Spark plug for Dodge Magnum, 5.7 Hemi?

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Dodge recommends a standard copper plug for this engine. I'd like to go Platinum or iridium for longer changes than 30k miles. Any thoughts on a great plug for this car?
Tom
 
Are you sure you really want to go plat or iridium? You have to buy 16 of them.

Usually when they recommend copper there is also a reason but I am not a 5.7 pro.
 
Originally Posted By: Tommyboy
Dodge recommends a standard copper plug for this engine. I'd like to go Platinum or iridium for longer changes than 30k miles. Any thoughts on a great plug for this car?
Tom


I had a hemi based Magnum prior to trading it in for my Challenger. From experience I absolutely recommend the oe Champion Copper plug.

BTW - The oe plug in the 6.1 is double platinum
 
Dodge does not recommend a STANDARD nickel tip plug for this engine. It COMES with a cheap plug due to cost factors. The COP 5.7 and the HYBRID 5.7 come with 100k platinum. Most ALL plugs are COPPER CORED. Its the TIP thats are made of different materials to increase long or short plug life. I was not about to change those low end plugs every 30k. I used Autolites XP5325s I believe. Yes they have a COPPER CORE and Iridium fine wire tips. 100,000 PLUS mile life expectancy with slightly better idle and slight fuel mileage increase. Less carbon build up is also advertised. Lookup FINE WIRE PLUGS. Big in the aviation industry. I bought on Amazon.com and Autolite has a $2.00 rebate per plug coupon on the Autolite sight. I've put 10,000 miles on them. Many plugs to choose from including over7r the Chrysler parts counter Platinums. Do NOT use a pulse duration plug. They have mini volt bleed over. Skipping,charge system issues. GM has a tech bulletin out on them.
 
The OE plug is NOT a Champion. Its NGK these days and I absolutely would NOT use them again. Every 30k. Chezz that time frame on plugs is long over8 with. My 2008 vette has a 100,000 mile plug as does my 2010 Mercury Marquis.
 
The OE plug is NOT a Champion. Its NGK these days and I absolutely would NOT use them again. Every 30k. Chezz that time frame on plugs is long over8 with. My 2008 vette has a 100,000 mile plug as does my 2010 Mercury Marquis.
 
Just use Denso or NGK iridiums, your engine will thank you. Use A124 or ES123 at AAP and get a discount on them. Makes it more economical for you. The new Bosch Iridium plugs are also surprisingly well made.

NGK Iridium IX Part # LZTR4AIX-11
Denso Iridium Power Part # ITL16
Bosch OE Fine Wire Iridium Part # 9654

*Disclaimer : I used 2007 Dodge Magnum 5.7l Engine as the spec vehicle. If yours is different, I suggest rechecking the part # using the respective websites.
 
Originally Posted By: hounddog
The OE plug is NOT a Champion. Its NGK these days and I absolutely would NOT use them again. Every 30k. Chezz that time frame on plugs is long over8 with. My 2008 vette has a 100,000 mile plug as does my 2010 Mercury Marquis.


The exact OE plugs I pulled from my 2008 Magnum and replaced.

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My 2010 Ram dame with NGK nickel platted plugs. After 36k I had them changed and were chewed up, and I drive 50 miles a day, 85% highway. That's using 89 octane from Shell or Chevron.
 
Champion was obviously dropped. The term 'chewed up' is not very realistic. The tips wear and the gap gets larger. I have read and had techs tell me they NEVER see worn out at 30k on 5.7s. Some run them 50 or 60k these days. Mine at 30,000 had minimal wear. I wanted them out so I would not have to think about them for years and 100,000 miles.
 
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Well, being realistic or not, when I took them out they looked like [censored] compared to my sisters Pontiac with 2.2 Ecotec and 100k. Seems people on here take an expression to literally. Not sure what those Tech's are seeing but talk to the ones at Grapevine Dodge about it, which is what I did. Totally different story.
 
Note that the 6.1 ships with NGK iridium/platinum hybrids, factory replacement is at 100k miles.

The 5.7 runs great on almost any plug. Pick one based on how often you like to fool with them.
 
I know a few Hemi owners and many of them have run the stock Champs WAYYYY past the recommended 30k interval without a code.

I think it's just a bean counter savings thing. The 5.7 is a very high volume engine and uses 16 plugs, so some savings looks good to the accountants. The 6.1 was a showcase and very profitable in a high end car, thus it gets the good stuff.
 
I see alot of guys on Dodge forums have check engine lights and issues when trying non copper plugs on the hemi, think I read that copper is the best conductor for spark plugs but also the shortest lived.

cb
 
COPPER is in the spark plug CORE. Most ALL plugs are copper CORE. Its the TIP that defines wear and longevity. There is NO copper in the tips of spark plugs. They would last no time. . The Autolite Iridium's I used have COPPER CORE as do most all the plugs on the market. Here is a little reading one FINE WIRE& IRIDIUM plugs in the air craft industry. http://www.ramaircraft.com/Maintenance-Tips/Spark Plugs-Fine-Wire-vs-Massive.htm
 
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Originally Posted By: coolbird101
I see alot of guys on Dodge forums have check engine lights and issues when trying non copper plugs on the hemi, think I read that copper is the best conductor for spark plugs but also the shortest lived.
cb


Well, I've owned a couple and they ship the 6.1 with NGK plat/iridium hybrids with EXACTLY the same ignition system.

Issues are greatly magnified on the Internet.

And thanks to Houndog for the truth about plugs. Greatly misunderstood by most...
 
This copper core issue has been beaten to death here. Unfortunately, the term copper core has become synonymous with the entry level plain spark plug probably due to the fact that Champion calls theirs Copper Plus and Autolite markets Copper Core.
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Its just like Nu Finish is not really a polish, not all tissue is Kleenex, and a tranny fluid exchange is not a flush.

What do you guys propose as suitable nomenclature for "standard, non precious metal tipped spark plugs" that will be recognized by everyone? Nickel spark plugs? Plain spark plugs? NGK has a standard and a V Power that fit this grade.
 
thank you for setting me straight on the copper thing, i was obviously misguided and was on here spreading the mis-information. i was trying to be helpful and participate, that what makes this site so cool, so many experienced people
 
I never had a hard time understanding the term copper CORE or understanding that the TIP of the spark is what wears,not the core. Copper is a great conductor of electricity. Thats why so much wiring is stolen. But its a soft metal and would not last as long as nickel alloy in the TIP of a spark plug. I always have tried to define the meaning of phrases. Copper "CORE". Then the ads show the different tips such as a fine wire Iridium. A parts guy at the Chrysler dealer I know I had priced factory Platiumn NGks. Asked me later i]f I bought plugs yet. I told him yes. Autolite Iridiums. He said "won't run right" I sad that is not what Autolite said when I called them and in fact a hair bit smoother idle and might be my imagination but fuel mileage is at a all time high in my truck. Anyhow I have read the same comments from others about idle/mileage when using the Iridium. After reading the aviation piece on Iridium fine wire I see how that did happen. Article says less piston,valve carbon buildup with fine wire Iridium also. The reason my nickname is 'hounddog' was back when I was young I always looked,dug for the CORRECT answer no matter what it might be. Tracking someone down,same thing. A Boss started calling me 'Hounddog' It stuck. I have always called,searched for the REAL answer too a thing or issue. I got a phone number to Bosch R&D once cause I wanted a fuel filter spec and Bosch said 'proprietorship" Got that phone number,called. Got a R&D engineer in the FIELD. Transfered to his cell phone. He answered my question. He could have cared less about proprietorship. He spit the micron rating right out. I thanked in. The 'correct' answer is out there if you dig for it. You also gotta smell the [censored] when it it shot out of someones mounth and look some more.
 
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