Platinum Plugs or Not - A Dyno Run to see the difference...
Discussion
Hi,
I have my 3rd Dyno Set-up booked with Mark Adams for this Thursday at Mech Repairs (Cheltenham)and I will run up there from Poole on the standard NGK Plugs and then once everything sorted I will get Mark to replace with the new Iridium, get hot and the re-run to see if there is any difference....
I have read lots about the Pros & Cons of Platinum\Iridium Plugs and I thought that this may help with the opinions...
Yes, the 3rd Dyno Set-up, long story but all I can say that Mark Adams, Brian at Mech Repairs and Andy at Dorset Sports Cars have finally got my TVR driving as it
Main lessons learnt:
Get a Water Temp/Pressure
Fuel Temp/Pressure
Compression Test
Leak Down Test - ...and in hindsight for me the most important a 'Proper' test ('Proper' being allowing the engine to cool down between tests...)
All done locally by garage with a good reputation which I now have found in Dorset with Andy at Dorset Sports Cars!
The full story to date:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
More to follow but I have to say that my ear's are ringing with comments from one of the TVR Veterans (On the TVRCC Forum - which should be free but I pay for to Support the Club) who very bluntly told me to stop buying and replacing parts to work out what is wrong!
I guess as my 500 is a hobby and a release from my very logical IT job I love the gamble of not knowing what adventures (AA Recovery) that we are going find ourselves doing, but after 6 years of ownership he has always got me home, even if only on 5 cylinders! (After some leads I bought from ebay popped off... Yes I know: ebay...)
I see my TVR as fun, and everyone else I know all make jokes about the reliability and problems but they have never owned one...
Regards
Steve
Poole, Dorset
I have my 3rd Dyno Set-up booked with Mark Adams for this Thursday at Mech Repairs (Cheltenham)and I will run up there from Poole on the standard NGK Plugs and then once everything sorted I will get Mark to replace with the new Iridium, get hot and the re-run to see if there is any difference....
I have read lots about the Pros & Cons of Platinum\Iridium Plugs and I thought that this may help with the opinions...
Yes, the 3rd Dyno Set-up, long story but all I can say that Mark Adams, Brian at Mech Repairs and Andy at Dorset Sports Cars have finally got my TVR driving as it
Main lessons learnt:
Get a Water Temp/Pressure
Fuel Temp/Pressure
Compression Test
Leak Down Test - ...and in hindsight for me the most important a 'Proper' test ('Proper' being allowing the engine to cool down between tests...)
All done locally by garage with a good reputation which I now have found in Dorset with Andy at Dorset Sports Cars!
The full story to date:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
More to follow but I have to say that my ear's are ringing with comments from one of the TVR Veterans (On the TVRCC Forum - which should be free but I pay for to Support the Club) who very bluntly told me to stop buying and replacing parts to work out what is wrong!
I guess as my 500 is a hobby and a release from my very logical IT job I love the gamble of not knowing what adventures (AA Recovery) that we are going find ourselves doing, but after 6 years of ownership he has always got me home, even if only on 5 cylinders! (After some leads I bought from ebay popped off... Yes I know: ebay...)
I see my TVR as fun, and everyone else I know all make jokes about the reliability and problems but they have never owned one...
Regards
Steve
Poole, Dorset
Skyedriver said:
Friend with a Lotus Excel found fantastic benefits from Iridium plugs
But at £50+ per 4....
on an old Lotus worth a few k then £100 for plugs would maybe be excessiveBut at £50+ per 4....
but when the cheapest Griffith on the classifieds is £10.5k odd then its much more acceptable ................
I would be very interested to hear how you get on with those new plugs. I will check back later on during the week.
I am picking my car up on Wednesday from David Batty with the Mark Adams / ACT larger Bosch AFM, injectors and larger fuel reg kit. I need to book Mark up for a mapping session once to get that lot configured up properly.
What cam did you go for in the end?
I am picking my car up on Wednesday from David Batty with the Mark Adams / ACT larger Bosch AFM, injectors and larger fuel reg kit. I need to book Mark up for a mapping session once to get that lot configured up properly.
What cam did you go for in the end?
Hi Matt,
Enjoy the car when you pick it up, Mark is a busy guy but all I can say is that it was worth the wait for me!
If you PM me your mobile I will ask Mark to call you to book in when I am with him on Thursday.
I think you will be intrigued by his analytic 'manner' when it comes to an engine, it would be fair to say I was expecting him to put on a White Jacket, Stethoscope to peer over his glasses when he started working...
Any more GoPro footage?
I recently convinced myself that I needed the new version, still in the box as I have not had a chance to use it yet...
I will update later this week.
Regards
Steve
Enjoy the car when you pick it up, Mark is a busy guy but all I can say is that it was worth the wait for me!
If you PM me your mobile I will ask Mark to call you to book in when I am with him on Thursday.
I think you will be intrigued by his analytic 'manner' when it comes to an engine, it would be fair to say I was expecting him to put on a White Jacket, Stethoscope to peer over his glasses when he started working...
Any more GoPro footage?
I recently convinced myself that I needed the new version, still in the box as I have not had a chance to use it yet...
I will update later this week.
Regards
Steve
Hi Steve,
Thank you very much for your kind offer, I have sent you a PM. Looking forward to getting mine on the dyno and getting the full Mark Adams health check and tuning treatment.
I will post up tomorrow after I pick my car up to report on the new injectors, MAFM etc.
All the best
Matthew
Thank you very much for your kind offer, I have sent you a PM. Looking forward to getting mine on the dyno and getting the full Mark Adams health check and tuning treatment.
I will post up tomorrow after I pick my car up to report on the new injectors, MAFM etc.
All the best
Matthew
Hi,
A good afternoon with Mark Adams at Mech Repairs on the Dyno, and finally my 500 is running like a dream!
So, the White Line is new NGK Iridium Plugs and the Red line was the standard NGK Plugs.
Mark did point out that the only way to properly test these Plugs were be to use 2 sets of new plugs, the standard NGK's that were replaced had less than 200 miles on them!
Both Brian and Mark predicted that the new plugs would be down on power, this being based on their experience but within 50 miles they would be where they should be, something to do with heat and the spark 'shaping' a least path of resistance between the Centre Electrode and Ground Electrode...
Dyno Runs:
http://youtu.be/ZBAOxOaZhpE
http://youtu.be/5sdSgXUpuHA
A good afternoon with Mark Adams at Mech Repairs on the Dyno, and finally my 500 is running like a dream!
So, the White Line is new NGK Iridium Plugs and the Red line was the standard NGK Plugs.
Mark did point out that the only way to properly test these Plugs were be to use 2 sets of new plugs, the standard NGK's that were replaced had less than 200 miles on them!
Both Brian and Mark predicted that the new plugs would be down on power, this being based on their experience but within 50 miles they would be where they should be, something to do with heat and the spark 'shaping' a least path of resistance between the Centre Electrode and Ground Electrode...
Dyno Runs:
http://youtu.be/ZBAOxOaZhpE
http://youtu.be/5sdSgXUpuHA
Edited by A500TVR on Friday 8th March 08:29
commence 
A500TVR said:
Mark did point out that the only way to properly test these Plugs were be to use 2 sets of new plugs, the standard NGK's that were replaced had less than 200 miles on them!
Both Brian and Mark predicted that the new plugs would be down on power, this being based on their experience but within 50 miles they would be where they should be, something to do with heat and the spark 'shaping' a least path of resistance between the Centre Electrode and Ground Electrode...
Thats a new one, cant work a theory out for that- certainly the ionisation point on the plug electrode will change slightly as the plug "wears", in so much the initial ionisation starts from the sharpest point on the electrode just before the arc is formed, but once the arc has started it will burn these these sharper edges away over time- but the effect must be miniscule. To take that to its logical conclusion, if a change in electrode shape alters the power output its would be seen the the two power runs here. Both Brian and Mark predicted that the new plugs would be down on power, this being based on their experience but within 50 miles they would be where they should be, something to do with heat and the spark 'shaping' a least path of resistance between the Centre Electrode and Ground Electrode...
Somehow I suspected there would be hardly any measurable difference.
An old adage on ignition components is there is very little to gain (bhp)
but certain components will maintain a good performance long after others start to fail.
Manufacturers are now fitting long life plugs that last for 75K miles and they are expensive beasts at about £25 each. Think they are platininum plugs.
Smaller electrodes and less likely to foul.
An old adage on ignition components is there is very little to gain (bhp)
but certain components will maintain a good performance long after others start to fail.
Manufacturers are now fitting long life plugs that last for 75K miles and they are expensive beasts at about £25 each. Think they are platininum plugs.
Smaller electrodes and less likely to foul.
Thanks for sharing the two power runs & comparing the two types of plugs A500TVR.
It certainly seems to prove there is no difference in the one element I never claimed changed when I fitted these plugs.
Peak Power.
What I found with the iridium plugs was a better cold start, a smoother idle & improved throttle response.
They never felt like they gave an extra "X" number of bhp & I never claimed they improved fuel economy by "X" number of percent.
I'm not deriding your test, in fact I appreciate you investing in time & money conducting it, at least it does prove one thing.
It's just a shame it has nothing to do with the benefits I found after fitting these plugs.
Good effort all the same, & I do mean that most sincerely.
Thanks for sharing it with the group.
Dave.
It certainly seems to prove there is no difference in the one element I never claimed changed when I fitted these plugs.
Peak Power.
What I found with the iridium plugs was a better cold start, a smoother idle & improved throttle response.
They never felt like they gave an extra "X" number of bhp & I never claimed they improved fuel economy by "X" number of percent.
I'm not deriding your test, in fact I appreciate you investing in time & money conducting it, at least it does prove one thing.
It's just a shame it has nothing to do with the benefits I found after fitting these plugs.
Good effort all the same, & I do mean that most sincerely.
Thanks for sharing it with the group.
Dave.
spend said:
ChimpOnGas said:
... improved throttle response...
surely that implies improved power / torque ???? No magic reduction in friction or parasitic losses from plugs AFIK.I had these expensive plugs on my car and i must admit the car did feel more responsive to light throttle changes, but i just put the down to my old plugs being very used.
ChimpOnGas said:
Thanks for sharing the two power runs & comparing the two types of plugs A500TVR.
It certainly seems to prove there is no difference in the one element I never claimed changed when I fitted these plugs.
Peak Power.
What I found with the iridium plugs was a better cold start, a smoother idle & improved throttle response.
They never felt like they gave an extra "X" number of bhp & I never claimed they improved fuel economy by "X" number of percent.
I'm not deriding your test, in fact I appreciate you investing in time & money conducting it, at least it does prove one thing.
It's just a shame it has nothing to do with the benefits I found after fitting these plugs.
Good effort all the same, & I do mean that most sincerely.
Thanks for sharing it with the group.
Dave.
ok i cannot distance my quote.It certainly seems to prove there is no difference in the one element I never claimed changed when I fitted these plugs.
Peak Power.
What I found with the iridium plugs was a better cold start, a smoother idle & improved throttle response.
They never felt like they gave an extra "X" number of bhp & I never claimed they improved fuel economy by "X" number of percent.
I'm not deriding your test, in fact I appreciate you investing in time & money conducting it, at least it does prove one thing.
It's just a shame it has nothing to do with the benefits I found after fitting these plugs.
Good effort all the same, & I do mean that most sincerely.
Thanks for sharing it with the group.
Dave.
Did I miss something, where did you comment on the plugs. Notice the distance from your quote, do not want to be associated. You did the hot start thread no good at all. I stand to be corrected though on this subject, not on the hot start .
Edited by David Beer on Friday 8th March 18:55
Edited by David Beer on Friday 8th March 18:56
MPoxon said:
Thanks, must of blanked that thread due to bull -hit on the line.Gassing Station | Griffith | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff