Read my spark plug...

[JanGeo]

Yeah and you were probably help by the fog injection!

[theholycow]

Thanks for reminding me! I thought of that and thought of water injection...I have an extra windshield washer tank and pump, and fuel injectors on that S10 that I'm disassembling...not sure the pump would provide enough pressure for that to work, though.

I wasn't taking that idea seriously but it was an interesting thought experiment.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I don't see the point of water injection when using ethanol blended fuels. The alcohol in the fuel absorbs humidity from the air, and that water goes through the fuel system and turns to steam in the engine.

[theholycow]

Water injection at the intake won't be there for long enough to be absorbed, plus it may be more water than the ethanol can absorb anyway. Its purpose is to reduce spark knock without having to retard timing by cooling the air/fuel mixture.

[add|ct]

Originally Posted by JanGeo

I thought so but you want to use stuff that conducts heat, like the copper paste good for up to 1800 degrees. I still need to check mine since last year or two? Since I changed to irridium plugs and put the copper antiseize on mine. Your plugs are almost blistering and if they are that clean then they for sure are causing some knocking under heavy load when they get really hot.

I'll be replacing my plugs in a couple of months and will buy some of the permatex listed since I have aluminum heads/valve cover/block etc(though someone painted the valve cover previously go figure).

[Ford Man]

Originally Posted by add|ct

I'll be replacing my plugs in a couple of months and will buy some of the permatex listed since I have aluminum heads/valve cover/block etc(though someone painted the valve cover previously go figure).

Good idea!! I had a plug seize in my '88 Escort several years ago. When the plug was removed the threads were completely packed with aluminum, but I was lucky there was enough metal left in the hole to tap the threads back in without removing the head. That taught me a lesson about always using plenty of anti seize on anything threaded into aluminum. Another thing to remember is always remove the plugs when the engine is cold or the heat/expansion may cause them to seize.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I always did plugs with a cold engine just so I didn't burn myself

[theholycow]

In my vacuum gauge thread we've determined that my manifold vacuum going to the distributor advance has a check valve and that's probably the cause of my knock. Thinking about that I got to wondering if the problem before, with the bucking symptom, was insufficient advance. If it was too retarded would that be able to cause severe bucking?

[theholycow]

Also, just to be sure...the sound I believe is spark knock sounds exactly like this guy's video at :10 and :31
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiBzxxvy3FQ
[yt]XiBzxxvy3FQ[/yt]

[GasSavers_Erik]

Retarded timing usually just gives low hp and can cause hard starting.

Bucking is usually fuel starvation.