Iridium spark plugs

[Captain Mark]

Anyone using them? I've heard good things.

[tta583]

Not tried them. Every once in a while a spark plug thred comes up. The trend seems to be toward the standard AC's for our application. I am sure there are those that would disagree, but hay, that is what makes this country great!!!

Any way I have always stuck with plain old AC. Not failem me yet, but to be honest I have never compared them to something else in the old 6.

Brent

[Lee_Burough]

Mark,

What is the buzz about iridim spark plugs?

The only other thing I've heard about iridium is that there is a layer of iridium in the earth's crust at the CT boundary (that time in geological history when the dinosaurs disappeared) resulting from that huge asteroid that hit near the Yucatan penninsula 65 million years ago....

I've been keeping my eyes open for any word about halo spark plugs too. They should work well in high boost, but noone has mentioned using them.

[Captain Mark]

I have heard good things (mostly from the import community) about these plugs. That would include turbo cars like the Supra. Supposedly better performance, more hp on the dyno and better gas mileage....stuff like that. I figured someone here was has tried them by now. Maybe I will.

[bruce]

Very long story condensed into a few sentences.

Spark plugs provide, an air gap for a spark to occur at.
For this spark to generate, there must be an ion trail.
The fewer ions, the greater the spark energy to cross that gap.

Hard, rare, slash whatever funny metals you want to use, provide fewer ions, and there fore erode less then conventional plugs, and that is extremely important when your working with people that never change their plugs.

In boosted applications, the firing load is so great you want a plug that is somewhat soft to keep the firing voltages reasonable. The higher the firing voltage the higher the load on the coils.

Anything that increases the life of the plug will increase the firing voltage needed to just fire it.

If the electrode is just plated with the trick metal, then once the plating gets worn thru your back to a regular ole plug anyways.

Just my observations, and things I've read that seem to make sense.
YMMV.

[Captain Mark]

So Bruce, does this plug sound like something you would be willing to try?

[bruce]

Originally posted by Captain Mark
So Bruce, does this plug sound like something you would be willing to try?

Nope.
I just use AC's or Autolites.

BTW, and have swapped out numberous other brands that other folks had tried, that didn't work, or once the new wore off were really bad.

The Lightning guys seem to like those as well. I put a set of NGK TR5s in my Lightning and its fine.

The Irridum's are EXPENSIVE and I don't see the benifit.

I never had issues with the stock ACs except I had to close the gap to .032 to prevent breaking up under high boost. Never melted tips or anything like that. They always looked good when they came out.

[mark b]

Only 2 things to add:

1) more people have been reporting good results with NGK's, so they are looking like a viable plug besides the proven AC's and Autolites.

2) Bruce forgot more than I will know after I live my 2nd life, so listen to him!

[bruce]

Originally posted by mark b
Only 2 things to add:

1) more people have been reporting good results with NGK's, so they are looking like a viable plug besides the proven AC's and Autolites.

2) Bruce forgot more than I will know after I live my 2nd life, so listen to him!

NGK, is an oddity.
Some of their's are really specific. ie rotories love them, and some of the hot Italian cars.
You'll find generally thou, they are a short life plug, from being to easily eroded.

Thanks for the compliment.
In a way, I'm on my second.

[GMC-YA]

I use NGK UR5's in my syclone and love them, as a matter of fact I havent heard of anyone actually using them and not liking them. I plan on using them on my TTA. Try them for yourself, there under $2 a plug and I think either adavane or auto zone stock them.

The LS1 guys use NGKs as do the Lightning guys.

I have had them in my LS1 for about 2K miles, no issue thus far.

[postal]

Well not to sure I should post a yeah or ney on these Iridiums because my car has been a problem child this year, but here goes:

I had read that cyclone/typhoon guys run them and that they help to fire better with there weak ign systems. I was thinking that I was having ign probs so I bought a set. My car ran like crap at the nats. I ran an 11.60 but the car was spitting and sputter so bad it was shaking the crap out of the stearing wheel. When I came back home I switched back to the ac's and then went to michigan where I was running 1/8th mile times about 1/2 sec faster than the 1/8 times in BG. I was still having issues in Michigan but going back to the AC's seamed to be a HUGE step in the right direction.

I think the theory behind Iridium and other special metal plugs is they are able to make the electrode smaller. A spark has an easier time jumping from a sharp point to another sharp point. I think a reg plug if the electrode was pointed it wouldnt last very long. It would be to soft and would erode way to quickly. These harder metal plugs can have the smaller more point shaped electodes and still live.

I had no idea about the whole softer metal plugs having an easier time making the ion trail stuff. Had I known about that I would not have spent the $60 on these NGK iridiums. These things where over $6 ea. and they come in 4 packs.

Jason

Almost sounds like the Splitfire plugs don't it 6 bucks a plug.. What a joke.