Everytime i go to pull the plugs, #1 seems to be smothered in black so i cant even see the burn. 2-4 are good and half white like normal. Any reason? Compression is good on that, car is tuned and all that stuff. Injector maybe?

 

Black as in fuel fouled or oil fouled?

Could be a bunch of things:

1. Bad spark plug (Even if it is new)
2. Bad plug wire
3. Bad coil pack
4. Sparky not grounding to engine
5. etc.

What kind of car / year?

 

Hm.. well its new plugs.. about 4 sets tried now... brand new coil pack MSD its just black. Not wet. I would like to say oil. but i did a compression test on all the cylinders and its 205 all the way. The ONLY thing i can think of is this. I have been having a problem with my valve seals and/or guides. I smoke when im decelerating so maybe that has something to do with it. i dunno.

 

do you think 205-208 is a low compression reading for an LS 84mm cylinder with a GSR head? 9:1 pistons

 

This is exactly what happened to me when I accidently got the ring gaps inline on my #1 hole. Pulled head/pan/piston, realligned, fixed... *could* be valve seals too, but mine wasn't.

 

alll the rings were pre gapped to spec. So i doubt its that. I have no idea. I do know that im having either a valve seal or guide problem. I smoke a bit when i let off the gas and get back on it. Not so much while boosting. the normal little bit.

 

also it could be the valve lash on the #1 cylinder

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 1SlowSi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">alll the rings were pre gapped to spec. So i doubt its that. I have no idea. I do know that im having either a valve seal or guide problem. I smoke a bit when i let off the gas and get back on it. Not so much while boosting. the normal little bit.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Mine were gapped to spec too, but the gap alignment was wrong. I've found the using the cheap ring compressors makes it easy to mess up your ring alignment. Just an idea, I wouldnt' discount it just yet. Pull your exhaust manifold off and have a look up in there.

Also, if you think it's valve seals, go ahead and buy a set. They're cheap.

 

yeah im gonna get the head re done with all new seals and guides, and inspect everything. If it STILL smokes then ****.. i guess its the #1 cylinder oil ring. As of today, it started out of no where, smoking during idling and quite alot when driving and WOT. I did another compression test with a differnt tester, #1-#4, 189, 195, 195, 195. #1 HAS to be the problem. I dont know if its the ring. So yeah, ill wait till the head is done before i pull the piston. Maybe pull it while the heads off. who knows.

One more thing, if the oil ring is shot, wouldnt it show up in the compression test?

 

#1 just took a ****. After driving it hard this morning... i either killed the rings or a ringland.. dunno. Compression is now 150 in that one. Was 210. Ive been compression testing it once a week. #1 has been going from 210, 209, 208, 205, now 150. Yesterday, another gauge read 188, and the others 195.