Thought it was time for a tune up.

The TC has been running just a little rough lately. Not too bad, just a skip here and there, figured it was time to tune it up. Got the plugs, wires, cap, rotor etc. and set to it. Changed the first plug, it wasn't too bad, same with the second, but when I got to the third, I found a plug that had no core. I mean the center is just gone. I have never seen this before. Would this be a bad case of detonation at work or is there something more sinister? Is it possible for the missing part to be in a cylinder? I am really stumped. It runs great after the Tune Up though. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. When I get home I will take a picture of the plug and post it.

PS This being the first tune up I've done to the car, I hadn't noticed the plugs before, the ones I took out were Bosch Platinums, Am I imagining it, or was there some discussion here before about not using those? I replaced them with Motoercraft.

Good move with the Motorcraft, Autolite coppers would have been good too. Gapped between .32-.35. Bosch are notorious for not working in our engines. Maybe the piece to your plug got burned up and flew out the exhaust, you can only hope...

Kev

You'll find this article quite interesting! http://www.deathstar.org/~flash/bosch.html

"You are looking at a photomicrograph of the tip of a WR7DP Bosch spark plug....

....the platinum filament inside the porcelain fractured and began to hop up and down inside the porcelain. Of course, when it was actually touching the electrode, the "spark" was then inside the porcelain, causing the motor to miss."

Forgot to add a link for a page that has pics and info on how to read a plug.
http://www.centuryperformance.com/spark2.htm

Check out the nasty pic "Sustained Pre-Ignition"

Hey Kevin how you been??

Is the plug oily? I had a TC that was bad about oiling #3 plug(lowest milage one I ever oned 78k mi). It would shatter the insulator and start running poorly, due to detonation in that cylinder(because of the oil). Sold it, never did look into the cause.

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Four 1988 Turbo Coupes .....
yea one of em has a 5.0 And runs 13.1s.. uhhh make that [email protected] with a
80hp shot of nitrous. Yep, I'll be goin for 11s.

[This message has been edited by TurboCoupe50 (edited 10-03-2002).]

Hey Tom, I'm okay, Been busy Moved to Delaware so haven't had much time to visit here.

Anyway to answer your question, no, no oiling, The Electrode is just gone. I hope to post the picture today or tomorrow, Have to load the software again.