PINTO CAR CLUB of AMERICA

Shiny is Good! => Your Project => Topic started by: 1977Bobcat on October 24, 2018, 08:23:22 AM

Title: UGH!!! Mechanical Damage to spark plug.
Post by: 1977Bobcat on October 24, 2018, 08:23:22 AM

I haven't been able to start my Pinto for months.  I tinker here and there and have had several people try to figure out what is going.
But a bunch of ideas no solutions.

Now..... I pulled the spark plugs (about a year old) and there is mechanical damage to the spark plug in the second cylinder.

Title: Re: UGH!!! Mechanical Damage to spark plug.
Post by: Jays74 on October 24, 2018, 03:04:59 PM

Hope u figure it out soon !
Nice bobcat !
Have u did a compression check on cylinder #2 ? Test for spark ?
Hopefully it's nothing major n ur back on the road again !
Keep us updated.

Title: Re: UGH!!! Mechanical Damage to spark plug.
Post by: JoeBob on October 26, 2018, 09:55:22 AM

Glad to see another 77 Bob. I have no clue how many remain. If you did not know there were 18,405 77's made. Here is mine. this is an old photo. I added hotpants and a black stripe but I can not get photo to post.
Bill
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Title: Re: UGH!!! Mechanical Damage to spark plug.
Post by: Wittsend on October 26, 2018, 05:14:38 PM

How would you define "Mechanical damage?" About the only way a plug would be damaged is it was defective (simply replace), there was excessive pinging (assumed you would mention that - but haven't so I'm ruling that out), something like a nut (a screw is usually too long) got in the cylinder, there is damage to the piston pin or crank bearing and the piston was banging into the plug or a valve has dropped and has hit the plug. But in the latter two cases you would probably have mentioned an excessive amount of internal clanging.

All that said, if the engine is turning over (and assuming the spark and fuel are present) the car would likely at least attempt to start and might possibly (assuming no damage to the piston or valves) run, even if roughly.  If the engine turns over rotate the cylinder with the bad plug until the piston is near the top. Shine a flashlight into the spark plug hole and see if there is any visible sign of damage. Most likey you would see scratch marks in bright aluminum on an otherwise carbon black piston top.

If you could post pictures of the plug damage, give a more detailed description of the cars mechanical issue - and what you have done it might help to get to the bottom of the problem.