Spark Plugs: Recommendations?

I'd recommend getting a nice set of Splifires from your local parts house.

Then when you get home, open all the boxes, and remove the plugs and lay them in a row on your bench. Then get a pail, or garbage can, and hold it near the edge of the bench as you slowly sweep them into the trash. Now you are all set to go back to the parts house and buy som Motorcraft plugs!.

Being that you are new at this, and are learning the main reason you need to buy the Splitfires and throw them out is so that it hurts you to even THINK about buying a Splitfire for anything, even your lawnmower in the future.:)

Seriously... Motorcraft Platinum is what you'll want.

Akin to what Chief is telling you, there are no "trick" spark plugs. I currently install Motorcraft plugs (working at a Ford dealer - go figure). I have used NGK, Bosch (not the + goofy side gap things), and Autolite with great success. Single platinum plugs are a waste of time on wasted spark systems..... this would be the system on your car. If you can't obtain a set of double platinum plugs, then copper electrodes will still meet your needs quite well. I will question the need for spark plugs at 47K miles as this is a kind of "in between" mileage - I've seen them start misfiring around this time, but that would usually lead to some kind of code.

If you live in an area close to forest fire country or you have clay dust that becomes almost talcum powder-like, I'd think of cleaning the MAF and replacing the fuel filter as preliminary steps before changin plugs (though the plug change wont hurt).

Is there a FAQ regarding spark plugs on the net anywhere? one that anyone would recommend me read?

Just off of various sites I've googled... I also need to be looking at a heat range...? How do I know what would be appropriate?

I think I may look into Bosch... have had a friend recommend that brand before.

Thanks, Tim

Don't monkey with the heat range.... that'll get you into $trouble$ quicker than you can pucker your back door. Rely on the application catalogue and you should be fine.

I mentioned those manufacturers that I did because I find that they have decent quality control....... if you want to go with the Bosch, so be it - decent plug, stay away from the +whatevers and stay away from single platinums (they will only serve 3 cylinders well - ask nice and I will explain why). If it's price that bothers, I dont think a buck or so times six is going to change your lifestyle.

Read my lips..... THERE IS NO MAGIC SPARK PLUG!!

I'll bite..

So what makes single platinum spark plugs so bad? I have a 96 explorer, and must admit to using bosch singles in it. Can't say that my fuel economy has gone down. I track it on my palm.

Im interested as it as I need to change my plugs soon, and if there is something better that I should consider then I'd like to know.

Thanks,

On Mon, 09 Aug 2004 04:45:22 GMT, "Jim Warman" promised: [snip]

With my hat in hand, I'll ask why you consider single platinums unworthy and only serving 3 cylinders.

The Ranger

I think I read somehere that the plugs fire one way (ie: pos to neg) on 3 cyl's and the other way (ie: neg to pos) on the other cyl's. So you want platinum on both electrodes. Is that it?

I just bought some NGK G-Power Platinum plugs but it doesn't say whether they are single or double anywhere, although I suspect single from the packaging. The website doesn't help either. Are these OK?

In a waste spark system (like those fitted to the 4.0..... one coil serving two spark plugs) one spark plug is positive firing (the spark jumping from centre electrode to ground electrode) and it's running mate is negative firing (the spark jumps from the ground electrode to the centre electrode). Any benefits of running platinum plugs are realized only on the positive firing plugs.

At the factory, Ford installs three plugs with platinum on the centre electrode and three with the platinum on the ground electrode to save money.

As far as performance is concerned, the same power is created in the cylinder whether the plug is platinum or not.

HTH.

Emailed NGK - The G power are single Platinum. Look's like I'll be taking them back...

Like Jim & The Chief said, there's no need for any special or fancy polugs for your Explorer. You can go to your local parts store,and ask for the stock platinum Motorcraft plugs, and get excellent service from them; the only difference between them and the *stock* plugs is that the stock ones are only platinum on one side - they keep track of whgich platinum sided plug goes where; this saves a few pennies on each motor made. For the consumer, there's no need to be so, um, cheap. Get the double platinum plugs,and you'll be sure to have the platinum on the right electrode. As for the special plugs, there are a few things to keep in mind; not the least is the function of the plugs in the first place. And that is, of course, to light the air-fuel mixture. Once it's lit, it stays lit; a fancy plug won't change that. Unless you're experiencing misfires that are actually caused by the plugs not doing their primary job (that is, not caused by bad wires, bad coils, bad mixture, bad rings, bad many other things), then the fancy, special plugs won't light off the air-fuel mixture any better than the stock ones will. HTH!

Bill Funk Change "g" to "a"

Question for you :)... what's bad about their Platinum +4 plugs? By "stay away" from them, do you mean that their design is flawed, or shouldn't be used in my vehicle (but other's it'd be ok?), or meaning don't waste my money on such a "fancy plug"?

NOT that I was considering them, I was just browsing their site and saw those, and you mentioned it, so I was just curious as to why they shouldn't be used.

And price isn't an issue for me. I'm sure if I went to some tune-up mechanic they'd charge me a lot of money and probably only use single platinums.

Thanks a lot! :)

Tim

Don't waste your money.... many think that, since there are four ground electrodes, there will be four sparks at a time. It would be a real stroke of luck to have even two gaps ionize at the exact same time, let alone all four. My personal feelings are that the extra electrodes can serve to shroud the spark though I will state that this is purely anecdotal and born of just thinking about the plug, not on any real world experience.

While we are on the subject, I'd like to mention that single, positive platinum electrode plugs work well in COP (coil on plug applications). Additionally, many of Fords recent offerings feature multisparking (much like MSD) at idle.....

A spark plug has two relatively simple jobs. First, igniting the air/fuel mixture and, second, removing heat from the combustion chamber (the "heat range" of the plug indicating how much heat is transferred through the porcelain to the head). Good combustion chamber design will expose as much of the mixture as possible to the spark.... it will also have a marked effect on flame propagation. The strength of the spark is affected more on items outside the combustion chamber than any exotic thing that plug manufacturers can dream up.

HTH

I installed B**ch platinum plugs on a 4 cyl Toyota , few months later it began stalling , pulled the plugs , the centre electrode on one had become loose and had become gapless , this was the type with the thin needle type electrode. I was telling a guy in work about what happened , he said he had installed a set of B**h in a Chevy truck , he used the type with the larger electrode , the electrode became loose and wiped out his engine. Coincidence ?

Phil

I was telling a guy in work about what happened , he said he had

I know a few guys like that. No matter what your story is, they'll have one to top it. Don't believe everything you hear. H

I had a double plat go out and it blew the tail-lights right outta my car...... believe half of what you see and none of what you hear.....

Just to clarify.... yes, a spark plug could fail and pooch a motor.... but only of you're stupid enough to keep driving it with all that racket going on....

Don't forget to hand that guy his sign...

Well, years ago, (before I knew better) the wifes minivan began running rough on the way home from a trip. Wasn't making any noise really, just running on 5 cylinders. I pulled the (Champion) plugs to see if one was fouled or something (motor had 100k on it, but ran good). and was thrilled to see the whole center electrode had COME OUT of the plug. I had HOPED I would be able to toss in a new set, and go, but a compression check revealed ZERO in that cylinder.

Later, when I tore the motor down, I found a piece of the spark plug fused to the exhaust valve.

Unfortunately my Momma never warned me not to use Champions in anything except a lawnmower :)

Was it just the center electrode, or did the bottom insulator come out too? H

When I was workng in a MC shop in Ca., a Champion rep came to our shop to see if he could get us in on a promo they were running; I had no idea who he was as he walked up. He came into the shop and asked for the manager, so I went to him, and he stuck out his hand. I stuck mine out until he said he was from Champion, and I withdrew my hand; we had been having *very* bad results with Champion plugs in Japanese bikes, and were using ND "Hot U" plugs with very good results. When he saw me withdraw my hand, he got serious, and asked if there was a problem, so I took him inside and showed him ou drawer of Chanpion plugs that we'd taken out of bikes after the plugs had failed; broken insulators, badly eroded center electrodes, worn ground electrodes. Then I showed him the ND plugs out of a bike on the floor with over 5K miles on them; a little eroded, but still serviceable. He said he'd been seeing the same in other shops, and wanted to know what we thought they should do. I told him Champion should probably hire some ND engineers. He wasn't happy. :-(

Bill Funk Change "g" to "a"