Picture whoring is a disease, it can be cured...

[Kilgore Trout]

Thanks for entering my thread, first take a look at the plugs I just removed... They are the stock Motorcraft AGSF-22FM1 platinum/iridium narrow electrode plugs gapped at .054

I replaced them with Motorcraft AGSF-12FM1 platinum/iridium narrow electrode plugs gapped at .035 These plugs are one step colder than stock due to the fact that the stock head coolant circulation sucks and the heads tend to get very hot and go to f'n crap... So one needs all the 'cool' one can get But I digress...

Anyways, these are the original plugs and have 23k miles on them. Let me know if you can 'read' anything from them

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Ok, in the next set of pics just observe the preventitive maintenance master as he replaces all the loose crappy electrical tape on the ribbed tubing protecting the vacuum lines. There are numerous vacuum lines, I zipped tied them all...

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Check out how I painted the little vent cap on the cooling system. I painted it high temp Ford red with spray paint.
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Ok, the next pics get a little sad and if you can help me figure out this puzzle I would appreciate it. There is a cut gash in one of the main wiring harnesses WTF? I tried to heal the gash with more blue zip ties... Yes, I really like blue zip ties
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And finally look at this situation. Water collects in the battery hold down. You can see it gleaming down there Should I drill weep holes or simply fill in the voids where the water collects with silicone?
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[2K1GtfromSC]

I wish mine was that clean.

 

[helty]

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Ok, I get this every time so I will just address it right away.

It is super easy to have a clean engine bay. Also the Mustang is actually set up to allow wind and water to enter a 1.5" gap beneath the leading edge of the hood. Yay Ford... This keeps the engine very cool, especially when driving in the rain. But it gets the bay very dirty of course...

Anyways here is the easy way I get my engine to look clean.

-go to a spray and wash, preferrably one that shoots a powerful but very fine mist
-soak engine down with a huge spray can of engine degreaser, avoid spraying into a/c air intake vent in cowl at ALL costs you will smell it forever...
-spray and wash blast wand high pressure soap (avoid spraying or cover alt, battery, fuse box)
-spray and wash blast wand high pressure rinse
-drive until engine dries itself out (like you stole it)
-return to batcave and spray down whole engine bay from all angles with a generous misting of 303 Aerospace Protectant
-wait two days, drive as much as you want during this time
-return to spray and wash
-spray and wash blast wand high pressure soap (avoid spraying or cover alt, battery, fuse box)
-spray and wash blast wand high pressure rinse
-drive until engine dries itself out (like you stole it)
-yer done, optionally you can wipe down various parts after the above steps
-after you get it to that level it is easy to keep it clean and spot clean and detail as necessary

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[timeless2]

Rough idle explained (re: plug photos).

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Well, I replaced the plugs in the hopes that the rough idle would go away and I think it did lessen to some degree but it is still present

Do you think those plugs look bad? What do you think causes the white particles?

 

[BurningRubber]

White is lean.

Those dont look too bad though, the ones I pulled from my GT were alot whiter.

Is that sand from them falling on the ground or something, or is that dirt built up in the plug wells? If its dirt in the wells definatly make sure you spray them out with compressed air before removing the plugs. Sand in the engine isnt fun, lol. Also, is that oil buildup on some of the threads?

 

[mustangcam]

i need to do some preventative maintenance myself. car just hit 50,000. what should i do/replace at this many miles. how difficult is it to change out plugs. i would like to do it just to kno how.

 

[hotmustang331]

Plugs looked good to me, for a rich stock S/C setup....they are not supposed to be white.

You know, you can keep those plugs clean (you would like that wouldnt you???? ofcourse you would ) all you have to do is get a dyno tune, and next time you pull the plugs, they will look cleaner due to the leaned out A/F.
If your lucky and get a crappy tuner, they may have some little specles in them too!

 

[Kilgore Trout]

White is lean. Those dont look too bad though, the ones I pulled from my GT were alot whiter.

I believe that my camera enhanced the whiteness of the porcelin. In real life they are more of a brown color.

Is that sand from them falling on the ground or something, or is that dirt built up in the plug wells? If its dirt in the wells definatly make sure you spray them out with compressed air before removing the plugs. Sand in the engine isnt fun, lol.

It is crustation that was in the bottom of some of the plug wells. Water or coolant in small quantities was at some time in the past present in a few wells. Of course now all the rubber COP boots are well cleaned and lubricated with 303 Aerospace Protectant so they all form a perfect seal. I did blow out the wells before removing the plugs but the oil on the plugs picked up the crustation that crumbled away when I backed out the plugs. I used a shop vac with a long thin 1/4" tubing extension to suck out debris after removing each plug. I think I got them pretty clean and that stuff could safely pass through the combustion chamber anyways...

Also, is that oil buildup on some of the threads?

Cobras aspirate a lot of crank oil into the air intake through the PCV system. Under heavy driving it gets sucked into a tube ahead of the TB from the passenger side valve cover and goes through the Eaton and the IC and into the combustion chamber. Another tube comes off of the drivers side valve cover and is restricted by a typical PCV valve. This tube leads into the back of the Eaton and is after the TB but before the IC. If that is confusing let me bottom line it for you, tons of oil gets all over the IC vanes and gets burned. You can actually get low on crank oil because of this. Various options exist to correct it; inline filters like air compressors use, JLT's special PCV valve filters (these are cool), using a breather instead of keeping PCV hooked up, and using a catch can.

 

[BurningRubber]

1. Cool, brown is the norm.

2. Dont feel bad, I have so much crap in mine is rediculous. Sounds like you take extra care when doing general matinence.

3. Makes sense, didnt know about that though. Seems like a quirk that it can run you that low on oil after time, but as long as everything gets checked like normal its all gravy. I guess thats a tradeoff for having the best powerplant ever put in a Stang, lol.

 

[exindust]

Your next mod should be a blue zip tie delete and mod that baby up with some black zip ties, since you know... you are such a mod monster.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Serious? I love the blue zip ties...

 

[exindust]

lol kilgore i just lost a little food outta my mouth.

Thanks for the laugh lol

 

[ToplessStang]

Those plugs don't look to bad.

 

[CobraRed_96_GT]

nah those look pretty much exactly like my spark plugs after 30k miles. White either means running lean or your burning water, but they only look white in like two fo your pics. Perfectly fine

 

[40th GT]

i need to do some preventative maintenance myself. car just hit 50,000. what should i do/replace at this many miles. how difficult is it to change out plugs. i would like to do it just to kno how.

www.bullittarchive.com

At 50k you should change the transmission fluid (and filter if you have an auto), fuel filter, spark plugs, and air filter if you haven't already. Changing plugs is easy as pie.

 

[DTNODYA]

If you videotaped yourself doing this process .... I'd watch it.

 

[lvmustanggt]

What kind of camera do you have ? damn that was good pictures

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I have a Sony PC-115 which is a grey martket version of the PC-120.