14B gone crazy?!

[gstspoolin]

alright...i'm gonna pull the plugs tonight just to look at them....I ordered the datalogger software from www.pocketlogger.com. So i'll be able to set up my datalogger in a few days.

I do beleive the car is running rich...due to the fact that my back bumper is black as hell. I have no way to control that...i don't have a Safc or boost controller.

I got the DSM blues

 

[MrBoxx]

Recirculating your BOV will help. Until you get a MAF-t setup, you should be recirculating anyway.

 

[GVR4592]

Did you do a boost leak test?

 

[oldman]

If you don't know th basics of reading plugs maybe you shouldn't be tuning anything including your lawnmower. I'm sure he already knows basic plug reading.

If you're going to be giving advice such as "you can tune by looking at your plugs", then you need not be giving advice at all.

Did you do a boost leak test?

gstspoolin, if you want to get to the bottom of your problem, you need to follow suggestions.

1. Recirculate your BOV.

2. If you're tapping the BOV line for mbc, change it back to the j-pipe and leave the BOV line alone.

3. Boost leak test, I know you briefly mentioned you did but I for one would like to know the results in detail. (If you said 20psi for 30sec I would have to shoot somebody)

4. Compression test.

 

[staticbrainwash]

I've tried to give those same suggestions. I'm tired of people on here (not the OP specifically) not listening to people who give advice. They only heed the same advice if it's given by a mod or wiseman.

Anyway, I agree whole heartedly. Oldman helped me with my boosting issue a while ago when i had the line tapped from the BOV line. Problem solved (except now i've got a whole new boosting issue, thats another story and another thread).

 

[snox135]

First off I was suggesting he looks at his plugs to see if it is running pig rich as he thinks it is. I never suggested he tunes his car this way.

Secondly, how do you think people have tuned high performance engines before we had all these electronics. There are easier (and more expensive) ways of doing it now. But there are still people that do it and do it very very good.

 

[staticbrainwash]

But judging strictly by plugs is silly. There are hundreds of things that can cause different reactions on plugs, and many many things that can cause plugs to burn or deteriorate the same.

You can pick up MMCD for free, and get a palm m130 on ebay for 50 bucks, and a logger cable for 15. Thats not what i'd call expensive, but i would call it A LOT more accurate than pulling plugs to check tuning.

BTW, have fun doing all YOUR tuning on your dsm with just plugs. I'll do it Exponentially faster with a logger.

 

[GVR4592]

First off I was suggesting he looks at his plugs to see if it is running pig rich as he thinks it is. I never suggested he tunes his car this way.

Secondly, how do you think people have tuned high performance engines before we had all these electronics. There are easier (and more expensive) ways of doing it now. But there are still people that do it and do it very very good.

That was before all of the additives started showing up in our fuel that can change the color of the plugs. The only advantage to reading plugs is you can tell if the engine is running extrememy rich, extrememly lean, or if the engine is knocking. Most additives turn the plugs a brownish/redish color so reading them is becoming more useless.

Even if you used the same fuel from the same place every time, and you got really good at reading the plugs, the fuel companies change the additives with the seasons. So you would have to learn it all over again a couple times a year.

Bottom line, get a datalogger.

 

[staticbrainwash]

^^^ Thank you.

 

[snox135]

But judging strictly by plugs is silly. There are hundreds of things that can cause different reactions on plugs, and many many things that can cause plugs to burn or deteriorate the same.

You can pick up MMCD for free, and get a palm m130 on ebay for 50 bucks, and a logger cable for 15. Thats not what i'd call expensive, but i would call it A LOT more accurate than pulling plugs to check tuning.

BTW, have fun doing all YOUR tuning on your dsm with just plugs. I'll do it Exponentially faster with a logger.

The problems is most people do not know how to read plugs correctly. If anyone really is interested in doing the right way check this out. By reading your plugs correctly you can see what each clyinder is doing and not just your average with a wideband.

Don't get me wrong I think the monitoring devices we have to use, are great and do save time. I wouldn't do all my tuning with just plugs, but I do keep a close eye on them.

You do know that Nascar engine tuners use plug readings at the track to help them adjust to conditions.

 

[staticbrainwash]

Thats great and all, but think about your average weekend tuner. They don't have time to constantly pull out plugs, break out the plug diagnostic tools you linked to. Which for about the same cost you can pick up a ebay PDA, a logger cable, and MMCD for free. And still be almost ahead of the prices on that plug diag. stuff.

I'm not saying they aren't a good way to tell, And honestly i don't think most people know how to read plugs, or would know what to use to read plugs like you are talking about.

So for the cost, and ease of use, a logger is by far the better choice.

 

[snox135]

I agree for the most part. It don't take that long to check your plugs.

Here is a quick rundown on reading plugs the correct way. The kit I linked to has alot more info in it.

 

[GVR4592]

Let's forget about the plugs, that article sucks ass, and it has nothing to do with this thread. If you want to talk about spark plugs start a new thread.

 

[RedTalonTsi]

NASCAR is also running on basically 1950's technology, while some aspects are very high tech many are not, as in they use leaded fuel, as in they use carbureters, as in they use one camshaft, and a push-rod valvetrain. So the fact NASCAR does plug tuning is.....is unimpressive.

 

[gstspoolin]

I tried to recirculate my BOV...which was a nono....the car didn't want to start. Like I've stated before, my bov prefers to be vented. It has ran like that since the day i've bought it. Well I'm off to take out of the spark plugs next.

I also ended up buying the LIP-2gB from www.dejontool.com

Another thing...can anyone tell me the specific name of this BOV? All i know is that it's a HKS.
http://www.dsmtuners.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=46190

*i'm also gonna redo, the boost leak test*

 

[Attack Eagle]

My 2g o2 housing I took it out while still connected to my T-25....i'm not even gonna attempt to disconnected from that turbo now since it out of the car.

I always take em off out of the car. Amazing what a hammer and an endwrench and some PB blaster can do for loosening them up quickly and easily. I never figured out how to take em off while the turbo was connected very easily.

Boost leak test.

 

[gstspoolin]

okay I pulled the spark plugs out, I took a pic of one of them....there was a "little" oil on it. No puddle or anything too big. While looking around my engine bay I also noticed a couple of burnt wires and an ugly corroded one. I don't know if it has anything to do with my problem...I posted more pics just follow the link from above.