Sparkplug reading

[free1986]

Pulled the plugs out of my 3.8L, they've been in it about 6000 miles. In order 1-6 in these pictures. #1 was apparently not torqued properly and actually walked all the way out right before this, as in it came out of the head while driving (threads seem fine?) so I guess that explains its looks. The car was cold (sitting two days when I pulled them). Do they have anything to tell me?

[FM2NOTCH]

the one on the far right is either lean or not firing

[free1986]

The one with the very white ceramic center part? (Photo bucket didn't turn them the way the supposed to be rotated, some one way in one picture, some in the other)

[Ethyl Cat]

Plugs with a lot of miles tend to be hard to get detailed data from but the one on the right is hotter or leaner than the rest.

Run an injector balance test?

Not firing tends to leave the procelain with a shiny greyish color

Other than that they do not look half bad

Steve

[Ethyl Cat]

Looked again and I have a question.

Is the ground electrode on the far right plug light green?

A blown head gasket will also clean a plug like that.

STEVE

[free1986]

Is the ground electrode on the far right plug light green?

STEVE

I don't think so, more of a bone white. If I have a blown gasket the leak is SLOW because I haven't had to add coolant since the plugs were in the car. (I can't remember for sure when I changed them, anywhere from 3 to 6000 miles ago. Also, I don't think an injector test would do much, the engine is CFI so only two injectors. You do mean the far right one in the top and bottom pictures, right? The are the other way in the middle one. (Dang photobucket)

[free1986]

Also, the distributor, rotor, cap, and spark plug wires were all changed at the same time as the plugs. And the one with the white center is cylinder #6. (driver's side, closest to the firewall)

[OldManRiver]

I don't think so, more of a bone white. If I have a blown gasket the leak is SLOW because I haven't had to add coolant since the plugs were in the car. (I can't remember for sure when I changed them, anywhere from 3 to 6000 miles ago. Also, I don't think an injector test would do much, the engine is CFI so only two injectors. You do mean the far right one in the top and bottom pictures, right? The are the other way in the middle one. (Dang photobucket)

They all look to be in order in all 3 pics,why do you think the middle pic is swapped?It clearly isn't.
The electrode on #6 looks like it's edges are still squared off,it's not wore like the other five.Can't be sure from the pics,but it almost looks like a newer plug(based on electrode condition) compared to the rest.

OMR

[free1986]

Weird. Maybe it displays differently on my machine because I uploaded it and then rotated it in photobucket? The are in the same order in the pictures, but on mine #6 (the one with the with tip) is on the right side of the top and bottom pictures, and on the left side in the middle picture.

Anyway, all the plugs are the same age, I put all of them in.

[Ethyl Cat]

Also, the distributor, rotor, cap, and spark plug wires were all changed at the same time as the plugs. And the one with the white center is cylinder #6. (driver's side, closest to the firewall)

That is the cylinder next to the opening in the head gasket for coolant to flow up in the head.

[PaceFever79]

It's a 3.8, plugs don't normally foul in 6k miles.

Standard operating procedure: run a compression check.

[free1986]

It's a 3.8, plugs don't normally foul in 6k miles.

Standard operating procedure: run a compression check.

Do they look very fouled? I have a hard time judging.

The engine is running okay. I've been putting off a compression check because I don't think I want to know what it will tell me. It uses oil (maybe a quart every 500- 1000 miles? IDK)(doesn't smoke, but doesn't really leak either). Oil pressure drops to the bottom of normal on the stock gauge at hot idle (has new oil pump) and then there is that squeak of a bad bearing even with the car in park and the serpentine belt removed so none of the accessories are involved so.... I can't help but think major bearing failure is only a matter of time (I've changed timing set, oil pump and distributor, what else could it be?)

I'm basically just hoping this engine doesn't blow up before I can get ready to do a swap. The car has 53K on the clock and I'm sure its 153K (maybe even 253k). The engine was supposed to have been rebuilt at some point, but who knows.

Just wanted to know if anything looked way out of wack for a very well used engine.

[PaceFever79]

Myself I would check that hole with the clean plug because running it with a blown gasket
will do it no good. There's a chance it is okay, I'm just saying I'd check it....

Most 3.8s die because people drive them with blown gaskets.

[free1986]

What psi should I be seeing? It doesn't leak coolant anymore (at least at any noticeable rate) after I got all the external leaks fixed, could the head gasket still be bad?

[FM2NOTCH]

You might try a range colder plug on the one that is white, check it later to see if the color is closer to the others

[EJSVO]

Is it the effect of the Photo ?

I will preface my comment with the fact that I have Zero Experience with the 3.8 V-6.

That said: The Plug GAP appears to be rather Wide ?

Just my off hand observation.

Oil consumption is a possible cause of Numbers 4 & 5 -

As viewed from Left to Right - Being slightly discolored.