perfomance plugs

[srpntlair1]

Is there any truth to better performance to like a triple fire or u groove plug? I can see a platinum plug being better as it is a better conductor but say a 40,000 volt spark split 3 or 4 ways is still 40,000 volts???

[Ghoste]

Personally, I think it's all just marketing hype.  I'm sure someone will pop in with claims of how switching to multi tip plugs gave them 30 more horse, 15 mpg better fuel consumption, quicker starts, longer oil life, new gloss to the cars finish, inches off their waistline and years off their face.  I tried U-grooves once and saw no difference at all.  It seems to fall into the same category as fuel line magnets in my opinion.

[RAWPWR]

you forgot "male enhancement" 

[firefighter3931]

Personally, i like NGK plugs. It's more important to select the right heat range for the application than any fancy electrode. 


Ron

[Purple440]

How does one select the right heat range?  I mean what indicators would dictate a change?

[firefighter3931]

How does one select the right heat range?  I mean what indicators would dictate a change?

Heat range is dependant on fuel type and compression. The higher the compression the higher the octane needed and the colder the plug. High octane fuel burns slower than lower octane fuel so you need a cold(er) plug. Low octane fuel burns fast so you need a hotter plug. The idea is to run the coolest plug in your engine that will not foul. 

To answer your question ; a fouled plug indicates that the heat range is too cold for that particular combo....and needs to be changed, to a warmer plug.

My favorite plug for an iron head running pump gas (8-10.5:1) is the NGK XR-5 which work well, stay clean and don't foul unless the jetting is way off (too rich).

For aluminum heads in the "pump gas" range (10-11:1) i like the NGK BCPR-6ES which seems to work very well and is the proper heat range for pump gas at that compression level. If you're building a higher compression race fuel build then a 7 series plug would be the right choice.



Ron

[Chryco Psycho]

We tested a Hemi on the dyno years agio with every type of plug available at the time , Splitfires , Platinums , multi electrode Yadayada
thebest power was made with te cheapest plug Champion / Autolite in the correct heat range , the more $$ spent on a plug the more power lost , net loss was 25 HP with Splitfire plugs

[aifilaw]

just to add something, my friend had a machine shop rebuild his stock 350 which went into his '86 chevy 1/2 ton truck.

He insisted on buying split V titan-platinum whatever something or another.

about 2 months later his engine seized, the machine shop tore the engine down and said they wouldn't cover it, I had a look and found out why... it has knocked and one of those V's has split off, fell into the cylinder and been unlucky enough to get caught between the piston and the cylinder wall which seized the engine. Expensive lesson.

Spreading the spark out is a nifty idea, but in the end the HP and economy gains you get from it are minimal. The best spark plug design is the hemi combustion chamber with a key'd spark plug (meaning the main metal bent piece is at a 90-degree angle to the valve LOS. This gets the spark into the mixture right where it is needed most.
Key'ing a standard spark plug in a regular cylinder head will help things as well...but its really only something we did at the dragstrip to eak out the last drop of power, I never got around to doing it on street builds because I never had the different sized washers sitting around.

I'm still a confirmed believer in NGK's