Spark Plug question. Everyone is saying I am running lean.

[EagleTalonTim]

In a few of my other posts, I have had some issues that tend to always lead to running lean. Maybe I am missing something somewhere, but I can't figure out how I could be running lean with light black smoke coming out of the exhaust at WOT and a little on take off from a stop. I have attached a picture of what my plugs look like after 3 months of a mixture of light and heavy driving. According to my research, they are perfectly normal. My gap is set at .28

My Setup :
JDM 6bolt w/ cyclone intake (cyclone works)
590 injectors
Evo 3 16g (set at 16psi)
FMIC w/ all hard pipes
Walbro 255 fuel pump
FuelLab AFPR (set at 45psi)
SAFCII (zeroed out)
2g MAF
2g Exhaust Manifold
2-1/2" straight exhaust with single in, dual out muffler. No cat or resonator.
Eprom ECU chipped by DSMChips.com

 

[gsxkid81]

that plug looks nice.

 

[williillii]

Not sure what problems you are having, but just get a wideband o2. They are cheap, and will save you alot of headache trying to guess your AFR.

 

[LiquidX]

+1, you should still get a wideband and even better, a logger.

The plug isn't white and running lean won't be causing black smoke (fuel). Positive it isn't a blueish smoke?

 

[EagleTalonTim]

Yep, I am 100% sure it is not bluish smoke. I am having overheating problems but that is posted in another thread under this topic. I am looking at getting a better head gasket but I don't know what to go with for a 500hp goal. I know I need ARP head studs.

 

[Black95TSIawd]

That plug looks pretty good actually. You can even get away with a little leaner AFR's, but I would get a wideband first.

 

[EagleTalonTim]

Wideband, headgasket, and ARP head studs ordered Lets see from here.

 

[danl]

Anybody that is giving you advise by "reading" that plug can't read plugs for a performance application. That plug has way too much run time on it. Also the fuel ring for WOT is way deep down in the plug, it isn't visible in your picture. You would need to cut the threads off to take a picture of it. Or you can get a earscope to inspect it yourself. You can't even see the timing mark on the ground strap.

Get new plugs, do a third gear pull, kill the motor immediately, coast to a stop. Remove plugs, cut the threads off so that the bottom of the porcelain can show, post up a picture. Show the ground strap to get a read on the timing advance.