Installing NGK Iridium plugs and NGK wires tonight

[cmkelly]

I'm not sue it will provide any more umph but what the hell, I like the blue

I'll try and do some objective comparisons tonight.

[94_240sx]

Your car will run smoother. BTW, I hate the blue. They stand out too much. So, I have OEM stock cables.

[cmkelly]

Yeah, I'm kind of diggin' the blue wires. They are an odd color blue however. I have a chrome CAI so we'll see. I'd love some braided lines in there too, maybe a chrome overflow tank. I'm not big on chrome wheels or other baudy bling but I do like a "cool" looking engine bay.

[Eikon]

I like some color in my engine bay as well.

i've been building a red and polished aluminum scheme.

I'm getting a powder coating setup soon. So that will be awesome for my car!

[94_240sx]

I like dull and plain looking stock looking engine bay, but it's hard to keep it that way with aftermarket parts. So, I try to use OEM parts as many as I can.

[cmkelly]

Okay, subjectively I like the look and think there is a slight improvement in idle, acceleration, etc. Objectively it's hard to say because the car ran fine before but honestly feels a little better. I also changed the distributor cap and button while I was at it.





Opinions?

[johnny butt]

Opinions?

if it's what you like, stick with it.

not my cup of tea but I am not going to knock on your engine bay because of contrasting-colored spark plug wires.

However, I can't argue much, at least it still looks close to factory-esque, unlike this:

[wmdavis007]

Look great! I like the blue wires...I have blue wires.

[cmkelly]

LOL! You've got the same CAI and 4 of my next mods. Can you tell which ones?NISMO Oil and radiator caps, metal overflow tank and strut bar. Too funny.

[DeXteR]

The reason your car runs smoother and idles better is because you put in new plugs, wires, cap, and rotor... It has nothing to do with them being iridium or blue.

Spark plugs are spark plugs, unless they're the "special" race plugs... and for the most part, the same applies for wires.

I guarantee that if someone stuck any other combination of new plugs and wires in there, you'd never know the difference.

[johnny butt]

Spark plugs are spark plugs, unless they're the "special" race plugs...

I don't understand this comment. Different types of metals conduct differently.

[94_240sx]

I guarantee that if someone stuck any other combination of new plugs and wires in there, you'd never know the difference.

Most of the time, rubber boot that covers the spark plug goes bad causing misfire when they get old. NGK or OEM wires will last longer.

I'll give you some more work to do. "DID YOU GAP THE SPARK PLUGS?" You need to arrange wires better than that. Luckily, you have all the clips in place, so use them wisely.

[brizanden]

i just put in some ngk platinum tips and it told me on the box not to gap them. i asked my dad (he is a old muscle guy), he just shrugged and said i wouldnt if i were you. So i didnt and my car is fine.

[cmkelly]

Of course I gapped them!! To .40 They were slightly off from the factory. It's funny though I have two gap tools which were slightly different.

And instinctively I knew my performance would not change; once the plug fires and ignites the gas vapor it's job its done. Plugs 3 and 4 had some rust around the top part of the plug, not the part that goes into the cylinder thankfully. One of the wires came apart as I removed it so it may have been weak.

Funny you should mention it. I thought about plug wire placement and how much it affected the firing order. The distributor cover channel clearly has a numbered exit pattern and I wondered if there was crosstalk if lined out of order. Not the firing order mind you but which plug wire was next to which in the channel. What say ye?

[EPD]

DONT GAP IRIDIUM!! they are preset gaps. Iridium is a little tiny piece of metal on the end of a little tiny metal pedestal, gapping them can break them off. they are fragile and expensive. in my opinion not worth the money. i put them in my eclipse and after a few months developed a misfire. it was bad enough for the check engine light to come on. i changed them back to ngk coppers and the car runs great.

Yes there is a difference between the metals and how they conduct but another difference is how fast they wear out. when ever we turbo a car we run copper plugs you just have to change them a little sooner.

[cmkelly]

I did notice the extremely thin iridium electrode and was careful not to touch it. If I have problems in the future I'll know where to look, thanks.

From my understanding platimum and iridium do conduct electricity better but are mostly used to increase the life of the plug.

[DeXteR]

Conductance in a spark plug means very little. The function of the plug is practically unaffected by the metal of the electrode and diode. It doesn't matter how you groove or split or modify the electrode or diode, it's not going to make a spark any different then any other plug.

As has been stated, it will affect the lifespan of the plug. Is it worth spending 300% more to get 150% of the normal plug lifespan? I don't think so, maybe others do.

[brizanden]

DONT GAP IRIDIUM!! they are preset gaps. Iridium is a little tiny piece of metal on the end of a little tiny metal pedestal, gapping them can break them off. they are fragile and expensive. in my opinion not worth the money. i put them in my eclipse and after a few months developed a misfire. it was bad enough for the check engine light to come on. i changed them back to ngk coppers and the car runs great.

Yes there is a difference between the metals and how they conduct but another difference is how fast they wear out. when ever we turbo a car we run copper plugs you just have to change them a little sooner.

can u gap copper ones? also to the op. you gapped at .40? its supposed to be .44 man.

[Sushibandito]

Thread bumping, but I just replaced mine today with NGK V-power, the old ones were also NGK, little oil, light brown scorching, not sure when they were put in as I have only put 11k miles on the car, they were the standard $2.79 variety, most people I know consider $10 spark plugs to be a waste of money unless you have a heavily modified engine.

I don't know if replacing my plug wires will make a difference, but really noticeable improvement with the new plugs, tach swings quickly enough it actually almost hits red-line if I am not carefully, pulls really well, not as sluggish as before. I still can't chirp the tires, but maybe after I get an SR swap.