Fouled plug

Olliejunkie

Well-known Member
I have a woodsplitter I put a 23hp vanguard engine on. It fouls one plug after an hour or two. It's been awhile since I used it so I cant remember exactly.
It's a dry foul light brown in color. Also it runs on propane. Any ideas on the cause?
mvphoto42883.jpg
 
Any blue smoke?

Seems those can blow the head gasket internally om he push rod side.

That plug is dark for propane, unless it's oil fouling. Too rich?
 
I dont recall any blue smoke. It has been years since I ran it. Seems I tried adjusting the air but it's been a long time. It's always the same side.
A friend may want to borrow it. He may just have to buy plugs.
 
Looking down the spark plug hole there appears to be black carbon on the top of that piston. Maybe oil or is it just from the cylinder not firing. I will try to put a compression test on it tomorrow.
 
(quoted from post at 02:37:23 09/21/19) I have a woodsplitter I put a 23hp vanguard engine on. It fouls one plug after an hour or two. It's been awhile since I used it so I cant remember exactly.
It's a dry foul light brown in color. Also it runs on propane. Any ideas on the cause?
mvphoto42883.jpg
I'll bet a 23hp woodsplitter could split just about anything. Do you cut the tree off the stump first, or just start work while it's standing there? I kid, of course, but that's a lot of machine. My first woodsplitter used a 5 hp Tecumseh with two stage pump and could knock out 2 face cords an hour without working up a sweat.

As to your spark plugs, this might be a good time to run a compression test and find out where you're at with respect to the internal condition of the engine. Low cylinder pressure could cause what you are seeing.
 
I would say you have a oil ring broke/stuck on one cylinder. I have found this to be a common issue on the Vanguard engines. I have repaired 4-5 in garden tractors that where doing the same thing. The first one was on a JD 687 zero turn that only had 400 hours on it. It had come from a maintenance nut so I know it had been cared for. The good news is the ones I have fixed just needed new rings. The pistons and cylinder bores where in good condition.

You can try running some Reslone oil treatment in it to see if that will free a stuck ring but I bet that will not fix it.
 
Hey Junkie, bet you are running on half an engine. Take the air cleaner off and
grab a squirt can with gas in it. With the engine running stick the nozzle down
into the throat. Pump some gas ALL the way to the right and then ALL the way to
the left. If the engine suddenly smooths out into a nice purr, you need a new
carburator. What happens is the carb gets out of balance. One side is running
1/2 fuel and the other side is 1 1/2 amount of fuel, thus your messed up plugs.
Very common problem with the ethanol eating the carb components. Done several
of these engines and they run beautifully after the new carb. They are cheap on
Ebay. Take you maybe 1 1/2 hour for a newbie. Just make sure you put that
little metal airflow plate in the correct way around. Factory modification. Try
a set of NGK plugs. BPR6ES. If you really love your engine, go on Ebay and buy
some NGK IRIDIUM plugs. They are BKR6EIX-11. These engines really love them.
Also used hi-test gas. Thats all I got.
cvphoto37002.jpg
 
It splits fast but the gnarly stuff slows it down as it only a single stage pump.
I built it out of stuff I had or got cheap. Started with a 16hp onan that never ran right then I got a generator that didn't run so I put the engine on it. Will check compression today. Might get a 2cyl wisconsin next. Lol.
 
Crud.....reread your post. Do you run it on lP all of the time? Still could be a carb problem depending how the LP is piped in.
 
Thanks JD seller. I'm kinda suspicious of that after seeing the carbon on the piston. Plan to do a compression test later today.
 
Yes. The carb has been gutted. I have thought about converting it back although propane is nice when it works.
 
Compression is about 160 and 165. 165 in the bad cylinder. I doubt it has many hours on it beings it came off a generator for back up power. Ws dont lose power much here. Could still be bad oil ring though.
 
Compression is about 160 and 165. 165 in the bad cylinder. I doubt it has many hours on it beings it came off a generator for back up power. Ws dont lose power much here. Could still be bad oil ring though.
 
Yup...That engine is somehow getting more fuel to one cylinder. Just my guess.
If you want to give it a try and put it back to gasoline bet that new carb
fixes everything. Would make for a very interesting experiment. Not that much
money either. As before, both of my Husqvarna tractors have those new carbs and
they run fantastic. Give it that squirt can test. I would think it should work
even with LP. The engine should smooth out and change its pitch. Crud, if I was
standing there we could get it fixed in a couple of minutes.
 
(quoted from post at 11:13:12 09/21/19) Yup...That engine is somehow getting more fuel to one cylinder. Just my guess.
If you want to give it a try and put it back to gasoline bet that new carb
fixes everything. Would make for a very interesting experiment. Not that much
money either. As before, both of my Husqvarna tractors have those new carbs and
they run fantastic. Give it that squirt can test. I would think it should work
even with LP. The engine should smooth out and change its pitch. Crud, if I was
standing there we could get it fixed in a couple of minutes.
I put new plugs in and it still ran like crap. I was about to give up when it started running right. Must've took awhile to purge the line or something.
I'm not going to put any money in it right now as I dont plan to use it. My friend might borrow it. He will have to buy plugs. That's pretty cheap for the use.
 
The oil ring has little to do with compression on these motors. The ones I have repaired ran fine with a good spark plug. Thy usually used oil and fouled the spark plugs often.
 
(quoted from post at 17:47:01 09/21/19) The oil ring has little to do with compression on these motors. The ones I have repaired ran fine with a good spark plug. Thy usually used oil and fouled the spark plugs often.
That's what I figured but thank you for confirming.
 

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