Spark Plugs

[SS HSV]

I have had my Holden for about a year now and although I have done two oil services I am yet to change the plugs. Looking for the choices available I can have standard, platimun or iridium. I have a guy on ebay who says that he can do me the platinum ones for about £80 a set plus shipping.

So I have a few questions:

1) What do you guys run in yours and what costs am I expecting for a set?
2) Is it worth spending the extra for iridium or platinum over standard?
3) And can anyone tell me what the part number is for my Holden Commodore SS VT2 Gen3
as I am unable to find the plug in either the owners manual or the Haynes manual

Muchos thanks,

Simon

[Smiler.]

Simon,

NGK BPR6EF - Mark @ Rapid has them in stock 01933 272 087


How are the brakes, all ok?

[ringram]

Standard plugs are fine. I think normal range is "5" but you can go "6" with FI due to hotter engines etc. Or maybe 7's even.
Stock 5's should be ok, no need to go iridium or platinum if you dont want to. Though their life is said to be 80K miles etc.
Copper more like 30K.

Just pull a couple and see what they look like. The ground strap should be nice and new/sharp/square looking. It its rounded or eroded swap em all out.

[SS HSV]

Smiler. said:

Simon,

NGK BPR6EF - Mark @ Rapid has them in stock 01933 272 087


How are the brakes, all ok?

Hello Neil, thanks for the info. I will ring them tomorrow as I have just had a call from Auto Parts in Hayes after I showed them this from an ebay auction in Oz:



Brakes are noticeably better expecially with the Monkfish performance pads although they require a good prod to push some heat into them before they do much at all.. but then they do! What are you doing on here posting; you should be out on the bike!

ringram said:

Standard plugs are fine. I think normal range is "5" but you can go "6" with FI due to hotter engines etc. Or maybe 7's even.
Stock 5's should be ok, no need to go iridium or platinum if you dont want to. Though their life is said to be 80K miles etc.
Copper more like 30K.

Just pull a couple and see what they look like. The ground strap should be nice and new/sharp/square looking. It its rounded or eroded swap em all out.

Thanks Richard, I have been ordered to spend time in the garden today so I have not yet pulled them to check. I figured they would need changing as they haven't even been looked at yet. Are these plugs I have listed suitable? My motor factor says they are but they would! I can get these ex vat for £8 each which is very reasonable compared to other sources that I have been recently quoted from (read £150).

What effect does the rating have re the temperatures?

[motomk]

What smiler has recommended is commonly used by the Aussies too.
The NGK TR6 works too. $30 Aussie dollars can get you 8 of these. This one I beleive is a heatrange colder.
The NGK Platinum version for your car is PZTR5A-15 - These are about $120 a set.
TR55IX is one of the Iridiums that fits, recommended on the NGK website for the Chevrolet Camaro LS1 and Pontiac GTO.
I am not up to date with other manufacturers.

motomk

[Smiler.]

SS HSV said:

...you should be out on the bike!

Denied, by order of 'er indoors (TT last week )

[SS HSV]

motomk said:

What smiler has recommended is commonly used by the Aussies too.
The NGK TR6 works too. $30 Aussie dollars can get you 8 of these. This one I beleive is a heatrange colder.
The NGK Platinum version for your car is PZTR5A-15 - These are about $120 a set.
TR55IX is one of the Iridiums that fits, recommended on the NGK website for the Chevrolet Camaro LS1 and Pontiac GTO.
I am not up to date with other manufacturers.

motomk

Blimey us Brits are getting stitched up for our plugs over here. $120 a set for the PZTR5A-15's I am getting offered these at £8.50 each ex vat which brings the total upto $188 your money! Are the TR551X cheaper or more expensive? At $30 a set for the ones that Smiler has mentioned I could buy two years supply for the same price as long as there is not a noticeable performance hit.

Smiler. said:

SS HSV said:

...you should be out on the bike!

Denied, by order of 'er indoors (TT last week )

You have my symapthy.. I have been grounded into doing more on the house. SHMBO asked for a watch for her birthday last week. I asked her (in jest) what was wrong with the clock on the new cooker I bought her last week (not for her birthday I might add)

She didn't speak to me for two days Women eh?

[ringram]

Heat range is to keep plug cool and prevent hot spots. Too cool and it gets too much deposits on it, like carbon etc.

So you need to right number. Stock 5's are best. High compressions or forced induction you can head into the 6's and real hot NOS or FI high boost etc, maybe 7's

Thats my understanding anyway.

[SS HSV]

ringram said:

Heat range is to keep plug cool and prevent hot spots. Too cool and it gets too much deposits on it, like carbon etc.

So you need to right number. Stock 5's are best. High compressions or forced induction you can head into the 6's and real hot NOS or FI high boost etc, maybe 7's

Thats my understanding anyway.

Great thanks for the explanation. I just ordered a set of PZTR5A-15's for £8 each. Apparently the -15 denotes the gap size which equates to 1.5mm - that's quite a large gap! Going to pull them out on the weekend.