[QUOTE]Originally posted by MAX2000JP
[B]EMAX

No you did not agree with me, you said copper plugs performed better then iridium plugs. That comment is the point of this whole disscussion...

I'm buying into the best performing plug, period, whether it's worth it to you or others is irrelevent to me.. And very funny about the spitfire plugs

 

I agreed when you said this..."lol, I have read dozens of comments on the org regarding spark plugs and there effects with performace. I have seen ZERO dyno results comparing any of these plugs, all I have seen is hear say"

If you believe spark plugs give you noticeable hp, then I dont know what to tell you. I get a laugh out of people who list spark plugs as a mod on other forums.

Like I said before, Iridiums are a lot of hype. Go talk to a professional engine builder and see what they use on their cars.

 

So then I'm confused by a statement in the Spark Plug Primer I posted in the FAQs, to wit:

"Because of the extremely high melting point of iridium, they can have very sharp tips without risk of melting and they should last a very long time. These would be best for high-rpm NA engines where the sharpest tip is needed for the best spark, but there is little danger of pre-ignition."

Please explain why you disagree with this statement, MAX2000JP.

 

I followed up on my 30K service by asking the service advisor when/if you change your plugs.

He said the OEM plugs are platinum and if you can get 50K miles out of them it would be a miracle.

He had no opinion on the iridium plugs and of course recommends platinum because that is what Nissan uses.

I find it interesting they would suggest in the OM that the plugs are 100K, but even their service people will tell you half that if you're lucky.

In case you're wondering - Nissan thinks their platinum plugs (the whole set) are worth $88.

 

You should try to be a bit clearer when you agree to disagree..

 

Interestingly, MAX2000JP seems to have disappeared from this thread. He did not respond to my question nor has he produced a single shred of evidence to support his position that Copper plugs provide exactly the same performance as Iridium plugs. Under the circumstances, I'm prepared to disregard his comments entirely.

 

Copper is best for FI or Blown applications where detonation is absolutely a non-option. The full copper head allows for better cooling in between ignitions, which is key.

Irridium is better for fast reving NA application because a much better spark can be created. Detonation is slim, but still a possiblity.

I understand the site, but not really sure if there is a definative "this plug" is better than "this plug". Seems likes it application based as well as dollar based.

I think, a perfectly tuned NA motor, you will probably see a smoother running motor with irridium versus copper. Plus it would seem the gap would stay the same longer therefore create better running longer? Now how that relates to getting more HP, I dunno.

Looking forward to additional discussions!

 

My evidence was that I was told this by a my friend's engineer at his Race shop that builds road racing vehicle. Guess what kind of plugs they use on their vehicles and this is running a far more powerful engine with a much advanced ignition system(MSD). I would like to know the credentials of the guy that wrote that article that you linked to. Is it some guy stating his opinion on the matter or is he an engineer? Also, use the search feature here on the .org and you will see people stating the same thing I have.

Again, spark plugs are not going to show a noticeable power increase. For the differnce between the cost of Iridium vs copper, you can almost buy yourself a RVM UDP, which WILL show gains.

 

I don't know the credentials of the individual who wrote the article and I'm unable to access it right now. (The web site appears to be down for the moment.) Perhaps you could refer me to an article on the subject written by your friend's engineer so I could compare the two.

 

When I looked at the site, it didnt point out what his credentials were.

As for my friend's engineer, I don't think he would waste his time writing an article for us. Also, he is very busy right now working on a car they are building. If you want to see some of the cars he has built I can link them to you.....

 

Sure. That would be cool.

 

This was very entertaining y2kse are you trying to earn the nickname master of all things that spark?

 

Just tryin' to light my fire, CIRCO!

 

Excellent thread. This answers alot of the questions I had. So what plugs did you decide on, y2kse. I'm guessing copper because I think you're a best bang for the buck type of guy. Looks like iridium for me.

 

I'm also leaning toward Iridium. Cost isn't that big an issue. I'm more interested in performance and value.

RVM Racing is selling Denso's for ~ $70.00 a set. That comes out to about $6.00 per plug. I'm not sure how much the NGK Iridiums cost. Anybody else shop Iridium plugs lately?

 

iridium plugs are more expensive than platinum ones..

since i change my plugs every 4,000-5,000 or every time i come back from a race, i'm running copper plugs.

 

That makes sense, Hoon. But which plugs would you recommend for those of us who never race . . . copper, iridium or platinum? And how often should we change our plugs?

 

Apparently Hoon doesn't have an answer for those of us who don't race our Maximas.

So here's where we stand. Approximately half of those who have replaced their spark plugs used platinum plugs and the other half used either copper or iridium plugs. Unfortunately, there seems to be little in favor of using platinum plugs. Copper plugs are cheaper than platinum and provide the best conductivity. Iridium plugs are about the same price as platinum and provide the sharpest electrode due to their ability to withstand heat. So I have to assume that most of those who chose platinum plugs didn't do much research before arriving at a purchase decision.

Correct me if I'm wrong, platinum plug users.

 

Sixteen people replaced their spark plugs with platinum plugs. But not a single one of them is willing or able to defend their purchase decision.

I suspect those who chose platinum would do well do avoid Pied Pipers.

 

Coppers are best when boosting or spraying.
Iridium vs Platinum, I'd say is rather negligible. Even if one gave 1hp gain over the other, theres still a lot of other factors that determine what ET you run. Iridiums are more pricey, if ET matters that much, take out the passenger seat, its free and you would gain more from that than paying premium prices for clever marketing.

TK

PS I'm not bashing Iridiums, frankly I buy into the marketing of spark plugs, and the whole melting point of the tips and such. Yeah in a high revving NA motor maybe the Iridiums are better, but in terms of daily driving, the difference isn't worth noting.

 

The pump screen can be cleaned through a back seat passage. Lift your rear seat and you'll see the access port.

 

I switched to iridium at 27k. I think they were a waist of money, no difference for me.

 

Does everyone agree the NGK is the best brand?

 

NGK Platniums at 46K. Big difference in throttle response. I'll take pics of the old ones. They show detonation on the plugs big time.

 

i bought densos from rvm a couple months back and installed it in my max. car had better response and what not i thought. cost was a lil less than 70 i think..like 62 or something..not sure. but i picked it up from their warehouse.

 

DO NOT USE THE BOSCH PLATINUM +4's....REPEAT...DO NOT USE THESE.
The very small platinum tips builds deposits quite quickly and get rendered ineffective. When my performance started going down, I asked my dealer why my car ran terribly and he asked me if I had Bosch's even before I told him they were in there. Turned out my MAF sensor was the problem, but I yanked the Bosch's, took a look, and with about 10K miles on them, they looked terrible. The dealer wanter $11 a plug for the stock NGK platinums, so I put in the NGK V-coppers for $2 a plug and am getting stellar performance. Good luck.

 

How hard is it to replace the spark plugs in a 2002 Max??? I have a 2002 GLE.
Thanks.

 

this is all bs, the condition of your car is the best indicator when you need to have your spark plugs changed. If your car is hard to start in the cold weather, uneven idle, poor gas mileage, then you change them. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

Changing front plugs on the 02-03 is a breeze. The rear ones are another story; the back (intake I think) will have to be removed to get to the plugs. My Max has 29K so don't need to change them now. Anyone has pics on replacing the rear plugs? Had Denso Iridiuim's on my 99 Max and throttle response was a lot better IMHO.

Pedro

 

emax,

Did you change them yourself?

 

Check out this write up. I'm hoping emax can add more knowledge and pics to the write up.


2002 Sparkplug Change

 

ttt
1234567890

 

1991 3000GT VR4 nicely modded.

13.1 PSi.....iridiums=massive spark blowout with .032 gap.

15.1 psi.....NGK coppers=no blowout noticed of any kind with .032 gap.

both plugs brand new at install. pulled iridiums out after 1k miles. got sick of blowout at such pathetic boost.

seen video and pictures of copper/plat/iridium plugs during spark.....copper had the largest and most precise spark. iridiums had a thin little orange line. plats were blue and a bit fatter. copper was fat and white.


i will never touch iridiums again after personal experience and seeing this.

 

i just replaced mine this weekend with oem nissan platinum plugs at $8 a piece.

I bought the car used with only 27k on it and when I pulled the plugs they were frosted, most likely detonating from the original owner putting in regular gasoline.

 

Iridiums are overkill for NA cars. Copper plugs will work just fine for most of us.

 

I've read a number of SC articles with SBF motors where they put Iridiums in the motor and picked up significant HP. Those motors used aftermarket ignitions systems however - specifically MSD boxes. I'm sure that makes a difference. There were over 10lbs boost as I recall.

For a naturally aspirated car...sorry a "NA" car ( forgot to use acronyms again ) with a stock ignition system, a copper or platinum plug would work just fine. The Iridiums are a WOM IMO.

I'm going with the NGK copper plugs when I replace mine.

Part Number: LFR5A-11

http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/images/tip/ngk41A.jpg

 

i switched to coppers. no difference.

 

I recently bought spark plugs from Dave Burnett...

he told be the OEM are well enough if the car isnt modified.

and btw, here's a cool link for you to change your splugs on your own.

http://www.nissanx.net/tanman/

 

i had that ignition coil problem happen to me at around 70k and i had the spark plugs replaced at the dealer with the oem platinums... at least that's what they told be, but i don't believe anybody. they said they did the engine flush (bs, i know) but then i needed throttle body work a month later... come on! anyway, the engine (note just the engine) performs fine. i have no qualms about it, in fact, i love the vq!! wonder if i should have switched to coppers or something. damn, didn't think of it at the time. i was feeling sorry for myself and my missy (my max) because she was driving like ship (sic).

 

...........on a 2k Max (plug number IK20). I need to know what the plug size is- i.e 14mm flat seat or 14mm tapered seat so that I can figure out the torque settings off of DENSO's website...

thanks

Angelo