Spark plug damage

Discussion in 'The Bench' started by 69duce, Jun 22, 2015.

  1. 69duce

    69duce Well-Known Member

    What do you have? I have the 69 Buick Electra 225 custom. It does have A/C. Does yours?
     
  2. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    Your heater control valve is screwed into the back of the intake, I can see it in the picture. What I can't see is why the plastic elbow is there. What is that? Definitely not stock. It looks as if it is coming from the filter in the air cleaner. That should go directly to the valve cover. That hose is a molded hose OEM. I think CARS repros the 1970 one. You can probably use that one.
     
  3. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    Briz take a good look at that plug picture, that's detonation, classic. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if a piece of the piston chipped off and closed the gap on that plug. You can see aluminum on the plug insulator and the sandblasted appearance of the ground electrode.
     
  4. 69duce

    69duce Well-Known Member

    Larry..
    After doing everything you said. Thus far, I am going to check the points.. Is there anything else I should look to do next. I drive it to work today. It sounds better and a lot smoother with the timing taken back.
     
  5. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    There were a few guys that mentioned leaving the vacuum advance hose off would create a vacuum leak, maybe, maybe not. Depends on whether you have your vacuum connected to a ported source, or a manifold source. I'm thinking you had a ported source, in which case there is no need to plug the hose. A manifold source would result in a vacuum leak. It would be VERY obvious to you because it would hiss at idle, and the engine would run rough. The engine sounds good in the video. Definitely check your point dwell. If you adjust it, recheck your timing. Dwell affects timing, but timing DOES NOT affect dwell, so whenever you adjust dwell, always recheck the timing. One other thing, I would verify that your vacuum advance canister was working. If you leave it connected, using a timing light, you can see the timing move much faster as you open the throttle. I would also hook my vacuum advance to a manifold vacuum source. Look on the carburetor for a plugged outlet. If you pull the plug off, with the engine running, and it hisses, that's manifold vacuum. Hooking the vacuum advance to that source will give you more timing at idle and low speed. The engine will run cooler and you may find it more responsive as well. When you hook it to manifold vacuum, the idle speed will increase, another indication that the vacuum advance canister is good. Just lower the idle back to normal.
     
  6. 69duce

    69duce Well-Known Member

    Current situation... I am broken down. Pittsburgh Pirates game day. But I did hear the detonation sound lol. [​IMG]
     
  7. 69GS400s

    69GS400s ...my own amusement ride!

    What's not working ?
     
  8. 69duce

    69duce Well-Known Member

    I was accelerating onto the parkway (40-50) but it put a load on the motor.. I felt it miss a bit and then it started chugging... I hopped off the next exit.. And as I was pulling over I most definitely heard the marble sound.. I threw the flashers on... Remembered I had my spark plug socket (burned my fingers up) but pulled the 1 spark plug out and it definitely had the same type of damage but not nearly as bad.. The gap was closed on the plug. I opened it back up with a flathead threw it back in.. And crept home.

    Question.. I am gonna start back over with the plugs.

    What type of plugs should I be using on this 430, and what gap?
     
  9. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    R43TS gapped at .030. You may have a piece of piston rattling around in the cylinder and hitting the plug electrode.
     
  10. snucks

    snucks Well-Known Member


    oh lawdy

    I am feeling sick to my stomach as I am typing this. If the gap was closed it means something smacked it. Broken chunk of piston, valve, carb vent tube (been there before) etc...I am fearing the worst gotta be honest man.

    as far as plugs are concerned I am partial to NGK UR5's gapped to around .030
    I have always run NGK plugs in everything and in the motorcycle world they have by far the best reputation.

    Larry the pic of the engine bay I put up earlier was just a random 68 430 car as an example ....it happened to be a Riviera. I replaced my stock air cleaner with a k&n style open top element style one last year.
     
  11. Mopar

    Mopar Well-Known Member

    Maybe you should leave the spark plug out, disconnect the coil and turn the engine over to see if anything comes out. You could try putting a rag over the area and try to catch anything that may come out.
     
  12. 69duce

    69duce Well-Known Member

    [​IMG]

    Well it's been fun... How many hours am I looking at to replace damaged Pistons? What else should I be replacing if that's in fact what I have to get into ??
     
  13. 69duce

    69duce Well-Known Member

    I like your idea... I'll try that and see if anything comes out. lol
     
  14. SteeveeDee

    SteeveeDee Orange Acres

    That was my thought, but I was sort of afraid to suggest it. If there is a chunk of piston, hopefully it will come out. Gonna be a big repair, anyway.
     
  15. SteeveeDee

    SteeveeDee Orange Acres

    It's going to be more than hours, it will be parts, if done right. I'm not quoting a number, even after the patient has been opened up.
     
  16. 69duce

    69duce Well-Known Member

    Oh no problem..: my brother will be getting into this with me. I know nothing. But it's our bonding process lol
     
  17. snucks

    snucks Well-Known Member

    If you were out here in . California I would drive out to help. Not just saying that I am serious.

    The heads and intake manifold are going to have to come off. The head gaskets at the minimum will have to be replaced. The intake manifold gasket can be re used most of the time as long as it is the metal pan gasket type.

    At the minimum assuming you do not need to replace a piston or rings (kinda doubtful)
    You will need
    1. Head gaskets
    2. 1/2 torque wrench that has a rating beyond 100ft lbs (some parts stores rent them but harbor freight has em new for 20bucks)
    3. Container to catch drained coolant (i recommend just buying 2 gallons straight coolant and 3 gallons distilled or purified water)

    If the piston is fuarked you will need to measure the piston and buy a suitably sized replacement.
     
  18. 69GS400s

    69GS400s ...my own amusement ride!

  19. 69duce

    69duce Well-Known Member

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