What are the best spark plugs to use in my 1.7L SOHC?

NGK's?

 

Owner's Manual says

NGK: PZFR6F-11
Denso: PKJ20CR-M11

Plug gap: .04" (1.1mm)

Torque to 13lbf-ft

 

sweet. are those irridium plugs? can anybody explain what makes irridium (sp?) plugs different from a regular plug?

 

Iridium plugs have a longer service life, and cost a whole lot more.

 

anyone used the pulstars yet?

 

No, they're double platinum plugs. As mentioned, the iridium plugs are more expensive. The melting point is higher and the corrosion resistance is better, but, IMO, that's not enough justify the extra cost. I've read mixed feedback about iridium plugs. Some people claim (mild) performance gains, but many also complain about decreased fuel economy. The NGK PZFR6F-11 double platinum plugs work just fine, so I'll be sticking with those.

 

These are the ones that make a huge spark correct? I think i was hearing about these...

 

how are the cheapo ngk vpowers?

 

their just ok as far as i kno they do the job id more consider some denso iridiums at the least or a single tip platinum

 

YOu know I cant ever find any info on the pulsfire ones. I only saw some arctiles that it DOES make an improvement in most cars.

imma buy these myself and see how that goes, need new sparks anyway

 

update us and tell us wat ya think of them

 

I would also be really interested to see if they get too hot for the civic.

What i am thinking is that if they explode so large and violent then maybe then the heating and cooling would cause them to break off when trying to remove them.

I'm not an expert on this stuff, I have just heard about spark plugs running too hot.

 

Ive used the pulse. idle and accleration were much more crisp and smoother fule eco was up by at least 4mpgs. i used to drive 700+ miles every month so ive tracked my mpgs for almost 3 years. stock air box with no ducting and no muffler+pluse plugs+89+cruise at 55=43.2mpgs thats 604miles to the tank. there was a noticeable difference. but my engine did end up spitting out a connecting rod at 180k but i dont think that was related.

 

how often should i change my spark plugs

 

every 2 years

 

how many miles did you have on the car when you put them in and any other mods?

 

i dunno man...that could very well be related dont you think? i mean ive heard that the spark off of those plugs can be pretty violent, thus creating the better fuel economy.

If the components weren't meant to take such a beating they could very well bust because of this.

 

Voltage for the spark is created by the coil(s). A spark plug by itself can not create more spark. It can however do a better job of providing a jumping off point and ground point for the spark. Dirty worn plugs don't 'fire' as well as new ones. The correct type of plug that is specified for your stock engine that is properly gapped will work fine. Multiple ground electrodes won't increase the spark intensity. They may provide multiple discharge points, but the spark would have to divide itself between them. Exotic discharge point materials like platinum or iridium mainly affect plug service life. But regardless, a spark plug can not cause an engine failure because the spark is "pretty violent". A plug with the incorrect heat range can however melt/disintegrate and cause a major headache.

 

The Owner's Manual says to replace them every 110,000 miles. (under both severe and normal conditions)

Doing it more frequently shouldn't cause any problems, though.

 

i was at 147k and i had stock air box no plumbing and no muffler just resantor.
Rod knock started and went out pretty fast this is after like 30 some k of highway driving.

 

Thank you for a good informative post.

To the OP IMHO there is no "best" spark plug. It depends on your budget, how often you want to change them, and other factors. If you don't want to weigh the pros and cons of what's out there then a stock replacement will suit you just fine. I personally use vpowers with a cut back ground strap.

 

what are signs that teh spark plugs need to be replaced?

 

I use NGK and they work fine, but signs that say that you need to repalce your spak plugs is when you give it gas and your cars runs really slow

 

Now all the D17 owners are gonna be running to autozone

 

Bad mileage, poor acceleration, rough idle, etc. etc.