LR2 3.2 Fans,

I am going to make a different conclusion on the #1 and #6 sparkplug carbon.


The Gasket (washer) on the sparkplug should be a very good seal.
And if it is properly sealed then the sparkplug thread shouldn't have carbon on them.


If my 3.2 sparkplugs looked like that I would focus on cleaning the mating surface of the cylinder head and making sure that the sparkplugs are properly torqued.
I would get two new sparkplugs and use a generous amount of Dielectric Grease on the top of the ceramic to minimize the leakage to the cylinder head for the energy that should be jumping the sparkplug gap.
Then in about 20,000 miles I would remove the sparkplugs and check them to see if they still look like the picture and if combustion gases are leaking past the gasket (washer) and depositing carbon on the threads.

EDIT: if the combustion residue is getting past the Gasket (Washer) of the sparkplug then that residue will likely create a parasitic drain for the energy that should be going across the spark gap and if you have that condition the ECU will likely push the coil harder to compensate but it is a losing proposition. The problem needs to be addressed before the spark plug can provide useful information.

Good Luck

Paul

 

There was no oil above the threads or in the coil pack well. No leakage from the valve/PCV cover which sits above. When I replaced the plugs, I always torqued them.

This problem was on the engine that I had to replace last winter (burnt valve => scarred cylinder => condemned engine). The burnt valve was on cyl 2, not 1 or 6. It may have occured because I was using 89 octane gas instead of 91, which might have caused excessive pre-ignition leading to overheating. Just speculating, I'll never know for sure. But that's the only thing I can think if that I was doing wrong.

I believe the oil on plugs 1 and 6 is unrelated to the burnt valve. Typically, oily plugs (the lower portion in the cylinder) are caused by either bad valve seals or bad piston rings. Since the misfire occured only on cold starts and not continuously, that suggests bad valve seals. Additionally, a wet compression test did not reveal any problems with the pistons.

I had to turn in the old block and head to avoid the core charge, so I never got to inspect the valve train to satisfy my curiosity.

 

LR2_Driver,

Those Sparkplugs don't look very good.

However I am surprised that they were from an engine that was running so poorly that it had to be replaced.


How much did it cost you to replace the engine?

Did you get it rebuilt or something used?

How is the "NEW" engine doing?


Based on the comments from Merlin it looks like He also noticed an anomalous condition for cylinder #1 and #6



I replace my Sparkplugs every 50,000 miles and I am currently at 134,000 miles. So in about a year I will be changing the plugs again.

I will look to see if I have any carbon on the Threads and to see if #1 and #6 look any different than the rest.
I suspect that #6 will look slightly worse then the rest because the PCV gases go 6 --> 5 --> 4 --> 3 --> 2 --> 1
Any oil that gets past the PCV will preferentially be drawn into cylinder 6.


One last question. When you replaced the engine what did you transfer OLD to "NEW" (fuel injectors, Knock sensors, Intake manifold, PCV, Alternator, etc)

Thanks for sharing your experience with the 3.2

Take care

Paul

 

I posted the details here:
https://landroverforums.com/forum/lr...engine-109287/

The engine was running very well, no indication of any trouble, until the CEL started flashing when the valve gave way, followed by misfires on cyl 2. Unfortunately, I was not in a location were I could pull over and stop for a tow (Rt 80 Donner Pass near Lake Tahoe). My continued driving probably caused the cylinder damage from broken valve pieces.

The used replacement engine came with almost everything (engine mounts, loaded intake manifold, PCV). The alternator and starter are the only engine-centric components not replaced. I recently had the radiator replaced, so they did not replace that. But they did replace the water pump and thermostat with new ones as a condition of the warranty coverage for the engine.

 

My #1 and #6 plugs have always appeared darker, but only the part that's actually inside the cylinder. Nothing is leaking out past the washer.