The cruel things newbs do to engines.
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 340
Likes: 47
From: Corpus Christi, TX
The cruel things newbs do to engines. I have had an embarrassing moment here a time or two sharing my errors. Another one to add to the list is do not re use a cracked spark plug no matter how minor the crack the thinnest part of the filament has most likely been broken loose and gas a gap internally I found out. Hard to catch when its still letting the spark through.
Been chasing my tail with hptuners wondering why the truck wasnt running as it should. Do not get a mail order tune you will just end up spending more money hiring a pro or spending an entire month or 2 every chance you get during the day and every entire evening telling babe how much you love her but you have to learn tuning!!!
Btw im still runnning that used cam with the appropriate lifter trays and no issues after 3k miles.
Been chasing my tail with hptuners wondering why the truck wasnt running as it should. Do not get a mail order tune you will just end up spending more money hiring a pro or spending an entire month or 2 every chance you get during the day and every entire evening telling babe how much you love her but you have to learn tuning!!!
Btw im still runnning that used cam with the appropriate lifter trays and no issues after 3k miles.
I have had an embarrassing moment here a time or two sharing my errors. Another one to add to the list is do not re use a cracked spark plug no matter how minor the crack the thinnest part of the filament has most likely been broken loose and gas a gap internally I found out. Hard to catch when its still letting the spark through.
Been chasing my tail with hptuners wondering why the truck wasnt running as it should. Do not get a mail order tune you will just end up spending more money hiring a pro or spending an entire month or 2 every chance you get during the day and every entire evening telling babe how much you love her but you have to learn tuning!!!
Btw im still runnning that used cam with the appropriate lifter trays and no issues after 3k miles.
Been chasing my tail with hptuners wondering why the truck wasnt running as it should. Do not get a mail order tune you will just end up spending more money hiring a pro or spending an entire month or 2 every chance you get during the day and every entire evening telling babe how much you love her but you have to learn tuning!!!
Btw im still runnning that used cam with the appropriate lifter trays and no issues after 3k miles.
TECH Addict
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 2,513
Likes: 480
From: PDX-OR-USA
A super overly simple explanation,, The gap increases the spark current.. (AMPS)
On motorcycles and some high power stuff Magnetos trigger much different than standard ignition so it works on them.
They depend on gap to help determine when the spark actually jumps, as well as how much power is in the spark.
Grandfather had a old John deer with 2 cylinders and a big old magneto, the spark gap was like 1/4 inch...
And once you saw it fire you had no interest in accidentally getting bit by it.. Looked like a welding arc...
On motorcycles and some high power stuff Magnetos trigger much different than standard ignition so it works on them.
They depend on gap to help determine when the spark actually jumps, as well as how much power is in the spark.
Grandfather had a old John deer with 2 cylinders and a big old magneto, the spark gap was like 1/4 inch...
And once you saw it fire you had no interest in accidentally getting bit by it.. Looked like a welding arc...
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 340
Likes: 47
From: Corpus Christi, TX
@grinder you got the grounding out right as the generator field problem arising in the DTC's went away. I had this issue once before with a plug wire I repaired temporarily on the plug side where it pulled loose. Although I reconnected the circuit, the slice I put in the boot to access the end of the wire internally with 2-3 wraps of tape was not sufficent to stop it from grounding out. I knew that was possible and even spotted the dot on the tape I added maybe 10 layers after that and ran it long enough to get it replaced.
And @pdx thats an interesting way to increase the current I will be trying to put this one together until I find an explanation of how that works in terms of V=IR. But if you think about it your allowing the medium of air to be a new conductor in the equation being the source of such behavior...
Never put the battery dtc together with the spark grounding out till yesterday when solving the spark plug issue it kinda occured thats what had been happening all along. Too bad these 4th gen coils cant sense/report that to the ecm.
I had been having hell with tuning trying to get rid of it I am so glad this is over, Grinder knows about the fun I had with learning this platform of GM engines chasing down undersized gaskets and tray/lifter incompatibility doing it the poor mans way....
And @pdx thats an interesting way to increase the current I will be trying to put this one together until I find an explanation of how that works in terms of V=IR. But if you think about it your allowing the medium of air to be a new conductor in the equation being the source of such behavior...
Never put the battery dtc together with the spark grounding out till yesterday when solving the spark plug issue it kinda occured thats what had been happening all along. Too bad these 4th gen coils cant sense/report that to the ecm.
I had been having hell with tuning trying to get rid of it I am so glad this is over, Grinder knows about the fun I had with learning this platform of GM engines chasing down undersized gaskets and tray/lifter incompatibility doing it the poor mans way....
Last edited by Guy with a Chevy; Sep 21, 2023 at 03:02 PM.
