Platinum or Iridium plugs on stock 82 Vette?

[SteveSRT8]

OMG, here we go again. Who would want OEM plugs on an older car?

Get the plug that keeps you out from under the hood the longest, IMO. It's not easy on that Vette, so who wants to do it all the time when you can likely put in a set of iridium fine wires and be done with it.

 

[meep]

Steve-- LOL-- agree.

The last 'vette I wrenched on was a built 77 that dyno'd 450 HP at the rear wheels. Some kid sold it to my buddy for $7k because he couldn't tune a carb a figured the motor was shot. After about 2 days of cleanup and tuneup work, it'd burn the 40-series tires in 3rd gear at speed. It ran a STOCK ignition. It did not care what plugs it had in it.

(this car scared the **** out of me and after one or two runs I wouldn't ride in it...)

 

[GMBoy]

I just did the same tune-up on an 82 Cross Fire (I call it cease-fire) Corvette about 8 months ago for a guy. I used the regular Autolite Platinum plugs (not the double platinum). These are basically copper plugs with a platinum tip for extended use. They work great, only cost $2.99/plug and the guy probably won't ever have to change plugs again based on his use of only 5-10k miles a year. These plugs should go atleast 60-70k miles anyhow.

Try them!

BONUS - right now there is a $1.25 rebate per plug!

 

[artificialist]

Many times I see ACDelco plugs that get built by NGK, so that makes me wonder if old fashioned ACDelco plugs still exist.

One thing I know for sure is that cars that were not built with Bosch plugs rarely work well when Bosch replacement plugs get installed.

I have never had a problem replacing any kind of spark plug with an NGK equivalent.

Platinum plugs existed before distributorless ignitions did. Many Japanese cars were built with platinum plugs and a computerized distributor.

 

[Spector]

Not a Vette but a twin turbo, 1997 just changed out the original plugs at 13 years (45,000 miles), ran fine before the change and with the iridium, still runs fine.

 

[SteveSRT8]

OMG! You'll never get those plugs out! They'll be frozen forever!

NOT.

We have had plugs in our service vans that we ran till misfire. Anyone who knows GM V8's will tell you that's a LOT of miles.

They come out, new ones go in, and we start over. Not nearly as big of a deal as some here make it sound.

 

[Trav]

Steve that maybe true in Florida but up here its real common to get badly stuck plugs.
I just did a 96 Subaru that needed to be soaked a few days with Kroil even then they were scary tight and needed a lot of back and forth action to prevent ripping the threads out.
The plugs were in 5 years and 30K.

When my son got a used Ford 1.3 duratec he bought it under the condition i could get the plugs out, they did with some struggle.
I think it depend on the engine and/or the area the engine operates under. The 1.3 example i used has big trouble the others don't. Never seize cures the issue permanently.

This is very common..

http://www.carkb.com/Uwe/Forum.aspx/uk-car-maintenance/17246/Ford-KA-Snapped-Spark-Plug

OP I would 100% go with platinum or iridiums and use a little never seize on the threads in that engine.

 

[Robenstein]

Well I went and got some Denso Platinums today at Advance Auto for under 3 bucks a pop. Bought a set for my Monte Carlo as well.

 

[Trav]

I just put them in the 96 Subaru since they continue to run so well for the last 3 yrs in a few cars i used them in and the price is right.

 

[440Magnum]

The only thing I'd AVOID on an older engine is the Bosch platinum plug, which has a thin-wire platinum center electrode flush with the surface of the ceramic insulator. That design tends to recede below the face of the insulator, and when that happens you get a misfire (see the plug on the left in this photo ) Other platinum plugs (Champion, NGK, Autolite) have a thicker platinum tip welded on a larger diameter substrate, so they don't have the same problem.

If it were me, I'd go with Champion or NGK platinums. Some people have a serious hate-on for Champion, but they've always done right by me.

 

[Kestas]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
What is up with everyone mentioning copper??
A plug can be plain steel, platinum or iridium tipped, and be copper cored....

Actually, they're tipped not with steel, but nickel (not that I expect most people to be able to tell the difference).

 

[kr_bitog]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
The only thing I'd AVOID on an older engine is the Bosch platinum plug, which has a thin-wire platinum center electrode flush with the surface of the ceramic insulator. That design tends to recede below the face of the insulator, and when that happens you get a misfire (see the plug on the left in this photo ) Other platinum plugs (Champion, NGK, Autolite) have a thicker platinum tip welded on a larger diameter substrate, so they don't have the same problem.

If it were me, I'd go with Champion or NGK platinums. Some people have a serious hate-on for Champion, but they've always done right by me.


Yes, the Bosch plug on the photo is source of lot of problem. However, seems they have learned the lesson and comes up with OE Iridium series.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: kr_bitog

Yes, the Bosch plug on the photo is source of lot of problem. However, seems they have learned the lesson and comes up with OE Iridium series.


And yet, they still make the cruddy thin-wire platinums. And have even updated them with dual and quad side electrodes...