Plug colours...

rockdemon

rockdemon

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Staff member
PAE has been running a bit funny since i put the new rotor arm in so I thought i'd take out a couple of plugs to check on the mixture and the plugs are a colour I've never seen before - rusty red!

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plug%201%20(Medium).jpg


Some sites seem to mention a manganese additive in fuel.

Anybody else seen anything like this?

Rich.
 
Yes I've had that before in Mrs Webmasters 216, after I ran a very strong dose of fuel additive (in fact several different ones) through it, I do believe it is something in the additive, or possibly the fuel.

I think I used Redex, Forte and STP :LOL:
 
PAE just has plain super unleaded. Last tank was tescos 99. This tank is sainsburys 97 (tescos was out of super).

RIch.
 
Hi Rich,

An octane booster will colour the plugs a reddish brown colour, like the way that yours look. Unleaded fuels don't colour plugs in the same way as leaded fuel did. Typically greys and black is all you will see so if you have not added an octane booster.... :?

Are you using a valve seat recession lube? I can't recall if these products colour the plugs in that fashion, but with Vitesse heads you would not need to.

Ron.
 
I'm not using any additives.... Must be something in either tescos or sainsburys fuel!

Rich_
 
They are exceptionally red! If it helps, I use Castrol Valvemaster lead substitute with ocatne booster and (normally) Shell superunleaded. Any time I have looked at my plugs they always seem to be a normal greyish colour.

Which two plugs did you take out? Are the rest the same? Have you maybe thought of using Colourtune to look at what is going on with your mixture?
 
As this is plugs 1 and 3 (one for each Carb) maybe I should check 2 and 4 too as chances are fuel will happen both sides and water will happen on one bank only!


Rich
 
Doubt it's water, here's one of the ones I pulled out of the wifes 216 (yes I keep old spark plugs :( )



This didn't appear to have any effect on the running, I'm sure it's something in the petrol / additive. I suspect whichever fuel you used last has that additive in it.
 

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Well it was dark last night so couldn't see if I'd missed anything but it refused to run at all when I put the plugs back. I'm in happy denial at the moment.... ;) will have to have a look tonight when I get home.
 
I started looking because after i'd freed up the dizzy base plate (it was sticking) and changed the rotor arm there is now a strong lumpy vibration from the bottom end on acceleration. I wasnt sure if it could be torque converter related if that gives you an idea of the sort of feeling i mean. However - though PAE has always had prop vibration above 55 mph, it's never had anything like this low down.

Seems lumpy when in gear and stationary too - but that is less in 'N'.

I just have a feeling something is badly wrong but I've only changed the rotor arm so why would that cause this???

Rich
 
The old arm disintegrated (despite being 2 months old.)

I could try getting another I guess?
 
They do seem to be really crap at the moment, I'd get another. Suspicious about the other one disintegrating, do you think it could have hit something in the cap ?
 
Swapped the cap as well. Maybe I should swap that back as I have the old one. Was removing the plugs looking for a misfire but stopped when I saw the colour of the plugs!
 
Yeah it's a bit unusual the first time you see it, but I don't think that's your problem, unless it's specific to just one or two plugs.
 
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