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platinum or iridium plugs
- Thread starter pdplot
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Banjo
Yoda
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Re: Listing to port
Personally I'd stick with the regular Champions. For as often as we tinker with these cars, and the issues that commonly occur, there's no real benefit to plugs designed to last 100K miles
Those plugs are really more for computer controlled engines, where fouling is extremely uncommon.
(Let the differences of opinion begin!)
Personally I'd stick with the regular Champions. For as often as we tinker with these cars, and the issues that commonly occur, there's no real benefit to plugs designed to last 100K miles
Those plugs are really more for computer controlled engines, where fouling is extremely uncommon.
(Let the differences of opinion begin!)
SkinnedKnuckles
Jedi Trainee
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I ran the Bosch Platinum's for about 6 years. I never had problems with them functionally, but the negative electrode is HARD to adjust, as in very stiff, in comparison to conventional plugs.
I tend to go through at least a set of plugs a year because I like to check the mixture that way and after 5-6 times the washer's fully compressed. So I went to the less expensive NGK BP6EY. It's subjective, but I will swear the engine tone changed with the installation, and performance seems better overall.
I tend to go through at least a set of plugs a year because I like to check the mixture that way and after 5-6 times the washer's fully compressed. So I went to the less expensive NGK BP6EY. It's subjective, but I will swear the engine tone changed with the installation, and performance seems better overall.
Rick_in_Seattle
Freshman Member
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Iridium plugs are often run in vintage british motorcycles because of their resistance to fouling; they feature a very thin and sharply pointed electrode. They are intended to run at their factory-set gap of 0.031", so a decent coil is required. All iridium plugs are resistive, 5 kilohms or so, so it's important to use them with non-resistive caps and wires. I've been using the NGK iridiums in all of my British iron, two- and four-wheel, for two years now. No fouling, no problems.
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SkinnedKnuckles said:
Back in my "racing days" many years ago you could buy the washers separately and very cheap. We kept a tuna can (before ziplock of course) of them and changed them almost every time we pulled them plugs (almost constantly). The washer design called for only one compression and I'm not sure if that design was changed to accommodate the reality that changing washers rarely happened or that it simply didn't matter. I've never changed washers only since.
Tom
wingsandwheels
Senior Member
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I have the NGK iridium fine wire plugs in my 1974 '6 running with the stock gap and the Lucas Sport coil with an otherwise stock ignition system. I have the Sport Coil that retains the resistor wire.
I went with the fine wires because of my experience "back in the day" w/ motorcycles and I was chasing a very slight, intermittent stumble on acceleration. The fine electrode, theoretically at least, should require less voltage to fire and is less prone to fouling.
I am usually reluctant to try the latest and greatest and I keep this car as close to stock as possible, but these really aren't a "new" concept, except for the mass market availability. They are probably overkill but they did seem to help a bit w/ this niggling and intermittent stumble that I'm trying to diagnose and cure.
In short, do you need them? probably not. Will they hurt? no, benefit? maybe.
w
I went with the fine wires because of my experience "back in the day" w/ motorcycles and I was chasing a very slight, intermittent stumble on acceleration. The fine electrode, theoretically at least, should require less voltage to fire and is less prone to fouling.
I am usually reluctant to try the latest and greatest and I keep this car as close to stock as possible, but these really aren't a "new" concept, except for the mass market availability. They are probably overkill but they did seem to help a bit w/ this niggling and intermittent stumble that I'm trying to diagnose and cure.
In short, do you need them? probably not. Will they hurt? no, benefit? maybe.
w
I replaced the Champion N9YCs with Bosch platinum plugs. Result? Starts instantly now from cold when it took nearly a minute of cranking with the Champs. They only had about 3,000 miles on them - mostly intown - and were gapped at .025. Who says new plugs don't make a difference?
Paul
Paul
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I drove for years and years and never had a spark plug problem, I would replace them periodicall, probably partly in response to all the advertising back in the day about swapping plugs for better MPG, or starting or whatever. For the most part I never noticed any difference.
There have been a couple times in the last ten years or so that I have had a mis or a stumble and I have gone to a Bosch Platinum and it goes away.
But here is my half baked theory on plugs, they are all pretty good and reliable, if everything is up to snuff and tuned to spec on your motor they will all pretty much work fine with little to no perceptible difference.
But, and this is my unproven, probably half baked, theory if you have some sort of issues, such as fouling from too rich a mixture or oil, or maybe a weak spark because of some glitch in the ignition system, then the minor varioations in plug from design to design might help out.
I know the couple times I thought a different plug helped with fouling or a miss I was running a pretty tired motor.
If your motor, carburation and ignition are all in good shape I think any of the brands or types will do fine for many many miles and years.
Hardly irrefutable scientific evidence, your mileage may vary.
There have been a couple times in the last ten years or so that I have had a mis or a stumble and I have gone to a Bosch Platinum and it goes away.
But here is my half baked theory on plugs, they are all pretty good and reliable, if everything is up to snuff and tuned to spec on your motor they will all pretty much work fine with little to no perceptible difference.
But, and this is my unproven, probably half baked, theory if you have some sort of issues, such as fouling from too rich a mixture or oil, or maybe a weak spark because of some glitch in the ignition system, then the minor varioations in plug from design to design might help out.
I know the couple times I thought a different plug helped with fouling or a miss I was running a pretty tired motor.
If your motor, carburation and ignition are all in good shape I think any of the brands or types will do fine for many many miles and years.
Hardly irrefutable scientific evidence, your mileage may vary.