Well, after running the car with 18 degrees timing, I decided to check the spark plugs to see if she's running ok. The spark plugs were only 5 days old prior to advancing the timing and has been in use for about 5 hours at 18 degree timing. Here's a pic of what they look like (right to left cylinders 1 to 4):



While the spark plugs were out I decided to do a compression test on the motor as well:

Cylinder 1: 219 psi
Cylinder 2: 211 psi
Cylinder 3: 225 psi
Cylinder 4: 225 psi

Here is a pic of my valve cover, can some one explain the grease/wet look by spark plug holes 1 and 2? And the rust stains in cylinder 2 spark plug hole? The stains and rust marks were there prior to 18 degree timing.



Thank you for your input.

Please add ".orig.jpg" to the pictures to see a larger version. Stupid imagestation.

PS - yeah, my valve cover is dirty, I just recently did a valve adjustment on her so it's gonna be like that for a while (until I decide to wash the engine bay).


[Modified by Tommy_Gunns, 12:58 AM 5/21/2002]


[Modified by Tommy_Gunns, 1:07 AM 5/21/2002]

 

If you remove the "http" your links will work better.

 

Links working yet?

 

nope still dont work

 

works for me

 

This can't be from +18 advanced timing!

 

The rust color on the plugs look normal to me, but I wanted a second opinion.

BTW - those are BKR7EVX-11 plugs that I picked up at AJR.

 

OT...I dunno... maybe we have different testers.. but My compression numbers were 245,243,233,233

And I burn oil... alot...

 

Maybe you got excessive oil in the cylinders or carbon deposits. Higher compression numbers is not necessarily better. I know on my friends' car, the cylinder that burning the most oil has the highest compression by 20 psi. Oil doesn't compress.

In the helm's it states that the minimum compression is 135 psi...holy crap, I wonder how an ITR with 135 compression drives.

 

looks like you have been getting water or some fluid into the second spark plug hole, perhaps when washing the vehicle or doing an engine cleaning of some sorts, and you also spilled some oil on the valve cover, maybe during the valve adjustment. Simple Green will take care of that in short order, look like new.

 

I should really clean that crap out...

OT: I notice that my stupid valve cover washers (the ones with rubber on the one side) are leaking oil. I wonder how much these POS washers cost.

 

im sure honda will charge you $6 each for those stupid nuts. brand new chrome ones do look swell though.