Series Land Rover - Sparkplug Problems
There are many possible causes for a standard Series Land Rover gas engine to under perform and one of the simplest causes is faulty sparkplugs.
A sparkplug spanner should be considered an essential tool in the kit and an occasional inspection of the sparkplugs is good preventive maintenance. It is important to carefully clear away any accumulated debris around the sparkplug before attempting to remove though else serious wear can be caused to the cylinder walls if it drops inside.
When
a sparkplug has been removed first perform a visual inspection, looking for the following issues:
Light coloured deposits on the electrode and/or insulator. These can be the result of additives being used in the fuel and/or oil to combat some particular problem. A wide range of additive solutions are available as after market products and whilst they may be effective some may also have undesired effects upon the sparkplugs. If additives are being used then consider other possible solutions to the problem tat does not involve additives.
Dry, sooty, powdery black covering. This is caused by an over-rich fuel mixture; possible causes are a restricted air filter, too much use of the choke or an incorrectly adjusted carburettor.
Wet black oily appearance. This is caused by oil getting into the cylinder bores and not being completely burnt with the fuel. There are a number of ways in which oil can enter the combustion chambers ad these include worn cylinder bores, worn valve stems, broken or stuck piston rings, leaking valve stem oil seals or an over-filled engine sump.
Electrode eroded. Fuel additives can cause this by attacking the metal of the elctrode during combustion. Try changing the additives, if possible, or look for an alternative solution to the problem that the additives were addressing.
Finally, don't forget to check the electrode gap and reset it if necessary. The following are recommended settings:
Spark plug gap: 1.6litre & 2litre 0.025in(0.63mm); 2.25litre & 2.6litre 0.030in(0.76mm).
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