PLUG READING FOR A NITROUS MOTOR

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nitrous_1.3
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#46 Post by nitrous_1.3 » Mon Jun 18, 2007 9:39 pm

Beyond wrote:I don't think most additives raise octane levels much, but haven't really spent any time researching that.
Last time I checked it wasn't enough to make any significant difference... I was just hoping something had come out in the last year or so that may ;).

sohc_mshue
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#47 Post by sohc_mshue » Wed Jun 20, 2007 1:42 am

I have always ran ngk plugs in my boosted honda and all of the others that i tune. I have always had problems reading where the timing mark is on the ground strap though. The plugs i use on my own car are the bkr7e's and the damn flaky gold stuff makes it so hard to read. Any tips on being able to see it? Can you always see the change looking in at the side of the ground strap like in that last pic a page back of a bkr7e or is it easier to see from the top? Right now i've been playing a guessing game :?

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#48 Post by John_Heard » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:13 am

They are hard to read until the plating burns off. You should be able to see it all the way around the electode after the plating is gone.

You might have better luck using Autolite racing plugs, last time I bought some of those they didn't have the plating on them. I suppose another option might be to sandblast new plugs using a sparkplug cleaner to remove the plating.

sohc_mshue
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#49 Post by sohc_mshue » Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:55 pm

yea thats what i've been told about trying to clean it off new plugs. Everybody in the honda world has had good luck with ngk's so i'd like to stick with those if i can. Although autolites are also often used.

sohc_mshue
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#50 Post by sohc_mshue » Wed Jun 27, 2007 12:38 pm

well i started using a dremel with a little wire wheel on it to clean the coating off before use and wow can i get a good read on the plugs now :-P

nitrous_1.3
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#51 Post by nitrous_1.3 » Mon Jul 16, 2007 1:35 pm

Just a quick update:

Changed out my rad for a nice high capacity (in import terms :p) aluminum rad and the car runs much cooler than before. Ran the nitrous again today for a couple of full 3rd-4th gear pulls (maybe 10sec at a time) and the plugs are much better looking now. A touch of peppering that looks like its from the electrode so should be an easy timing issue. I do get a small puff of white smoke when I first get on the nitrous though. Looks like its almost time to upgrade the fuel pump and jump up a jet :D. Does anybody here know of a spark plug that is the same as an NGK BPR8ES but that doesn't have an extended tip and works in a "normal" vehicle that isn't only drag raced?

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#52 Post by kojab » Mon Jan 07, 2008 3:26 pm

John thanks for letting me join your group. I have read all 4 pages of this thread and have just been looking at my own plugs from a 24 PSI Turbocharged 1.8 L Toyota engine. My question to you is what type a camera do you use to take these very clear pictures?

I thought about buying one of the USB microscope cameras but then thought wise to ask here first.
John_Heard wrote:That article of Monty's needs better pictures.

I've started taking pictures of various plugs, but need to get a lot more showing things clearly. Here's a picture of a plug out of my car, last pass of the year. This clearly shows the fuel line and that the car was running rich. Also you can see some specks on the porcelin, that might have been caused by the use of Torco 118 fuel. Some people have noted seeing that condition when using that fuel, but don't know why that fuel does it.

Image

I'd like to get a collection of "perfect" looking plugs, and plugs showing various stages of tune.. Too much timing, too little timing, too much fuel, too lean, etc.

I think a very complete picture gallery with comments on what to do would help a lot of nitrous guys out.

Mike Canter wrote a pretty good article about plug reading that we have in our technical section of the site http://www.dragstuff.com/techarticles/r ... plugs.html however it needs pictures.

Here's another one that is interesting.. This plug was taken out of Bob Stahl's 69 Camaro last year after a pass. It's an Autolite. What makes it interesting is that this plug quit firing on the previous pass. All the other plugs in the engine were light grey from soot. But this one is clean.. The fire went out in this cyl and the fuel was washing the soot off. He switched to a new plug and the miss went away. On a side note, I check this plug with an ohm meter, and is was very close to the same resistance as a NGK, nothing obviously wrong with it.


Image

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#53 Post by John_Heard » Mon Jan 07, 2008 3:53 pm

Hi Richard, Those were taken with a Panasonic DMC-FZ1 in Macro Mode (close up). I had a older Cannon that would take similar pictures in macro mode too.

87gtNOS
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#54 Post by 87gtNOS » Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:52 pm

Hey guys, new here!

I am hoping some of you could take at look at 2 of my 4 plugs for me please. I have read a lot on here and still can't come to a conclusion.
These plugs are out of my snowmobile, which is a 4 stroke engine, basically the same engine as the Yamaha R1 (1000cc) superbike.

I have the ability to tune EACH cylinder separately. I can add or take away fuel and timing for every 250rpms and at 0%, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% throttle positions.

I took out my plugs in favour a new set last Sunday. ONE was leaner looking than the other 3, so a pic of the lean one and one of the other 3!!

YES, I do have a 90hp nitrous shot on this motor, that I was using earlier in the day, but there is at least 1 more hour on those plugs since I sprayed any nitrous.

With the nitrous I run -2 deg timing on the map. When I was spraying it this last time, (for other reasons, nitrous leaking from airbox) the A/F ratio on my WIDEBAND was 9.50's. Normally I run the nitrous at 11 to 1.

On the motor, which saw LOTS of WOT in the last hour prior to taking out the plugs, I see 11.70's A/F at WOT and mid 12's at cruise.

Sorry for the long background post, but I feel there are people here (from reading) that really know what they are looking at!

Thanks

EDIT : the dings on the ground straps must be from handling the plugs on my desk at work, etc...

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87gtNOS
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#55 Post by 87gtNOS » Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:55 pm

What I can't decide is what to do in regards to timing and fuel to either that one cylinder that looks lean, or maybe the other 3 cylinders need leaning out, or timing, or??

Thanks!!!

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#56 Post by John_Heard » Wed Jan 09, 2008 11:02 pm

It's really pointless to try and read them after you've ran it motor only for an extended period of time like that in my opinion - they color up real quick and your just not looking at what it was doing on the spray. Really need to put some fresh ones in it make a hard run on the nitrous then pull them right afterwards and take a look.

87gtNOS
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#57 Post by 87gtNOS » Thu Jan 10, 2008 7:02 am

John_Heard wrote:It's really pointless to try and read them after you've ran it motor only for an extended period of time like that in my opinion - they color up real quick and your just not looking at what it was doing on the spray. Really need to put some fresh ones in it make a hard run on the nitrous then pull them right afterwards and take a look.
So John, are you telling me that these plugs can't be read for how the motor is performing on 'just' the motor?

Thanks

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#58 Post by John_Heard » Thu Jan 10, 2008 7:27 am

Well that depends, if they are colder then what you would typically use for motor only then yes that makes it real hard to tell. Assuming those plugs are a standard heat range, then I would say it's rich. The porcelin has a lot of color to it and I would assume those plugs have a lot of idle and part throttle time on them to as high up the color shows - but maybe that's just the picture - no white showing at all.

87gtNOS
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#59 Post by 87gtNOS » Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:04 am

John_Heard wrote:Well that depends, if they are colder then what you would typically use for motor only then yes that makes it real hard to tell. Assuming those plugs are a standard heat range, then I would say it's rich. The porcelin has a lot of color to it and I would assume those plugs have a lot of idle and part throttle time on them to as high up the color shows - but maybe that's just the picture - no white showing at all.
Yes, those plugs are one heat range colder than stock.
It spends a lot of time at 6500 to 7500 rpm or less I suppose, and wot is 10500rpm.

GT4X
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Re: PLUG READING FOR A NITROUS MOTOR

#60 Post by GT4X » Mon Aug 04, 2008 1:28 pm

Hey Guys,

I'm new to this forum and extremely eager to learn as much as I can about how to properly read my spark plugs. The following pictures are from a street driven Honda Accord turbo with an automatic transmission running 13psi max boost, I built and tuned this motor myself the modifications are as follows:

Engine

* H22A
* MP1A LSD Automatic
* JGE Iron Sleeves
* Wiseco 8.5:1cr Pistons
* Scat I-Bean Rods
* Balance Shafts Eliminated
* ACL Bearings
* Master Power 60-1 Turbo
* Tial EX Waste Gate 38mm
* DRAG Ex-Manifold
* Skunk2 Intake Manifold
* Skunk2 70mm Throttle Body
* Skunk2 Cam gears
* B&M Transmission Cooler
* Greddy E-manage Blue
* P13 Auto ECU Chipped
* Apex-i World Sport II Exhaust
* Nitrous Express 75hp Wet Kit(drag use)
* Turbo XS Boost Controller 13psi
* Custom Intercooler Plumbing
* RC 550cc Injectors

NGK BKR7EIX Iridium Spark Plugs

Can anyone find my timing line??

Image

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Feel free to use any of my photos!

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