ColorTune spark plugs

Lateer · Post by **Lateer** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 12:17 am

Hey everyone.

At the moment, tuning the Weber on the Tercel is a pain in the arse.
I've either got to get myself an O2 sensor and mount that into the exhaust manifold and then get a meter, which will cost about $120 total ($60-70 for the sensor and then $60 for the meter kit) or get a hold of something called a ColorTune plug.

They're a glass bodied spark plug, enabling you to see the colour of the flame inside the cylinder as they go off. Yellow is too rich and the stoichiometric flame is apparently a bright blue.

Does anyone know anything about them?

Thanks.

takza · Post by **takza** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 5:26 am

I've seen several good references to them and one would be easy to use with the Tercel. Have no direct experience.

Lateer · Post by **Lateer** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 7:04 pm

Here in Tasmania, a Colortune plug kit costs $85.

If it works, it'll be fine for what I want it to do. O.k. it won't give me a nice little LED readout sitting on the dash the way the O2 sensor setup might, but I don't care, so long as I'm not shoving way too much fuel into the cylinders to carbon them all up and crap.

If anyone knows anything at all about them, whether they're good or not, please, post.

takza · Post by **takza** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:09 am

One very simple thing you can do is the tailpipe test...just clean the tailpipe and then check over time for carbon/soot. This doesn't tell you if you are too lean though.

Could also pull the plugs and check them...expect the 3rd one to be cleaner & leaner looking.

Lateer · Post by **Lateer** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 6:21 pm

Took the Tercel to a good mechanic. Five seconds with a gas analyser he has in the shop set the Weber to best lean idle and correct idle speed.

I want one.

It runs now like when I bought it. Plant the foot, get pushed back in the seat.

I took the Turtle ona gravel road, put it in extra low and planted the foot. It dug holes with all four tyres. Lovely

So, now all I have to do is replace the CV joint, and the car'll be near new. That'll be happening on the weekend, hopefully. A new CV here costs $185, with exchange and I'll be getting the better part of that deal as the CV coming off is *shot*.

Thanks for all the info about that job. It'll make life easier.

On that, do you guys/girls/gender of choice feel it's neccesary to open the differential housing to remove the spring clips that hold the CV's in place?

3A-C Power · Post by **3A-C Power** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 9:10 pm

The CV joint comes out of the differential with a prybar.