Aftermarket vs. OEM Spark Plug Wires

[Lightspeed]

And bodykit!

 

The stock stereo for Legacy GT is though

[Soya]

bodykit usually not stock wat.

 

the GT is an exception. even the RE050 stock tyres are not bad.

[Vtim]

[Lightspeed]

Are these slicks good? Thought they would have no grip in the wet

[Soya]

dunno leh. i drove it in the dry and did a merry go round. it sticks!

[Lightspeed]

I know they would stick damn nicely in the dry... but in the wet

[Biccat]

A few of my friends threw away their Iridiums due to broken electrode. Platinum is still the most durable.

[Slowpoke156]

Iridium Melting Point: 4449.2F

Platinum Melting Point: 3916.2F

 

Iridium Hardness: 240HV

Platinum Hardness: 40HV

 

Iridium Strength: 159Kpsi

Platinum Strength: 19.9Kpsi

 

Iridium Electrical Resistance: 2-3/32 mOhm/inch

Platinum Electrical Resistance: 4-11/64 mOhm/inch

 

Platinum is NOT the most durable, Iridium is. A broken electrode can be due to several factors, such as wrong application or inappropriate gapping. I've burnt out a couple of Bosch Super 4 Platinums before switching to Iridiums and never had problems thereafter.

 

BTW, gains from these plugs are at best.... negligible. These plugs will last longer than the standard copper plugs, that's for sure. The good points are that they can last longer, are able to take more punishment in modded cars (higher compression, combustion temperature, NOS and turbo applications etc.) and require a smaller voltage to spark, thereby giving stressing the ignition system a lot less. If your current plugs are already performing well and you change them regularly, you'll see very little or almost no difference. Changes in intake and exhaust do not warrant a plug type change.

 

My 2 cents.

[Biccat]

You are right. Hardness is the key to the broken electrodes. They are more brittle and made smaller for greater spark concentration. Therefore, the chances of breakage are higher.

[Vtim]

are you refering to the side electrode being broken or the center electrode

[Genie47]

Nah! Throw the CAI away and buy forced induction equipment!

[Genie47]

You don't need money. You just need to be crazy.

[Genie47]

Give up on reusable oiled air filters as well! They are fulla bovine fecal material. Only makes your car noisy like a gallus and feel heavy as a porcine.

[Reliable]

going for paper filters instead??

[Genie47]

Yes. Actually it is not the paper filter which is restrictive. It is the whole setup before the filter that is restrictive. Paper filters give the best engine protection. Just remove the resonator.

[Slowpoke156]

You are right. Hardness is the key to the broken electrodes. They are more brittle and made smaller for greater spark concentration. Therefore, the chances of breakage are higher.

 

Don't agree.

 

They are made smaller but still as strong in equivalent strength, i.e. if Iridium is twice stronger than Platinum, it can be made half the size and still as strong. Hardness does not equal brittle, these are 2 completely independent properties of the materials.

 

Breakage of the electrode can be due to a lot of factors, the most likely being improper gapping, causing a slight shift in the spark timing (inconsistent sparking, off-sync) which causes higher combustion temperatures and early electrode failure.

[Pisces69]

Heng ah. After my first two bikes & first 2 cars, I've always replaced with Original or OEM when possible.

 

I realized that most claims from those "wonder products" cannot be substansiated or could even damage your car/engine.

 

Stopped looking for : More POWER : Better Fuel Economy; all in the same product.

 

I think best is to drive sensibly & maintain your car regularly with good quality oils & stuff.

[Mondeost220]

heng ar