HELP PLEASE! Engine Trouble

[68gmsee]

Originally Posted by cadillac_al

If the spark plugs got soaking wet they may never work again.

Originally Posted by garyd1961

I've seen this before, more than once.

Agree. I've had that happen many times also.

[saxart]

Originally Posted by 68gmsee

Agree. I've had that happen many times also.

I'm confused... How does gasoline soaking spark plugs "ruin" them?

[cadillac_al]

Originally Posted by saxart

I'm confused... How does gasoline soaking spark plugs "ruin" them?

I don't quite know the how but I've seen it happen. When my 76 Seville had fuel injection problems it would drown the plugs with gas and they would not fire. One time I had a brand new set of plugs and drowned them in less than 2 minutes. I didn't want to throw them away so I put them in my good running Cutlass. The Cutlass would not start with the wet plugs. I put the old plugs back in the Cutlass, took it for a ride and got it nice and hot. Then I swapped out the plugs and put the wet ones back in the Cutlass. It barely started and spit and sputtered and misfired for a couple miles before it cleared out. I was able to save that new set of plugs but it was a hassle. If the plugs had any miles on them at all, it wouldn't be worth it to go through the hassle of swapping plugs in a hot engine.

[68gmsee]

It's not always that excessive fuel will ruin a spark plug but it may cause misfiring. My guess is the fouling causes the spark to jump the gap to ground. In most cases where the spark plug is new and clean it can be dried out an reused, however, the cause of the fouling has to be eliminated first.

If the spark plug already has oil or carbon buildup on top of the fuel soaking, it's best to replace them.

From http://www.briskusa.com/basic_theory...plug_operation

Fouling

Will occur when spark plug tip temperature is insufficient to burn off carbon, fuel, oil or other deposits
Will cause spark to leach to metal shell...no spark across plug gap will cause a misfire
Wet-fouled spark plugs must be changed...spark plugs will not fire.

[68gmsee]

I think what confused a lot of us is the fact that you mentioned the truck ran find before it stopped.

However, if the truck was using the original resistor wire or if the wire was bad that would cause it not to have good spark also.

[garyd1961]

Originally Posted by saxart

I'm confused... How does gasoline soaking spark plugs "ruin" them?

I don't know what causes it but I have seen cars that wouldn't start after flooding even after sitting for a couple days. Change the plugs and they fire right up and run normal. I had an old mechanic friend to show me this when I was a teenager and I didn't believe either until I saw it.