Spark plugs revisited

[Qwerty1634]

Ok, ive searched on here regarding spark plugs and i still have questions. Everyone advises again platinum plugs, does anyone have any experience with them? i am especially interested in bosch platinum +4's. It would seem to me with all the spark blow out issues we face that these would give you a 1 in 4 shot at jumping as opposed to one, but who knows.

Speaking of spark blow out, i have a fairly mild combo and i seem to have this problem. I am running a stock long block, with a 70mm tb and upper plenum, RJC power plate, pt-51 turbo with a kenne-bell big boy intercooler ramchargers extender chip with 3" lt1 MAF and inlet pipe. I am running an Accel stock style coil with a new stock ignition module and a kenne-bell boost-a-spark. Max boost i see is about 21psi. I seem to get surging misfire at WOT and part throttle under load. People tell me this is spark blow out. My fuel trim and knock retard are all good as far as i can tell. I had r42ts plugs gapped at .035" and it seemed to go away for a little while although i didnt drive the car that much. When it returned last week i had some barely used r43ts's laying around so after some research i gapped those at .030" and screwed them in. Much to my surprise the problem got worse despite the tighter gap. Now i am going to purchase some new plugs but i need some opinions on what to buy. Should i go with a CR43ts? that seems to be popular and looking at them the have a shorter ceramic and a longer shank. With everyone out there running faster than me(my best ever was 12.1 in the 1320 so im not exactly screaming) i cant be the only one to hit this roadblock. thanks for any help you may have

 

[87GNSteve]

Platnium 4s are probably the worst choice for these cars.

The issue is that the 4 electrodes block the flame kernel from igniting the mixture as quickly as a conventional sparkplug with one electrode.
The other issue is that on one bank of the engine that fires from electrode to ground will have the spark divided into 4 smaller arcs instead of on large hot arc.
More prone to spark blow.
On the bank that fires from ground to electrode it may get divided or travel the path of least resistance. Who knows?

These plugs are recommended for Hondas, Toyotas, BMWs etc with the plug located in the center of the chamber and doesnt see boost.

If you have your heart set on platniums get Autolites either single(AP) or doubles(APP) they are designed just like a conventional plug but with a platnium "cap" on the ground in the case of the doubles the ground and electrode.

As for me I like the Bosch super copper core or the NGK V power.

As for your issue make sure your wires, coil, and module are healthy that can cause the problems you are expiriencing.
If you can swap with a well known working unit they can be bad out of the box.

 

[REAPER231]

autolight 24's or ngk ur5 i run the ngk ur5

 

[turbofabricator]

I personally don't think that there is much to do with spark plugs. I do NOT recommend platnium plugs if you use race gas. PERIOD. I use AC plugs and have never had a problem with them. Other than the time there was a broken ceramic electrode shell. The car had a miss to it and I would pull the plug and hold it upside down and the shell would slide back into the plug. It looked fine. It even fired good laying on the alternator. The shell would slide down over the electrode when installed in the engine, causing the miss-fire. It only took me about 45 minutes to find that one. I now check EVERY spark plug at the parts store BEFORE I leave the place. I have found TWO of them thins way. One on the car (above) and one at eh parts store. I buy alot of plugs, but have only found two this way over the last 8 years or so.

 

[shifty6]

spark plugs

autolight 24's or ngk ur5 i run the ngk ur5

+3 for the NGK UR5 V power...gap mine @ a tight .032

 

[waddell87]

+4 for the NGK Iridium UR5 IX Nappa #7177 Gapped at a tight .032.
You won't look back:wink:

 

[GNRick]

I tried a set of Autolite 24's. As I was accelerating I heard a loud bang. Wasn't even driving it hard. The porcelain separated from the threaded part. Spark plug wire was just dangling there. I also found another one where the porcelain was broken. Bad batch of plugs? I don't know, but I won't use Autolites again. Leave them for the Ford guys.

 

[mikestertwo]

+5 NGK UR5's

 

[breiter]

I installed a set of Autolite 23's last night with a .030 gap. I run around 23lbs of boost with plans to run 25+. I took the car out for a fuel run and it ran great at cruise speed as well as under boost. I replaced my RTS43's, which worked well also but I wanted a colder plug. Everyone has an opinion so you just have to read the posts and make a choice for yourself. There are so many variables to tuning our cars; turbo size, boost, timing, fuel, injector, electronics, tire size, converter.....

 

[whitehot1]

I personally don't think that there is much to do with spark plugs. I do NOT recommend platnium plugs if you use race gas. PERIOD. I use AC plugs and have never had a problem with them. Other than the time there was a broken ceramic electrode shell. The car had a miss to it and I would pull the plug and hold it upside down and the shell would slide back into the plug. It looked fine. It even fired good laying on the alternator. The shell would slide down over the electrode when installed in the engine, causing the miss-fire. It only took me about 45 minutes to find that one. I now check EVERY spark plug at the parts store BEFORE I leave the place. I have found TWO of them thins way. One on the car (above) and one at eh parts store. I buy alot of plugs, but have only found two this way over the last 8 years or so.

I've had that happen before also and it took a little while for me to find the broken ceramic electrode shell since it didn't exactly look broken at all when holding it up-right.

I have used many brands / types of spark plugs over the years;AC,Autolite,Champion,Splitfire,NGK,platinum and iridium and have never seen any improvement in using one over the other.

I now just use the standard Autolite or NGK plugs and replace them at least every year, i don't drive the car very often. :smile:

 

[Underboost]

Maybe you need to junk that Kenne Bell boost a spark and get a stock AC Delco Coil pack with some good wires. R43TS or cooler R42TS gaped at 28. You don't need a boost a spark its a waist of money. :smile: You also don't need the 70mm until your in the 10's it will hurt your ET. Same with the stock MAF get rid of the 3.5'' MAF. Just try it and see what happens at the track.

 

[turbov6joe]

Many years ago I did a back-to-back dyno test that consisted of changing from CR42's to a set of UR5's....can't remember how much exactly, but the car made more power with the UR5's under the same conditions. I've run the UR5's since then and have never looked back.

 

[SloGN]

never ever use a set of platniums in a turbo car. a turbo car under boost has higher cylinder pressure and that creates a problem with lighting off the fuel mixture off. Also platniuim are a very poor conductor of electicity. but the metal has a very good anti-wear properties with arcing. but since they don't sonduct very well along with te added cylinder pressures you will have what they call spark blow out.


autolite #23's work great.

 

[Turbo1dr]

TV commercials want you to believe spark jumps across all of the electrodes at the same time. In reality, spark jumps across the least resistance. If one of the 4 grounds is closer to the center electrode it will jump to that one only.


I also use cheap regular AC Delco plugs.

 

[BoostedTtype]

I cant seem to find the UGK ur5's or the autolite 23's for sale anywhere.

Can someone please tell me where to find them?

Thanks

 

[85HOT-T]

TV commercials want you to believe spark jumps across all of the electrodes at the same time. In reality, spark jumps across the least resistance. If one of the 4 grounds is closer to the center electrode it will jump to that one only.


I also use cheap regular AC Delco plugs.

That is aboslutley correct.

I cant seem to find the UGK ur5's or the autolite 23's for sale anywhere.

Can someone please tell me where to find them?

Thanks

Try a cycle shop. They always have a good selection of ngk plugs.




Every spark plug brand but NGK (NGK crushes all their seconds) has firsts and seconds. To get firsts you have to go to dealers. They cost a lot more money there. Seconds are at napa autozone ect.
The difference between firsts and seconds are firsts are perfect, flawless. Seconds have minor defects but still can pass a basic inspection. Never buy seconds!

 

[whitehot1]

I cant seem to find the UGK ur5's or the autolite 23's for sale anywhere.

Can someone please tell me where to find them?

Thanks

I buy them at Advance Auto parts.

 

[Danster]

I cant seem to find the UGK ur5's or the autolite 23's for sale anywhere.

Can someone please tell me where to find them?

Thanks

I buy the UGK's from O'reilly's (SP?)


Dannyo

 

[1985GN]

ngk ur6's here

 

[NJ Torque]

ngk ur6's here

same