2003 Ram Hemi-Spark Plug Replacement

You can replace them with platinum plugs from just about any vendor without voiding the warranty providing that they are the correct heat range for the engine but why would you want to do that? The general opinion in the group is that they do little if anything as far as performance and cost a hell of a lot more.

I've never seen where the platinums are really worth it, unless maybe you have one of those cars where getting the plugs out of a couple cylinders is such torture that it's something you never want to do again.

I'm going to have to do plugs and wires next year on my 2003 hemi Ram. I've found several sets of decent spiral core wires for about half what the dealer wants for the crappy stock wires. Nice colors too. Red for me!

Bullshit as usual. Platinum plugs wear longer, as the platinum is harder than the mild steel used in plugs. Thus it cuts down on electrica erosion and keeps the gap more accurate over a longe period of time. A set of Autolite Platinum cost little more than normal plugs.

A more accurate gap works better than worn electrodes, thus not a performance gain, but a performance edge over time. The goofy multi-electrode plugs are a waste of money, but platinum is a solid maintenance saver. I call that a significant reason to spend a few extra bucks.

Thank you to T-Bone, BDK, and Max Dodge for your advice.

Back to your childish BS again I see Maxi. If you actually bothered to read it, I did say no increase in PERFORMANCE and nothing about maintenance. Now if you follow the maintenance requirements of the vehicle as so many of you in here both suggest and demand, then the copper plugs will work perfectly. You do realize that platinum plugs do have different electrical characteristics than their copper core counterparts and at the same gap, deliver a weaker spark due to their lower resistance and their smaller electrodes increase the chance of a spark blowout. They are also not quite as strong as copper plugs, especially copper truck plugs like the Champion truck plug and may physically fail in that usage. If they were the perfect plug for all circumstances, copper plugs would no longer be made or much more difficult to find considering the advantages in maintenance of the platinum plugs for the small increase in price alone.

I'll repeat for the hard of understanding among you.....

If the gap stays more stable, its performance is better over the long run. Thus, there IS an increase in performance above non platinum tipped plugs over the long run.

(much BS snipped for brevity)

The point here is that, despite your claim, not all of us feel that platinum plugs are a waste of time and energy.

Set of 8 Autolite 5224 - $10.80 Set of 8 Autolite AP5224 - $17.12

Given that the life expectancy of a platinum-tipped plug is 3-4 times that of a conventional plug (30K intervals for conventional plugs, 100K intervals for platinum), the platinum plugs are cheaper in the long run. My '95 V10's been running on the same set of AP5224's for over 50K, and I have no plans on changing them anytime soon. For me, that extra 8 bucks was well worth it - especially in those damn #7 and #9 cylinders.... $&^!%^$% master cylinder tears my arm up.

If you are gonna use platinum plugs and leave 'em in for a loooong time, be sure to use anti-seize on the threads... especially with loomnum heads... that's why I don't recommend the plat's, but hey it's your money..

Mike

My kid brother's Astro van (4.3) doesn't like platinums. Gas mileage is down

Myself, I don't see any real reason to buy them and when he can, he plans to go back to either Champions or A.C. Delco.

Budd

You might want to open the gap on those platinum's about a thousandth or so over the factory specification. That should bring back some of the heat in his spark and make the engine run a little better.

Like I said, almost twice the price.

I did the same thing for the same reasons except for me it was the #5 and #7 cylinders but the same master cylinder and I can say that I was not impressed with the performance. They worked about as well as the factory plugs with 60,000 on them. Of course, I didn't know or think to gap them a little wider to make up for the lower resistance which may have something to do with it and I'm not about to pull them out to do it now. It will be needing new wires soon so perhaps when I change them I might give it a shot. The damn thing still has its original cap and rotor.

Here comes the BS, get out the boots!!!!

LOL, unless you also take into account that there lower resistance allows the arc to form at a lower voltage at factory settings which actually can decrease performance as demonstrated by Budd's brothers car as well as my own RAM and if you follow the recommended maintenance schedule, you would be replacing the copper core plugs WAY before the change in gap would have any measurable effect so once again, you are still full of it.

IOW, anything that proves you wrong is simply deleted.

Now where did I say that ALL of you did? Oh, that's right. I didn't.

I see you still have problems with percentages.

Yet you blame the lack of performance on the plugs.....

I think we know what direction this is going.....

Since your Ram has the original cap and rotor, I think your voltage drop isn't happening as a result of the plugs. I'm not sure why you are jabbering about Copper core plugs, I never mentioned them.

"The general opinion in the group is that they do little if anything as far as performance and cost a hell of a lot more."

Yup, you did. You claimed a GENERAL opinion. At least two of us have said otherwise, and a third has given much more complete advice from a much more knowledgable postion than any of us. That opinion noted that different plugs work better for different applications, including platinums.

Apparently the general (all of us) opinion of the group doesn't follow your BS.

Sorta said that before.

Told ya we could see where this was going.

Do feel free to spin the hell out of it..... oh wait, you already did.

Uh, Tom, how can you see those plugs from where you are? What gap are you talking about? They're Bosh Plus 4 Platinums. Show us how to adjust the gap on a SURFACE GAP PLUG, mister mechanic ( Note deliberate lack of capitalization).

Budd

In circles? BG

Budd

Well Budd, as I can see, some things never change and you wonder why you get attacked the way that you do. I try to be nice and instead of simply saying that the plugs that you used were a surface gap plug that could not be adjusted, you instead and once again, resort to childish insults. You really need to grow up a little bit dude.

LOL, what does this have to do with percentages???

I said no improvement in performance and the cap and rotor were within spec at the time of replacement of the plugs.

Or is it the direction that you will try to spin it into?

If you couldn't see that, you don't have a handle on percentages.

Within spec? Thats great, show me a "spec" for a cap and rotor, please.