SPARK PLUG READING

http://www.facebook.com/pages/2004-Sportsters/109721979081579
Reading For Air Fuel Mixture
The porcelain around the plugs center electrode can be divided into three areas for reading. The area that is closest to the tip is affected by the idle and transition circuits carburetor circuits and is of no real concern to a racer. If this area is gray then you drove the car back to the pits and you cannot correctly read the plugs. The middle area is only colored when you drive down the road at around a steady 30-40 mph and is normally affected by the primary circuit jetting with the power valve closed and this is really of no concern to the racer. The area you are interested in is that third that is all the way up inside the plug where the sun don't shine. This area is colored when all is wide open under full power because the combustion chamber heat totally cleans off the other two areas. It will take a special plug reading flashlight with the magnifying glass to view it correctly. Plugs cannot be correctly read by just quickly looking at them with the naked eye. You see people doing it all the time because they do not know how to read plugs.
Normally aspirated cars should have a light gray or tan hydrocarbon ring or as some call it a "fuel ring" all the way up inside around the third area closest to the point where the porcelain is attached to the metal jacket of the plug. The actual color may depend on type of fuel you use. This fuel ring should appear like a light shadow. Most VP C-15, C-16 or C23+ fuels will show as a light gray when correct. This fuel ring starts to color on the porcelain side that is below the ground strap and works its way around either side of the center electrode until it completely joins. Sometimes it may take two or three runs to see a good coloring. Note: New engines or engines that pump a little oil may show a thin oily line way down inside on the porcelain where the porcelain meets the metal wall of the plug. This oil line has nothing to do with the air/fuel mixture but may be confused with the fuel ring you are looking for.If you are having a hard time figuring out if what you are reading is correct or because you are not sure if the plug heat range is correct then tow the car back to the pits and drop the headers and look inside the pipes. If they are black then you are too rich, if they are light gray or white then you are too lean. The pipes should be a medium to dark gray or tan color. Normally the white area of the porcelain has a chalky appearance. If you see the porcelain take on a shine then it is time to change the plugs because the glass that is in the porcelain has been melted and has glazed the surface. If the car has been running rich (due to lots of idling or incorrect fuel mixture) then it is possible to glaze the plugs and short them out during a run because of the sudden heating of the plug with the soot on the porcelain. This glazing appears to be a glossy coating on the porcelain with a splotches of color of greenish yellow or brown. These two different glazings will cause the plug to short out and misfire and raise ring lands or make a popping through the exhaust when going down the track.

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[starbuckasmc]

Please hit the show more, for additional information on reading the porcelain on the plugs. I have received some comments that the video lacks this information and it is in the show more section. Thanks for watching and I hope it helps. Peace

[sprydo7]

Very helpful...thanks a bunch! How about the GAPs between the center electrode & spark kernal...how much influence does this make performance wise?

[starbuckasmc]

@sprydo7 Depends on what ignition your using. Like MSD recommends higher gaps, usually with higher output ignitions you can increase the gap.

[pfun41]

what if every part of the plug including the porcelin is sooty?

[starbuckasmc]

@pfun41 Your either really rich or your rings are bad letting too much oil in or valve seals are bad. Remember to try a new plug and see if you still get the soot do not go by old plugs.

[frank0067]

btw this spark plug..thats on most cars in the most inefficient there is !

check out firestorm ..that cant be sold.. but saves 50% mpg

[starbuckasmc]

@frank0067 I've checked them out a while back seems like a good idea...is there any proof? I would say Dyno wise for power figures.

[02blkvert]

Very helpfull. I needed this since I put in a supercharger in my car , I need to make sure my fuel is correct

[sprydo7]

Very helpful...thanks a bunch! How about the GAPs between the center electrode & spark kernal...how much influence does this make performance wise?

[starbuckasmc]

@bmikkalson thank you...Peace