Seized spark plug?

[J.Pierce]

SeaFoam, sucked in through a vacuum line until the whole damn neighborhood is covered in smoke.
Then let it sit, try backing the plug out.
You might have to fog the neighborhood a couple times, but it will soften the carbon deposit on the plug eventually.
I've never done it on a Jeep, but it's worked for me on some neglected industrial engines.

 

[KennethS]

He’s not kidding about fogging the neighborhood. That stuff puts out more smoke than you would ever imagine.

 

[TheBoogieman]

If you ever get the plug out, replace them with iridium plugs so you'll never need to change them again.

 

[Barley]

SeaFoam, sucked in through a vacuum line until the whole damn neighborhood is covered in smoke.
Then let it sit, try backing the plug out.
You might have to fog the neighborhood a couple times, but it will soften the carbon deposit on the plug eventually.
I've never done it on a Jeep, but it's worked for me on some neglected industrial engines.

All that smoke would be a sight. Sorta letting the civilians experience the fog of war.

 

[Barley]

Everything is moving at a glacial pace. I have been soaking this plug since Saturday alternating between transmission fluid/acetone, carburetor cleaner, and brake cleaner. The plug will now turn back and forth about 90 degrees.

On another matter, I pulled out my ammeter and tested the resistance of my plug wires. Lets say the results were not consistent. Are there any sources of performance type plug wires with larger cores?

 

[Jerry Bransford]

On another matter, I pulled out my ammeter and tested the resistance of my plug wires. Lets say the results were not consistent. Are there any sources of performance type plug wires with larger cores?

Ignition wires are supposed to have high resistance, that helps them stop radiating ignition noise and static which can affect the PCM and also cause static noise in your AM or CB radios. Resistance is actually added at additional cost to ignition wires for that reason.

 

[Barley]

Ignition wires are supposed to have high resistance, that helps them stop radiating ignition noise and static which can affect the PCM and also cause static noise in your AM or CB radios. Resistance is actually added at additional cost to ignition wires for that reason.

I get it, but when the Ohm readings are all over the place that tells me there are conductivity problems with the wire cores. Not the least of which is influenced by the age of the original wires, the 90 bends put in the wires exiting the boots, and handling by multiple people over the life of the vehicle. Since I am already under the hood working with the plugs, replacing the plug wires when I put it all back together does not seem like a bad idea. I am just looking for something with cores larger than the stock wires. Has anyone checked out the wire sets that fit the other Chrysler 2.4L's for compatibility?

 

[tr21triton]

Yea that high performance 4 pooper will add 40 extra H.P for sure. I hope you dont wear a hair piece ! dont waste your money just get factory wires.....

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Yea that high performance 4 pooper will add 40 extra H.P for sure. I hope you dont wear a hair piece ! dont waste your money just get factory wires.....

X2 avoid any claiming more performance. That claim is pure bullshit where ignition wiring is concerned.

 

[B1Toad]

Keep in mind the resistance of the wires will vary by length, and that variance can be substantial when you are talking about 12,000 ohms per foot on average.

 

[Barley]

X2 avoid any claiming more performance. That claim is pure bullshit where ignition wiring is concerned.

Jerry, I sure both yourself and tr21triton mean well, but it would behoove each of you to do a little more research on the pro's and con's of the various spark plug wires sets construction and purposes. I do not believe I stated anything regarding HP, so maybe it would be helpful if you guys avoided the knee-jerk reaction.

 

[Barley]

Yea that high performance 4 pooper will add 40 extra H.P for sure. I hope you dont wear a hair piece ! dont waste your money just get factory wires.....

See response to Jerry. By the way, are you having some kind of hair problem?

 

[Barley]

Keep in mind the resistance of the wires will vary by length, and that variance can be substantial when you are talking about 12,000 ohms per foot on average.

Yes, the modern electronic systems require more shielding from electrical interference. Attached is a link that supports what you have stated.

https://www.onallcylinders.com/2015/10/09/how-to-choose-spark-plug-wires-for-your-vehicle/

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Jerry, I sure both yourself and tr21triton mean well, but it would behoove each of you to do a little more research on the pro's and con's of the various spark plug wires sets construction and purposes. I do not believe I stated anything regarding HP, so maybe it would be helpful if you guys avoided the knee-jerk reaction.

Wow! I never mentioned HP, I said you would never find ignition wires that boost performance in response to your above "Are there any sources of performance type plug wires with larger cores?"

 

[Barley]

Wow! I never mentioned HP, I said you would never find ignition wires that boost performance in response to your above "Are there any sources of performance type plug wires with larger cores?"

Okay, Jerry, my apologies. Maybe I should not have used the word performance in my question. That description is more of a street/strip term easily understood by street/strip aficionados as something beyond OEM stock parts. On the other side of the coin, marginally performing stock plug wires, as in the case of my conductivity challenged wires, do diminish the vehicle's performance in both power and mileage. Upping the engine's efficiency and possibly averaging another MPG is a big deal with a Jeep. The attached link will explain it better than I can here.

https://www.onallcylinders.com/2015/10/09/how-to-choose-spark-plug-wires-for-your-vehicle/

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Okay, Jerry, my apologies. Maybe I should not have used the word performance in my question. That description is more of a street/strip term easily understood by street/strip aficionados as something beyond OEM stock parts. On the other side of the coin, marginally performing stock plug wires, as in the case of my conductivity challenged wires, do diminish the vehicle's performance in both power and mileage. Upping the engine's efficiency and possibly averaging another MPG is a big deal with a Jeep. The attached link will explain it better than I can here.

[URL]https://www.onallcylinders.com/2015/10/09/how-to-choose-spark-plug-wires-for-your-vehicle/[/URL]

I know a little more about ignition wiring than you suspect. That webpage you keep referring to has several half-truths and lots of misleading innuendo that only sounds good if you don't know better.

Just to start, there is so little current flowing in ignition wires that the resistance in OEM factory ignition wiring is insignificant in terms of how much voltage that resistance is dropping. Ohm's Law says E=I*R (E=voltage, I=current, R=resistance) and if I is low, and it is micro-amperes, there will be an insignificant voltage drop across high-resistance OEM type ignition wiring. Ignition wiring carries high voltage and very little current so Ohm's Law confirms even high resistance wiring has an insignificant effect on the voltage delivered to the spark plug. Not to mention the coil delivers way more voltage than is required.

And OEM type ignition wiring generates essentially no ignition noise so no shielding is necessary like it is for "low resistance" ignition wiring.

It actually costs less to produce low resistance ignition wiring which is why aftermarket ignition wiring manufacturers push the "low resistance" since to most low resistance naturally sounds better. Those who know better though know to ignore the lure of low resistance ignition wiring.

 

[tr21triton]

Wow! I never mentioned HP, I said you would never find ignition wires that boost performance in response to your above "Are there any sources of performance type plug wires with larger cores?"

yea I brought up the H.p. gains as a joke ! why would you put larger core wires in it if it gains you nothing ? the factory wires will handle more than enough spark than the coil can put out unless you go to a higher voltage coil . gains can be had from upgrading ignition systems but I doubt it would make much of or any difference on our TJ's 4 or the 6 cylinders. now I had a '94 ford 351 and did a 6 litre tune and ignition bump and it needed bigger core plug wires because you installed a hotter coil pack and bumped up the timing and opened up the gap on the plugs. just like if your supply line is 1/2in in your house and your garden hose is 3/4in, you will gain NOTHING by going to a 1in hose. you got my curiosity up though so I looked it up for my 4.0. OEM wires are $25 but I can get 8.5mm SUPER CONDUCTOR wire set for $130 but hey they are HIGH PERFORMANCE RED . It's your money though !!!! now if you will send me a new OEM set of wires and $100 I can take a black sharpie and write "high performance" on them, or if you want I can upgrade you to our "SUPER HIGH PERFORMANCE" red sharpie for just $20 more !!!!

 

[KennethS]

the factory wires will handle more than enough spark than the coil can put out unless you go to a higher voltage coil .

I'm sure you are aware as you mentioned all the mods you did to the ignition system, but I wanted to point this out for the average folks. Those performance coils advertised as "high voltage" will still result in the spark jumping the plug gap at the same voltage as the original coil. A coil generates voltage that rises until the air between the spark plug electrodes ionizes, and then the spark "jumps the gap". If this ionizaiton point is 10,000 Volts the spark will occur at that voltage no matter if the coil is a 15,000 Volt unit or a million Volt unit.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I'm sure you are aware as you mentioned all the mods you did to the ignition system, but I wanted to point this out for the average folks. Those performance coils advertised as "high voltage" will still result in the spark jumping the plug gap at the same voltage as the original coil. A coil generates voltage that rises until the air between the spark plug electrodes ionizes, and then the spark "jumps the gap". If this ionization point is 10,000 Volts the spark will occur at that voltage no matter if the coil is a 15,000 Volt unit or a million Volt unit.

X2 exactly.

 

[tr21triton]

the reason on that tune needing a hotter coil pack is your opening the plug gap from .042 to .055 and need a the higher output to jump the larger gap. but you know what I found was funny is you run just plain old cheap copper plugs, if I went to a performance plug it didn't like it have no idea why, crazy you'd think a better plug would help ! this was on a OBD1 though wish we could do something like that on our TJ's but it would require a way to advance the timing without going into the PCM unless your a tuner !