Great thread! I found it looking for posts by Kesta's to see if he's still around from an old post he made...I'm going to PM you soon Kesta for your advice regarding an old thread.
Anyway, I've always been curious about the issues of anti-seize and conductivity to better complete the ground path of plugs and 02 sensors since they get their ground through the threads but not all 02 sensors. I think just the 1, 2, 3 wires but the others may have a dedicated wire for ground path. But plugs and 02 sensors need a very good ground to function properly.
So I once called Permatex and asked them about conductivity tests between the regular graphite and copper anti-seize. I can't find my notes, but maybe it was Loc-Tite I called and e-mail from Permatex. They told me they didn't have formal published test results, but said the copper anti-seize was around 800 ohms vs. like around thousands???? of ohms in conductivity for the silver colored anti-seize.
Anyone know how to test it? I'm sure there must be a controlled test procedure of a certain measured volume's conductivity.
I did find an e-mail to their main tech guy Rene but that was not the person who I spoke to, so it may have been someone at Loc-Tite that make similar anti-seizes.
Here's what Rene the main tech guy at Permatex said:
Many Thanks for your interest in Permatex products
This product( P/N 80078 - Silver Anti-Seize- color only ) grade with
Temp max. ( 1600 F ) And the Copper Anti-seize 31163 (1800 F) Temp max.
...Have been used in this function ...since they were made... more than
20 years ago ...
Permatex dose not have any ...data to specify conductivity ...
measurements .. ...The Silver is color only .. and would be very little
in continuity where the Copper is copper base .. with a more conductive
chemistry...
If you have further questions feel free to call Tech. Service at
toll-free @ 877.376-2839).... Thanks again , RAP : (03/ 08/10)
So I cleaned out the old silver/graphite anti-seize with a few tooth brushes soaked with carb cleaner (tooth brushes dissolve work quickly) and used some copper anti-seize.
By the way....I found this video below a few years ago and have passed it around.....anyone putting anti-seize on any spark plug should watch this WELLS video and their senior tech engineers regarding the over-use of any anti-seize on plug threads which can seep back into the plug tip and cause mis-fires........very interesting........use anti-seize sparingly on plug threads...from what they say, probably only the size of a grain of rice and not on the last few threads of the plug....
Good video....see 7:40 for comments of why the plug was misfiring due to anti-seize:
Wells TECH VIDEO
I this engineers description of "Big Goopy Mess"!
Hope this helps a little,
Regards,
Chris