Spark plug review
#1
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Spark plug review
I decided to try everything that everyone recommended for my turbo B18C1 with the stock ignition. I tried the NGK BKR7Es you guys recommended, the Bosch Platinum F6DPs that the guys on the Endyn board were using in the blower apps(Bosch PN 4227), a set of Autolites meant for the B18C1, and a set of Champions for the B18C1, both from Auto Zone. The Autolites, by the way, must be assembled. Some kind of quality, eh?
The Autolites and Champions were of similar quality, shitty. They missed under boost and fouled easily when the engine was cold and I was using the cold start map on the E6K(which is still too rich, but they still fouled way too easily). The engine also seemed less peppy when they were in.
The NGK plugs wouldn't foul as easily as the Autolites or Champions, but when untuned I could still foul them in conditions that the Bosch set would start right up. The NGKs also tended to use more fuel. Once I tuned the wot boost values with a set of the F6DPs in the car, once switching to the NGKs, I had to further lean out the mixture to keep from fouling the NGKs, evidently the Bosch plug was igniting more of the mixture. At the same injector times, a close examination of the plugs revealed a nice golden brown on the porcelain of the Bosch plug, just what I was looking for, while the NGK was obviously not igniting all the fuel and was more black on the porcelain. The NGK would simply die above 6500 on the map the Bosch plug was perfectly comfortable with.
The NGKs seemed to be more peppy out of boost, but once I upped the injector times to compensate for the boost, the Bosch was my plug of choice for the engine. The Autolites and Champions were shitty in every way imaginable.
More when I have time, hopefully I can get my hands on a set of the ZEX plugs, and some of those four electrode Bosch Platinums, and maybe some I haven't thought of.
Regards,
Jared
The Autolites and Champions were of similar quality, shitty. They missed under boost and fouled easily when the engine was cold and I was using the cold start map on the E6K(which is still too rich, but they still fouled way too easily). The engine also seemed less peppy when they were in.
The NGK plugs wouldn't foul as easily as the Autolites or Champions, but when untuned I could still foul them in conditions that the Bosch set would start right up. The NGKs also tended to use more fuel. Once I tuned the wot boost values with a set of the F6DPs in the car, once switching to the NGKs, I had to further lean out the mixture to keep from fouling the NGKs, evidently the Bosch plug was igniting more of the mixture. At the same injector times, a close examination of the plugs revealed a nice golden brown on the porcelain of the Bosch plug, just what I was looking for, while the NGK was obviously not igniting all the fuel and was more black on the porcelain. The NGK would simply die above 6500 on the map the Bosch plug was perfectly comfortable with.
The NGKs seemed to be more peppy out of boost, but once I upped the injector times to compensate for the boost, the Bosch was my plug of choice for the engine. The Autolites and Champions were shitty in every way imaginable.
More when I have time, hopefully I can get my hands on a set of the ZEX plugs, and some of those four electrode Bosch Platinums, and maybe some I haven't thought of.
Regards,
Jared
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Re: Spark plug review (Jared)
very good info - next time try the ZFR7F too. it's the extended electrode version. i found those to work very well (but only with a small gap) on my now-deceased H22.
I decided to try everything that everyone recommended for my turbo B18C1 with the stock ignition. I tried the NGK BKR7Es you guys recommended, the Bosch Platinum F6DPs that the guys on the Endyn board were using in the blower apps(Bosch PN 4227), a set of Autolites meant for the B18C1, and a set of Champions for the B18C1, both from Auto Zone. The Autolites, by the way, must be assembled. Some kind of quality, eh?
The Autolites and Champions were of similar quality, shitty. They missed under boost and fouled easily when the engine was cold and I was using the cold start map on the E6K(which is still too rich, but they still fouled way too easily). The engine also seemed less peppy when they were in.
The NGK plugs wouldn't foul as easily as the Autolites or Champions, but when untuned I could still foul them in conditions that the Bosch set would start right up. The NGKs also tended to use more fuel. Once I tuned the wot boost values with a set of the F6DPs in the car, once switching to the NGKs, I had to further lean out the mixture to keep from fouling the NGKs, evidently the Bosch plug was igniting more of the mixture. At the same injector times, a close examination of the plugs revealed a nice golden brown on the porcelain of the Bosch plug, just what I was looking for, while the NGK was obviously not igniting all the fuel and was more black on the porcelain. The NGK would simply die above 6500 on the map the Bosch plug was perfectly comfortable with.
The NGKs seemed to be more peppy out of boost, but once I upped the injector times to compensate for the boost, the Bosch was my plug of choice for the engine. The Autolites and Champions were shitty in every way imaginable.
More when I have time, hopefully I can get my hands on a set of the ZEX plugs, and some of those four electrode Bosch Platinums, and maybe some I haven't thought of.
Regards,
Jared
The Autolites and Champions were of similar quality, shitty. They missed under boost and fouled easily when the engine was cold and I was using the cold start map on the E6K(which is still too rich, but they still fouled way too easily). The engine also seemed less peppy when they were in.
The NGK plugs wouldn't foul as easily as the Autolites or Champions, but when untuned I could still foul them in conditions that the Bosch set would start right up. The NGKs also tended to use more fuel. Once I tuned the wot boost values with a set of the F6DPs in the car, once switching to the NGKs, I had to further lean out the mixture to keep from fouling the NGKs, evidently the Bosch plug was igniting more of the mixture. At the same injector times, a close examination of the plugs revealed a nice golden brown on the porcelain of the Bosch plug, just what I was looking for, while the NGK was obviously not igniting all the fuel and was more black on the porcelain. The NGK would simply die above 6500 on the map the Bosch plug was perfectly comfortable with.
The NGKs seemed to be more peppy out of boost, but once I upped the injector times to compensate for the boost, the Bosch was my plug of choice for the engine. The Autolites and Champions were shitty in every way imaginable.
More when I have time, hopefully I can get my hands on a set of the ZEX plugs, and some of those four electrode Bosch Platinums, and maybe some I haven't thought of.
Regards,
Jared
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#8
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Re: Spark plug review (VTEC_SiR)
people have lost motors due to iridium plugs not staying together. and i think the because the electrode is so small, it probably gets superheated, and is more prone to detonating.
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Re: Spark plug review (SEFI8LOxCivic)
I'm curious about the recommendation of the ES-11 plug. I was told that it was for non-stock ignitions(MSD coils, etc..)
#12
Re: Spark plug review (Jared)
Hey, I see that you are running a haltech e6k and using stock ignition. Are you using the plug and play harness from Mark at phantom motorsports? How do you like your haltech? Just wanted to get someone else's feedback on the haltech.
[Modified by boosted hybrid, 6:35 PM 5/6/2002]
[Modified by boosted hybrid, 6:35 PM 5/6/2002]
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Re: Spark plug review (boosted hybrid)
If the plugs are fouling on you that easily, why don't you just go to a hotter plug?
From the minimal information I found on the net it shows the Bosch 6 heat range is slightly hotter than the NGK 7 heat range that you're using, which could account for them fouling less.
[Modified by DirtyLude, 6:40 PM 5/6/2002]
From the minimal information I found on the net it shows the Bosch 6 heat range is slightly hotter than the NGK 7 heat range that you're using, which could account for them fouling less.
[Modified by DirtyLude, 6:40 PM 5/6/2002]
#14
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Re: Spark plug review (DirtyLude)
Both the NGK and Bosch did similar under boost, but the around town driving is what was killing the NGK. How much is "slightly" hotter?
BTW, what are you running in your lude now?
[Modified by Jared, 12:25 AM 5/7/2002]
BTW, what are you running in your lude now?
[Modified by Jared, 12:25 AM 5/7/2002]
#15
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Re: Spark plug review (boosted hybrid)
I'm not using the plug and play harness, I made my own harness and set it up myself. I really like it, works great. A hell of a lot better than the V-AFC, FMU, check valve setup I had on my last engine.
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Re: Spark plug review (Jared)
I'm running ZFR6F-11, but I'm not boosting at the moment. I had the colder 7 heat range (BKR7E-11) in for a little while, since it's the only plug I had at the time, and they were fouling pretty good.
I don't know how much hotter. The little unprofessional chart I found lists the Bosch heat range 6 to be between the NGK heat range 6 and 7. Bosch numbers go up as the heat range gets hotter and NGK numbers go the other way.
Try a 6 range NGK plug. It should cure your fouling problems as long as you don't overheat the plug when on boost.
I don't know how much hotter. The little unprofessional chart I found lists the Bosch heat range 6 to be between the NGK heat range 6 and 7. Bosch numbers go up as the heat range gets hotter and NGK numbers go the other way.
Try a 6 range NGK plug. It should cure your fouling problems as long as you don't overheat the plug when on boost.
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Re: Spark plug review (Jared)
I'm curious about the recommendation of the ES-11 plug. I was told that it was for non-stock ignitions(MSD coils, etc..)
#19
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Re: Spark plug review (SEFI8LOxCivic)
Actually the accumulation of miles is what worries me about the Bosch plug. I've been told by several people that they dont last very long, but those people were also using MSD ignitions, so I'll have to wait and see what happens.
#20
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Re: Spark plug review (Jared)
I found that if you gap the denso iridium's at .036 then you can run on those things forever an have no worries. i had a set in for about 10,000 miles an i found under normal boost an even under 18 psi they held up pretty well. I was suprised..
Its all in the tunning( remember that)
Its all in the tunning( remember that)
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