Warren
The rings can take a fews thousand miles to seat have you switched to
synthetic oil yet or are you still on the break in oil
 AND is the engine using oil ?

Bob

----- Original Message -----
From: "Warren.K.Lail-1" <wlail@OU.EDU>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2004 10:39 AM
Subject: slightly oily plugs

> Just before I left for my first road trip
> (from OKC to Dallas and back - about 400 miles)
> I installed a new set of Bosch W7CC spark plugs.
> Yesterday I pulled them out and they were all
> sort of black and very slightly oily.  But almost
> not enough oil to wipe off.  It appears that the
> rings have not fully seated, and that I'm
> still running a bit rich, or both.  Of course
> the whole trip was made with the O2 sensor
> disconnected. When I connect it, the bus starts to lope. Hmm.
>
> I set the timing again.  With the Temp II sender
> disconnected I set it to 5 degrees BTDC at 2300rpm.
> I hooked everything back up and at 3800 rpm I
> was at 38 degrees BTDC.  I think that's about
> perfect.  And it seems to have more power than
> during the Dallas trip.  Maybe my plugs will
> turn that nice gray-brown color soon.
>
> Warren
> 88 Westy "Billy Bones" (we've signed Articles)
> 87 GL "Long John"