New spark plugs

C

carryon525

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2016
I know there are many threads about this. However, I do not race my car at the track but I do want an awesome spark plug for the street in case I want to really get on it. I'm currently running a TE 44 turbo at about 18 pounds of boost. I believe the car has auto lite 23's but I want to know if there is a better plug out there that I should be running for the street. Can someone tell me the best plug to use on the street or suggestions with part numbers??
 
Yes, this subject has been beaten to death to say the least. So much so that it hardly provokes much response these days. If you read those threads you'd know everyone has their favorite plug for whatever reasons depending on their particular build. Ask 5 people, get 5 different answers... Lol.

Assuming you have iron heads, Autolite 24's or AC Delco CR43TS gapped .035 for under 20psi. Autolite 23's or AC Delco CR42TS gapped in the lower 30's for over 20psi. If going over 20 I'd try closing the gap .002 - .003 for every 5psi increase as a general starting point. Its not an exact science. Results may vary. Some don't like the AC Delco plugs anymore citing quality issues but that's what I've been running lately without problems. NGK UR5 is another popular choice because the quality of the plug appears better. One note on NGK plugs,,,there are made in china knockoffs floating out there. Look it up. Lot's of guy's geek out over what plug is best. FWIW, I have run all of these brands at one time or another. I did not notice any difference between them. But maybe its just me.. The important thing is stay away from those latest and greatest, fancy pants plugs - platinum, iridium, whatchamacallit's. They are not for Turbo Buicks no matter what anyone tells you.

Plugs are cheap and easy to swap out. If you really want to know which plug runs best on your car get a few different sets and come to your own conclusion. You will likely find very little differences, if any, among the popular choices especially on a stockish build.

Now that I wrote what I wrote watch everybody tell me I'm wrong and start listing THEIR favorite plug. Lol.
 
Last edited:
626gn said:
Yes, this subject has been beaten to death to say the least. So much so that it hardly provokes much response these days. If you read those threads you'd know everyone has their favorite plug for whatever reasons depending on their particular build. Ask 5 people, get 5 different answers... Lol.

Assuming you have iron heads, Autolite 24's or AC Delco CR43TS gapped .035 for under 20psi. Autolite 23's or AC Delco CR42TS gapped in the lower 30's for over 20psi. If going over 20 I'd try closing the gap .002 - .003 for every 5psi increase as a general starting point. Its not an exact science. Results may vary. Some don't like the AC Delco plugs anymore citing quality issues but that's what I've been running lately without problems. NGK UR5 is another popular choice because the quality of the plug appears better. One note on NGK plugs,,,there are made in china knockoffs floating out there. Look it up. Lot's of guy's geek out over what plug is best. FWIW, I have run all of these brands at one time or another. I did not notice any difference between them. But maybe its just me.. The important thing is stay away from those latest and greatest, fancy pants plugs - platinum, iridium, whatchamacallit's. They are not for Turbo Buicks no matter what anyone tells you.

Plugs are cheap and easy to swap out. If you really want to know which plug runs best on your car get a few different sets and come to your own conclusion. You will likely find very little differences, if any, among the popular choices especially on a stockish build.

Now that I wrote what I wrote watch everybody tell me I'm wrong and start listing THEIR favorite plug. Lol.
Click to expand...
Thoughts???
I took one out tonight and I do have 24's.
 

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Proper way to read plugs would be to start with fresh plugs, do a couple pulls, then read them. Also need to see all 6. Mark which cylinder they came from and start a new thread asking help reading them.

Is that fuel or oil on the threads?
 
626gn said:
Proper way to read plugs would be to start with fresh plugs, do a couple pulls, then read them. Also need to see all 6. Mark which cylinder they came from and start a new thread asking help reading them.

Is that fuel or oil on the threads?
Click to expand...
Its really hard to tell. I can't smell fuel and its very light coat of oil maybe?? It looks worse than it really is. One thing is they have been in the car since rebuild 10 years back with only 4K miles. Should I stick with the 24's or switch it up? I did change to the large Taylor plug wires recently. I really did it for the color but I used them in the past on a GN I raced.
 
Generally the 24's are fine for boost below 20lbs or so. You could try 23's but might find them too cold if you continue to run low boost.
 
626gn said:
Generally the 24's are fine for boost below 20lbs or so. You could try 23's but might find them too cold if you continue to run low boost.
Click to expand...
After reading lots of threads I did order a set of NGK UR5 #2771 Plugs
 
carryon525 said:
After reading lots of threads I did order a set of NGK UR5 #2771 Plugs
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That plug will be fine for your build. Just make sure you order them from a reputable source. Don't want those china knockoff's I was telling you about.
 
I t
626gn said:
Lol. Then you should be good to go.[/QUO

Since you've been the most help I'll ask you. I took all the plugs out tonight and they all look almost identical to the one I posted. The driver side rear two were the dryest. Overall the same and yes I could smell a hint of fuel. Thoughts on that?

The bigger question is the passenger rear was a pain to get out and I'm not good with tools on top of a small dexterity issue on the right hand makes it harder. What's the easiest way to put the new one back in? Basically what's the wrench set up that will make it easier to put back? I used a 3" stub with a angle to loosen but I'm not sure that was the best option. Any suggestions would be great.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
carryon525 said:
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There are different ways to make your life easier when changing plugs. I use a universal joint and 20" extension. When putting the plugs in I use a 10" - 12" piece of fuel line that fits tight over the terminal end of the plug. Shove the end of the plug into the fuel line and use the extra length the fuel line provides to help thread the plug into the hole. This eliminates having to jamb your whole hand in there to try and thread the plug or trying to do it blind with the socket. Once you get the thread started you can pull the fuel line off the plug and tighten the rest of the way with your universal and long extension. Hope that makes sense. With a little bit of practice it should become a breeze.
 
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