I've never seen spark plugs that burned like this.

Anyone got any ideas. I'm not a mechanic and doubt I ever could be but I know this ain't right. The engine is a 258 6cyl. Had fuel injection from a 95 installed. Generally it runs okay but in my opinion it's under powered. Would it have something to do with the injection?
TIA
Gary

Brown/ tan is normal. The blackish could be from burnt oil. Have you noticed any oil blowby? Couldn't tell from the photo if there was other damage. Is the insulator chipped or cracked? Is there excessive wear on the contacts? How old are they?

Minus the black it looks alot like normal wear. They may be a little on the rich side. I wish my spark plugs looked like that. It might be burning a pinch of oil, moniter your oil level for a week and that will tell ya. Also is the engine still a 77? has it been overhauled lately? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

I don't know for sure but the head and injection may be out of a 95 something (maybe Cherokee). The reason was the usual engine fire due to the plastic valve cover. I think the guy told me it has about 50,000 miles on it. What really concerned me was the plugs only show the tan/brown or burnt areas on one side of the plug. Usually the whole ceramic tip is discolored but in this case on five of them only half is. The other plug shows evidence of burning oil.
There is no unusual noticable oil usage. The insulators are undamaged. The plugs themselves only have a few thousand miles on them. I really can't remember if the whole engine was replaced or if it was just the top end. I didn't have it done, the guy I bought it from did and I don't know where he is now. It could be half 1982 and half 1995 for all I know. It wouldn't be older than that though.
I replaced the plugs today and took it to get it smogged (CA sucks for that) and because of the injection I now have to take it to a referee for approval. A different place didn't have any problem with it two years ago.
Just my luck <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />
Gary

Unless there is some other indication that something is wrong, I wouldn't worry about it too much. An older block and '95+/- head is bound to have a bit of oil burn. If it's not really fouling the plugs up, I probally wouldn't worry about the burn pattern. But someone with more engine experience have a better idea. Good luck w/ smog. I wish they DID have it here - people drive around burning quarts of oil. Bites to be on the same road with top/doors off.

IMO, champions are crap. They never come gapped right and the ceramic insulator sometimes fails earlier than other plugs. Always gap new plugs nomatter who makes them, chances are that at least one is off. A good set of plugs and wires is a cheap way to get a little better preformance and fuel economy. Bosch have never let me down. Also, if it is sluggish it wouldn't hurt to check the wires while you're looking at spark. The way the burn runs down the side of the ceramic insulation leads me to believe that the insulators are bad and the spark is jumping to the head instead of staying in the plug.

I do love them champions! Your plugs look like they came out of a 95 head and are doing Ok! Why did you change them? Make sure you get em gapped to match the dist the guy put in there. They look so good I would put em back. Those plugs should last 75/80K. Plug color went out pretty much with leaded gas.
Big Jim <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

My 350 plugs look very similar. Really white on one side and black on the other. I wondered why and then returned to my tried and true solution. Roll the windows down and turn the radio up.

this is from a leaky (intake) valve seal. if it were black all around it would be from foobard rings.

I hadn't really thought about the other vehicles polluting but then I haven't been running around topless very much. Although even with the top on some of those deisel engines make me sick.
Plug gap?... I always check that.
I changed the plugs because I was going to get it smogged. I figured if it had new plugs there would be less chance of it failing the test. Little did I know it would fail on the visual since they didn't make them with FI in 82.
Guess I'll take trailwing's advice... Roll'em down and crank it up....
Thanks