NGK plugs

[longbridgehealey]

I recently heard that the NGK plugs were being made in India, and no longer were of the same quality as in the “old” days. So what is the consensus, NGK or the old standby Champion plugs?
Larry

 

[Keoke]

I recently heard that the NGK plugs were being made in India, and no longer were of the same quality as in the “old” days. So what is the consensus, NGK or the old standby Champion plugs?
Larry

WELL personally:

I HAVE ALWAYS PREFERED THE BOSCH Platinum WR7DP plugs,

 

[HealeyRick]

Hadn't heard about the India manufacture, but here it is: https://www.ngkntk.in/about-us/history/

 

[John Turney]

Hadn't heard about the India manufacture, but here it is: https://www.ngkntk.in/about-us/history/

From that website, it seems that that branch of NGK only supplies Indian automakers.

NGK-USA shows their global footprint on this page: https://ngksparkplugs.com/en/about-us/our-story Interestingly, it doesn't include India.

The ones I bought a couple of months ago say "Made in Japan."

 

[Keoke]

Hadn't heard about the India manufacture, but here it is: https://www.ngkntk.in/about-us/history/

WELL rick;

All that will do IMOP is improve NGK's bottom line-?

 

[longbridgehealey]

Thanks, everybody. So it’s either NGK or maybe Bosch.

 

[Deleted member 8987]

Until some moron ran a stop sign, I had over 35 years in auto repair...line, foreman, owner.

There were some interesting disserences in manufacturer. Like, air-cooled volkswagens...you wanted to remove the threads in the heads, you put Japanese plugs into them.
Seriously.
Heat ranges are a joke. Just because NGK or ND or whoever shows a chart where they match up with OEM...they never do.

For reliability, and to prevent comebacks, OEM type plus were always installed.
Your Asian plug might seem to run better...and in 1,000 miles a year, maybe...but seen too many that ra way too hot and had the vehicles come in on a hook.

If it calls for Champs, gets Champs. Oddly, Ford was Champ until beginning of 1968, if my memory is correct, then autolite or motorcraft. Did just what they called for. Kraut Cans got Bosch. General Misnunderstandings got AC.

My Jag calls out Champs, that's what it gets.

Silly as those 4-point plugs that guaranteed 20% more horsepower and 10% better mileage.

Or, as folks were wont to do during the 70's "oil crisis", drop the float and jet them down.....and really good until they burned a hole in the top of the piston or torched a valve.

Engineers. Figured what worked best. Don't see a lot of Automotive Internal Combustion Design Engineers here.

 

[pan]

G’day Larry,
I find this interesting. I have been using NGK spark plugs since KLG became unavailable, and with satisfactory results. But the last four NGKs that I bought (just last week) were suspect. I had a mixture issue which took some resolving and when the new NGKs were fitted the engine would not start. After fitting several new parts, it finally started but with a terrible misfire. Because I have never had trouble with NGK spark plugs I bought another four but from a different retailer, thinking that there may be a crook batch. The new NGKs work fine, and the misfire is cured.
By the way, there is probably nothing wrong with items manufactured in India, or China for that matter, but those countries have done themselves no favours by offering poor quality goods, just to meet a price that allows companies to increase their profits without raising their prices.
Cheers, Alwyn

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Back in the day, when I was current, every airplane I flew had Champion plugs, as do both my Healeys (copper core--but they only last 35K miles or so). Never a failure.

 

[longbridgehealey]

The old stalwart champion seems to be the consensus

 

[Deleted member 8987]

yup. You also need to factor threads. Remember Asian plugs pulling threads out of VW heads?
Many decades ago I had a friend who inspected threads and thread pitch.....and they are different. His contention was heat transfer....why some plugs are listed for one heat range...but aren't.

On Champs and longevity.....I don't think I have purchased an H-10 or H-11 plug in 40 years. Have a box full and two plug blasters. Haven't had a bad one yet.

 

[tahoe healey]

The boxes of NGK I have say USA Assembled in Thailand. The work fine. My Champions did not seem to last as long as the NGKs.

 

[steveg]

I've been using NGKs since the '70s on my Alfas and Healey. They work fine.

 

[HealeyRick]

Oh boy, something else to worry about. NGKs sold on Amazon may be counterfeit: https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/...g-spark-plugs-sold-on-Amazon-are-counterfeits

 

[Bob_Spidell]

I saw some photos of a Chinese spark plug 'factory' a few years ago. Imagine the grodiest machine shop you've ever seen, with 3ft piles of lathe shavings all over the floor. Heaven knows how/where the 'porcelein' was made; recycled cheap pottery perhaps?

 

[steveg]

After looking at the video at the link below, the quality of the fake plugs from Amazon was much better than the earlier examples.

http://www.ngk-sparkplugs.jp/english/techinfo/fake/index.html

One might need to buy a 7th plug and break it open to see if there's a copper core.

I wonder if there are any fakes of the standard copper-core plugs we're using. They seem to be in the $4.50 range. The fakes shown are $10+ Iridium plugs.

 

[HealeyRick]

Steve,

If you look at the Denso ad in the thread I posted, they note that their are counterfeits of their copper core plugs that use iron instead of copper. I'm guessing NGK probably has the same problems

 

[steveg]

Steve,

If you look at the Denso ad in the thread I posted, they note that their are counterfeits of their copper core plugs that use iron instead of copper. I'm guessing NGK probably has the same problems

Yeah, that's why I was suggesting buying an extra plug to break open for the iron core.

 

[longbridgehealey]

Bought these a week ago on amazon, bought 8, need six, broke one apart.

 

[steveg]

LBH - Is the center electrode magnetic?