spark plugs experience
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 8,700
Likes: 298
From: Ft. Lauderdale Fl
I ran NGK TR55's in my LT1 for three years with no problems. I replaced them with a set of Autolite 606's. Still runs great. Spark plugs are spark plugs. Keep in mind their sole purpose is to create a arc to fire the fuel & air mixture. Don't waste your money on gimmick plugs. 
Plugs are plugs.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 292
Likes: 0
From: East Longmeadow, Ma
change your wires also. makes a huge difference, i went from stock ac delco to some nice 8mm accels (yellow) you can get other colors but i think yellow looks better against the engine color...
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,815
Likes: 10
From: New York New York
My Corvette mechanic just put in a set of Accel plugs in my 87 and it runs great, no misfire at all. For my experience you misfire could be from a bad plug, injectors, fuel pump, fuel filter or not tuned properly. I would bring it to someone who does Vettes only. Oh and I have Taylor wires.
Last edited by uptown193; Jun 9, 2010 at 11:17 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 11,470
Likes: 764
spark plugs, like wax, polish, and microfiber towels, are 90% hype and 10% fact. i doubt that you'll notice any difference in performance or anything, no matter what plug you use. just stick to the AC's, or any quality name brand plug and you'll be fine. BTW, i bought a set of NGK platinum's for my 90 - no reason other than i was at summit racing, and they were there... a lot of people have some negative things to say about bosch - i can tell you that i had bosch platinum's in my 85 and it ran great - ran them for 50K miles before i replaced them with another set of bosch platinum's. my sons running the 85 now, and he has no issues.
no need for any fancy tipped plugs either - 90% hype, 10% fact!!!
no need for any fancy tipped plugs either - 90% hype, 10% fact!!!
Last edited by Joe C; Jun 9, 2010 at 12:44 PM.
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,428
Likes: 7
From: Chewelah Wa
The thing I learned from the plug shootout is that you can spend nearly a 100 bucks for a set of plugs or 20 bucks, and the plugs that did the best, (although slightly) were the 20 dollar ones. My next set will be the NGK's.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 96,443
Likes: 9
From: Fort Knox, KY
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You can get the NGK TR-55 Double Platinums for around $5 bones each. No need to drop $20 on platinum plugs.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,129
Likes: 1
From: Pasadena CA
Looks like about a 2hp variation at max hp. This could be down to all sorts of other variables.
The other thing it doesn't show is how these wear over time
Sticking with stock Delcos here - they do the job they were designed for..
The other thing it doesn't show is how these wear over time
Sticking with stock Delcos here - they do the job they were designed for..
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Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 73,568
Likes: 33
From: Somewhere in Mo
St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '14
here's my take.
I changed my cap rotor and plugs before I went on the Power Tour. It did have NGK's and i replaced them with ac delco rapid fires.
It seems to have a miss or something or the other. As it idles it'll go like Prrrrrrrrrhicupprrrrrrrrrrrrrrhicup etc. I don't know what the heck it is but I guess I will take them out and see if any of them are cracked or what have you. Only does it when it's hot though, not cold.
I also noticed the NGK's were gapped less than 035. That seemed odd to me.
I changed my cap rotor and plugs before I went on the Power Tour. It did have NGK's and i replaced them with ac delco rapid fires.
It seems to have a miss or something or the other. As it idles it'll go like Prrrrrrrrrhicupprrrrrrrrrrrrrrhicup etc. I don't know what the heck it is but I guess I will take them out and see if any of them are cracked or what have you. Only does it when it's hot though, not cold.
I also noticed the NGK's were gapped less than 035. That seemed odd to me.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,759
Likes: 8
here's my take.
I changed my cap rotor and plugs before I went on the Power Tour. It did have NGK's and i replaced them with ac delco rapid fires.
It seems to have a miss or something or the other. As it idles it'll go like Prrrrrrrrrhicupprrrrrrrrrrrrrrhicup etc. I don't know what the heck it is but I guess I will take them out and see if any of them are cracked or what have you. Only does it when it's hot though, not cold.
I also noticed the NGK's were gapped less than 035. That seemed odd to me.
I changed my cap rotor and plugs before I went on the Power Tour. It did have NGK's and i replaced them with ac delco rapid fires.
It seems to have a miss or something or the other. As it idles it'll go like Prrrrrrrrrhicupprrrrrrrrrrrrrrhicup etc. I don't know what the heck it is but I guess I will take them out and see if any of them are cracked or what have you. Only does it when it's hot though, not cold.
I also noticed the NGK's were gapped less than 035. That seemed odd to me.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 73,568
Likes: 33
From: Somewhere in Mo
St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '14
Something is amiss.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,021
Likes: 7
From: Morgan Hill and Marina California
NGKs can be had with most any reasonable gap.
There's a suffix on the part number that defines the
gap.
A close gap will fire at higher revs, but the plug won't
last as long.
Chuck
There's a suffix on the part number that defines the
gap.
A close gap will fire at higher revs, but the plug won't
last as long.
Chuck
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,344
Likes: 48
From: San Marcos CA
Not mentioned so far is that exotic plug designs and heat ranges that aren't just like oem can cause low speed emissions to be dirtier, so if you have to deal with strict smog *****, like I do and don't want to have to change your plugs twice in a short period of time, I try to get oem or compatible replacements with a long lasting electrode/tip like the platinum AC that came in my LT1. Maybe I'd adjust no more than one heat range for no2 or forced induction..then it is more about the gap and timing at that point.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 6,470
Likes: 2
From: levittown pa. usa Even a bad day with my `Vette, is better than a good day at work
St. Jude Donor '10
(except for Champions. Every car that I`ve had any plug related problems with had those plugs in them. I try to avoid that brand like the plague)
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 12,742
Likes: 43
From: Color my life with the chaos of trouble.