twin plugs

[pops13]

on these twin plug heads, can you disconnect the drivers side coil pack and just use the other 4 plugs? I thought I read were the drivers side wasn"t even used during starting, has anyone tried this, or is there other problems doing this?

 

[Gotta_gofast]

What would you benefit by de-energizing the driver's side plugs?

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

You'd get a slower burn, which would be completely pointless on a n/a engine thats factory tuned for the fast burn dual plug operation.

Now when you're running an 88 turbocoupe computer with a timing curve for a single plug head, running both plugs give you detonation due to the fast burn on a slow burn timing curve. Pulling the driver's side plug wires is a cheap and easy remedy for this.

I don't see the point in doing it to a stock ranger, but if you do, make sure you leave the coil plugged in or the tach won't work.

And yes, the driver's side is disabled during cranking. To save precious battery juice for the starter I believe.

 

[skyy_4life]

actually i read somewere that once the truck goes into closed loop that the driverside plugs shut off..... is this correct? if so could i hotwire one coil pack plug to the other to make all 8 stay firing all the time... would that work?

 

[scotts90ranger]

so that explains why my tach doesn't work once I disabled the drivers side coil pack...

any way around that? I only have 4 plugs available...

 

[pops13]

re

how does it run with only 4 plugs?

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

so that explains why my tach doesn't work once I disabled the drivers side coil pack...

any way around that? I only have 4 plugs available...

Yeah, plug a coil into the other lead coming from the DIS module and don't put any spark plug wires on it. I stuffed the terminals on mine with 1500 degree rated nuclear grade fiberglass blanket insulation to keep it from arcing to whatever ground it can find. I'm sure theres a more elaborate way around this but my method has been working great for 15,000 miles now.

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

how does it run with only 4 plugs?

Most other engines have only 1 spark plug per cylinder and they obviously run just fine. Why wouldn't a 2.3?

 

[skyy_4life]

yea the ranger is one of VERY few vehicles that have 8 plugs for 4 cylinders. every other 4 cylinder runs off of 4 plugs.

 

[TheTopher]

I believe it's the passenger side that is not used during cranking. I recently had to isolate a misfire on my truck and unplugged the passenger side to do it and my truck still started.

It was a bad plug in cylinder #1 on the driver side.

The misfire also went away after the truck had warmed up. So I would assume that means that the driver side is used for cranking, and the passenger side clicks on after the truck is warm.

 

[shadetree]

Driver's side is inhibited during engine start.

The reason for dual plugs is for emissions purposes. With both plugs firing at the same time, the fuel burn is started from two points. The design of the combustion chamber allows for a faster and more complete burn, hence, less leftover combustion by-products, and a cleaner burn. Also, there is no additional emissions equipment needed, such as smog pumps.

Added to this is a small gain in torque and better mileage.shady

 

[TheTopher]

Driver's side is inhibited during engine start.

This doesn't make any sense to me. If it were the driver side that's turned off during starting, wouldn't my truck have simply not started when I unplugged the passenger side wires?

 

[scotts90ranger]

mine runs fine on 4 plugs, but it's a 4 plug engine, i just wanted to use the DIS setup...

hmm. I had already cut the two trigger wires for that coil and put them to a ground so it didn't throw a code (don't know if it would even do that with the '86 puter, but I did it anyway), my donor engine still has the coil on it, so I'll give it a shot...

 

[skyy_4life]

it doesnt turn off during starting. it turns off when the truck goes into closed loop (the engine is at running temp and computer begins to take info from sensors) so ur engine is hot enough to burn off the excess gasses on its own. when the engine is starting, both coil packs are used.

 

[scotts90ranger]

the last 10 years I've heard the drivers coil is turned off for cranking...