Your right on the O2's - Hard to tell from that pic - do they look more like these -

 

I've never heard that, it seems logical now that you mention it. We're pretty dusty, I washed it on the way home yesterday, it hasnt moved since yesterday afternoon when I got home and you can already write in the dust on it.

Well I took the snorkel off the throttle body and OMG, the TB was caked with tar. (I always thought that was from the gas, but on a TB no gas goes through. ) Took it off and cleaned the throttle plate and throat. and reached as far inside both the intake and snorkel as I could. It's ideling a little high now (1050-1100 rpm) but could be becasue it's cold. I'll take it to town in the morning and get it warmed up.
If it doesnt idle down by the time I get to town, then I'll stop and get a new TB gasket, it may be sucking a little air since I used the same one.

 

Alot like those

 

That pic came from the SVT forums, I can't remember where exactly , I got it last year sometime - You can probably look it up here -

http://www.svtlightnings.com/

 

here is a better pic of mine

 

im going to say normal, just worn.

 

Those damn gaskets always leaked on me - I stopped using them awhile ago and started using the RTV Black up top and the High Heat Red on the EGR side. When doing the throttle body , you just need a thin coat , but it seals great!! I go around the perimeter after the TB is installed as well..

High Idle - Yea , sucking a little air somewhere..700 - 750 idle RPMs is a good indication she's tight..

 

Yea we'll see how it does tomarrow, I only let it run for a few seconds, it's almost out of gas, hopeing I have enough to get to town, so likely didnt even kick out of high idle mode.

 

That "tar" is a special coating from the factory. They say you're not supposed to wash it off, as it is designed to collect any dust that made it that far before it goes into the intake.

 

No the tar PSSMag is seeing is not from the factory!! They do put it on from the factory but with the miles on his truck the benefits are no longer there. Get the gasket for the TB and the other lower gasket for the elbow. Take it apart and clean it using light sandpaper and brake cleaner works well for removing the sludge. Also make sure you clean the ports for the IAC and EGR in the lower elbow (gun cleaning kit works great for the ports). After cleaning it up lube it with WD-40 in the TB and elbow.

Oh and when i got those gaskets the dealer was actually cheaper than Auto Zone plus they didn't even carry them.

The plugs look worn out. They don't really look to rich to me.

 

Your photo is not of a plug running anywhere near rich.
The ox sensors would let you know right away with codes and the plugs would be more black looking fluffy looking.
But---- you are running something in the gas to cause the red coloration.
That may bite you sometime, causing a missing condition.
If it's octane booster..... don't use it.

 

No octane boost for me, I'm actually looking for a way to reduce the octane in my gas. I state law was just passed that they can no longer sell 87 in this state.

Bye bye for us enjoying the happines of heptane power.

I run crappy and lose MPG on 92 octane.....

The law doesn't take effect until Janurary but it's already hard to get it delivered. There is only one gas staion in town that is the only one left to still have 87 in thier tanks. Everyone else has 92 in thier 87 tanks and selling it at 87 price. Which is about 10 cents more per gallon. That should be illegal IMO but I digress.
I may have to get a tuner to advance my timing, just so I can run the crappy 92 octane and enjoy the perfomance and gas mileage I use to have. Will take a long time to pay for a tuner if it only gets me the additinal 3mpg back.

Good thing about that is that I'll get to adjust my shifts and adjust for tire size too.

Only additves that I use, occasionlly Isopropyl Alcohol. Only if I have to get gas at a strange station and think it might be watery. That is far and few between, and I have to really have reason to think ti's watery. I ussually time my fill ups to get gas here in town or close to the office. Stations I know so I know what they have. If I have to get some strange then I look for what appears to be the newest name brand station. The trials and tribulations of having to travel for my job.
Also have ran 1/2 a bottle of Seafoam per a tank twice, probably 20K+ miles apart. It's the one I honestly know the least about, but have used it in everything else from chains saws, weedeaters, jet ski all other 2 strokes to my lawn mower, boat, and all other vehicles for almost a decade and have never experinced any problems from it on anything else.

 

What state is this?

Running higher octane than design can result in fouling / carbon build-up problems if the engine is not set-up for octane adjustments?

Unless this is some underhanded ploy to essentially mandate the use of ethanol?

Scary!

 

It just dawned on me.........

The right bank (passenger side) is the only one with red plugs, I did the other 4 today and they were normal, worn, but normal. The right bank is the side with the twisted missing bolts on the rear of the exhaust manifold. It ticks until it warms up. I knew where the leak was when I heard the tick and noticed it'd stop after a few seconds. Then when I looked those studs are twisted off. Honestly, surprised it lasted for the 2 years after I bought it before it started leaking. But that would be why it would be running rich with out codes if it is, the O2s wouldnt be getting the flow the PCM thinks they should until it warms up. So it's dumping a litlte more on that side.

Not worth messing with yet, unless it starts leaking full time. Then may send it to the shop just because of time issues. Because I'm afraid thats going to be more than just a 6-8 hour job for me. Luckily appears that there is enough stud left I (they) can get ahold of it and turn them out. Unluckily it's on the passenger side, I think it appears liek it'll be easist to pull the head off and do it on the bench.

If it was on the drivers side there is plenty of room to pull the manifold out the bottom, set it aside out of the way and have lots of room to work and take the bolts out. I would probably do that one if it was any of those on that side.

 

Our state... Missouri....

and yes I belive it is a ploy to mandate ethanol. My wife works as an accountant at a Fuel Distribution Plant and they haven't even given them a reason why yet. Just told they can no longer sell 87 after 12:00am Janurary 1st.

ETA I take that back... suposedly it's a step to cleaner admissions...... :rollseyes: