SO the truck has getting less use since I have two off in college now and the remaining geeklet won't be driving for another 18 months.

It has been running like crap, and I just never got around to sorting it out once it got cold.

Loping idle, poor general performance and long term fuel trim maxed out negative.

And a persistent p1316 that wouldn't go away.

I misted the wires, used a plumbers torch to hunt for vacuum leaks, ohmed the coils and even put an inline spark tester on each cylinder and everything appeared to be right.

On a whim, I bought some champion copper plugs, and put them in yesterday.

Every plug came out fluffy and gray, just like it should be.

The LAST ONE I took out, wasn't.

Check this out:
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

sorry for the link and not the pictures, but for some reason I cant paste links into the image box that pops up. It just refuses to accept input.

If you can't see the images, it is a spark plug, in a dead short condition, ie no gap, with the electrode smashed down on the button.

Anyhoo

Any guesses as to how that might have happened? I don't think I could have been stupid enough to put it in that way, but anything is possible.

And I hope this info helps somebody else out. So many folks never post back with solutions.

 

something likely hit the plug tip and mashed it that way......let's hope it was a piece of carbon..........

 

I don't know dude but if it was me I'd just got grab another plug, they're only a couple bucks, and as carefully as humanly possible put that sucker in after thoroughly inspecting for correct gap.

Then run and reexamine. Just to rule out it wasn't previously damaged or damaged upon install. I'm embarrassed to admit but I've been in such a hurry I've often just tossed plugs in to several vehicles without barely pausing to breath let alone look at the plug between opening it's box and socketing in.

Hell, I've seen scammers return old plugs back to the store in new boxes and stock guys didn't bother to check them. Next customer who doesn't look first gets hoodwinked.

Edited to add:
I hope for you that it actually was something like that. I can't see how any alternative doesn't entail alot of work and/or $$$. Good luck man.