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Colour Of Turbo Exhaust Wheel & Plugs

MearCat

By MearCat,
in Engines & Forced Induction

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MearCat Proficient

MearCat

Posted
Posted

I pulled my dump pipe off yesterday to get a small leak fixed in it and thought I'd have a look at the exhaust wheel while I was there as well. I'm not sure whether the wheel is supposed to be a grey/whiteish colour, so I pulled the plugs as well. The rubber seals on the coils where covered in likea white dust, as were the recess in which the plugs sit. The plugs themselves looked fine. Attached are some pics.

Should I be worried about the colour of the exhaust wheel?

What is all that cr@p in the spark plug recess and all over everything else?

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post-1179-1153921431.jpg

post-1179-1153921458.jpg

post-1179-1153921526.jpg

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r33_racer Grand Master

r33_racer

Posted
Posted

Generally the white in the exhaust is not enough fuel, black everything is normally too much and a brownish/orangy tinge is normally an octane bumping additive eg. tolulene.

Dont know what the white shit is exactly....interested to find out though.

R32_Matt Rising Star

R32_Matt

Posted
Posted

The white stuff looks like the crap that builds up on battery terminals when you dont clean them for ages.

I dont know what causes this or what it is but there is obviously a current running through the spark plug lead as there is with the battery so maybe it is the same kind of build up.

MearCat Proficient

MearCat

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I had a thought today that it might be that kind of white powder that absorbs moisture (dessicant). Like the stuff you get in bike tire tubes. Although the plugs do have a bit of corrosion on them.

FOG35 Collaborator

FOG35

Posted
Posted

Spark plug looks normal to me. However the corrosion around the spark plug isnt good. Do you have the cover that goes over the coil packs on? Looks like there has been water sitting around your spark plugs. This can make you spark arc out on the rocker covers. Did your car ever missfire?

tacker Mentor

tacker

Posted
Posted

The white powder is aluminimum oxide which is basicly aluminimum rust!

I would say that there has been water left in this area for some time, is this the first time you have removed the plugs?

And i am no expert but i would say you are running to lean by the color of your turbo.

MearCat Proficient

MearCat

Posted
  • Author
Posted

The car has only done 23,000km (Yes it's genuine) and I've only had the car for a few thousands kms. When I got it, the black spark plug/coil cover was not on it (it is now though). This is the first time I've pulled the plugs and I intend to get a vacuum cleaner and brush and get rid of all the white crap from in the wells and clean up the corrosion on the spark plugs with a wire brush.

In the short time I've had the car, I've never had any problems with missing, hestitation or any other problems. Well ... apart from the clutch I destroyed last week :mellow: After the clutch is fixed, the Power FC is getting tuned (which also came with the car)

r33_racer Grand Master

r33_racer

Posted
Posted (edited)

Thats what i was thinking of this morning....the ally corrosion...get the sameshit on the ally left out in the weather at work.....but ive never seen it that bad before. I assumed anyone wouldnt have let enough water build up in there to cause it, normally when there is mass amounts of water in there misfires occur....at least they did in my old ca18det after i degreased the engine bay and never got all the water outta the wells.

interesting though :mellow:

For the sake of 20 bux i would get a whole new set of coppers and throw them in instead of re-using old plugs that are half buggered or worse.

Edited by r33_racer
rob82 Mentor

rob82

Posted
Posted

The white spherodites on the exhaust wheel is usually from burning oil. The fact that your spark plug looks fine maybe a little too clean would suggest that the oil maybe leaking form the turbo. What is the heat range of those plugs and how much power is the car running? Also as stated earlier the white powder is aluminium oxide usually cause from water getting in there and sitting, make sure you clean all the oil and debris around the coils and boots so you dont get a miss fire.

MearCat Proficient

MearCat

Posted
  • Author
Posted
The white spherodites on the exhaust wheel is usually from burning oil. The fact that your spark plug looks fine maybe a little too clean would suggest that the oil maybe leaking form the turbo. What is the heat range of those plugs and how much power is the car running? Also as stated earlier the white powder is aluminium oxide usually cause from water getting in there and sitting, make sure you clean all the oil and debris around the coils and boots so you dont get a miss fire.

The plugs have "NGK Apexi 8 Iridium" stamped on them, so I'm not sure what the heat range is. The car is running an estimated 250rwhp.

rob82 Mentor

rob82

Posted
Posted
The plugs have "NGK Apexi 8 Iridium" stamped on them, so I'm not sure what the heat range is. The car is running an estimated 250rwhp.

Check the mixtures on a dyno - the insulator should be alot blacker than that for that heat range and horsepower level. Doesn't look to be an aluminium on the plug itself so you might not be doing damage yet.

rev210 Grand Master

rev210

Posted
Posted
The car has only done 23,000km (Yes it's genuine) and I've only had the car for a few thousands kms. When I got it, the black spark plug/coil cover was not on it (it is now though). This is the first time I've pulled the plugs and I intend to get a vacuum cleaner and brush and get rid of all the white crap from in the wells and clean up the corrosion on the spark plugs with a wire brush.

In the short time I've had the car, I've never had any problems with missing, hestitation or any other problems. Well ... apart from the clutch I destroyed last week :( After the clutch is fixed, the Power FC is getting tuned (which also came with the car)

Maybe done a few extra kms on top of the 23,000 kms only because;

* that sort of corrosion build up takes a little while.

* that corrosion indicates water/moisture presence.

* Your first set of factory platinums from nissan would still be installed.

* The spark plug cover would be installed still. Why take it off if it's only 23,000km new?

The plugs look like they have been subjected to a lean burn, maybe even a ping or three.

Has the enigne been dyno'd with AFR's read?

Wait....untuned Power FC and fanging the car to the level of a destroyed clutch.

Go directly and get the Power FC tuned. And 'nanna' the car around instead of giving it stick till you do.

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