help me analyze this spark plug
Usually go through between 1 and 2 quarts every 5,000 miles. I asked Chad Golen about this a couple years ago and I don't remember exactly what he said but he essentially said it's to be expected. Something about rings and tolerances I don't know.
Last edited by AdsoYo; Dec 15, 2015 at 07:07 AM.
Probably expected for them. That's horse **** and seems more of a disclaimer for a sloppy build.
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Joined: Sep 2014
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From: Fort Wayne, IN
TR6's in my 383 look like the picture you have posted of having them in for a few days. I got a tune then added E85 so that cleaned them up further. I have a Golen short block with about 4-5k on it and my 383 uses around a 1/4 to 1/2 quart after 3k miles. I think some of it goes into the the throttle body from the passenger side valve cover. 2 quarts sounds a little excessive.
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I have a Golen 383 shortblock with about 30k mi on it. Uses maybe 1/4-1/2 qt oil in 3k mi
I also run TR55's and they are a light tan color
Long story but the shop that swapped my engine took way longer than they initially said they would and since it was my only car at the time and I was moving, I started a 2,000 mile road trip the day it was buttoned up. So that was its introduction to the world. By the way never go to A.R.E. Performance in Simi Valley, CA if they haven't already gone out of business. My engine has 32,000 miles on it and makes great power but has always consumed oil. On the bright side it doesn't look like it's running lean or detonating.
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From: Central,NJ
Wow, they must set tolerances really loose to recommend a 15w50. The fact that it ends up in the chamber tells me it should be investigated. Could be as simple as the oil baffle in the valve cover for the PCV hose was cut out for rocker clearance, or a stuck PCV valve itself. Does it ever chuff smoke at start up?
Before knowing what oil you were running, I was going to recommend trying 0w40 Pennzoil Ultra Platinum(in the dark gray bottle). It was engineered to burn cleaner in the chamber.
Since you had no trouble running the TR55's previously, I would certainly put those back in. The TR6's read way too cold.
Before knowing what oil you were running, I was going to recommend trying 0w40 Pennzoil Ultra Platinum(in the dark gray bottle). It was engineered to burn cleaner in the chamber.
Since you had no trouble running the TR55's previously, I would certainly put those back in. The TR6's read way too cold.
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15w-50 is done so the engine can be slapped together without checking clearances. Hell the customer who found a cross threaded rod bolt suggests strongly they are using air to assemble the shortblocks, poor machining from Eagle lead to a bunch of failures for that builder because they don't inspect
TR6 is normal for a heads/cam motor making some power, I didn't realize what engine you had and how low the output was when I said TR55 was likely too hot.
TR6 is normal for a heads/cam motor making some power, I didn't realize what engine you had and how low the output was when I said TR55 was likely too hot.
15w-50 is done so the engine can be slapped together without checking clearances. Hell the customer who found a cross threaded rod bolt suggests strongly they are using air to assemble the shortblocks, poor machining from Eagle lead to a bunch of failures for that builder because they don't inspect
TR6 is normal for a heads/cam motor making some power, I didn't realize what engine you had and how low the output was when I said TR55 was likely too hot.
TR6 is normal for a heads/cam motor making some power, I didn't realize what engine you had and how low the output was when I said TR55 was likely too hot.
Wow, they must set tolerances really loose to recommend a 15w50. The fact that it ends up in the chamber tells me it should be investigated. Could be as simple as the oil baffle in the valve cover for the PCV hose was cut out for rocker clearance, or a stuck PCV valve itself. Does it ever chuff smoke at start up?
Before knowing what oil you were running, I was going to recommend trying 0w40 Pennzoil Ultra Platinum(in the dark gray bottle). It was engineered to burn cleaner in the chamber.
Since you had no trouble running the TR55's previously, I would certainly put those back in. The TR6's read way too cold.
Before knowing what oil you were running, I was going to recommend trying 0w40 Pennzoil Ultra Platinum(in the dark gray bottle). It was engineered to burn cleaner in the chamber.
Since you had no trouble running the TR55's previously, I would certainly put those back in. The TR6's read way too cold.
What oil do you run?
Last edited by AdsoYo; Dec 28, 2015 at 05:17 AM.
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 563
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From: Central,NJ
The TR5/TR55 are the same heat range but have a different factory gap spec.
If you want to try a different weight oil, I would go with something that has a higher viscosity index @100c. Castrol and Redline both make a 10w60 for BMW's M series which helps with poor oil control.
If you want to try a different weight oil, I would go with something that has a higher viscosity index @100c. Castrol and Redline both make a 10w60 for BMW's M series which helps with poor oil control.
TR6's in my 383 look like the picture you have posted of having them in for a few days. I got a tune then added E85 so that cleaned them up further. I have a Golen short block with about 4-5k on it and my 383 uses around a 1/4 to 1/2 quart after 3k miles. I think some of it goes into the the throttle body from the passenger side valve cover. 2 quarts sounds a little excessive.
The TR5/TR55 are the same heat range but have a different factory gap spec.
If you want to try a different weight oil, I would go with something that has a higher viscosity index @100c. Castrol and Redline both make a 10w60 for BMW's M series which helps with poor oil control.
If you want to try a different weight oil, I would go with something that has a higher viscosity index @100c. Castrol and Redline both make a 10w60 for BMW's M series which helps with poor oil control.
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 321
Likes: 88
From: Fort Wayne, IN
I blasted the PCV valve with brake parts cleaner a few months ago, and the only cutting done in the valve covers were the lower half of each bracing for rocker clearance. There is no smoke at start up. And I agree about the spark plugs. Now that I know the deposits on the TR55's aren't anything to worry about, they look much better than these TR6's. Could I even go TR5 or would that be pushing it too much?
Golen said 10w-40 is OK but I got the impression that given a choice between the two, he'd go with the 15w-50. He actually said he wanted 20w-50 but I've only ever seen that in Valvoline VR1 Race oil. That's the stuff I used for break-in. I do an oil change every spring, maybe I'll run 10w-40 this year and see what the plugs look like throughout the year.
What oil do you run?
Golen said 10w-40 is OK but I got the impression that given a choice between the two, he'd go with the 15w-50. He actually said he wanted 20w-50 but I've only ever seen that in Valvoline VR1 Race oil. That's the stuff I used for break-in. I do an oil change every spring, maybe I'll run 10w-40 this year and see what the plugs look like throughout the year.
What oil do you run?
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 563
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From: Central,NJ
A lighter weight oil does have the potential to be consumed faster. I know the Pennzoil I mentioned previously was designed with this issue in mind and should result in less ash in the chamber.
After PMing the other Golen block users in here it sounds like I should stick to the thicker oil, they're using 20w-50. So the plan this spring is: oil change with Mobil 1 15w-50, change spark plugs back to TR55's. I recently learned one of the advantages of 24x is the ability to run a wider plug gap thanks to the adequate dwell time provided by the coil-per-cylinder setup. Before El Niņo clobbered us up here in the pacific northwest I had regapped the TR6's to 0.058" from 0.040" and it ran great like that for about 2 weeks, no misfires. It looks like the TR55's are factory gapped at 0.055" or 0.059" depending on which thread you read, either way I probably won't change it.
My junk runs fine at a .045 gap making 100+hp more than yours with a stock coil and opti, but it isn't trying to light oil. At your power level an opti and .05 would work just fine.
Try running a bigger ground cable from the engine to battery and chassis to battery long as you are playing. It can help clean up marginal spark and generally make everything electrical work a little better.
Electrical stuff can use a bigger "intake and exhaust" just like an engine.
Try running a bigger ground cable from the engine to battery and chassis to battery long as you are playing. It can help clean up marginal spark and generally make everything electrical work a little better.
Electrical stuff can use a bigger "intake and exhaust" just like an engine.