Silver electrode core spark plugs
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 163
Likes: 1
From: Wichita Kansas
Silver electrode core spark plugs
When I first started familiarizing myself with Corvettes some three years ago, I ran across an ad or some forum talk saying the best spark plug were made with silver in the electrode, but I could never find such a spark plug, until today.
They are made, or sold, by a company I've never heard of and are a non resistor type. The brand is Nology and the store that sells them, perhaps Nology as well, makes three basic claims about the physical properties of Silver that makes using it advantageous in spark plugs. The first two I am not sure about and will have to look up when I get a chance (I'm a Chemistry teacher). They claim silver to be have the best electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal. Now the third claim is absolutely true and that is that silver is at least one of the two most non-reactive metals along with gold. Silver however, is not as soft as gold. My question is, these plugs are on sale but still expensive. $12.00 a piece . Are they worth it.
They are made, or sold, by a company I've never heard of and are a non resistor type. The brand is Nology and the store that sells them, perhaps Nology as well, makes three basic claims about the physical properties of Silver that makes using it advantageous in spark plugs. The first two I am not sure about and will have to look up when I get a chance (I'm a Chemistry teacher). They claim silver to be have the best electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal. Now the third claim is absolutely true and that is that silver is at least one of the two most non-reactive metals along with gold. Silver however, is not as soft as gold. My question is, these plugs are on sale but still expensive. $12.00 a piece . Are they worth it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,835
Likes: 302
From: Columbia SC
Here is one link to a BMW discussion:
http://forum.roadfly.com/threads/121...um-Spark-Plugs
I'll let you search into resistor versus non resistor plugs. Non resistor plugs can cause radio interference in some cases. Not sure if it would in a C5 stock radio versus aftermarket radio.
http://forum.roadfly.com/threads/121...um-Spark-Plugs
I'll let you search into resistor versus non resistor plugs. Non resistor plugs can cause radio interference in some cases. Not sure if it would in a C5 stock radio versus aftermarket radio.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,803
Likes: 357
From: Northville, MI
Silver is the best metal for thermal and electrical conductivity, and gold is excellent also but silver is less expensive. I have heard of $5-10 for silver plugs however I do not know if those are available for the LS1 engine. The Nology brand sounds expensive unless you are running pig rich and doing a lot of stop and go city driving.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 4,704
Likes: 239
From: Redondo Beach CA
Fancy spark plugs will do nothing for you.
You are trying to improve a computer controlled event in exactly what way, you didn't say. Changing the material in the electrode? If that is the idea, one must assume there was a mistake in the original engineering and subsequent update of the recommended spark plug.
Probably not,, I don't know, but at least one can say nothing from the factory ever specified a silver type of electrode. If you consider a stock plug, the material in the electrode is chosen for service life, conductivity is not a problem, each plug has its own coil and spark event, for pete's sake.
If you want to play around with plugs, you need an engine from the past.
This engine has a plug specification not a plug speculation. You start screwing around outside of the engines intended design performance with random decisions and you might cause a cascade of trouble down the road. This is computer designed highly engineered stuff, any machine operator will tell you to follow the directions in the owners instructions, first , last and always.
Besides circuits can be funny. not funny good, either
You are trying to improve a computer controlled event in exactly what way, you didn't say. Changing the material in the electrode? If that is the idea, one must assume there was a mistake in the original engineering and subsequent update of the recommended spark plug.
Probably not,, I don't know, but at least one can say nothing from the factory ever specified a silver type of electrode. If you consider a stock plug, the material in the electrode is chosen for service life, conductivity is not a problem, each plug has its own coil and spark event, for pete's sake.
If you want to play around with plugs, you need an engine from the past.
This engine has a plug specification not a plug speculation. You start screwing around outside of the engines intended design performance with random decisions and you might cause a cascade of trouble down the road. This is computer designed highly engineered stuff, any machine operator will tell you to follow the directions in the owners instructions, first , last and always.
Besides circuits can be funny. not funny good, either
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 163
Likes: 1
From: Wichita Kansas
If you are trying to talk me out of buying the silver plugs you really don't have to try hard. I'm more curious than anything else. Being a Vette newby, I thought I had stumbled across a BIG secret. It seems not.
So I'm basically MODIFYING my 2001 LS1 engine into a 2002+ LS6 clone that should breath better than stock. I have LS6 heads to port, an LS6 like cam, and upgrades to the intake and exhaust, but its all naturally asperated. My short list of plugs include NGK TR5s or TR5IX. please advise!
Sent from my SCH-I415 using IB AutoGroup
So I'm basically MODIFYING my 2001 LS1 engine into a 2002+ LS6 clone that should breath better than stock. I have LS6 heads to port, an LS6 like cam, and upgrades to the intake and exhaust, but its all naturally asperated. My short list of plugs include NGK TR5s or TR5IX. please advise!
Sent from my SCH-I415 using IB AutoGroup
Last edited by erufle; Jun 15, 2014 at 10:05 PM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 163
Likes: 1
From: Wichita Kansas
Here is one link to a BMW discussion: http://forum.roadfly.com/threads/121...um-Spark-Plugs I'll let you search into resistor versus non resistor plugs. Non resistor plugs can cause radio interference in some cases. Not sure if it would in a C5 stock radio versus aftermarket radio.
