| Why change spark plugs these days? [message #172154] |
Tue, 05 June 2012 15:20  |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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Senior Member |
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I replaced the spark plugs yesterday on my 14 year old 196,000 mile Blazer. The old ones looked like new and the gaps "looked" OK. Maybe I'll find a gauge and measure them today.
I also replaced the air filter. Maybe I should also look at the cap and rotor after 196K miles.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: [GMCnet] Why change spark plugs these days? [message #172156 is a reply to message #172154] |
Tue, 05 June 2012 15:29  |
James Hupy
Messages: 6806
Registered: May 2010
Karma: -62
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Senior Member |
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Ken, take a careful look at the mechanical advance weights under the rotor
in the HEI. You will often find them covered with iron oxide, and the
entire mechanism very "sticky". I usually blow it off with compressed air
and using the tip of a very small standard screwdriver, I relubricate the
pins with lubriplate or other lithium grease. Probably not a good idea to
use a conductive grease containing graphite, though. There are some
silicone greases made specially for this task, some of the tune up kits
come with it. When the mechanical advance mechanism is working correctly,
you can turn the rotor some in the direction of rotation and it will return
to the original position without any assistance. The action should be
smooth. Usually, the plug wires fail before the plugs do in modern engines.
Jim Hupy
Salem, OR
78 GMC Royale 403
On Tue, Jun 5, 2012 at 1:20 PM, Ken Burton <n9cv@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>
> I replaced the spark plugs yesterday on my 14 year old 196,000 mile
> Blazer. The old ones looked like new and the gaps "looked" OK. Maybe I'll
> find a gauge and measure them today.
>
> I also replaced the air filter. Maybe I should also look at the cap and
> rotor after 196K miles.
> --
> Ken Burton - N9KB
> 76 Palm Beach
> Hebron, Indiana
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
>
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| Re: [GMCnet] Why change spark plugs these days? [message #172158 is a reply to message #172156] |
Tue, 05 June 2012 15:39 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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Senior Member |
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| James Hupy wrote on Tue, 05 June 2012 15:29 |
Ken, take a careful look at the mechanical advance weights under the rotor
in the HEI. You will often find them covered with iron oxide, and the
entire mechanism very "sticky". I usually blow it off with compressed air
and using the tip of a very small standard screwdriver, I relubricate the
pins with lubriplate or other lithium grease. Probably not a good idea to
use a conductive grease containing graphite, though. There are some
silicone greases made specially for this task, some of the tune up kits
come with it. When the mechanical advance mechanism is working correctly,
you can turn the rotor some in the direction of rotation and it will return
to the original position without any assistance. The action should be
smooth. Usually, the plug wires fail before the plugs do in modern engines.
Jim Hupy
Salem, OR
78 GMC Royale 403
On Tue, Jun 5, 2012 at 1:20 PM, Ken Burton <n9cv@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>
> I replaced the spark plugs yesterday on my 14 year old 196,000 mile
> Blazer. The old ones looked like new and the gaps "looked" OK. Maybe I'll
> find a gauge and measure them today.
>
> I also replaced the air filter. Maybe I should also look at the cap and
> rotor after 196K miles.
> --
> Ken Burton - N9KB
> 76 Palm Beach
> Hebron, Indiana
|
We are talking tow different vehicles here. There is no mechanical advance on a Blazer. On the GMC I check the mechanical advance every couple of years.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: [GMCnet] Why change spark plugs these days? [message #172162 is a reply to message #172158] |
Tue, 05 June 2012 16:11 |
James Hupy
Messages: 6806
Registered: May 2010
Karma: -62
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Senior Member |
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Ken, I didn't do the math. You said your blazer was 14 years old. I was
thinking that it was OBD I or older. Darn Computers anyhow. <Grin>
Jim Hupy
Salem, OR
78 GMC Royale 403
On Tue, Jun 5, 2012 at 1:39 PM, Ken Burton <n9cv@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>
> James Hupy wrote on Tue, 05 June 2012 15:29
> > Ken, take a careful look at the mechanical advance weights under the
> rotor
> > in the HEI. You will often find them covered with iron oxide, and the
> > entire mechanism very "sticky". I usually blow it off with compressed air
> > and using the tip of a very small standard screwdriver, I relubricate the
> > pins with lubriplate or other lithium grease. Probably not a good idea to
> > use a conductive grease containing graphite, though. There are some
> > silicone greases made specially for this task, some of the tune up kits
> > come with it. When the mechanical advance mechanism is working correctly,
> > you can turn the rotor some in the direction of rotation and it will
> return
> > to the original position without any assistance. The action should be
> > smooth. Usually, the plug wires fail before the plugs do in modern
> engines.
> > Jim Hupy
> > Salem, OR
> > 78 GMC Royale 403
> >
> > On Tue, Jun 5, 2012 at 1:20 PM, Ken Burton <n9cv@comcast.net> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > I replaced the spark plugs yesterday on my 14 year old 196,000 mile
> > > Blazer. The old ones looked like new and the gaps "looked" OK. Maybe
> I'll
> > > find a gauge and measure them today.
> > >
> > > I also replaced the air filter. Maybe I should also look at the cap
> and
> > > rotor after 196K miles.
> > > --
> > > Ken Burton - N9KB
> > > 76 Palm Beach
> > > Hebron, Indiana
>
>
> We are talking tow different vehicles here. There is no mechanical
> advance on a Blazer. On the GMC I check the mechanical advance every
> couple of years.
>
> --
> Ken Burton - N9KB
> 76 Palm Beach
> Hebron, Indiana
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
>
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| Re: [GMCnet] Why change spark plugs these days? [message #172210 is a reply to message #172162] |
Tue, 05 June 2012 22:59 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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Senior Member |
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| James Hupy wrote on Tue, 05 June 2012 16:11 |
Ken, I didn't do the math. You said your blazer was 14 years old. I was
thinking that it was OBD I or older. Darn Computers anyhow. <Grin>
Jim Hupy
Salem, OR
78 GMC Royale 403
On Tue, Jun 5, 2012 at 1:39 PM, Ken Burton
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OBDII began in 1996 this is a 1998.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: Why change spark plugs these days? [message #172240 is a reply to message #172154] |
Wed, 06 June 2012 10:02 |
JohnL455
Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL
Karma: 12
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Senior Member |
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I think the internal plug resistors may shift in value after 100K even if the Platinum looks good. The other reason to not go tooooo long is the fact that the plug threads can 'carbon weld' into the heads pretty good. When in doubt consult what GM recommended for emissions service timeline as dictated by Uncle Sam and OBDII.
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
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