Can we talk spark plugs?

I have  '99 Chevy Suburban (324K miles - owned since new) that won't start.  The battery had a bad cell nd I got a new one under warranty.  It has the 350 and is 4WD.  It is not driven much.  I put less than 2800 miles on it in 2019.

Getting fuel (not sure of the actual pressure yet) and spark (pulled out #1 plug and held it off the block to see if the spark jumped).  The spark did arc. I noted that the plugs were 41-932. 

I think they were changed, oh, in 2010-2012.   The usual suppliers ( O'R, A-Z, ADV) show the correct plug should be 41-993.

What is the difference and should I seek out the 41-932 or go with the suggested 41-993?  What is the difference?

Thanks in advance.

How do you know it is getting fuel?  Just for grins shoot some ether into the intake and see if it starts.  If it ran on the wrong plugs before, it should run on them now.    

In reply to noddaz :

I don't have a pressure gauge.  I checked at the pressure valve on the manifold where the gauge gets attached, pushed on the valve stem and fuel sprayed out.

In reply to 68TR250 :

So you're getting fuel to the injectors, but are you getting fuel through the injectors?

You might still have an issue with the injectors not firing, or not firing when they should. Was the plug you pulled out damp or wet with fuel, or bone dry?

noddaz makes a good point, I'd check with some starter fluid to see if it's firing. That way you know it's actually sparking at roughly the right time and that you may have some compression.

In reply to Recon1342 :

At this time I don't know for sure.  Not sure how to test for that.  The plug I pulled out was wet.  I do also smell fuel when turning it over and do hear the pump turning on.

In reply to BoxheadTim :

Thank you.  The plug I pulled was wet with fuel.  I'll get some starter fluid tomorrow and give it a try.  Thanks.

In reply to 68TR250 :

This will get you started, although it sounds like you're getting fuel to the cylinders...

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+test+for+fuel+at+the+injectors&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari

You said it's got 324k on the clock. Is the engine original? Maybe the compression isn't where it should be...

It is the original engine and has never needed anything najor done to it.

Some more background.  It does have a battery drain  Ss long I would start it and drive it around the block ( 4-5 mile block) every 5-7 days it would start fine.  In December I was laid up for a few weeks and didn't start it.  When I went to start it the battery was down and would tke enough of a charge to start.  Took the battery to O'R who tested t and said it had a bad cell.  I was given a new battery under warranty.  There were 5 days left on th warranty. 

After changing out the battery It turns over fine but will not start.  I do keep Sta-bil in the fuel tank because of the limited use.

I have not checked the compression yet.

In reply to 68TR250 :

If the plug was wet with fuel, that might be part of your problem. I've had issues with engines starting (espeicllay on motorcycles) if/when the plugs had been wet with fuel, even after they dried out.

I may or may not have used a gas hob to dry a few wet spark plugs and then started the engine on the pre-warmed plugs. In my defense it was a rental house, it's still standing and I did get out of it with my eyebrows intact. Being older and none the wiser I would of course never *cough* suggest such a thing to anybody.

I've pulled the plug and shot my mapp/propane  torch right into the cylinder for a bit to get E36 M3ty lawn equipment engines to start, but that'd be pretty near impossible with 8 cyls and holes pointing at framerails. 

It is possible for fouled plugs to keep an engine from starting, but usually the 'fouling' is just fuel wetness on the center electrode's insulator which will dry up and then it will run again. I would just try starting fluid, and if it will run on starting fluid just keep it running for 20+ seconds and see if it will then stay running on its own. 

check your engine/ trans grounds.  My coworker has the same truck. damn thing would sometimes start, then as soon as you put it in gear, it would stall. Otherwise, just crank and crank, with an occasional sputter.  We found  the drivetrain ground wires had rotted away. putting it in gear would move the drivetrain just enough to reduce whatever connection was left and it would die.  Add a few new ground wires and poof, back to running like a normal.   

In reply to TGMF :

Interesting.  I will look and give it a try.

Update!  I drove my Sub to work today! Granted it is only 4 miles.

I ended up replacing the distributor and rotor and it fired right up. 

I traded several flourescent light fixtures and probably some cash in the future to have a friend with a car repair business start up come check it out.  He suggested the cap and rotor were bad - they were beyond bad.

Thanks to all that offer suggestions.

In reply to 68TR250 :

Pro tip (I had a matching Suburban) use ONLY AC Delco parts in the ignition system.

Plugs, wires, cap, rotor    ACD or nothing.

I did use only AC Delco.  I have heard horror stories about the off brands.  Thanks for the confirmation.