Sparkplugs, what works for you?

[Kona]

I know , there is a thread somewhere... here FTE.com Serious Explorers , somewhere with this info. Anyways I took out the worn out Autolite copper plugs and put on NGK wires and Bosch 2X platinum plugs. As expected I now have noticeably more power but my fuel mileage has not improved as much as I would have thought. I have read that people have had bad luck with the Bosch plugs so I am trolling for some opinions please.

 

[michowski]

I currently run the splitfire plugs and I havent had any problems. Took them out after a year and they still looked newer. Im anti bosch for spark plugs. Seen a lot fail and to me there not reliable.

 

[JoshT]

You won't get any real advantage over the stock type motorcraft/autolite plugs. There is no real need on these trucks for a hotter spark than what your basic plug will throw if properly gapped.

FWIW I've also heard of Bosch plugs failing in automotive applications. I know I won't Run anything but autolite, when I bought my 99 it had Bosch plugs. Upon removal of one or two of them they fell apart in my hands. For the foreseeable future I'll only be putting autolites in the autos, and NGKs in the Motorcycle and lawn equipment.

 

[brendank]

I won't run anything except for NGK in any vehicle or toy that I own.

 

[Donnie strickland]

I have run Bosch, Autolite, and NGK plugs, all for around 40,000 mile intervals, and I must confess I could see no real difference in mileage or power between them. They all seemed to work well.

I have heard people say they have had reliability problems with Bosch plugs but I haven't seen this.

 

[surffishin07]

round here bosch is bout the best you can get they work well in the summer heat ive seen too many others bun up when its over 100 outside imagine what the engine is like

 

[soylent_green]

Things I've learned about spark plugs:

Copper plugs will produce just as good a spark as a platinum or double platnium. The only difference is longevity. Platinum plugs will last up to 2 or 3 times the lifespan of a copper plug. This is because every time the plug fires, a microscopic amount of metal is vaporized.

The gap on a standard spark plug grows about 0.000126 in. for every 1,000 miles of normal driving. And the wider the gap, the greater the voltage needed to jump the gap. On standard plugs, the firing voltage requirements creep up about 500 volts for every 10,000 to 15,000 miles of driving. Eventually, the plug may need more volts to fire than the coil can produce, causing the plug to misfire.

Platinum is much more resistant to the vaporizing effects of the spark, to the point that using platinum almost eliminates electrode wear.

single platinum plugs have one electrode surface made with platinum. (generally the base electrode, which runs much hotter) Double platinum plugs have both surfaces made of platinum..

One thing to keep in mind about all "performance" spark plug designs is that no plug can magically create horsepower out of thin air or add horsepower that wasn't there in the first place. But improved ignition reliability can minimize horsepower losses caused by misfires. That's why some plug manufacturers claim their spark plugs improve power. The gains come from power that was being lost to misfires.

Good plug wires are just as important to ignition performance as the spark plugs. If the full voltage doesn't make it to the plug, misfires could happen, especially with 'aging' spark plugs.

Iridium plugs take the diference between copper and platnium up to the next step in terms of longevity.

I use NGK Iridium IX plugs in my ranger , mainly because I won't have to worry about replacing them for 100K miles.

 

[Black'03LevelII]

+1 on the NGK plugs. I used them in my old car before I wrecked it. They lasted so much longer than the original plugs. I too am currently running the Iridiums in my Ranger along with a set of Accell's 8.5mm pkug wires. (I know that the wires will not give me any greater performance I bought them soully because they were they only ones I could find in Yellow at the time)

 

[Bob Ayers]

Platinum is much more resistant to the vaporizing effects of the spark, to the point that using platinum almost eliminates electrode wear.

single platinum plugs have one electrode surface made with platinum. (generally the base electrode, which runs much hotter) Double platinum plugs have both surfaces made of platinum..

Actually, the reason for both electrodes having platinum is due to opposite polarity spark from "waste spark" ignitions, which Ford's DIS, and EDIS are.
The electrode that erodes is determined by the spark polarity. With these
ignition systems, 2 plugs fire in series, each plug getting opposite polarity spark, and they fire on every revolution of the crank, twice as often as a conventional ignition system. One cylinder will
be near the top of the compression stroke, while the other cylinder will be near the top of the exhaust stroke, hence the term "waste spark".

Stay with Motorcraft (or Autolite) double platinums (or the new fine wire platinums) in Ford products! NGK is a fine plug (for Japanese applications), but to be sure your getting the correct heat range plug, stay with Motorcraft, or Autolite (both plugs are made by Honeywell, a division of Allied Signal)

 

[mfp4073]

and stay away from "split fire" and other such plugs. They are a scam....

 

[samsonitesamsonite]

Motocraft platinums always work for me. My theory is that if a plug would solve mileage problems the factory would put it in. The stock ignition system is more than adequate for a stock engine.

 

[racsan]

i just run the std autolite's bosch platnims are way too pricey and its not too bad to change plugs in my 4 liter, much better than say a '87 astro van, that i did put the pricey platnum plugs in - once, i never wanted to do that job again.
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Ford Iosis picture

 

[Bent Bolt]

Motorcraft plugs for Ford products. We've cured many driveabilty issues by replacing NGK,Bosh,AC Delco or whatever was installed by the cust or other shop.
As for wires, anything really. As long as they are in good shape and working. Don't seem to be as critical as the plugs themselves.

 

[Robin Hood]

i've used NGK in my 77 GMC they worked great but I switched to something else. ill check what they are when I get home.