LT1-LT4 Modifications 1993-97 Gen II Small Block V8

Pulled a plug

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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 01:50 PM
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Default Pulled a plug

...and snapped a couple shots. What do you guys think of this?






Had some crud fall off it too. :hmm:

I have new plugs... just waiting on time to get the passenger side plug wires done.
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 01:58 PM
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Not good. Those plugs have been suspect to detonation or they are the wrong heat range.

Any engine mods?
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 02:06 PM
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Originally Posted by RamAir95TA
Any engine mods?
Long tubes, a tune (From KS), ... pretty much it.

I'm going to guess it's from the misfiring I had from my O2 sensors going to ****.
They are gapped at .045. No way to tell if they were like this before the sensors died. Haven't pulled the rest yet, just the one.
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 02:25 PM
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holy mother of detonation...........check the tune or fuel delivery thats an issue you got there you WILL end up breaking something if you dont fix it........thats not misfiring thats a detonation problem caused by a lean condidtion or too much timing or probably both.....fix it before u break it
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 02:51 PM
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looks like youre running lean there sonny
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 03:08 PM
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yikes! how many miles on that plug? wonder how long thats been going on..
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 03:21 PM
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Originally Posted by z_speedfreak
yikes! how many miles on that plug? wonder how long thats been going on..
I have no idea

I've been having fuel and oil consumption issues too. Think that can be related to this?
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 03:24 PM
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yes... the plug is the effect... you need to find the cause
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 03:25 PM
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I hear folks talk about spots on the insulator indicating detonation.
So these spots are whitish looking spots. Is that right as opposed to black dots?
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 03:27 PM
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Can bad o2 sensors cause det? If so, then those are fixed and I had no choice but to drive to work for about 2.5 weeks!
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 03:30 PM
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Originally Posted by greendrazil
Can bad o2 sensors cause det? If so, then those are fixed and I had no choice but to drive to work for about 2.5 weeks!
not at WOT they cant.....the computer is in OL at WOT and doesn't look at them...........i say check out that tune u got.......who did it?
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 03:36 PM
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Originally Posted by quik95lt1
not at WOT they cant.....the computer is in OL at WOT and doesn't look at them...........i say check out that tune u got.......who did it?
I have no way of checking the tune here. I have been looking around for shops, tuners, and other LTx owners to no avail.

I never had it at WOT when it was missing [because of the o2 sensors], so it was never in OL.
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 03:58 PM
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It'd be interesting to look in the plug holes with a boroscope. I bet you'd see a ton of carbon buildup in the chambers, most likely from worn valve seals/ burning off oil. Great place for detonation to start... and if it's lean in the tune, oh boy.
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 04:05 PM
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Originally Posted by Gojira94
It'd be interesting to look in the plug holes with a boroscope. I bet you'd see a ton of carbon buildup in the chambers, most likely from worn valve seals/ burning off oil. Great place for detonation to start... and if it's lean in the tune, oh boy.
Most likely... 15 years and 128k...

I was advised to:
  1. check the injectors
  2. Change the plugs and do a WOT run shut it down and check the plugs
  3. clean the MAF


... exploring multiple options.
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 05:46 PM
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Originally Posted by quik95lt1
not at WOT they cant.....the computer is in OL at WOT and doesn't look at them...........i say check out that tune u got.......who did it?
Just to correct you Mike, it's not open loop at WOT, it's PE (power enrichment mode). Big difference.
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 07:35 PM
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it is in open loop at WOT.......
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 08:06 PM
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That plug looks like it was in there for many miles, what kind of gas do you buy? I pulled plugs that looked like that a few years ago in a totally stock Ford engine with lots of miles on them and the owner used cheap Safeway gas.
I took the plugs to school when we had a rep from Champion plugs in doing a presentation and asked him what was up with them and he said it was 100% from contamination in the fuel.
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 08:22 PM
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Those are some nice chunks of melted piston on that spark plug.


Originally Posted by RamAir95TA
Just to correct you Mike, it's not open loop at WOT, it's PE (power enrichment mode). Big difference.
No, Mike was right. The PCM goes into open loop fueling when PE mode is enabled at wide open throttle. They are 2 different things. It can be in open loop without being in PE mode but it can't be in PE mode unless it is in open loop.
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 08:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Wicked94Z
it is in open loop at WOT.......
In Datamaster when at WOT, the closed loop flag stays illuminated., so that's where I'm drawing my info from (and a few other sources, like my FSM). From my understanding PE mode simply locks the LT fuel trims at 128 and turns off the O2s learn control. It's still technically in closed loop, but I can see where one would see both. Some systems DO switch to open loop for PE mode, but from what I have always seen the LT1 PCM stays in closed loop.

I guess we're both right, sorta.
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Old Jan 5, 2011 | 08:28 PM
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Originally Posted by RamAir95TA
In Datamaster when at WOT, the closed loop flag stays illuminated., so that's where I'm drawing my info from (and a few other sources, like my FSM). From my understanding PE mode simply locks the LT fuel trims at 128 and turns off the O2s learn control. It's still technically in closed loop, but I can see where one would see both. Some systems DO switch to open loop for PE mode, but from what I have always seen the LT1 PCM stays in closed loop.

I guess we're both right, sorta.
A lot of PCMs there is a PE delay timer. It will stay in closed loop until the timer expires.
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