley
His CJ5 burns a quart of STRAIGHT 30w oil every WEEK if driven daily (250mi/wk). It also runs rich so it can foul out the plugs pretty quickly (1-2 mon). The motor still runs like a top as long as the 2 plugs aren't fouled, and it runs like a raped ape.
If it just fouls one plug every now and then don't sweat it. Run it till it goes or till you have money to put into getting it done right.
The rest of your plugs look fairly normal for a carb'ed engine with some miles on it. Hit them with a brass brush and stick them back in too. I used to pull my plugs every 3-4 months on my K5 and clean them and reinstall them. The Qjet ran rich and it burned a little oil. Now that I have FI my plugs come out the perfect shade of Tan every time.
If you don't have to add lots of oil to your motor and don't have to clean that plug very often then you should be in OK shape. If you start to burn lots of oil or that plug starts fouling quick then start worrying more.
Harley
Hossbaby50
3/4 ton status
Also make sure your plug wire to that cylinder is in good shape. If it isn't then that might be part of the problem.
Harley
Harley
lak2004
1/2 ton status
Will do, thanks!
Running rich means you don't have the carb running correctly, which will foul plugs and cause poor mileage. Totally a different problem than has been described. His #2 cylinder is fouling because of oil consumption.
If you decide to clean the spark plugs that are in it make sure that they have the correct gap after cleaning.
