Pulled plugs....ouch

[93GreenLX]

I pulled the old plugs and here is one (click pic to see it bigger)

How much damage could this have done, possibly the cause of my idle problems??

 

[bhuff30]

Are you turbocharged? That looks like the result of some hard core detonation. Is your head gasket still in place?
That will definatly cause an idle problem. A spark plug like that can't produce a spark, thus you get a cylinder that is missing.
The damage was done by some sort of detonation or knocking, and you need to figure out why it was caused. Don't be surprised if there is some collateral damage, like a blown headgasket.
What is your setup?

 

[93GreenLX]

Are you turbocharged?

Nope

That looks like the result of some hard core detonation. Is your head gasket still in place?

I'm pretty sure...cars runs fine unless I get on it, then it idles rough

That will definatly cause an idle problem. A spark plug like that can't produce a spark, thus you get a cylinder that is missing.
The damage was done by some sort of detonation or knocking, and you need to figure out why it was caused.

How, compression test?? What else?

Don't be surprised if there is some collateral damage, like a blown headgasket.
What is your setup?

Pretty much stock..intake, and full exhaust. The engine is stock though any other thoughts...do you think it went through the exhaust or is somewhere in the engine?

 

[91_4ourBanger]

ive been having the same problems, maybe i should check mine too.

 

[bhuff30]

A compression test would be a good place to start.
The only thing that comes to mind that could make that kind of damage would be a bad injector letting a certain cylinder run real lean.

 

[93GreenLX]

Fuel injector?? Excuse my ignorance on for me please..

 

[bhuff30]

Fuel injector?? Excuse my ignorance on for me please..

Yah, if it is plugged up or not working right, it could allow that one cylinder to run lean which could destroy a spark plug like that.
I realize that I also forgot to address your concerns with the rest of the spark plug. What hasn't been burn up, or shot out the exhaust probably isn't going to cause any problems.

 

[93GreenLX]

What I'm going to do is wait abou a week and pull the plug and see if it happened to the new one. I'll do a compression check then too. Is there any way to check for bad injectors?

 

[Mattsmustang]

could it have been a bad spark plug to start with? how do your others look? i have had bad spark plugs right out of the box from autolite but never from bosh so maybe quality control missed one or an employee dropped it as the were unloading it, which has happened to me

matthew

 

[93GreenLX]

The rest look pretty good..one next to it was a little gased all others were fine.

 

[Pro-Hawk]

I think I would be happy that I pulled that plug and only noticed a bad mis and it still ran

That looks like you ran some nitrous and leaned out a bit, but who knows.

 

[mr_woodster]

that looks like one of those split-fire plugs(*hiss*)...maybe go with something cheaper, also check your timing! I've run nitrous and never done that to any of my cheap autolite 103's !

 

[Cougar]

that looks like one of those split-fire plugs(*hiss*)...maybe go with something cheaper, also check your timing! I've run nitrous and never done that to any of my cheap autolite 103's !

^what he said

 

[140cilx]

not to be offensive, but your hands don't match.

 

[93GreenLX]

not to be offensive, but your hands don't match.

I was born like that, they said it would grow to a normal size but it never did. Actually I get alot of looks. It comes in handy sometime..reaching into jars, behind couches etc. I 'm surprised someone had the balls to say something

 

[stangs4evr-roy]

l tried platinums,platinum+4s,NGKs in my 92 lx, no matter what l tried the car ran like crap.My next door neighbor is a ford tech and he was telling me that the 2.3 dual plug in the mustang as well as other 2.3s (tempo, topaz etc.) only seem to run right with the original motorcraft plugs and l totally agree.

 

[85 Coupe 5.0]

That looks like a Bosch Platinum +2 or a Splitfire. JUNK

Use Autolite or Motorcraft Plugs. The Bosch plugs are a joke, all of them.
Use O.E. Plugs, they put them in from the factory for a reason...........

 

[93GreenLX]

Yes those were Bosch Platinums +2

 

[85 Coupe 5.0]

All Bosch Plugs are JUNK. Period.

ask to take a look at some next time you are in the parts store. Look at the center electrode. Look how small it is, it's tiny. Sure they are platinum, but there is hardly anything there. What happens is that tiny piece of platnium burns down into the insulator surrounding it. I can't count how many times people have brought these back to the store complaining about it. My reply is, you get what you pay for. C'mon, seriously, a $2.00 platnium plug, Please.

In addition, the additional prongs do nothing. absolutely nothing. There have been many studies done over it. We actually used some at school in a vehicle. With the lab scope hooked up to the car, it took no more or less voltage to jump the gap(s) on the plugs. Also, the sniffer detected no change with either plug.

Anyhow, that's just my opinion.

 

[CruzNlife1]

you are kidding about the hands right LOL.... If not I apologize