black soot on plugs 4 and 2

Ask and give advice here
Post Reply
User avatar
John Alves
Crankshaft
Posts: 791
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:06 pm
What model do you have?: 58Ghia 68bug68buggy
Location: Cape Town
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 48 times
South Africa

black soot on plugs 4 and 2

Post by John Alves »

Hi All

I have a 1500 sp motor in my beetle which occasionally fouls up plug no 2. Plugs 1 and 3 are fine, plug 4 has slight black soot on it and plug 2 has lots of soot on it, how is this possible? valves are correctly set.
If I lean the carb then the motor runs like crap any ideas?


No sense being pessimistic. It wouldn't work anyway.

1958 1600 TP Karmann Ghia
1968 1600 TP Beamish buggy
1968 1500 SP Beetle
Pine
ACVWSA Junkie
Posts: 15031
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2005 5:54 pm
What model do you have?: Oil on the driveway
Location: Wilderness
Has thanked: 231 times
Been thanked: 233 times
Contact:

Re: black soot on plugs 4 and 2

Post by Pine »

If you currently have NGK plugs, try exhanging them for Champion L87YC

Image
User avatar
John Alves
Crankshaft
Posts: 791
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:06 pm
What model do you have?: 58Ghia 68bug68buggy
Location: Cape Town
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 48 times
South Africa

Re: black soot on plugs 4 and 2

Post by John Alves »

will try that thanks
No sense being pessimistic. It wouldn't work anyway.

1958 1600 TP Karmann Ghia
1968 1600 TP Beamish buggy
1968 1500 SP Beetle
User avatar
John Alves
Crankshaft
Posts: 791
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:06 pm
What model do you have?: 58Ghia 68bug68buggy
Location: Cape Town
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 48 times
South Africa

Re: black soot on plugs 4 and 2

Post by John Alves »

after many months of changing plugs, setting valves, setting timing, tuning carb until blue in the face, motor still running :bn: and fouling plugs 4 and 2, I decide to take a look at the automatic choke.
It was not fully opening when motor was warm, adjusted it and now running sweet.
This has been a long road with such a simple solution, I've paid my school fees on this one
No sense being pessimistic. It wouldn't work anyway.

1958 1600 TP Karmann Ghia
1968 1600 TP Beamish buggy
1968 1500 SP Beetle
User avatar
AlanH
Crankshaft
Posts: 732
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2013 7:20 am
What model do you have?: '70 Westy
Location: Pretoria
Has thanked: 117 times
Been thanked: 86 times
Germany

Re: black soot on plugs 4 and 2

Post by AlanH »

Thanks for reporting back, I'm sure it will help someone else.
Wanted parts:
Left sunvisor
Sink faucet
Exhaust to swap for Beetle exhaust
User avatar
Tony Z
Donor
Donor
Posts: 14992
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2005 8:33 am
What model do you have?: 2.3L 69; 1302; P/Van
Location: Klipheuwel (near Durbanville), Cape Town or working at sea
Has thanked: 191 times
Been thanked: 487 times
South Africa

Re: black soot on plugs 4 and 2

Post by Tony Z »

Glad you back up and running.
It is amazing how the fuel distribution changes due to firing order on these engines. I've always wondered which cylinder of the pair runs richer, now we know, its the first to fire on the head... 2 and 4
Thanks for that
Post Reply