Burned spark plugs

[Millennium Falcon]

Hey, All, I changed out my O2 sensors, and decided to check my plugs while I was at it. I installed these plugs less than 40k miles ago. At the time of purchase, the Delco 41-110 was recommended, and I puchased them from Amazon (yes, I know, now). I bought Delco 41-162 from O'Reilly or RockAuto to replace them. (I don't remember which, as I've been sitting on them for a while.) Anyway, I pulled the #1 plug and was shocked at what I found. I proceeded to swap all the plugs. Each and every one looked like this:

(Image borrowed from Corvette Forum.)

Actually, the electrodes are even with the porcelain on all of them. I had no problems with these plugs; no misfires, stumbles, or poor mileage. My wife gets 15 mpg on her commute to work up and down the hill. We took our kids to Medieval Times in Southern California in February averaging 16.5 mpg down there, around L.A., and back over the Grapevine to Bakersfield. Filled up in Bakersfield and got nearly 20 mpg the rest of the way home.

Anyway, I've had no noticeable problems with these plugs. Could there be a problem with the Falcon I should look for, or is it likely just shit Chinese manufacturing? Thanks.

 

[CaptainAmerica1]

Oem or nothin

 

[91RS]

That’s normal “wear” on a spark plug. You won’t have misfires unless the plug is fouled or the porcelain is cracked.

 

[Millennium Falcon]

That's pretty pathetic for less than 40k miles. Thanks for the responses!

 

[rockola1971]

If those plugs were platinum with only 40k that is NOT normal wear at all for a Platinum spark plug. One of the reasons Platinum is used is because its melting point is 3215 def F ! So it takes a very long time for them to wear down like what you are seeing in your spark plugs. Ive seen 100k plugs with hardly any of the platinum tip eroded away. Yours just does not jive with a true oem equivalent platinum plug. I believe you got knockoffs.

 

[iamdub]

If those plugs were platinum with only 40k that is NOT normal wear at all for a Platinum spark plug. One of the reasons Platinum is used is because its melting point is 3215 def F ! So it takes a very long time for them to wear down like what you are seeing in your spark plugs. Ive seen 100k plugs with hardly any of the platinum tip eroded away. Yours just does not jive with a true oem equivalent platinum plug. I believe you got knockoffs.

^^^This.

AC Delco 41-110 are OE iridium plugs. Platinum nor Iridium plugs should wear like that at 40K. You got knock-offs and lucked up that accelerated wear was all you experienced. Good on you for checkin 'em out and finding this before it got worse.

 

[rockola1971]

^^^This.

AC Delco 41-110 are OE iridium plugs. Platinum nor Iridium plugs should wear like that at 40K. You got knock-offs and lucked up that accelerated wear was all you experienced. Good on you for checkin 'em out and finding this before it got worse.

Yeah and Iridium is even higher melting point than Platinum at 4435 deg F !!! WOW those spark plugs were hosed!

 

[swathdiver]

You got lucky, can't count how many motors those counterfeit plugs took out.

 

[CaptainAmerica1]

That’s what I was eluding to, that they look like Chinese knockoff plugs. I get mine straight from Rockauto as the 3 sets Ive ordered elsewhere were fakes.

 

[donjetman]

I'll keep an eye on the ACDeco 41-962 double platinum I installed 10 mths ago from Amazon $45

 

[iamdub]

I'll keep an eye on the ACDeco 41-962 double platinum I installed 10 mths ago from Amazon $45

I got mine from an individual on eBay. They looked legit by the pics in the ad but I had him send me others with close-ups. I have about 16K on 'em. I should pull a couple to check up. Maybe I'll pull #8 and take pics to show that it's not as bad as it's made out to be if you use different, but still tool-box-standard tools on it.

 

[Millennium Falcon]

When I went to change the plugs the first time after I bought the vehicle, I found a mix of 41-985 and 41-110. I vaguely remember one or both of those #'s having a little disc of a different metal attached to the ground electrode directly above the center electrode. The replacement 41-110's didn't have that little disc on the ground electrode. I thought it was curious, but I didn't think too much more about it. I paid attention to the drivability for a while, and when nothing funky occurred, I forgot about it. I'm glad I thought to check them when I did.

I will be sure to pull one or two of these plugs at 5k and 10k to see how they're doing.

 

[CaptainAmerica1]

If the discs are missing, dead giveaway it’s knockoff