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Reading the tea leaves
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 6:59 pm
by vping
Finally, got it running. All electrical issues worked out and it starts almost immediately. I had it idling for about 15-20 minutes to bring it up to temp. Other than a few small oil leaks, I'm chuffed. Timing lever was about 6 clicks out, throttle was all the way up at it's shower speed.
Please let me know what you feel I need to do based on the look of these:
1 on on the right and I have the needle out 1 full turn.
Re: Reading the tea leaves
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:05 pm
by Jerry VanOoteghem
vping wrote: ↑Sat Mar 23, 2024 6:59 pm
Finally, got it running. All electrical issues worked out and it starts almost immediately. I had it idling for about 15-20 minutes to bring it up to temp. Other than a few small oil leaks, I'm chuffed. Timing lever was about 6 clicks out, throttle was all the way up at it's shower speed.
Please let me know what you feel I need to do based on the look of these:
1 on on the right and I have the needle out 1 full turn.
Put them back in and drive the car. I have personally never cared what spark plugs look like. If it runs well, drive it.
Re: Reading the tea leaves
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:25 pm
by vping
Jerry VanOoteghem wrote: ↑Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:05 pm
vping wrote: ↑Sat Mar 23, 2024 6:59 pm
Finally, got it running. All electrical issues worked out and it starts almost immediately. I had it idling for about 15-20 minutes to bring it up to temp. Other than a few small oil leaks, I'm chuffed. Timing lever was about 6 clicks out, throttle was all the way up at it's shower speed.
Please let me know what you feel I need to do based on the look of these:
1 on on the right and I have the needle out 1 full turn.
Put them back in and drive the car. I have personally never cared what spark plugs look like. If it runs well, drive it.
love it!!
Re: Reading the tea leaves
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:27 pm
by vping
I can't wait. It's been pouring here on long Island and I have a few more things to work out suspension-wise before I venture out. Within a week or two, I'm sure I'll be taking that first drive.
Re: Reading the tea leaves
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:29 pm
by CudaMan
The plugs look like the mixture is a bit rich, but I pretty much agree with Jerry.
Once you are comfortable and familiar with the car, you could experiment with leaning the mixture out a bit, but if the car develops less power, pops back out the carburetor, or misses on hard climbs, put the mixture back to where it is now.
Re: Reading the tea leaves
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:37 pm
by RVA23T
At idle I would expect to see soot. I would drive it and look at them after about 40 or 50 miles of cruising speed. they most likely will not all look the same but it should be less soot.
Re: Reading the tea leaves
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:52 pm
by vping
RVA23T wrote: ↑Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:37 pm
At idle I would expect to see soot. I would drive it and look at them after about 40 or 50 miles of cruising speed. they most likely will not all look the same but it should be less soot.
Kinda figured this might be that case. My MGs do not like to idle and really love to stretch their legs.
Re: Reading the tea leaves
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:59 pm
by RVA23T
vping wrote: ↑Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:52 pm
RVA23T wrote: ↑Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:37 pm
At idle I would expect to see soot. I would drive it and look at them after about 40 or 50 miles of cruising speed. they most likely will not all look the same but it should be less soot.
Kinda figured this might be that case. My MGs do not like to idle and really love to stretch their legs.
it's sad you guys will go out in shorts and sandals in the snow at 20deg f but let a little rain stop you from a little test drive????
Re: Reading the tea leaves
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 9:51 pm
by vping
I think it rained like 3-4" today. Lots of flooding. Not the greatest driving condition for my test drive.
Re: Reading the tea leaves
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 10:20 pm
by RVA23T
Get use to it, it seems to be really nice outside when the T is down & being repaired and when fixed the bad weather is back to ruin the fun!
Re: Reading the tea leaves
Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2024 11:26 am
by Susanne
Those look normal - not oil soaked, I'm assuming the one on the right is #1 which IS the cold and distant plug, so yeah, it's always sootyish (at least ours were)... I chased that gremlin then realized there was no gremlin to chase.
Put em back in and run it!
Re: Reading the tea leaves
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2024 2:11 pm
by vping
I did and she fired right up. Pulled it in and out of the garage under her own power. Quickest seasoning Awakening of and off my cars. Looking forward to taking it on the road soon..
Re: Reading the tea leaves
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2024 2:29 pm
by TXGOAT2
If you are using a high volume auxiliary oiler, the # 1 cylinder may get more oil than the rest, especially at low speed and load or idling. Oil level too high will cause the same thing. Drive the car on the road for an hour or so, then look at the plugs. If you have a water pump, you need a thermostat.
Re: Reading the tea leaves
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2024 3:07 pm
by tman1913
If after running the car down the road for an hour or so, look at the plugs. If the front pair are still carbon up (darker in color) than the rear pair. Tighten up the rear manifold clamps. The rear has an air leak causing you to set the carb richer which makes the front pair carbon up.
Re: Reading the tea leaves
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2024 4:24 pm
by Norman Kling
I would suspect that the first two are running colder than the rear 2. This is because the most direct path for the coolant through the block is between the input and the output. So at slow speeds the front two would be colder. This would be especially true if you have a water pump on the engine.
Norm
Re: Reading the tea leaves
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2024 6:30 pm
by vping
All makes sense.
No water pump or oiler to my knowledge.