Plug recomendations for 98 Ford Exp V8

I am getting ready to replace my plugs and wires and was wondering if anyone had any specific recomendations for a set of plugs? I have been looking at the Splitfire TP10D, but dont really know to much about them.

Reply to
Random Guy
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What's wrong with the Ford recommended ones?

Bob

Reply to
Bob

Nothing. I was just curious as to what others have used and the results.

Reply to
Random Guy

The magical, mystical world of spark plugs.... ever so many "tricks" and "gimmicks" have been tried over the years.... splitfire - V-groove - +4.... the list goes on.

We do see concerns from using aftermarket spark plugs... I don't know why - I have some theories but hesitate to voice them until they become more than theories.

Anyway, I have used Bosch (no, not any of the fancy ones) and NGK with good success in the past. By the same token, I have scrapped good looking Bosch and NGK plugs and seen improvements.... I'm getting old and cautious - these days I like to put ACs in GMs and Motorcrafts in Fords and so on... the factory has taken their OE plugs into account when designing these things.

For your EX.... it has a "waste spark" ignition system.... the spark plugs on one bank fire from centre to ground and, on the other bank, ground to center. If these spark plugs are the originals, you will notice that the plugs from one side will look different from the other.... one side will have AWSF??PP and the other side will be PG. If you can't get double platinums, settle for the lower cost copper plugs.

Avoid "trick'o'the week" plugs....

Reply to
Jim Warman

Jim Warman wrote: .

Interesting. I hadn't heard of this, but it makes sense. See "Figure 5 Typical distributorless ignition schematic on this page":

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-Paul

Reply to
carbide

Yep... that's what I'm describing... In this system, there are two spark plugs attached to one coil. These are paired in what is known as "running mates".... When one cylinder is coming up on compresion, it's running mate is coming up on exhaust. Both spark plugs "fire" (I don't like that term, but it gets the point across) at the same time. For the cylinder containing a "working mixture", this is good... for the cylinder that still contains spent mixture, it doesn't mean anything.

Waste spark systems have some unique considerations.... a little complex to go into without tuerning this posy into something that will lose people quickly... Suffice to say that there are times where coil concerns can affect only one sylinder.

On these systems there is always one "poitive" plug and one "negative" plug.... The spark never changes direction. The big benefit(s) of the platinum plug is first, reduced material depletion.... each time a spark plug "fires", a small amount of material is eroded from the electrode. It doesn't deposit on it's counterpart since combustion chamber currents carry this material away. Gap ionization (and therefore spark path) is "easier" to create from a sharp corner than a rounded corner (please don't ask why - I tired reading up on it but I keep falling asleep). The design of the plat plug always presents a sharper corner than other materials simply because the electrode is so skinny.

With this is mind, there is little sense in installing a plug with only one platinum electrode in one of these systems. While we will reap the benefits on one half of the motor, the other half of the motor will not see any of the benefits... Combustion efficieny can suffer and runing concerns could emerge. Given that spark plugs are now expected to live well beyond the warranty period, the manufacturers have little concern over what hapens....

Reply to
Jim Warman

I'm not sure I understand that part. Are you saying that both conductors of the plug (center electrode and ground lug) need to be platinum plated, but not all plugs are?

I've just bought "platinum plugs" in the past, not getting into the details of how much of the plug was platinum plated.

-Paul

Reply to
carbide

So is it safe to assume that these plugs will last half as long as conventional plugs being the fact they fire twice as much, or is it a non issue?

Reply to
Mikepier

The aftermarket plugs have platinum on both the tip and the electode from my understanding. The ones installed at the factory however only have it on one surface, depending on which side of the coil they are on, this explains the different numbers on them ones from the factory. They penny or two they save on platinum, multiplied by 4, 6, or 8 adds up rather quickly.

Reply to
Gerry Pierce

Pretty much of a non-issue... The spark plug that is under compression will require about 8000 to 13000 volts to ionize the gap... this is the time where there is quite a bit of material erosion.... Its running mate will be coming up on exhaust.... At this very low pressure it only takes a one or two KV to ionize the gap leaving a minimal amount of electrode erosion.

To help (I hope)... the spark actually has two "stages"... Before the spark can bridge the gap, the space between the electrodes needs to be ionized... This takes roughly 8 to 13 KV (thousand volts) and lasts very few microseconds in a properly functioning system. Once the gap is ionized, electrons begin to flow - been a while since I've needed to use an ignition scope, but I recall about 2 to 5 KV as being about right. This part of the spark would last about 1.5 milliseconds in a properly operating system.

Reply to
Jim Warman

I have a '96 Explorer V8. The factory service manual says that cylinders 1, 2, 3, 4 have "EG" suffix plugs (EG= side electrode is platinum enhanced) Cylinders 5, 6, 7, 8 have "EE" suffix plugs (EE= center and side electrodes are platinum enhanced.

The service manual also states that when any plug(s) need to be replace use only "EE" suffiix double platinum enhanced plugs. As stated on the under hood sticker.

When I change the plugs I bought 8 Motorcraft AWSF-32 EE plugs as was stated on the underhood sticker to follow the use EE double platinum only mandate.

But yes the original factory plugs were half were EE and the other EG, don't see why they didn't just put in EE plugs in all around. Must be to save money as another post mentioned

On 18 Nov 2005 23:19:27 -0800, snipped-for-privacy@egine.com wrote: .

Reply to
Fred 2

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