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Splitfire Spark plugs Don't be fooled by the commercials


nscason

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I rebuilt the whole top end of my motor when I cracked the head (I live in a desert and summers are VERY hot:flamedevi ). I put all kinds of new parts on to beef up the hp. After 5 months of sitting in my back yard i finally put it all back together. it cranked and started right up. that right there is the best feeling in the world after doing it all yourself. About a week later the motor didn't want to cooperate and run. Earlier that week I was talking to the mechanic who resurfaced my head and i told him all the stuff i was putting on. I went and paid 4-5 bucks for each one of these spark plugs and I was all excited. Hey instantly told me that everybody that he knew used those spark plugs said that they weren't worth it. After about 5 minutes of wondering why my motor wouldn't run i thought "oh hell ill give it a shot" and so i went down to auto zone to get bosch platinum's. I put those in and the car fired right up. it ran even better than before. So don't waste your money.

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Anyways those muti-electrodes spark plugs are just a scam cause, whatever happens, electricity allways take the shortest path to ground so only one electrode is really in use a any given time.

The only advantage that I see is the fact that once one of the electrodes gets worn, the current will jump on the next easiest path thus augmenting the life of the plug.

Experts correct me if I'm wrong.

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In a Z the bosch platinums are a waste too. The best plugs you can run, are the proper NGK's IMO... Alex is correcct about the multi electrodes, at least on all standard systems. You can get multi electrodes to fire simultaniously but thats another deal... There are a few cars I have seen that use the platinums to their potential. Also, make sure not to try to gap them or clean them.

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Ok i just looked online at summit racing and they have 4 different kinds of ngk spark plugs. they all use a copper core but the prices go from 2 bucks a pice to 7. what would be the better one to use with all the after market ignition stuff that i have? the iridium tipped, the platinum tipped, the v power with nickel alloy tip, or the regular nickel alloy tipped. I have a cranecams xr 3000, e core coil and i changed the distributer from points to LED. those changes made quite a difference. I do want to go with one of the multispark hi-6 that cranecams has to work with a mallory unilite distributor. what do you guys think? would those work well and what spark plug is the better one to use?

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I've always ran NGK even in my Chevy engines. I had a tough time years ago with a 13-1 compression Olds motor burning plugs and an old man at the track told me ngk would take the abuse. I had tried Champion, Autolite, AC/Delco,and Bosch and still found I could cook a plug at high revs even with 2 different styles of ignition. Unilite and Speced out Hei. I reluctantly tried his advice and could run a weekend clean and regap and run a second weekend only chnging plugs to be safe. I would actually put the old ones back in the boxes and keep them for spares and occasionally use then to tune up my Cutlass daily driver at home. Since then I use NGK in everything including my Evinrude outboard.

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I tried the platinums in my Z and it didn't like them either. NGK's are all that is needed. Anything else does seem like a waste of time for a Z.

 

But i have known other people with different cars that swear by the platinum ones. My minivan takes iridium plugs. Can't wait to see what a set of those cost.

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Just some information...

 

I approached Splitfire for some plugs back in the 1990's. They are Autolite Plugs, so don't kid yourself, they are a special electrode on an Autolite. At least at that time...

 

Anyway, they made up a run of plugs for me (Champion D15Y Equivalent).

The results of installing those plugs on a turbocharged, gas engine which was operating 24/7 attached to a full load dyno (electrical generation) and had Kenicocks (meaasures cylinder pressures), as well as EGT and AFR feedback on it was the following:

 

Cylinder pressure variations were reduced considerably. They fired MUCH more evenly.

 

Cylinder EGT's conformed to within a 25 degree total variance on a V16 engine. This was almost unheard of in this service, normal variance accepted was 100 degrees cylinder to cylinder.

 

Fuel consumption was reduced by 50,000CFD, and resultant Heat Rate (horsepower produced compared in a ratio of BTU's consumed) was the BEST the sets had EVER seen. The OEM came out to check our figures, they were that much improved.

 

Dyno readouts (KW Metering) were ROCK STEADY, misfires went almost totally away. They acted more like TURBINES coming up to full power, than ICE's!

 

Downside: They lasted around 100 hours, as opposed to 350-450 hours for the Champions. The center electrode was worn away and the gap increased to the point of misfire.

 

Had Splitfire used a more durable center electrode, these plugs would have been a hot seller in that market. Now I understand they make platinum tipped plugs, that may help, but innovators and experimenters are not going to try there at that site again--which is a shame.

 

You can say all you want about them being a farce or whatever, but I was privy to this testing firsthand, and I tell you they worked astoundingly well.

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My 1972 Alfa Romeo spec'd Golden Lodge plugs. Anyone ever see a Golden Lodge?

 

They had four ground tabs surrounding the electrode. They left the electrode pretty exposed all the way around for good flame propogation.

 

 

sparkplugs.jpg

----------------------^ THIS ONE

 

 

 

.

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I hear the new bosch =4 are good with the 4 tabs around the electrode, but I havent tried them. All I know abouT Spitfire is what I have experienced and witnessed from others.. all bad.

 

I put the Bosch +4 (they have 4 ground electrodes) into my BMW... They sucked, regretted it right away. I had bad misfires replaced plugs with some NGK's and it all went away...

 

But back on the splitfire topic, back in the 90's I had a lot of good luck with them in my 2 stroke MX bike. The fouled less often then any other plug that I tried at the time... But to be honest lately i have a hard time going from anything other then a NGK.

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