Best spark plug

[03 Ranger]

What is the best spark plug to use and can it save gas?

 

[Southern3.0]

Stock Motorcraft or Autolight double plats.

This topic comes up at least once a week, if there was a plug that gave you better mileage it would come from the factor, Bosh plugs just plain SUCK and foul out pretty quick.

 

[Big Jim M]

Changing brands or styles of sparks can NOT help in ANY way! The only thing that might happen is WORSE preformance. You are entering the lottery when you change from the factory sparks. The factory ones spark every time and last 100K...What more could one ask of a spark plug?
Big JIm

 

[Bob Ayers]

Stay with Motorcraft (or Autolite in a pinch).

Stay away from any after market spark plug, or ignition part manufacturer (Performance Distributors, MSD, etc.) that claim increased HP, and/or MPG,
it isn't going to happen!!!

 

[occupant]

I have to tell you guys about the HUGE performance increase I got on my wife's 3.0, it was AMAZING! We got 6 more mpg's, a much smoother idle, faster starts, and MOAR POWER!!! I couldn't believe the difference! And some idiot told me it had something to do with the factory plugs having 125K on them. Forget him!

/stupid spark plug hype post

Motorcraft platinum when new, Motorcraft platinum went in again. Why mess with a good thing? The rebuilt alternator we put on still has Motorcraft embossed on the case, too. Any time I have the option on her Taurus, I'm sticking to Motorcraft parts.

 

[Dusty_Ranger]

on my 2,9 i got some NGK V powers and it runs so much better than stock

 

[fixizin]

Got me some nuke-ya-lure plugs from GW's bro., Neil Bush, and now I don't burn gas at all!

Seriously, since my factory uber-platinum plugs seem to be snapping off their electrodes at 32k mi., I'm just gonna run Autolite #103 copper-pops for the next 30k... then pull 'em and peek in there with a Borescope, lookin' for trouble... or somethin'... just need to get a Borescope.

 

[SixFoFalcon]

I run copper plugs--I don't mind the shorter maintenance interval that comes with them. Copper is actually better than platinum in terms of conductivity, but platinum & iridium wear longer. That's the sole reason why OEM uses double-plats... they can claim a 100K tune-up interval and that looks better for marketing, and saves them LOTS of money in terms of services done under warranty. But if you don't mind doing a plug change every 30K or so, there's nothing wrong with using copper plugs.

I usually recommend sticking with Motorcraft or Autolite, though. Autolite plugs are technically aftermarket but they are made to the OE design specs so they are essentially equal. Anything else that sounds like it might be a gimmick (SplitFire or ANYTHING by Bosch, for example) is inevitably just that--a gimmick. The only exception would be the "fine wire" iridium plugs like Autolite XP "extreme" which actually work quite well. I'm not sure about the Vulcan, but for most applications Ford has superceded the original plug specs with fine-wire double platinum designs, so that's probably what you'll get if you buy Motorcraft plugs today.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I run copper plugs--I don't mind the shorter maintenance interval that comes with them. Copper is actually better than platinum in terms of conductivity, but platinum & iridium wear longer. That's the sole reason why OEM uses double-plats... they can claim a 100K tune-up interval and that looks better for marketing, and saves them LOTS of money in terms of services done under warranty. But if you don't mind doing a plug change every 30K or so, there's nothing wrong with using copper plugs.

On most newer vehicles it is a severe pain in the pin feathers to change the plugs, which is why the platnums are so common now. It saves them a lot of money during warrentee and the consumer a lot of time/money out of warrentee... trust me it is no fun to stand on your head all day to change out a set of plugs...

 

[SixFoFalcon]

On most newer vehicles it is a severe pain in the pin feathers to change the plugs, which is why the platnums are so common now. It saves them a lot of money during warrentee and the consumer a lot of time/money out of warrentee... trust me it is no fun to stand on your head all day to change out a set of plugs...

Agreed--particularly if you go by the "correct" service procedure. Coil-on-plug designs, intake configurations, and general cramped quarters in the engine bay can turn something like a plug change into an all day project on some newer cars. My V8 SHO was a classic example--the book time was like 5 hours or something for the plug change. Of course once you figured out the shortcuts you can take w/ the intake removal/disassembly it wasn't so bad, but still, if I took it to a repair facility they'd probably want like $200+ just for the labor.

 

[Bob Ayers]

I run copper plugs--I don't mind the shorter maintenance interval that comes with them. Copper is actually better than platinum in terms of conductivity, but platinum & iridium wear longer. That's the sole reason why OEM uses double-plats... they can claim a 100K tune-up interval and that looks better for marketing, and saves them LOTS of money in terms of services done under warranty. But if you don't mind doing a plug change every 30K or so, there's nothing wrong with using copper plugs.

I usually recommend sticking with Motorcraft or Autolite, though. Autolite plugs are technically aftermarket but they are made to the OE design specs so they are essentially equal. Anything else that sounds like it might be a gimmick (SplitFire or ANYTHING by Bosch, for example) is inevitably just that--a gimmick. The only exception would be the "fine wire" iridium plugs like Autolite XP "extreme" which actually work quite well. I'm not sure about the Vulcan, but for most applications Ford has superceded the original plug specs with fine-wire double platinum designs, so that's probably what you'll get if you buy Motorcraft plugs today.

You are correct, copper has a lower resistivity than platinum, but what you are failing to realize, the effective series resistance of the copper, and platinum electrodes are both << 1 OHM. And if you consider the series resistance in the plug wires is K-OHMS, there will be no benefit to the copper what so ever! Stay with the platinums for less skinned knuckles!!!

 

[SixFoFalcon]

I'm not failing to realize any of that information. Just because I didn't mention it doesn't mean I'm not cognizant of it. I was just pointing out that platinum isn't better from an electrical standpoint until tens of thousands of miles go by and its better durability starts to pay off. There are some people that feel that a platinum plug gives a better spark. That's only true when you compare it to a copper plug at 40K miles or so when the copper has been eroded significantly. As for the fine-wire designs from what I have seen they are great, so that is another point in favor of platinum... copper would never hold up at all in that sort design. By the time you are due for an oil change your plugs would be out at .080"

 

[Bob Ayers]

I'm not failing to realize any of that information. Just because I didn't mention it doesn't mean I'm not cognizant of it. I was just pointing out that platinum isn't better from an electrical standpoint until tens of thousands of miles go by and its better durability starts to pay off. There are some people that feel that a platinum plug gives a better spark. That's only true when you compare it to a copper plug at 40K miles or so when the copper has been eroded significantly. As for the fine-wire designs from what I have seen they are great, so that is another point in favor of platinum... copper would never hold up at all in that sort design. By the time you are due for an oil change your plugs would be out at .080"

Copper plugs offer no performance advantage to platinum even when new,
that's why I posted about the effective series resistance of the electrodes!

 

[KELLY88]

I went through the whole tune up procedure a little while ago. Plenty of busted knuckles on the plugs. I went with Iridium plugs, E3s I think. The ones with the four point spark instead of one. Didn't notice much of a power increase but gas mileage went up 1 or 2 mpg and it idles a whole lot smoother than before. Plugs weren't really fouled or anything but I didn't know the last time they had been changed so I went with high quality the first time around and so far they work great.

 

[Bob Ayers]

I went through the whole tune up procedure a little while ago. Plenty of busted knuckles on the plugs. I went with Iridium plugs, E3s I think. The ones with the four point spark instead of one. Didn't notice much of a power increase but gas mileage went up 1 or 2 mpg and it idles a whole lot smoother than before. Plugs weren't really fouled or anything but I didn't know the last time they had been changed so I went with high quality the first time around and so far they work great.

Remember the 4 ground electrodes is nothing but a marketing gimmick. You are still only going to get 1 spark........