to each his own

 

Doug,

Unless those were new plugs used in that test for the Silver State Classic (5 mins. @ 6000 RPM) then I don't know how much faith I put in that info.

Was there any fuel used in this test? Hotter plugs like a little extra fuel. Way to many variables.

 

Toast,

A little bit of information is a dangerous thing. A lot of information with give you a headache.

 

To answer some questions:

No we didn't alter the chamber pressure during the tests, we could do another run at a higher pressure.

All the plugs were new.

The coilpack was fresh from Ford. I pulled one off a junked 2001 5.4 engine and it did the same thing as the new one.

The Denso IT 20's are recommended by JL for 5-6 lbs of boost. My plugs have been in service now for 1,200 mi and look the same as when they went in.

We should be able to get back into the lab at some point in the future to try this again, any suggestions and I will take them.

 

I am having a problem with this entire thread. In the 2 stroke world, looking at a plug after hours of usage is worthless. You must use a new plug run at constant rpm for a minimum of about 3 min and then kill the spark and fuel at the same time. Then you look at the plug under microscopes. Any other method will only tell you the long term damage done. Not the cause of the damage. We bitch about detonation and throttle response and then look at the plugs 6 months latter and say they are too … and must be junk or blame this weird looking plug on Ford or the tuner. Bottom line is let the tuner do his plug cuts on the dyno and then trust him or replace him.

Andy

PS generally

A miss at idle that gets worse as you sit at a long light is a plug that is too cold to stay clean at idle

Detonation at high loads is too much heat at some point in the combustion chamber that can be too hot a plug among about 20 other things. You can’t cure lean with a plug but you can screw up a perfect mixture with a hot plug

 

Just take the info as it was meant to be!! Helpful insite!! Nothing more. They way some of you pick apart info is going to make people stop giving it to you! If they were all tested the same way regardless if that test is the exact replica of everything that happend in our motors, I would say its a good test.

This looks like a very good test to me, and it backs up what we all have known.

 

Wouldn't the best way to find a plug for your application be via A/F monitoring? Find the heat range that keeps you safe, then take that heat range plug to the missfire test. Although the missfire information is very good, it is only a small part of the testing that needs to be done. Live monitoring of the A/F would be the best way to determine the proper heat range for the application. Once you have that information you can test several brands of plugs in that heat range to find the most reliable plug.

What works in my truck may not work for your with the same mods.

 

Which is it 5 miles or 1,200 miles?

 

These results were gathered quite some time ago. I got lazy and sat on them for a while....

I don't drive my L daily anymore, got a Mazda B3000 for that purpose. 375 - 425 miles a week sucks

 

the splitfires are cool because they look like snake fangs, "pffftt", "pffftt", being cheap, available, and faster than any other plug, is good too

 

MOP, you said you would take any suggestions so here is the test I would like to see. NGK TR5's, 6's, and BR7's, and Denso Iridium IT16 and 20 under the same load that 12/13 lbs. of boost would give. Then maybe the same test w/ nitrous. I don't know if its possible but that is exactly what I would like to see. Btw, I for one appreciate any info you or anyone else gives be it perfect or not. I take nothing I read as the gospel but it does give me a pretty good idea of which direction I should head. If nothing else it makes me think.

 

What were all the plugs gapped at?

 

For those of you running 4#+ pulleys and/or NO2 or other mods in excess of 100 added hp You might want to consider the Denso IT22 plug...better a little colder than hotter.

 

Thanks for the info. I will take it as something to ponder...as I believe you intended it The iridiums are supposed to take less power to fire. I may try some myself and see how high I can go with the gap before my turbo starts to blow out the spark.