KA24DE spark plugs? searched, not a n00b question.

[0wn3r]

First off, I've searched and read every spark plug thread and even read the sticky that actually kind of sucks.

I've gathered that most of you probably use NGK Iridiums which is what I have purchased for my car. I have previously used Bosch platinums (yea, whatever)

You all say NO PLATINUM! NO PLATINUM!

I have a 97 240sx SE (obviously) with a KA24DE... right in the engine bay it says to USE PLATINUM SPARK PLUGS. (etc. etc.)

Why are you all recommending not to go w/ platinums if it says to do so right in the car?

(BTW, I know the difference between the plugs thanks. I'm looking for facts here)

[supra brit]

Do NOT use Bosch...they might just mean Bosch. They suck suck suck in everything, especially imports, and especially Nissans.

I along with almost everyone else would recommend anything NGK. I honestly am not sure why you wouldn't be able to use NGK Platinums though...I think Platinums are more for turbo cars... but maybe I'm wrong...?

[0wn3r]

They were fine.

I'm sure I could use NGK platinums. But upon using that special "search" feature, everyone was saying to stay away from platinum. But right there on the car it says use platinum.

[Ni2s4s0aSnX]

Sounds like a noob question to me.

[0wn3r]

where's your answer then?

...yea, i didn't think so.

[ddgsxr504]

To de-bunk the F' ing Bosh myth I have been using Bosch platinum (single prong) not that v power or 4 prong $hit since I bought the car in 99 and I haven't had any problems what so ever in relation to the ignition system. Plus 4 Bosch plugs are about a quarter the price of 4 NGK platinums. And as for staying away from platinums that advice is BS too. If anyone can prove to me otherwise then I will bow down.

[0wn3r]

One thread (maybe the sticky) also recommended V-Cut... saying that they were 'racing' spark plugs... The only V NGK plug I saw was like $1.69. To me that seems too cheap. I went w/ NGK Iridium for about $6.XX a piece.

Still no one can prove to me (and us now) why you should be staying away from platinum.

I should just keep bumping this thread until it's answered

[ricebike]

To de-bunk the F' ing Bosh myth I have been using Bosch platinum (single prong) not that v power or 4 prong $hit since I bought the car in 99 and I haven't had any problems what so ever in relation to the ignition system. Plus 4 Bosch plugs are about a quarter the price of 4 NGK platinums. And as for staying away from platinums that advice is BS too. If anyone can prove to me otherwise then I will bow down.

I agree w/ you 100% I use the single platinum variety only. That open-design, multi pronged plug ends are a hit-or-miss when it comes to steady idle/performance...

I'm on my 2nd set of regular Bosch platinum plugs myself (didn't haveta changed them in 50ooo miles)

I "heard" that you want the copper plugs if you're going to turbo & to change them more frequently/ upgrade to iridiums for more stable high performance engines <but i dunno>

[0wn3r]

I'm on my 2nd set of regular Bosch platinum plugs myself (didn't haveta changed them in 50ooo miles)

I "heard" that you want the copper plugs if you're going to turbo & to change them more frequently/ upgrade to iridiums for more stable high performance engines <but i dunno>

50K miles? omg... here I felt bad for changing mine at like 10K.

My understanding is that copper offers a better spark and iridiums will last longer as well.

BUT, My question is yet to be answered still.....

I'm also voting to have the spark plugs and wires sticky removed or edited.

[ricebike]

Quote »50K miles? omg... here I felt bad for changing mine at like 10K.[/quote]yep, I do pull them out/clean threads & put a dab of anti-seize/ check gap & if it's still good, put them back in... annually since I don't want the plugs to weld on the cylinder heads from being on there for sooooooooo long.

That's their main selling point- they last longer than coppers- but dayum manufacturers still saying don't change them for 100ooo miles/10 years... when it's time to pull them--> DOH! stripped plug threads sis' 97 cavalier lasted about 70ooo miles (so they're close)

[ddgsxr504]

I can't remember off the top of my head but I think the owners manual says to change them every 60,000 miles? (95 S14 KADE) I'll look and post again.

[0wn3r]

bump

[0wn3r]

bump

[n_bogie]

hum i know ngk is a good plug but i prefur champion in most my autos. i just got a set of champion Premium Gold. anyone ever had any issues with them?

[zanilth]

Not really certain about what should be used for which application (performance, longevity, etc...) When I got my 240, it had NGK plugs...I replaced them for bosch platinums, and I wish I hadn't....The NGK's performance was better...Not seriously noticeable, but slightly. So, I am gonna be getting some NGK's again here shortly.

[n_bogie]

i must agreee ngk is a good plug but ive seen then foul quite often, just like any other plug

[574-240sx]

I use to run 1 step cooler regular NGKs and when I had a decent tune I would swap in my NGK Iridiums. I ended up trashing my expensive NGK Iridiums after a massive boost leak and trying to make it home because I was to tired to fix the boost leak on the side of the road at midmight. I think I paid $1.17 a plug for regular NGKs at my local advanced auto.

[compression]

Topics about spark plugs are hilarious. Witchcraft, No one knows anything, but everyone has strong opinions. What are those opinions based on? Mostly marketing hype, personal experience, testimonials of others(which are based on marketing hype, experiences, others...), etc. Its a cirlce of superstitions. But very rarely are opinions based on any actual real data.A spark plug's job is pretty simple, and 99.9% of all plugs made for your car will work fine.

I was standing in line at autozone with my RTV silicone package and I overheard a salesperson go on and on to a customer about how cool the Bosch +4's are. How you get a "hotter" spark and more spark because there are more terminals. I had the bull**** smell in my clothes for days afterward! The customer ended up buying the +4's. But I digress....A plug is freaking plug. Just use whatever you want. I prefer NGK's, why? I dont know, I guess they come in a cool box. I have used bosch platinums, NGK platinums, NGK iridiums, NGK coppers, etc. in my SR20DET. I NEVER NOTICED ANY DIFFERENCE AT ALL.

For applications like the SR or KA, the plugs are so damn easy to change, spend $18 and get a few different brands/types and try them out.You really have nothing to lose. Try them out, compare gas mileage numbers, dyno charts, combustion chamber analysis, etc and build some data to base some opinions off.All you need to do is make sure you are getting the correct heat range. p.s. dont forget the antisieze on the threads.Good luck mate!

[0wn3r]

Topics about spark plugs are hilarious. Witchcraft, No one knows anything, but everyone has strong opinions. What are those opinions based on? Mostly marketing hype, personal experience, testimonials of others(which are based on marketing hype, experiences, others...), etc. Its a cirlce of superstitions. But very rarely are opinions based on any actual real data.A spark plug's job is pretty simple, and 99.9% of all plugs made for your car will work fine.

p.s. dont forget the antisieze on the threads.

thank you, i think that's all i wanted to hear

i personally have never noticed a difference between the bosch platinums and the NGK iridiums i put in when i posted the thread. but yet, everyone has a strong opinion like you said, but there's never any data. (and of course, never forget the anti-seize)

the same goes for oil though... everyone has their own opinion, but no one really picks anything. my friend said there's a place that you can send your old oil to and they analyze it. After a week or 2 they send you back the results/recommendations.

[ricebike]

compression,

when i was @ Camden County College in the Automotive Program, we dyno-tested a set of AC Delco's Rapidfire plugs & the screen showed more consistent firings after the plug change from regular AC Delco's on the teacher's Monte Carlo. (however I think it's just d/t new plugs vs. old plugs, not just d/t the plug design)

Oil, on the other hand... well there's different compositions to the base oil that're added... it's those additives that make/break an oil--see bobistheoilguy.com

But if u do your preventative maintenance religiously, I don't think it matters that much.

[compression]

compression,

when i was @ Camden County College in the Automotive Program, we dyno-tested a set of AC Delco's Rapidfire plugs & the screen showed more consistent firings after the plug change from regular AC Delco's on the teacher's Monte Carlo. (however I think it's just d/t new plugs vs. old plugs, not just d/t the plug design)

well it was a monte carlo....look at it wrong and it will misfire....Just kidding!What screen? what were you using to monitor how consistently the spark plugs were firing? Could it be that the car had issues with its ignition system (loose or damaged plug wire(s), worn distributor cap, weak coil, poor wiring connections, etc....)You are right, you guys should have compared new plugs to new plugs to get any useable data.

One a side note, one time I bought a pack of four autolite plugs for my old datsun L20B engine(I was in college and had z-e-r-o extra money). Installed them, fired it up and it was missing bad. Turns out, one of the spark plugs was bad from the get go. So I installed one of the old plugs in place of the bad autolite and it ran fine. So now I never buy autolite's. This is just one example of how my own personal opinion of spark plugs has formed over the years. Never mind the fact that the autolites (the 3 good ones) held up fine for a long time...and they were less than $1 each!

p.s. Dont over-torque your spark plugs. They dont need to be that tight believe it or not. Only about 15-20 foot pounds (staight from the the FSM)

[ddgsxr504]

Bottom line you are supposed to run platinum plugs on your 240sx and it really doesn't matter which ones. Me I go for the relatively cheap but reliable plug and that happens to be the bosch platinum single prongs. I also run a bosch O2 sensor as well but to each their own since like others have commented it really does not matter which brand you get.

[SX APPEAL]

Spark plugs are fun. I work at an Oreilly Auto parts so I deal with ths stuff quite often. Like has already been said, the performance of this spark plug over that one and so forth is barely noticable. The difference in my opinion is in the details. For most imports, NGK's are indicated, mainly because they're well know and well trusted. The same is true for many different applications, GM cars for instance take AC Delco plugs... mainly because thats what they come with from the factory... which is a joke in itself since AC Delco doesnt even make their own stuff, just rebox other people's stuff. One time I pulled a set of AC plugs, they were for like an Olds Aurora I think, pulled one out of the box... it said NGK Platinum on it! I thought it was a mistake at first so I called the Oreilly's in the next town over and asked them to pull a set of the same AC plugs... theirs were NGK's too! I just chuckled, usually they atleast put thier logo on the plugs lol. Sorry that was a little off the topic but I felt like sharing. Recently I've been kind of a fan of these new Autolite .6mm "Finewire" Platinum plugs. I dont have any experience with them, but what I do know... Autolite backs them with a 5 year warranty! thats the longest warranty for any plug we sell, most (including NGK) only come with a 1 year. Another thing I've heard a lot is that some cars... mostly GM again, require platinum plugs because thats what the ignition system was designed for... how much stock I'd put in that Im not sure... sounds to me like another way for the manufacturers to get more money from people, by making them pay for higher priced plugs. Thats the automotive aftermarket for you... Oh and about the Bosch +4's, theres no difference in performance between them and any other bosch double platinum plug because of the 4 electrodes, since the spark only jumps to one of the electrodes at a time anyway. The only advantage I can see, and this is considerable, say one or two of the electrodes get fouled, you still have the other two for the spark to use, so theoretically you wouldnt lose performance. Thats my logic anyway.

well thats my $0.10, take it for whats its worth to you

PS I've used NGK iridiums ($6.XX) and V-powers ($2.09) in my 240 and cant say I noticed a difference in performance.

[0wn3r]

^ but if you're saying that 240's are designed for platinum plugs, why would you just say that you used iridiums?

Bottom line you are supposed to run platinum plugs on your 240sx and it really doesn't matter which ones.

why? that was my point of the thread... to find out why.

[ddgsxr504]

Well if you mean why do you have to run platinum plugs? Actually you don't it's just a manufacturer suggestion. The best reason to use platinum is because they hold gap and spark longer which means less of a chance of fouling out and less interval between changes.

[0wn3r]

Well if you mean why do you have to run platinum plugs? Actually you don't it's just a manufacturer suggestion. The best reason to use platinum is because they hold gap and spark longer which means less of a chance of fouling out and less interval between changes.

it's my understanding that iridiums actually last longer... no?

[edit: platinums may last longer, not sure]
Modified by 0wn3r at 1:40 PM 2/17/2006

[ddgsxr504]

Well when our cars were made I don't think Iridium plugs were out yet. I could be wrong but I believe that at the time Platinums were the top of the line.

[0wn3r]

Recently I've been kind of a fan of these new Autolite .6mm "Finewire" Platinum plugs.

NGK also has .6mm finewire iridium plugs (IX Iridiums)

hmmf OE gap is .044

ok, i stopped being lazy and found some stuff (even tho it's from a manufacturer)

Info taken from NGK.com (and summed up by me)

Platinum: Longer life, can't use Nitrous[{97 Nissan 240sx SE} NGK Double Platinum 2271 PFR5C-11 0.044 DOHC (Original Equipment Manufacturer, and/or Original Equipment Service Part) ]

Iridium: Newer technology, 6 times harder, 8 times stronger, higher melting point, better conductivity, no problems reported using Nitrous

their info on the Ultra-fine (or finewire) is interesting too.

Anyways, here's a pic for visual learners

[0wn3r]

although if there's good reason to use platinum over iridiums as far as 240's are concerned, please speak up.

[ddgsxr504]

Well I guess the smart thing to say now would be that platinums are as low as you should go. If you want to fork up $$$ for the iridiums then that's cool but platinums will do fine.