Spark Plugs

Wondering if anyone has experimented with different spark plug brands. I've had it with NGK. I'm running Champions right now, a good dependable plug, but not much on performance. Has anyone tried AC rapidfires in their bike? Wondering if they are close to NGK's performance, but Champion's dependability. I've had good luck with AC plugs in cars, but never ran them in a bike.

 

I go through enough Plugs that I should be buying them by the case.

Champions have been my Number One Choice since I learned how to change a Plug almost 50 Years ago.

You can't get a better Plug!
But, you CAN spend a lot more for Plugs with agressive Advertising Campaigns.

If they let you walk down the Grid to look and see what Plugs are the choice of Formula-1 Cars. Champions are the leading Plug of choice.

The Brand has the same kind of following as other Products on the market.
You got those who'll buy anything on sale
Those who think spending big money will get them more for the dough.
Motor men: They just belly-up to the Parts Counter and tell the clerk to go get them ma 4-Pack of Champs and they all know which one are which.

I uses to buy N9Y's
Over the years they have improved the Plug.
Now, they're NR9YC's .
They sell millions of them.
Mostly to guys like me!

 

Thanks for the reply RickCoMatic. I was doing some tuning, and had two dead cylinders. Thought they were leaned out, but my colortune fired them off fine. I had a brand new set of NGKs that came with the bike, and was using them. Doesn't suprise me too much though. I've never had much luck with NGK, but never had any quit on me that quick either. I bought N7YC's to tune with, but it sounds like I might need to go hotter if you're having good luck with 9's.

 

Gap them at 32-thousandths.

I just Colortuned my 900. I don't have it running right yet. Looks to be a problem with the Petcock. I pulled the Petcock and found some crap in it and the Tower Screen is floating-around in the Tank.

I took a Tower Screen off another parts Petcock I had in the shop and seated it on the one without.
Now, I fear I have done it backward.
I'm just not getting any Fuel to flow down to the Carbs. Once I get this wrinkle ironed-out, I can commence with the Fine Tuning once again.

I was getting really close there. I Colortuned at 13-Hundred Revs. Jusut Off-Idle.
I had a nice, pretty Blue happening in there and thought I was right on the money. I buttoned-up everything and left for a test ride and was overcome by the moment. Rode away from the shop rather than doing laps around the block.

When the Bike quit on me I gaot all P-O'd and pushed it back home and just sort of threw my hands up and quit on it.
Today I tried straightening-out the Fuel Supply issue and still don't have Fuel running into the Inline Filter I have routed to be able to keep an eye on it.

Whatever I'm doing wrong is a Rookie mistake or a bad Petcock. And, I pulled-off the Petcock and found the crap and no screen.
So, that leaves me until tomorrow, when I'll be on the case again ... trying to get the Fuel running down to the Fuel Bowls.

I'll get a laugh at myself when I find-out what the matter is. Right now, I'm up the creek with a dead bike and a bad attitude because I know it wants to run.
I heard it go.
It's close to being right THERE with the Mixtures.
Just a matter of getting un-dumb and keeping focus while recovering from knee surgery.

I think I might have a bad Filter.
Nah, that would be too easy.
That's a cop-out.

At least I know it ain't the Plugs!!!

 

I always ran NGKs in all my bikes, however, the last time I replaced the plugs, the store where I get mine were out of the ones I needed. So I got Champion spark plugs instead against my better judgement (I had issues with them in the past) But now to find out they work very well and my bikes runs better than ever with them in it.
If your having problems with your spark plugs, it's not the plugs that are at fault normally. There are issues with the mixture from the carbs more than likely.

 

I've always run NGKs and find the electrodes are rather soft. According to the good Doctor Jacob (of Jacob Electronic Ignition), Autolite has the hardest electrode available (at the time of printing his ignition tuneup manual). I've run Autolights in my VW Rabits and Mazda with great results.
I too have had issues with Champions with the insulator breaking on just about every 10th plug. I do run them in my GTO however.
That said, I still run the NGKs out of a misplaced sense of "it was designed with it, it has to be good enough". I am thinking of striking out on the Autolite path but I might be convinced to try the Champions.

 

The Chevy Dealership's Service Writer scolded me when I told him that I pulled the Stock AutoLite Iriduim's out at 70,000 miles and put a set of Wires and Plugs in our Chevy Monte Carlo.

Chevy says that those Plugs are good for 100K in the V-6.

I can't see any kind of Plug going that distance without needing to be replaced.
But, after the adventaure if replacing the three firewall side Plugs and getting the New Bosch Spark Plug Wires installed ... it's no wonder why people don't want to replace Plugs and Wires for a tune-up.

It was the hardest Tune-up I ever did. I had to undo Motor Mounts and rotate the V-6 forward off the firewall to get in there and remove the three firewall side Plugs.

Now, with Champion Platinum Plugs in there ... its running nice and smooth and the Check Engine Light hasn't come back on.
With every fastener I had to undo to get the job done ... treated with NeverSeize ... the NEXT time around shouldn't be such an adventure.

In the Bikes, I usually only go 45-Hundred to 5K on a set of Plugs.
Lately, I've been setting the Mixtures up on two Bikes so I have gone through a couple of sets of Plugs to Dial the Bikes in right by inspecting the coloration.

Maybe after I get the two Bikes Tuned-up the way I want I'll try a set of Iridium Plugs in one as a test.
(If I get them for Father's Day and don't have to buy them myself.)

 

Some of those v-6's are rotten jerks when it comes to replacing the firewall side plugs. GM is notorious for that and Ford isn't getting much better.

 

Is it possible that a new plug gapped to .035" to .036" would cause a driveability issue?

 

Shoudl come down here gentlemen..... our V6's are rear wheel drive, so the engine is mounted properly...there's no spark plugs near the firewall..... its a bitch to change the distributor cap on an early 90's V8 though, they decided to jam that between the rear of the engine and the firewall

 

I use NGK plugs in everything - the car, my bikes, and my lawnmower (when I had one) - without any issues.

I'm using NGK Iridium plugs in my R6 because it takes upwards of three hours to change plugs on that bike and I don't want to do it very often.

I'm still using regular NGK's in my XJ, but may go to Iridium's in it next. I've used Iridiums in a few other bikes. Starting was easier, first crank every time, and the Iridiums are almost impossible to foul.

The best price I've found on NGK Iridium plugs is at: www.chaparralmotorsports.com

Even with shipping costs they cost less than anywhere else.

 

I also use the NGK Iridium's. I've tried Champions over the years without a lot of luck.

I do find that the standard NGK's don't like to be fuel fouled.

 

That can be said fdor just about any kind of Sparl Plug; Iridium included.
Once a Spark Plug gets wet enough, you lose the Gap due to the conductivity of the liquid and there's nowhere to ground.

I would be interested in seeing the results of some Plug Chops done with Iridium Plugs. I have a feeling that the Iridium Plug will let the Bike run Richer than a Standard Plug.

Now, after educating myself about the durability of Iridium Plugs; I regret tossing-out the Plugs I pulled-out of the Monte Carlo. Although they were in there for several years and 70,000 Miles ... I could have used one or two for testing.