Reading plugs and piston wash??

[fasta76]

Going to take my sled out in the next couple weeks for some setup and tunning. 07 M8 with slp pipe kit and BDX intake. I installed a AEM A/G to help but just want to make sure! The plugs should be a light tan to golden right? How are guys doing the piston wash readings? Taking the pipe off or plugs out? Should be black on top with finger size spaces around the piston..

Any pics would be great!

 

[89sandman]

sorry don't have any pics but your descriptions are right. i ran mine for the first ride saturday, 80 miles. same setup as yours with no box. pulled my head tuesday and wash looks just about the same as it was stock. you can pull the Y-pipe and get a pretty good look at the pistons, it just takes a few more to pull the head. i put in the wiseco pistons and wanted to be sure there was no piston scouring thats why i pulled the head...

 

[Mntryder]

What I have done is to use a small LED type bendable light. Take out both plugs on one side, slide the light into the back hole and look into the foward hole. Turn the clutch until you get a good view. Its kinda tight looking in ,but its fast and easy to get a good read on your wash.

Most auto parts stores or sears should stock the light. Mine cost around $14.00 bucks.

 

[ItDoAble]

Can't you just pull the powervalve then shine a light down one of the plug holes? Pull the cord until you can see the wash thru the powervalve hole.

Chocolate thunder is sweet !!

 

[M6johnny]

Wow, this is so weird. I just did a search on this topic. Here ya go

http://www.snowtechmagazine.com/articles/2001/baseline/baseline.php

^^^^^^^^^^for piston wash^^^^^^^^^^^



http://tsrsoftware.com/sparkplug.htm

^^^^^^^^^for spark plug color^^^^^^^^^^^

johnny

 

[RACINSTATION]

A lesser know, and by my opinion better technique is the "wet line" reading. Pull your pipe and you should see the wet line go all the way through the y pipe and approximatley 2 inches into the main pipe. This varies engine to engine, but I have come to trust this better than wash or plug readings, as they are effected more by current running conditions....meaning if you are rich at idle and your sled idles for 1 minute and then you check the plugs you are going to get a rich reading. Piston wash has been an accurate measuring stick until the past years as sythetic oils have become cleaner burning. I prefer Redline oil and I can run an engine rich or lean and the tops of the pistons stay clean and unreadable for quite some time. The wetline, however stay accurate with petroleum based or synthetic oils.

 

[donaldej]

A lesser know, and by my opinion better technique is the "wet line" reading. Pull your pipe and you should see the wet line go all the way through the y pipe and approximatley 2 inches into the main pipe. This varies engine to engine, but I have come to trust this better than wash or plug readings, as they are effected more by current running conditions....meaning if you are rich at idle and your sled idles for 1 minute and then you check the plugs you are going to get a rich reading. Piston wash has been an accurate measuring stick until the past years as sythetic oils have become cleaner burning. I prefer Redline oil and I can run an engine rich or lean and the tops of the pistons stay clean and unreadable for quite some time. The wetline, however stay accurate with petroleum based or synthetic oils.

Ok tell us more about this wet line. Do you run 1/4 throttle for 1/4 mile and check, then 1/2 throttle 1/4 mile check ect. or is this only WOT and then check.

 

[likkerpig]

^^ I agree- more info definitely needed!!!

 

[Arctic Thunder]

A lesser know, and by my opinion better technique is the "wet line" reading. Pull your pipe and you should see the wet line go all the way through the y pipe and approximatley 2 inches into the main pipe. This varies engine to engine, but I have come to trust this better than wash or plug readings, as they are effected more by current running conditions....meaning if you are rich at idle and your sled idles for 1 minute and then you check the plugs you are going to get a rich reading. Piston wash has been an accurate measuring stick until the past years as sythetic oils have become cleaner burning. I prefer Redline oil and I can run an engine rich or lean and the tops of the pistons stay clean and unreadable for quite some time. The wetline, however stay accurate with petroleum based or synthetic oils.

More info on this method would be great.

Interesting

Thunder

 

[RACINSTATION]

Wide open and then check is always the best, but the wet line is not like a plug reading and won't change as quickly. Plugs are hard to read because if you were lean and let it idle for a while, they will color right back up and be wet.

 

[kane13]

Makes sense i have never tried that method, but i can see it working well i will try and compare. thx