shroomster

someone please summize it for me


platinum - more power? change sooner? better gas mileage
copper - more power? change sooner? better gas mileage?
irridium - more power? change sooner? better gas mileage?



o0h yea...and what is the gap sposed to be between...I'm posting this up till I look in the FAQ...I'm just doing this so I don't forget to ask hehe...

taehoshi

& how often is one supposed to replace the spark plugs?

Matulin407

iTrader: (4)

i had bosh platinum +4 when i first put it in it felt a LIL more pep and alot better mileage, but after a month or two its seems like it uses alot more gas. i say around 20-25 in city. i fill up every other day, but i drive alot too.

Blackpearl

For 7th gen by design use platinum.
The iridium is slightly better the platinum.
The factory manual say replace them at 110.000 mi I replace them at 66.000 mi.
The platinum and iridium lasting longer then copper. You can use copper to but you need to change them often, and check the gap.
For platinum and iridium the gap will remain almost unchanged. Don't try to change the gapping on platinum and irridium!! You will destroy them, and probably your engine too!!!.
I go for iridium. Is better to the engine if you not change the spark plugs frequently.

ragingSPAM

iTrader: (8)

iridiums are good for higher temperatures...as in you have turbo/supercharged or high compression engines...platinums are good for mid compression engines as just higher performance but nothing too crazy because it opperates at lower temps compared to iridium...copper is good and efficient for low compression and lower temperature engines because the melting point isnt as high as platinum or iridium...

iridium is a rare earth metal which cannot be found here on earth...it is originally found on asteroids/meteors but it can be synthetically made which is made for mainly spark plugs

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

exactly what i was gonna say. I'll add that platinum runs alot hotter than normal. This is good for emissions but bad if you have any kind of fi or nitrous mods that could cause plug meltdown. thats why copper is recommended for turbo apps. Some say iridium is better for nitrous but just remember that most of the so-called iridium plugs still have a plain old nickel ground electrode. So it all depends on how long you feel like changing plugs. If you don't care about replacing them every 3-6k, then go for copper. If you have mods that increase hp by around 50whp, then you MUST run one step cooler plug. Most real tuners will recommend against using platinum or iridium in turbochanged cars.

shroomster

swe...now it makes sense...I'm guessing I'm going to go get some NGK;s at Pepboys then when I grab my oil and be done with it...and like you said.....they should already come pre-gapped? no need to adjust it?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

should be pregapped but it doesn't hurt to check if they're copper.

shroomster

what should it be gapped at?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

.04 or something read manual

Blackpearl

Yep. That is it.

Blackpearl

Wrong!! The iridium is a rare earth element, but is found on Earth (concentratio around 0.001 mg/kg) Found in asociation with osmium (the Ir-Os aloy is the heaviest metal combination). Is not produced synthetically!!! (way to expensive to produce syntheticaly; think abou reconfiguring the internal atom structure! I don't enter in detaile here).

shroomster

ok as far as DIY goes...is this right?

unhook batt...
remove coils
remove old plugs
install new plugs.. (do you have to do it in any order?)
torque to ____ft/lbs...
reattach coils
rehook batt
test....

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

leave batt in, remove wire cover, unplug and remove coils, remove plugs, install new plugs, torque to roughly 15 ft/lbs with torque wrench, reattach coils and plug in, replace wire cover. drive

shroomster

I'm picking up my NGk irridium's later today and I'm wondering if I'm paying a good price for them....I checked the computer the guy was using and it said $17 was list price and 7 was selling price....so 30 bux for all 4 is that good?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

ya thats about right.

blouisgod

iTrader: (14)

thats good. i had ngk IXs and they lasted for a long, long time. They were worn down after 50k but nothing to bad. I have platinums in there now, ill prolly get denso ik20s next time.

shroomster

....thanks for the price replies..I'll post up pics of old and new when I get them...just wish I had a macro lens....rather a camera that can use a macro lens hehe...oh and for those of you that were wondering about me doing that l.e.d change for the honda alarm...I'm postponing that till I find a cheaper l.e.d, they want 6 bux for a clear l.e.d @ radio shack, yet the others, even the multicolor l.e.d. cluster is $1 to 1.50...I just don't get it....



didn't get pics as I was in a hurry to use the remaining daylight oh well the old plugs (autolite platinums) were pretty fried up the sides had that nice dark brown glaze look to the thread splines....and one of them actaully had singe marks around the upper portion of the splines on the ceramic....oh well they were toast but now I got me NGK's and I already can sense something is different...30 mpg city here I come again muahaha...

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

www.superbrightleds.com

shroomster

lol....S&H is more than the bulb

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

well thats why you gotta order a bunch. do you need any 194 small bulb leds? i have 2 red, one amber, one uv lol

shroomster

lol nah...thanks though...X-mas is coming and all I'll let the 'in-laws' know whats good

chrisleecool

iTrader: (18)

nice...I should change mine pretty soon too (been getting slightly lower MPG than before..(same driving))
hey gearbox, how often do you change the sparkplugs? and which product do you use? (i'll go for the same stuff lol)

Jrfish007

iTrader: (3)

I go 40-50k miles between plugs and just get the OEM ones from a local NAPA store

shroomster

hahahaha...I'm a complete idiot.....I forgot about not having any socket extensions I had the first coil off and the rod out and I'm looking down the spark plug channel and I'm like damn...I never did buy an extension....off to wal-mart I go!!

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

i'm just using ngk vpower and changing every 5k with the oil

Blackpearl

I am using Champion iridium spark plug. The tip is iridium and the end platinum. I think is slightly better then NGK (NGK, no specs on the end material, Pt?).

HonCivX02

i need to change mine also

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

ngk only uses nickel ground, your champion is better then cause it will last longer and fire better.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

okay don't forget when you install plugs, you torque them to spec but they might need a few extra ft/lbs cause they will keep turning. Just drive for a couple days and then loosen and retorque them after they seat properly.