all 8 plugs clean,how?

after 2 years of only short journey's(3-5 miles), i decided to take out the plugs,to clean them, got worried when i saw the first 2 were clean as new except a slight tan colour on the center ceramics.thinking that it was the dreaded block cracked, carried on removing them and all 8 were exactly the same? surely they should be black? or do they run weaker nowadays, or is there any way water can get in through the throttle with the air?

If you can get a torch or better an inspection camera down the plug hole...take a look at the piston crowns, if they look clean - you may have problems!

Are you having cooling problems ?

no problems, apart from it uses about 100ml of water every 100 miles,and has done for the last 5 years, looked everywhere for any signs of red stains, everytime i have found any i have renewed that part,
ie: new radiator,
new water pump,
o rings and matrix,
vapourizer,
expansion bottle,plus small pipe to top of radiator,
thermostat, plus all large hoses.

al-one-arm said:

no problems, apart from it uses about 100ml of water every 100 miles,and has done for the last 5 years, looked everywhere for any signs of red stains, everytime i have found any i have renewed that part,
ie: new radiator,
new water pump,
o rings and matrix,
vapourizer,
expansion bottle,plus small pipe to top of radiator,
thermostat, plus all large hoses.

Click to expand...

Well the only thing you haven't changed, according to your list, is the expansion bottle cap. Worth a try ?

the new bottle came with a new cap,
i fitted a small plastic milk bottle under the overflow pipe, always been completely empty

Light tan colour is about right, fuel injection and changes to petrol have made the engine run cleaner.

My motor was using a tiny amount of water not long after I got it but I couldn't find a leak. In the end I put a Radweld "dogturd" (not the liquid) in and I have never lost a drop since and that was nearly 10 years ago.

i dont like putting anything in, that is not supposed to be in there, id much prefer to solve the problem properly

Well if you think you are losing water from the heads/gaskets then get it pressure/sniff tested as I did.

Normally a clean plug shows which cylinder is getting the coolant. If ALL plugs are clean then the coolant is getting in from the inlet tracking and effecting all cylinders. Good plug should be tan around electrodes and maybe a little darker around edges. Photo would be good.

plugs look like the normal pictures on various sites about spark plugs

al-one-arm said:

plugs look like the normal pictures on various sites about spark plugs

Click to expand...

No problems then shows you have a clean fit engine. If you were getting coolant in the cylinders they would be steamed cleaned just like they had come out of the box.

al-one-arm said:

i dont like putting anything in, that is not supposed to be in there, id much prefer to solve the problem properly

Click to expand...

Sounds like a non-problem; if it ain't broke don't fix it issue to me.