Time for new plugs? thats not rust on there its mud... idk when the last owner did them so it prob should just be done but sorta short on cash so holding off if i can.... whatya guys think? if so i know its been asked 50000000000 times but whats a good plug?

***So i did the plugs today this is what the right rear plug looked like (pass. side rear of engine) ... is this something i should be worried about? it looks like slugged oil on the end of it.... just old plug and carbon? or something bigger***

[IMG]local://upfiles/55857/917B87948538418090DE75F9F7A589FF.jpg[/IMG]

 

I would say yes, its inexpensive preventative maintenance.

 

Two ifs...
IF all the plugs look like that, you could get by with cleaning, regap, reinstall.
IF you are flat assed broke, then yeah, you could wait a short while.
But that's false economy. And, I would suggest if you don't know the origins of the plugs, then check the cap and wires too.
As far as which plug? Any! Some on here will tout the virtues of one brand or heat range or color or whatever over another. It depends on your engine mods and some other variables. As you can see I'm all stock and buy my plugs in Walmart and I don't have any operating problems.
WC

 

those plugs are still good, check gap, clean them, them run them for a while and see how they look. Or if you have the money replace they just so that you know the last time that they were replaced.The best indicator that you engine is running well is a plug that looks slightly golden brown. if it is black it is running rich or burning oil, if it is fouled, (spark gap is closed by something, say oil then your engine is leaking oil into the cylinders.

The other way that you can check them and know if they are very worn, is to gap them properly, then look at the way that the overhang pin is setting, if it is level, then the plug is reativley new or not very worn, if the overhang leans twoards the electrode in the center, by very much, then the plugs are worn and near the end of their life. You should see a boost in performance and gas mileage if this is the case

 

the rule of thumb i usually use for checking/replacing plugs (if they're copper) is if the tip of the plug looks rounded like yours, always replace them. the tip should be nice & flat across the top, no rounded edges. i have heard of people filing the tip flat again & regapping to get a little more life out of them, but at $2.54 for 2 plugs, they're cheap enough to throw away when they look like that.

when i changed plugs last time, i went with autolite copper3923 and they work just fine. i wouldn't believe people when they say "oh my gosh, don't use autocrap plugs, they make your truck run bad!!! use the champions they're so much better". a copper plug is a copper plug, if your truck had tons of misfires with a certain plug, guess what...you gapped it wrong or didn't have the wire boot attached all the way.

 

is there any real indication the wires, or cap are going bad? besides dry rot wires and cracks.... my wires look decent theres no dry rot or cracks or nothing, can/should i just do plugs and leave the wires? or just spend the money and change wires while im in there

 

Bump

 

Wires rarely go bad unless they have gotten burned or the insolation is cracking. It's probably a good idea to replace them at some point regardless, but it is not necessary if you notice no physical evidence that they are bad. I personally change my cap and rotor pretty often (about every 25k) along with the plugs, but have only changed wires once.

 

Whatya think of the crud on the plug i pulled out? just old carbon or something else

 

http://www.dansmc.com/Spark_Plugs/Sp...s_catalog.html

reading a spark plug... Now on wires if they are bad or you got a light show under the hood time to change .. on cap (brass) cost a few dollars more but worth the money..