Help please, plug reading wizards!
Time to step back and relax a bit.
#1 plug body discoloring is nothing more than the plating not being on that plug. Have cleaned plugs in Mirotic Acid and it will eat the zinc plating off like that. Want to take a temp gun and make sure that cylinder is not running hot for some reason.
On first start up with your fresh engine, performance cam, timing could have been off and too rich of carb jetting, not to mention the assembly lubes you have to burn out of it.
Doing lots of carb adjustments and jetting at first to get the fuel air mixture right at idle speeds is a good way to foul the plugs right off the bat with your performance cam.
Most people put too big of cam in their builds, so that creates a lot of valve overlap at idle. Both valves open at the same time not burning fuel air properly.
Need to get them up over 2000 rpm so the cam and valve timing comes into it's performance operating rpm range. This is where the plugs will start burning cleaner.
Now that you have it broke in, things adjusted and some miles on it. Good time to put in a fresh set of plugs, take it out and run it up over 2000 rpm for at least a half hour.
Bring it back in, shut down right away without sitting there idling. Take a read on your plugs. I am sure you will see a big improvement.
Now this is the point where you go back over the fine tuning. Considering if your ignition and coil is up to task for hotter spark, advance ignition timing . . where is it set 12° - 20° ???
Reset your mechanical valve train valve lash adjustment.
Run non Ethanol fuel.
Compression, Fuel, Ignition
The 3 things that make them run nice.
Process of Elimination. I like to swap on a different carb, borrow from a friend. See if that makes it better or worse.
1406 Edelbrock is a good all around carb that works well for a variety of engines right out of the box. Might be a little much for your 6, but good for a test. Might work well on it's own, never know till you try.
Good Luck
Time to step back and relax a bit.
#1 plug body discoloring is nothing more than the plating not being on that plug. Have cleaned plugs in Mirotic Acid and it will eat the zinc plating off like that. Want to take a temp gun and make sure that cylinder is not running hot for some reason.
On first start up with your fresh engine, performance cam, timing could have been off and too rich of carb jetting, not to mention the assembly lubes you have to burn out of it.
Doing lots of carb adjustments and jetting at first to get the fuel air mixture right at idle speeds is a good way to foul the plugs right off the bat with your performance cam.
Most people put too big of cam in their builds, so that creates a lot of valve overlap at idle. Both valves open at the same time not burning fuel air properly.
Need to get them up over 2000 rpm so the cam and valve timing comes into it's performance operating rpm range. This is where the plugs will start burning cleaner.
Now that you have it broke in, things adjusted and some miles on it. Good time to put in a fresh set of plugs, take it out and run it up over 2000 rpm for at least a half hour.
Bring it back in, shut down right away without sitting there idling. Take a read on your plugs. I am sure you will see a big improvement.
Now this is the point where you go back over the fine tuning. Considering if your ignition and coil is up to task for hotter spark, advance ignition timing . . where is it set 12° - 20° ???
Reset your mechanical valve train valve lash adjustment.
Run non Ethanol fuel.
Compression, Fuel, Ignition
The 3 things that make them run nice.
Process of Elimination. I like to swap on a different carb, borrow from a friend. See if that makes it better or worse.
1406 Edelbrock is a good all around carb that works well for a variety of engines right out of the box. Might be a little much for your 6, but good for a test. Might work well on it's own, never know till you try.
Good Luck
