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greggarthurevans
Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2018
Posts: 165
Location: Cleveland
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 Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 12:30 pm Post subject: Are these plugs oily? And what about gapping? |
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My first voyage into servicing my own engine. My 85 vanagen. usually starts without any gas and bops around town so nice. But a few times it hasn't wanted to start then I put some gas and perhaps flood it (once it started easy 20 min later once I had to wait overnight) the over night time it backfired on start up. I pulled the plugs. Here is a picture of one they all look the same. I am not sure if this matches an oil laden plug or if its just black. Also the gapping was off between the 4 plugs one as tight at .25 one as wide as .37. Would this cause starting problems?
yes there is some dirt on the threads I will wipe it off.
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22633
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 12:36 pm Post subject: Re: are these plugs oily? and what about gapping? |
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Definitely will cause start problems - get some new plugs and replace, then practice cleaning and gapping on the old.
and
WELCOME TO THE VANAMADNESS!!
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.ssS! |
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greggarthurevans
Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2018
Posts: 165
Location: Cleveland
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 12:41 pm Post subject: Re: are these plugs oily? and what about gapping? |
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| Abscate wrote: |
Definitely will cause start problems - get some new plugs and replace, then practice cleaning and gapping on the old.
and should I expect new plugs to oil up fast? Im not sure if you ment these are oily
WELCOME TO THE VANAMADNESS!! |
happy to hear and good idea with the practice. What do you recommend for best plugs. I am not a perfectionist but am scared to death to drop another 1,500 on this van later.
And yes I have recently gone van mad. I just bought a 71 bayview to drive from CA to Cleveland next week so I can sell it. Never done anything like that before so yes I am Vanmad right now.
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outcaststudios
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2015
Posts: 1732
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 12:48 pm Post subject: Re: are these plugs oily? and what about gapping? |
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.25 is a quarter of an inch and .37 is 3/8ths of an inch. im pretty sure you mean .024 and .037? i hope.
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'88Doka JX td
'69 westy
(rip)couple bugs
(rip)three type III"s
(rip) '81 vanagon
a bunch of french stuff,and 9 motorcycles.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2573791 |
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Ahwahnee
Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2010
Posts: 9796
Location: Mt Lemmon, AZ
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 12:48 pm Post subject: Re: are these plugs oily? and what about gapping? |
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NGK Spark Plugs - BP6ET are what I used and are favored by many.
Here is one handy source:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/132562308638
Harbor freight makes a decent plug cleaner if you have compressed air available. |
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outcaststudios
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2015
Posts: 1732
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 12:48 pm Post subject: Re: are these plugs oily? and what about gapping? |
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use a matchbook if you dont have a feeler.
_________________
'88Doka JX td
'69 westy
(rip)couple bugs
(rip)three type III"s
(rip) '81 vanagon
a bunch of french stuff,and 9 motorcycles.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2573791 |
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greggarthurevans
Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2018
Posts: 165
Location: Cleveland
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 12:49 pm Post subject: Re: are these plugs oily? and what about gapping? |
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| outcaststudios wrote: |
| .25 is a quarter of an inch and .37 is 3/8ths of an inch. im pretty sure you mean .024 and .037? i hope. |
yes thanks
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Thank you all for babysitting me as I live my samba dreams. I will do my best to pay it forward......someday. |
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outcaststudios
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2015
Posts: 1732
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 3:07 pm Post subject: Re: are these plugs oily? and what about gapping? |
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aslo i have never heard it called a 'bayview' is that a local thing? interesting!
_________________
'88Doka JX td
'69 westy
(rip)couple bugs
(rip)three type III"s
(rip) '81 vanagon
a bunch of french stuff,and 9 motorcycles.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2573791 |
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Ahwahnee
Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2010
Posts: 9796
Location: Mt Lemmon, AZ
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 3:55 pm Post subject: Re: are these plugs oily? and what about gapping? |
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| outcaststudios wrote: |
| use a matchbook if you dont have a feeler. |
That sounds a bit small - sure you're not thinking of the old trick of using a matchbook/match to set points? |
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greggarthurevans
Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2018
Posts: 165
Location: Cleveland
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 3:57 pm Post subject: Re: are these plugs oily? and what about gapping? |
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| outcaststudios wrote: |
| aslo i have never heard it called a 'bayview' is that a local thing? interesting! |
No I guess I made that up in my mind while I was typing . The rest of the world calls it a bay window.
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Thank you all for babysitting me as I live my samba dreams. I will do my best to pay it forward......someday. |
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outcaststudios
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2015
Posts: 1732
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 5:11 pm Post subject: Re: are these plugs oily? and what about gapping? |
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| Ahwahnee wrote: |
| outcaststudios wrote: |
| use a matchbook if you dont have a feeler. |
That sounds a bit small - sure you're not thinking of the old trick of using a matchbook/match to set points? |
yeah i think im thinkin of points, i always thought a plug gap was a 1/6th?
_________________
'88Doka JX td
'69 westy
(rip)couple bugs
(rip)three type III"s
(rip) '81 vanagon
a bunch of french stuff,and 9 motorcycles.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2573791 |
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borninabus
Samba R&D Dept.
Joined: May 18, 2006
Posts: 4536
Location: Arizona Highways
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 6:10 pm Post subject: Re: are these plugs oily? and what about gapping? |
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plug gap is .026"+/-.002" 
NGKs, hands down.
BP6ET--which you wont need to gap--is my best choice.
BP6ES--which you also won't need to gap--if you like the older style.
il like the P ones with the Projected electrode
spark plugs and have the injectors cleaned/flow tested. change the injector seals while you're there and you've got a good starting point.
good luck with that epic bay window journey, OP 
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88 Van WBX, A/T - 13 JSW TDI 6M/T - 2012 Touareg TDI Sport
Last edited by borninabus on Mon Jul 08, 2019 6:36 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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outcaststudios
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2015
Posts: 1732
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 6:33 pm Post subject: Re: are these plugs oily? and what about gapping? |
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| borninabus wrote: |
| outcaststudios wrote: |
| i always thought a plug gap was a 1/6th? |
1/6th of what? |
like.024 ish or 3mm even on french motors theyre the same.
_________________
'88Doka JX td
'69 westy
(rip)couple bugs
(rip)three type III"s
(rip) '81 vanagon
a bunch of french stuff,and 9 motorcycles.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2573791 |
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outcaststudios
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2015
Posts: 1732
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 6:41 pm Post subject: Re: are these plugs oily? and what about gapping? |
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mils are sometimes thou's so i guess technically you could say 3 10 thousandths of an inch ,or you could say 3 milimeters, but three mil can also mean 3 thousandths. or 1/40 th of a millimeter.
_________________
'88Doka JX td
'69 westy
(rip)couple bugs
(rip)three type III"s
(rip) '81 vanagon
a bunch of french stuff,and 9 motorcycles.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2573791 |
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E1
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013
Posts: 6520
Location: Westfalia, Earth
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 9:40 pm Post subject: Re: are these plugs oily? and what about gapping? |
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| borninabus wrote: |
plug gap is .026"+/-.002"
NGK BP6ET--which you wont need to gap--is my best choice. |
Long used those, too, and just put a set of these in. All were above the recommended gap, one was sloppy enough I'd guess .036" or better.
Closing a gap is never as nice as opening one.
And Yes, your plug looks quite rich. Are they all like that?
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
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greggarthurevans
Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2018
Posts: 165
Location: Cleveland
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| Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 5:59 am Post subject: Re: are these plugs oily? and what about gapping? |
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| borninabus wrote: |
plug gap is .026"+/-.002"
spark plugs and have the injectors cleaned/flow tested. change the injector seals while you're there and you've got a good starting point.
good luck with that epic bay window journey, OP |
yeah I did everything carefully and this morning it started up . Then I drove it 20 feet and stopped it cause I forgot something in the house. When I tried to start it a minute later It coughed instead of starting. 20 minutes later it started.
I will follow through with your next steps after my epic bay window journey . Is there a map of recommended dub mechanics for fools like me? I will drive from shop to shop till I get to Cleveland.
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markswagen
Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2018
Posts: 1019
Location: san diego
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| Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 6:33 am Post subject: Re: Are these plugs oily? And what about gapping? |
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The thickness of your finger nail, is close, most think plugs come prepared gapped, yes they do, but NOT for a vanagon, they are pretty gapped for the car the manufacturers think will use the most, modern ignition systems are more powerful, and can jump a big spark across a bigger gap, with a less powerful ignition system jumping a bigger gap, will weaken the spark.
Use NGK BP6ET plugs 
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markswagen {mobile mechanic} san diego area all early VW's cared for.
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