Hangwire

Just pulled the plug out of Cylinder #6 to take a glance at it after running the wrong tune a few weeks ago. How does it look? Does it look fouled or normal wear? Its a 2003 GT Auto with 78,000 miles. 50,000 when I got it and I believe these are the factory plugs. I am probably gonna pick up a set of stock plugs after work today from Ford. I think i'm having a slight ping and i'm trying to get it cleared up. Considering spark plugs are so cheap i'll probly get them unless people scream that @ 78,000 miles this plug is absolutely fine. Cant hurt to change them. I noticed an oily film all over the spark plug, you can see the caramel colored oil on the threads there. That normal? Pics are a little big but I want people to see detail.

Fizzics Boy

For 78,000 miles it looks pretty good. I would get new ones anyway since they are cheap like you said. Be sure to just get the motorcraft ones, and nothing special unless you have a blower or NO2.

cliffyk

Not bad looking for 78k, it looks like you do shorter trips sort of driving?

The factory recommended interval is 100k miles, however I changed out my OEM plugs for Champion Single Platinums (stk # 3401) at 50k miles. I run Champion plugs in everything, I figure that after 106 years of making them they probably have things pretty much figured out...

Hangwire

Lol I was hoping you guys would be like ok that looks awful so I would have a cheap and easy fix. Oh well i'll replace them all then start looking at the cops. Wish I had the time at work to pull out the oscilloscope I might find time to after work today. I most definietly hear a slight "static" type noise moreso under load below 2.5k RPMS. Runs pretty clean in third gear up above 2.5k.

Well most of my weekly commute is to and from work. I drive 30 miles, ~40 minutes to and from work 5 days a week. Other than that the longest commutes I go are about 1 hour 20 minutes.

MU71L4710N

probably anti-seize on the threads too btw

cliffyk

That's a bit further than I would have guessed, they look like they've run a bit cold now and then...

Here's a shot of a Champion with 24k miles on it that I pulled from my car a couple weeks ago (I was replacing the COPs and figured that plugs are cheap, and since I was "there" anyway...):

Hangwire

What indicates that they look as if they are run cold routinely? I'm actually really **** about running the engine cold. Here in NC the lowest it gets is usually low 20s SOMETIMES teens one or two nights a winter. I absolutely always let RPMS drop to 800 @ idle on a cold start before I put it in gear. I never ever put this car in gear with an idle RPM above 800, never.

Your little center piece looks much "cleaner" than mine and my electrode looks either "worn" or its gathered some BS on it making it loose the appearance of its original shape. I'll check them all out tomorrow.

cliffyk

I would speculate that the heat range of the plugs is one-step lower that what would be ideal for your engine.

I know that the Champion 3401s are about 1/2 "heat range" hotter than the recommended Motorcraft AWSF-32PP, as cross-referenced Champion plugs always run just a tad hotter than then the plug they are too replace.

Motorcraft uses a differently shaped electrode with a protruding fine wire tip, your's are not worn that badly.

cliffyk

Sorry about hi-jacking the thread, however SWMBO gave me a "late birthday/early father's day" present late/early and I had to share...

It's a new digital SLR--this sucka' is impressive!

0949er

haha now get a pic w/ a spark arcing and ill be impressed ;-)