spark plugs
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 343
Likes: 167
From: Sugar Land Tx
spark plugs
I just purchased a 75 convertible...lookin to do a tune up...can anybody recommend a good plug...have read about the platinum plugs and the new iridium plugs and wondered if they make a diff in performance or economy.
Thanks
Thanks
Racer
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 268
Likes: 0
From: Mechanicsville VA
Re: spark plugs (captras)
i just put platinum plugs in my truck, and the only reason it seemed to run better is that the old ones were pretty eroded. They were only about a dollar and a half more (each) than the stock type.
I think the wires and coil have as much to do with good spark as a plug does. Keep tuning it according to the schedule.
I think the wires and coil have as much to do with good spark as a plug does. Keep tuning it according to the schedule.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 399
Likes: 0
From: Haslet,Texas
Re: spark plugs (captras)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,330
Likes: 6
From: Long Island NY
Re: spark plugs (73'Vette)
I would NOT run platinums! Only if the engine called for it. They have a different heat range and after time may cause a miss. I would run AC Rapid fires or stock AC's.
Race Director
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 11,920
Likes: 2
Re: spark plugs (munday)
Good plugs are NOT a waste of money.
It is a bit of a science though to get the right plug for a specific application
as there are quite a few things involved.
The right plug will give more efficient combustion, which leads to better fuel economy and more horsepower, be it only a few percent.
Any mods on a car should let you examine the setup closely so you can decide if you want to go with a hotter or colder plug than the stock recommendation. If you examine cheaper and more expensive plugs, you will notice different metals....which is related to different levels of conduction
and thus different degrees of heat of the flame as well as speed of the flame.
All this has an effect on the spread of combustion inside the chamber which is more pronounced in higher compression engines.
A more expensive plug will give you only a small percentage of benefit during the first couple of hundred miles, after that you will see increasing percentages of power and lower percentages of fuel consumption as time goes on......the extra dollar or so you pay for a better plug will pay for itself
over time and your pistons and valves will live in a better environment.... :auto:
.....my .02
It is a bit of a science though to get the right plug for a specific application
as there are quite a few things involved.
The right plug will give more efficient combustion, which leads to better fuel economy and more horsepower, be it only a few percent.
Any mods on a car should let you examine the setup closely so you can decide if you want to go with a hotter or colder plug than the stock recommendation. If you examine cheaper and more expensive plugs, you will notice different metals....which is related to different levels of conduction
and thus different degrees of heat of the flame as well as speed of the flame.
All this has an effect on the spread of combustion inside the chamber which is more pronounced in higher compression engines.
A more expensive plug will give you only a small percentage of benefit during the first couple of hundred miles, after that you will see increasing percentages of power and lower percentages of fuel consumption as time goes on......the extra dollar or so you pay for a better plug will pay for itself
over time and your pistons and valves will live in a better environment.... :auto:
.....my .02
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 10,153
Likes: 15
From: Texas
Re: spark plugs (mvftw)
I would NOT run platinums! Only if the engine called for it. They have a different heat range and after time may cause a miss. I would run AC Rapid fires or stock AC's.
BTW - friends in the parts business have told me that most of Delco's parts are outsourced these days - essentially what you'd get at O'reilly, Autozone, etc. in a red white and blue delco box. The Delco rep allegedly said they're not even making their own plugs anymore. :eek:
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