need help reading these plugs

[bruceb58]

Re: need help reading these plugs

I am going to get criticism for saying this but if the motor is already worn out and your just trying to buy time add some brown Bars stop leak pellets.

Only if you don't mind replacing your radiator and heater core too when they plug up or get coated enough that there is no longer any heat transfer.

 

[bigdee]

Re: need help reading these plugs

Only if you don't mind replacing your radiator and heater core too when they plug up or get coated enough that there is no longer any heat transfer.

Bruce, my dear friend you don't know what your talking about. GM dealerships have been fixing head gasket leaks under warranty with Bars pellets for over 50 years. In fact they used to come off the assembly line with one or two pellets in them!
Sure if you cooling system is full of crud and if you overuse this stuff it could make things worse.
I am not advocating the use of this stuff but for us old farm boys trying to milk a little more out of an engine that is already going to need replacing is money wise.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: need help reading these plugs

Before going the snake oil direction. Do a cylinder pressure leak down test on that bad cylinder and see if there is any leak into the cooling system.

Bigdee, I used to work for GM. They haven't used those things at GM for new cars since late 80's early 90's when tolerances sucked. GM specifically states not to use them now.

 

[xjdriver]

Re: need help reading these plugs

Okay ill see if i could borrow a leak down tester from someone at work, i was thinking of trying that blue devil (or something devil or angel stuff) head gasket repair, its like 60 bucks but it dont have pellets in it and i know it does work sometimes, its like a gamble. But ya im runnin it till it pukes, i like the 4.0s probly one of Chryslers best engines, other than the old school hemis.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: need help reading these plugs

Typically, if you have a blown head gasket, you don't burn the coolant, the coolant goes into the oil pan or if you have a bad head gasket and its between the cylinder and the coolant passage, you will be blowing combustion gasses into the coolant. Do you see bubbles in the radiator with the engine running?

I really really doubt you are fouling your plug with coolant unless it seeps in there after you turn off the engine.

Is this engine fuel injected? I would actually try swapping fuel injectors to see if that's an issue.

 

[bigdee]

Re: need help reading these plugs

Typically, if you have a blown head gasket, you don't burn the coolant, the coolant goes into the oil pan or if you have a bad head gasket and its between the cylinder and the coolant passage, you will be blowing combustion gasses into the coolant. Do you see bubbles in the radiator with the engine running?

I really really doubt you are fouling your plug with coolant unless it seeps in there after you turn off the engine.

Is this engine fuel injected? I would actually try swapping fuel injectors to see if that's an issue.

He doesn't have a blown head gasket since the compression is down on only one cylinder. He said it overheated once. The head gasket on a 4.0 has been known to leak after a overheat condition. It can leak into the combustion chamber just as easy as it can into the oil. Mine was leaking into one or more cylinders causing a misfire when restarting a warm engine. The pellets I bought from GM stopped the leak and misfire. This may not be the OPs problem but this forum is for sharing information so take it at that.
There is no fix for a 4.0 cracked head and if that blue devil stuff (liquid glass) gets in the oil it will seize the engine. If you have a MINOR head gasket leak the GM pellets will most often stop it.
These are not the best options but if your trying to coax a little more life out a worn out engine it is worth a try.

 

[xjdriver]

Re: need help reading these plugs

All I know is something funny is going on. I belive that coolant seeps in after it shuts off and gets on the plug. Which turns it that wierd color. Mabey ill mess with tge the injectors I ran a efi bottle thru it didnt do nothin.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: need help reading these plugs

He doesn't have a blown head gasket since the compression is down on only one cylinder.

You can have a leaking/blown head gasket between 2 cylinders between a cylinder and oil passage or between cylinder and coolant passage.

Cylinder leak down test will reveal it if it is or not.

To the OP, ever get any white smoke when you start your engine after it's been sitting?

 

[rbh]

Re: need help reading these plugs

A true sign you have a coolant leak to the combustion chamber is the dense fog that roles out the tail pipe and doesn't dissipate after the engine/muffler is hot.

(I can't remember if it's oil or the coolant has the most PSI when hot and under load? regardless between the galleries would make a mess)

 

[bruceb58]

Re: need help reading these plugs

Coolant is at most 15PSI max(depends on system). Oil will be between 15 and 60 depending on your engine and RPM.

 

[xjdriver]

Re: need help reading these plugs

Ya thats the thing, no smoke. I wrote the comp numbers down somewhere. If I find it ill put em up