Interesting Discovery (I Think)
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 193
Likes: 1
Your claim is not far fetched. Bad plugs or incorrectly gapped plugs do have an impact on power and efficiency. If nothing was disconnected/broken in the process, the surgin could be too lean/too rich a mixture as things inside the chambers have suddenly changed. Disconnect the battery to reset the PCM. Drive the car for a few hundred miles before re-tuning.
Rick
Rick
tks, dal
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 193
Likes: 1
again, it is not a big deal but if we are going to spend tons of money for more power and better running cars why not do the simple, free things too.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 193
Likes: 1
the tips on this new iridium plugs are nealy like pin heads. very thin!!
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Pro
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 644
Likes: 1
From: Edmond Oklahoma
I use gapping blades that belonged to my grandfather - he was a mechanic and they're at least 60 years old. Is there something more high-tech to use?
Former Vendor
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 9,615
Likes: 13
From: Burlington NC
Randy
PS back in the day, we did the dyno testing for the first split-fire plugs, a-hole still owes us money....
Pro
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 510
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio TX
Pro
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 510
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio TX
Engine builders have all sorts of different ideas on what works and what doesn't. Forced Induction requires a completely different gap and some real race engines do to. There are some builders that even will index the plug to position the gap to a desired position in the combustion camber. It all depends on how much time and effort you are willing to give. IF a race team has maxed out everything else, plugs can give them a edge and few more horsepower.
Randy
PS back in the day, we did the dyno testing for the first split-fire plugs, a-hole still owes us money....
Randy
PS back in the day, we did the dyno testing for the first split-fire plugs, a-hole still owes us money....
Randy,
Did the splitfires showed any gains over conventional?
Guys,
A plug change will only make a major difference if something is wrong with your current plugs. Don't expect a bunch of power from a simple plug swap.
Rick
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Ive said this for years!!!!!
Plugs degrade so slowly that we become use to the way the engine runs as they start to lose their newness. When a new set of plugs are installed we IMMEDIATELY
see a big improvement. 
Which is really most of the time back to original performance/ idle quality levels. BC
Former Vendor
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 9,615
Likes: 13
From: Burlington NC
Racer
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 357
Likes: 1
From: Sterling VA
Checked all mine and they were all either .037 or .038 with one set at exactly .040. Not a big deal as someone else said, but good for piece of mind. God, that took me all of a half hour going VERY slowly. I remember the 4-6 hour ordeals on Fbodies back in the day.
-Brian
-Brian
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 3,570
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From: Austin, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Houston, Dallas, Hong Kong, Elgin, etc.. Texas
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,712
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From: TEXOMA
St. Jude Donor '08-'09