How about a forum for Spark Plugs ?

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youdontwannaknow

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I propose a forum for Spark Plugs.
Just like we have one for oil filters, air filters, coolant, cleaners, additives, etc..

I understand you can't have a seperate forum for everything replacable under the hood or in the car (like wiper blades or windshield washer fluid or tires or wheels...) and this isn't really automobile maintenance forum, but spark plugs interact directly with the fuel/oil system. Especially today when there is whole range of different types and heat ranges of plugs from $2 to $12.
I know its not a widely discussed subject because you'd replace them once in several thousand miles and just plop in the manufacturer recommened one and you are good to go for several thousand more (if you still own the car that long), but then if we did everything "manufaturer recommended", this forum wouldn't exist, right ?
I think its a deeper subject that it looks on the surface. Think about it.
 
I use the cheap ones. Champs, or Autolite. Usually am able to buy them on sale.
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This would be pretty cool if enough people had ignition oscilloscopes to watch spark decay and otherwise add some scientific method.

Otherwise it would be mostly anecdotes and hearsay.
 
Quote:

i need plugs for my bmx boxer cup bike.
http://www.bikeandmedia.de/bmw_boxer_cup/bmw_boxer_cup.html

the stock plugs are some sort of bosch super multi electrode (like a splitfire) with a part number# fr6ddc.
i cant find them locally, i can find ngk equavilent, but its not the multi electrode that bmw specs for this engine so i am hesitant to use them.

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you need something similar to a NGK JR9C, your local suzuki dealer will sell them.
 
its an 05, the dealer wants over $10 a pop for them, and with 2 plugs per cyl thats $40 for plugs that are just copper, not platnum, not iridium, just plain old copper plugs.
 
An '05 ? Are you sure they are multi ground plugs then ?
NGK doesn't even have anything for a RS1100S for 2003+.
And for a 2005 "Boxer Cup Replika" only Autolite and Splitfire come up with plugs and they are NOT multi electrode. They are just regular - Splitfire SF392C and Autolite 3923.

You might want to find out for sure.
 
Funny, I could not find gap info for when I removed my CRV plugs to clean them. I found the used plugs to be at .045. Reading around, I came upon several articles that were authoritively written, but dead wrong. Like "wider gap produces hotter spark". Bzzt. The opposite is true. Wider gap seems to be prefered by the "bigger is better" crowd. Wider allows a larger ~area~ of spark to come into contact with the a/f mix, but it is not hotter, smaller gap produces hotter sparks. Another mistake was the "wider for performance applications" notion, NGK specificly said that forced induction and higher-reving conditions call for a smaller gap. I think the biggest error was that plugs come pre-gapped. I understand there may be exceptions, by NGK specificly said their plugs are NOT pre-gapped and should be re-set for the specific appication. Finally, I found the best advice- anything from .030 to .045 is fine. I took mine down to .035 and the car is smoother.
As far as a plug forum, a sticky in the general section, at least for a while, would suffice to get some input from the crew.
 
thats the problem i had too. every equlvalent plug i looked up only has 1 ground strap. the oem plugs have 2 ground straps per plug.

i just sucked it up and went for the autoites. at $1.68 it was too tempting to not try. they seem to work fine. well see how long these last.
i wonder how many of you disapprove of bastardising my bmw with autolites?
 
Quote:

Funny, I could not find gap info for when I removed my CRV plugs to clean them. I found the used plugs to be at .045. Reading around, I came upon several articles that were authoritively written, but dead wrong. Like "wider gap produces hotter spark". Bzzt. The opposite is true. Wider gap seems to be prefered by the "bigger is better" crowd. Wider allows a larger ~area~ of spark to come into contact with the a/f mix, but it is not hotter, smaller gap produces hotter sparks. Another mistake was the "wider for performance applications" notion, NGK specificly said that forced induction and higher-reving conditions call for a smaller gap. I think the biggest error was that plugs come pre-gapped. I understand there may be exceptions, by NGK specificly said their plugs are NOT pre-gapped and should be re-set for the specific appication. Finally, I found the best advice- anything from .030 to .045 is fine. I took mine down to .035 and the car is smoother.
As far as a plug forum, a sticky in the general section, at least for a while, would suffice to get some input from the crew.

Click to expand...


exactly.
When racing with points ignition (mandated), we never used anything wider than 0.028". Harder to ignite fuels, like LPG also need reduced gaps. Go up in CR, also reduce the gap.
 
Quote:

I think the biggest error was that plugs come pre-gapped. I understand there may be exceptions, by NGK specificly said their plugs are NOT pre-gapped and should be re-set for the specific appication.

Click to expand...


well they better be pre-gapping their platinum and iridium plugs because you cant regap them conventionally.
the coating on the tip and ground elec would get scraped out.
 
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