my plugs have always run black. carboned up. i recently replaced my fuel pump. my plugs are now white and the dart is running noticeably lean (white plugs, less power than there used to be on acceleration, and a slight bog when punching the gas that quickly evens out)

i know i have to check for vacuum leaks. the idle mix is exactly where i had it before. is there any chance that the new pump i put in isn't pumping enough gas into the carb? i have also checked the fuel line from the pump for gunk and the fuel filter is new and always full of gasoline.

also, how long can i run lean plugs before they fry up and what effect is this having on my engine? the cooling system does not run any hotter than it used to, judging by the temperature gauge on the instrument panel.

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God took you away, then brought you back to me.

I would check the inlet line to the pump . I bet its sucking air.

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

i checked all fuel lines and all are snug with fuel injection hose clamps.
i also checked all vacuum hoses.

then i checked the oil. i changed it a week and a half ago. 5 quarts out, 5 quarts in. it read full on the dipstick. i checked it tonight and it had dropped by a quart and a half!

there is no oil on plugs.
i am running shell rotella 15w 40 with a new napa gold filter.
there is no sign of an oil leak in any of the places i park.
the temp gauge is where it has always been.
the oil light has not come on. but it did function when the gasoline diluted my oil.
plus, there is a yellow gook on the inside lip of my oil filler cap.
what is that gook? where did my oil go? and why did i have no signs the car was so low?

could the low oil cause the plugs to run hot and thus be white?

needless to say i took my moms car straight to the store to get stuff for an oil change with a couple extra quarts just in case.

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God took you away, then brought you back to me.

Maybe you washed some crud out of the fuel lines and into the carb when you where changing out the pump/filter. A partially blocked main jet could be the culprit (depending on the brand of carb)

Try cleaning the carb out and double check that your accelerator pump is shooting a good stream of fuel.

Not to worry you too badly, but in extreme cases, I've seen the fuel pump lobe on the cam get wiped out! (yes, on a slant six) This could happen if oil is getting washed off the cam by a fuel leak for an extended period of time. Not common, but it does happen. This is a good thing to check for any time anyone changes a fuel pump. It would be really easy to tell if you wiped the lobe, because it would have a huge groove in the middle of one side.

Also, a fuel pressure gauge wouldn't be incredibly difficult or expensive to put in line and take the mystery out of some of this issue if you don't get it resolved soon.

Good luck.

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1980 Aspen 225 super six

thank you, i will get a fuel pressure gauge. FSM says 3.5-5 lbs of pressure.

does anyone have any idea what the yellow egg yolk looking gook was on the oil cap?

the more i think about it the more i want to just do a super six.

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God took you away, then brought you back to me.

Sounds like a oil/water froth mix. (sort of snotty looking)

Could happen if you only had short run times without enough time to burn off the water that will accumulate inside the engine.

I'd clean it up, take a long drive then see if it shows up again (then worry about it)

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

If it's only on the cap and your oil looks clear, not like a milkshake, chances are it's only condensation in the valve cover. That can happen when the weather is cold, particularly if you only run short distances and don't allow sufficient time for the engine to get thoroughly warmed up. If, however, your oil looks milky then you likely have a more serious problem.

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David Kight
'62 Valiant Signet, White
'98 Dodge Dakota
'06 Jeep Liberty

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.

changed the oil and it looked/smelled/felt just fine. thanks for the help.

also, had been running rotella 15-40 but i switched to castrol 5-30 for cold starts. its regularly mid 30's or below when i start my car. is 5-30 too thin? is there some rule for cleaning out one oil before you put in another so the residue of the first doesn't affect the second?

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God took you away, then brought you back to me.

5w30 is a little thin for your engine at 30 degrees. (NEGATIVE 30 would be a different story). 10w30 is more appropriate. There is no need to flush or clean out one brand of oil before switching to another.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I would check the PCV system, including the hose, and fitting at the carb, to make sure the are not plugged up.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225