Iridium Plugs

[Bone]

Did you change the plugs yourself bone? Just curious what arm extension you put on to reach the plugs in the back

Yes, they weren't too bad, easier than the Hemi. I used combinations of extensions depending on which ones. I also used a mirror for the back ones on the driver side to get around the master cylinder.

 

[BOOMER]

Yes, they weren't too bad, easier than the Hemi. I used combinations of extensions depending on which ones. I also used a mirror for the back ones on the driver side to get around the master cylinder.

take out your inner fender wells,and front wheels and then you can see the plugs and sit on a stool to do it.

 

[SRT-IZ]

sparkplugs.com list the iridium ix bkr7eix-11, part # 6441 for our engines...is this the one i want for my N/A engine?

Sooooooooo are these the ones i need to look for???

Truck is pretty much stock!!

 

[SRT-IZ]

bump...guys???

 

[Voodoo]

in aircraft it goes normal plugs, Platinum then Iridium but thats in aircraft running 100 low lead. in each case lead deposits less inside the plug between the case and isolator. cars are different but i can tell u this Iridium has almost no deposits when inspecting them.

 

[SRT-IZ]

oh well, I think im just gonna order these......:rock:

 

[JR_PRO]

I just posted this same question in a new post last night asking about the spark plug gap on a stock 2006 QC SRT10. Another forum member replied and warned me NOT to install anything but Champion plugs as he works at a Dodge dealership and he stated he has seen numerous problems with other SRT10 Trucks coming in for service using non Champion spark plugs having fouled plugs, throwing codes, and poor running engines so his advise was only use Champions because that is what the Viper engines like. Anybody else run any other plugs besides Champions on a stock Viper engine with good or bad results? Anybody use specifically NGK Iridium plugs on these engines with good or bad results?

http://www.vtcoa.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7399

Thanks!

 

[Viperpowered]

I just posted this same question in a new post last night asking about the spark plug gap on a stock 2006 QC SRT10. Another forum member replied and warned me NOT to install anything but Champion plugs as he works at a Dodge dealership and he stated he has seen numerous problems with other SRT10 Trucks coming in for service using non Champion spark plugs having fouled plugs, throwing codes, and poor running engines so his advise was only use Champions because that is what the Viper engines like. Anybody else run any other plugs besides Champions on a stock Viper engine with good or bad results? Anybody use specifically NGK Iridium plugs on these engines with good or bad results?

http://www.vtcoa.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7399

Thanks!

I wouldn't say these engines only like champion plugs due to my SRT4 having champions also. I think Dodge just has a contract with champion and probably runs them in all their SRT's or even all Dodge vechicles. Just my guess....

 

[Bone]

just some more info on plugs:

The spark plug is quite simple in theory: It forces electricity to arc across a gap, just like a bolt of lightning. The electricity must be at a very high voltage in order to travel across the gap and create a good spark. Voltage at the spark plug can be anywhere from 40,000 to 100,000 volts.

The spark plug must have an insulated passageway for this high voltage to travel down to the electrode, where it can jump the gap and, from there, be conducted into the engine block and grounded. The plug also has to withstand the extreme heat and pressure inside the cylinder, and must be designed so that deposits from fuel additives do not build up on the plug.

Spark plugs use a ceramic insert to isolate the high voltage at the electrode, ensuring that the spark happens at the tip of the electrode and not anywhere else on the plug; this insert does double-duty by helping to burn off deposits. Ceramic is a fairly poor heat conductor, so the material gets quite hot during operation. This heat helps to burn off deposits from the electrode.

Some cars require a hot plug. This type of plug is designed with a ceramic insert that has a smaller contact area with the metal part of the plug. This reduces the heat transfer from the ceramic, making it run hotter and thus burn away more deposits. Cold plugs are designed with more contact area, so they run cooler.

Electrode Construction

There are many different types of electrode construction but there are only about 3 basic types of materials used.
Center Electrodes can be made from


Copper
Platinum
Iridium
Grounds will usually be the traditional nickel construction or it may be have a platinum tip.

Center Electrodes Material

Copper
Copper is widely used in many basic sparkplug designs.
Advantages are


Excellent conductor of electricity,
Durable and reliable
Inexpensive
Disadvantages are


Shorter service life compared to some of the precious metals used today
Platinum
Platinum is used by many auto manufactures today as their Original Equipment sparkplug.
Advantages are


Long lasting
Reaches its self-cleaning temperature faster
Disadvantages are


Cost
Iridium
Iridium is a fairly new to the market.
Advantages are


Stronger than platinum
Higher melting point that platinum
Conducts electricity better than platinum
Disadvantages


More expensive than platinum
Center Electrodes and Ground Designs

There are many different styles of the center electrodes that different manufactures use.
Center Electrode Designs


Fine wire
Ultra-fine
Tapered point
Taper cut
Necked down
V-Power
There are even more different styles of the ground electrodes that are used.
Ground Electrodes Designs


Trapezoid cut ground
Cut back ground
Fine wire ground
Tapered cut
Trimmed side electrode
Wedge shaped ground
Inverted V-tip
Angled ground strap
U-groove
Multi-ground
Supplementary gap
Intermittent discharge
Semi-surface discharge
Surface discharge
Resistor Plugs

When the spark jumps the sparkplug gap it causes a high frequency burst of energy, that is known as radio frequency interference (RFI). Placing a resistor within the spark plug suppresses the RFI. Without the resistor plugs in your car you cannot only have static on your radio but also the RFI could cause interference with the automobile's electronics.

HEAT RANGE
The most basic function of the spark plug is to ignite the air/fuel mixture. Voltage must be supplied by the ignition system to cause a spark to jump across the spark plug's gap and ignite the air/fuel mixture.
To survive the combustion chambers high temperatures and function properly, the spark plug must dissipate the heat that it absorbs. The temperature of the spark plug's firing end must be kept low enough to prevent pre-ignition, but high enough to prevent fouling. It is important to remember that spark plugs do not create heat, but instead they must remove heat. The heat range determines the plug's ability to dissipate the heat from the spark plug to the cylinder head where it is absorbed by the coolant system.

How quickly this heat is transferred is determined by:


The insulator nose length
insulator nose surface area exposed to the air/fuel mixture
The construction of the electrode and the porcelain insulator
Heat flow path of a Spark Plug

The insulator nose length is the distance from the tip of the insulator to the point where insulator meets the metal shell. Since the insulator tip is the hottest part of the spark plug, the tip temperature is a primary factor in pre-ignition and fouling. The spark plug tip temperature must remain between 500C-850�C. If the tip temperature is lower than 500�C, the insulator area around the center electrode will not be hot enough to burn off combustion chamber deposits. If the tip temperature is higher than 850�C the spark plug will overheat which may cause the ceramic around the center electrode to blister and the electrodes to melt. In identical spark plug types, the difference from one heat range to the next is the ability to remove approximately 70�C to 100�C from the combustion chamber.

Tip Temperature and Firing End Appearance

There are three basic spark plug operating conditions:


Fouled operating under 500 C
Overheated operating over 800 C
Good operating between 500 C and 800 C
The insulator nose length is a large factor in determining the heat range of a spark plug, the longer the insulator nose, the less heat is absorbed, and the further the heat must travel into the cylinder head water journals. This means the plug has a higher internal temperature, and is said to be a hot plug. The heat range of a plug has no relationship to spark quality or intensity. Many people mistakenly associate a hotter plug with a spark plug that has a hotter spark. A cold spark plug has a shorter insulator nose and absorbs more combustion chamber heat. This heat travels a shorter distance, and allows the plug to operate at a lower internal temperature. A colder heat range is necessary when the engine is modified for performance, subjected to heavy loads, or is run at high rpms for a significant period of time. The colder type removes heat more quickly, and will reduce the chance of pre-ignition/detonation and melting or damage to the firing end.

What affects the spark plugs operating temperatures
Below is a list of some of external influences on a spark plug's operating temperatures. The following symptoms or conditions may have an effect on the actual temperature of the spark plug. They do not affect the heat range but how the plug is performing under the current conditions. The engine manufacture would consider these parameters when determining the characteristics of the sparkplug they would require. The spark plug cannot create these conditions but it must be able to cope with them. Air/Fuel Mixtures seriously affect engine performance and spark plug operating temperatures.


Rich air/fuel mixtures cause tip temperature to drop, causing fouling and poor drivability
Lean air/fuel mixtures cause plug tip and cylinder temperature to increase, resulting in pre-ignition, detonation, and possibly serious spark plug and engine damage
Higher Compression Ratios/Forced Induction will elevate spark plug tip and in-cylinder temperatures
Compression can be increased by performing any one of the following modifications:
Reducing combustion chamber volume (i.e.: domed pistons, smaller chamber heads, mill ing heads, etc.)
Adding forced induction (Nitrous, Turbo charging or Supercharging)
Camshaft change
As compression increases, a colder heat range plug, higher fuel octane, and careful attention to ignition timing and air/fuel ratios are necessary
Advancing Ignition Timing
Advancing ignition timing by 10� causes tip temperature to increase by approx. 70�-100� C
Engine Speed and Load
Increases in firing-end temperature are proportional to engine speed and load. When traveling at a consistent high rate of speed, or under heavy loads, a colder heat range spark plug should be used.
Humidity


As humidity increases, air intake volume decreases
Result is lower combustion pressures and temperatures, causing a decrease in the spark plug's temperature and a reduction in available power.
Air/fuel mixture should be leaner, depending upon ambient temperature.
Barometric Pressure/Altitude


Also affects the spark plug's tip temperature
The higher the altitude, the lower cylinder pressure becomes. As the cylinder temperature de-creases, so does the plug tip temperature
Many mechanics attempt to "chase" tuning by changing spark plug heat ranges
The real answer is to adjust jetting or air/fuel mixtures in an effort to put more air back into the engine
Types of Abnormal Combustion

Pre-ignition


Defined as: ignition of the air/fuel mixture before the pre-set ignition timing mark
Caused by hot spots in the combustion chamber...can be caused
(or amplified) by over advanced timing, too hot a spark plug, low octane fuel, lean air/fuel mixture, too high compression, or insufficient engine cooling
A change to a higher octane fuel, a colder plug, richer fuel mixture,
or lower compression may be in order
You may also need to retard ignition timing, and check vehicle's cooling system
Pre-ignition usually leads to detonation; pre-ignition an detonation are two separate events
Detonation


The spark plug's worst enemy!
Can break insulators or break off ground electrodes
Pre-ignition most often leads to detonation
Plug tip temperatures can spike to over 3000�F during the combustion process
Most frequently caused by hot spots in the combustion chamber.
Hot spots will allow the air/fuel mixture to pre-ignite. As the piston is being forced upward by mechanical action of the connecting rod, the pre-ignited explosion will try to force the piston downward. If the piston can't go up (because of the force of the premature explosion) and it can't go down (because of the upward motion of the connecting rod), the piston will rattle from side to side. The resulting shock wave causes an audible pinging sound. This is detonation.


Most of the damage than an engine sustains when "detonating" is from excessive heat
The spark plug is damaged by both the elevated temperatures and the accompanying shock wave, or concussion
Misfires


A spark plug is said to have misfired when enough voltage has not been delivered to light off all fuel present in the combustion chamber at the proper moment of the power stroke
A spark plug can deliver a weak spark for a variety of reasons...defective coil, too much compression with incorrect plug gap, dry fouled or wet fouled spark plugs, insufficient ignition timing, etc.
Slight misfires can cause a loss of performance for obvious reasons (if fuel is not lit, no energy is being created)
Severe misfires will cause poor fuel economy, poor drivability, and can lead to engine damage
Fouling


Will occur when spark plug tip temperature is insufficient to burn off carbon, fuel, oil or other deposits
Will cause spark to leach to metal shell...no spark across plug gap will cause a misfire
Wet-fouled spark plugs must be changed
Dry-fouled spark plugs can sometimes be cleaned by bringing engine up to operating temperature

 

[Bone]

Another site:
http://www.centuryperformance.com/spark.asp

Introduction: The spark plug's location exposes it to extreme temperature variations, chemicals, fuels and oils. It is also attacked by cylinder pressures produced by the piston and cam timing, then it is also assaulted by high-output ignition units. As a result of all of this, one can effectively learn what the engine is doing by reading the firing end of the spark plugs.
By careful examination of the plug's color, gap, and any deposits that reside on it, you will be shown the efficiencies as well as deficiencies of what is going on in the engine. Spark plugs should be checked at least yearly, and replaced as often as necessary. In most cases you can follow the manufacturers recommendations, but in a race car, our replacement intervals are quite frequent.
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How a Spark Plug Works:
The basics of a spark plug is that it must perform two primary functions.

1. To Ignite the Air/Fuel mixture
2. To REMOVE the heat out of the combustion chamber

Spark plugs transmit electrical energy that turns fuel into working energy. A sufficient amount of voltage must be supplied by the ignition system to cause the spark to jump the across the spark plug gap, thus creating what is called Electrical Performance.
Additionally, the temperature of the spark plug's firing end must be kept low enough to prevent pre-ignition, but high enough to prevent fouling. This is called Thermal Performance and is determined by the heat range of the spark plug.
It is important to understand that spark plugs CANNOT create heat, only remove it! The spark plug works as a heat exchanger, pulling unwanted thermal energy away from the combustion chamber and transferring the heat to the engine's cooling system. The heat range is defined as a plug's ability to dissipate heat. The rate of heat is determined by:

• The insulator nose length
• Gas volume around the insulator nose
• Materials and/or construction of the center electrode and porcelain insulator

Now to the actual function: As the Ignition is triggered it sends the spark through the rotor, to the cap, down the wire and then it jumps the gap of the spark plug, a spark kernel is created that ignites the air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. Proper timing of this spark is not the only concern as described above. You must have the proper heat range (described later) as well as the correct gap.
Opening The Plug Gap:
On weaker or stock ignitions, opening up the gap CAN increase the spark kernel size, thereby creating a more efficient burn. The problem lies in that any added gap creates more strain on the other ignition parts.

• Coils may not have enough stored energy to fire, or in the least case, not enough energy to cross the gap, creating a miss-fire.
• Plug wires will break down due to the added resistance as the spark tries to reach ground.
• Rotor and Cap, as well as points (if you still have an interest in prehistoric ignitions), and the carbon bushing in the center of the distributor cap will show early failures.

All of this is because the greater the gap and the higher the voltage requirement to jump the gap. Do not forget the gap between the rotor arm to the distributor cap too. A high performance rotor is a bit longer at the tip, allowing less spark loss or chance of spark scatter in the cap as the spark attempts to jump the plug gap.
As many of us know that race, it is also possible to slow down a car if the gap is too big. I will get into this later when I describe proper spark plug gaps.
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Spark Plug Heat Range:
A spark plug's heat range has no relationship on the actual voltage transferred through the spark plug. Rather, the heat range is a measure of the spark plug's ability to remove heat from the combustion chamber. The heat range measurement is determined by several factors:

• The length of the ceramic center insulator nose
• The insulator nose's ability to absorb and transfer combustion heat
• The material composition of the insulator
• The material composition of the center electrode

The longer the insulator nose gives you a larger surface area exposed to combustion gasses and heat is dissipated slowly. This also means the firing end heats up more quickly. We are talking about exposed ceramic length, not extended tip length.
The insulator nose length is the distance from the firing tip of the insulator to the point where the insulator meets the metal shell. Since the insulator tip is the hottest part of the spark plug, the tip temperature is a primary factor in pre-ignition and fouling. No matter what the plugs are installed in, be it a lawnmower, a boat, your daily driver or your race car, the spark plug tip temperature must remain between 450°C to 850°C. If the tip temperature is lower than 450°C, the insulator area surrounding the center electrode will not be hot enough to deter fouling and carbon deposit build-ups, thus causing misfires. If the tip temperature exceeds 850°C, the spark plug will overheat which can cause the ceramic around the the center electrode to blister as well as the electrodes will begin to melt. This may lead to pre-ignition/detonation and expensive engine damage. (see the plug pictures that are part of this article)
In identical spark plugs, the differences from one heat range to the next is the ability to remove approximately 70°C to 100°C from the combustion chamber. A projected style spark plug firing temperature is increased by 10°C to 20°C.
The firing end appearance also depends on the spark plug tip temperature. There are three basic diagnostic criteria for spark plugs: good, fouled, and overheated. The borderline between the fouling and optimum operating regions (450°C) is called the spark plug self-cleaning temperature. This is the temperature point where the accumulated carbon and combustion deposits are burned off automatically.
Bearing in mind that the insulator nose length is a determining factor in the heat range of a spark plug, the longer the insulator nose, the less heat is absorbed, and the further the heat must travel into the cylinder head water journals. This means that the plug has a higher internal temperature, and is said to be a "Hot" plug. A hot spark plug maintains a higher internal operating temperature to burn off oil and carbon deposits, and has no relationship to spark quality or intensity.
Conversely, a "Cold" spark plug has a shorter insulator nose and absorbs more combustion chamber heat. This heat travels a shorter distance, and allows the plug to operate at a lower internal temperature. A colder heat range can be necessary when an engine is modified for performance, subjected to heavy loads, or it is run at high RPMs for significant periods of time. The higher cylinder pressures developed by high compression, large camshafts, blowers and nitrous oxide, not to mention the RPM ranges we run our engines at while racing, make colder plugs mandatory to eliminate plug overheating and engine damage. The colder type plug removes heat more quickly, and will reduce the chance of pre-ignition/detonation and burn-out of the firing end. (Engine temperatures can affect the spark plug's operating temperature, but not the spark plug's heat range).
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Influences on Spark Plug Temp and Performance:

Below is a list of possible external influences on a spark plug's operating temperatures. The following symptoms or conditions may have an affect on the actual temperature of the spark plug. The spark plug cannot create these conditions, but it must be able to deal with all the levels of heat, otherwise performance will suffer and engine damage can occur:​

Air/Fuel Mixtures seriously affect engine performance and spark plug temps.​

• Rich air/fuel mixtures cause tip temperature to drop, causing fouling and poor drivability.
• Lean air/fuel mixtures cause plug tip and cylinder temperatures to increase resulting in pre-ignition, detonation, and possibly serious spark plug and internal engine damage.
• It is important to read spark plugs many times during the tuning process to achieve optimum air/fuel mixture. Computer-controlled engine applications do a pretty good job of this with the various sensors that report back to the ECM.

Higher Compression Ratios and Forced Induction will elevate spark plug tip and in-cylinder temperatures.
​

• Compression can be increased by performing any one of the following modifications:
  • a) reducing combustion chamber volume (i.e.: domed pistons, smaller chamber heads, milling heads, etc.)
  • b) adding forced induction (Nitrous, Turbocharging, Supercharging)
  • c) camshaft change
• As compression increases, a colder heat range plug is required, as well as higher octane fuel and paying careful attention to ignition timing and air/fuel ratios are also necessary.

Advanced Ignition Timing: Advancing timing by 10° causes plug temperature to increase by approximately 70°C to 100°C.
Engine Speed and Load: Increases in firing-end temperatures and are proportional to engine speed and load. When traveling at a constant high rate of speed, or carrying/pushing very heavy loads, a colder heat range spark plug should be installed.
The heavier your vehicle or greater the amount of work the engine sees (racing applications, construction trucks, vans, RVs & Motorhomes, etc.), the more critical this becomes.
Ambient Air Temperature:

• As air temperature falls, air density volume increases, resulting in leaner air/fuel mixtures. This creates higher cylinder pressures and temperatures that causes an an increase in the spark plug's tip temperature. Fuel delivery should be increased.
• As temperature increases, air density decreases, as does intake volume, and fuel delivery should be decreased.

Humidity: As humidity increases, air volume decreases. The result is lower combustion pressures and temperatures, causing a decrease in the spark plug's temperature and a reduction in available power. Air/Fuel mixture should be leaner, depending on ambient air temperature.
Barometric Pressure and Altitude:
​

• Affects the spark plug's temperature
• The higher the altitude, the lower the cylinder pressure becomes. As the cylinder temperature decreases, so does the tip temperature.
• Many tuners attempt to "chase" tuning by changing spark plug heat ranges.
• The real answer is to play with the jetting or air/fuel mixtures in an effort to put more air back in the engine.

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RFI or "Radio Frequency Interference":
Many people believe that spark plugs fire instantly. This is partly true because they fire in milliseconds, although if one looks at an oscilloscope pattern you will see much more than a single instantaneous firing event. Many things also occur that you cannot see even with the oscilloscope. Part of what you cannot see, but can in many cases hear, is the noise that is picked up in the speakers of your car stereo. This is called RFI, or Radio Frequency Interference.

Spark Plug Firing Voltages:

When the breaker points or solid state ignition unit (switching device) interrupts current flow in the primary ignition circuit and induces current flow into the secondary windings of the coil, there is an instantaneous voltage spike. (as seen in the illustration at right in position A to B). This represents the voltage required to overcome the spark plug and distributor rotor gaps. Once the spark gaps have been bridged, the secondary voltage required to sustain the spark across the gap is much less and drops (as seen in position B to C above). The spark continues to arc across the gap at more or less constant voltage until the arc is extinguished (at position D above). This is due to coil energy drop in that it can not sustain the spark any longer. During this arc duration (Spark Duration), the plug actually fires several times. This is caused by high frequency oscillations in the primary and secondary windings of the coil, which continues to induce voltage spikes. They continue and slowly diminish (positions D to E above) even after they are no longer strong enough to sustain spark. All of this takes place in roughly one thousandth of a second.
With our race designed ignition units, they concentrate their efforts on sustaining spark duration as well as limiting the voltage drop after the gaps have been bridged. Most aftermarket ignitions concentrate on giving us 20° of spark duration (crank degrees) as well as much higher spark energy output. A high performance coil helps this out, but the Capacitive discharge and digital ignition units assist in storing and delivering this power through the coil more efficiently, faster and give the ability to achieve higher RPMs more safely and efficiently in fuel mixture burning. The coil is only the pawn of the ignition trigger or control unit. The coil is the real workhorse and takes most of the abuse ... make sure you use a good coil. (Read below about aftermarket ignition amplifiers and controls)
​

The Cause of RFI:

If we were to slow down the oscilloscope to perhaps 0.00000025 seconds and greatly expand the pattern (as pictured at right), we would see that what appears to be consistent from position C to D in the the first illustration above is actually a series of extremely high bursts of energy. These energy bursts are discharged at the same frequency band as radio and TV frequencies. It is these bursts that make your car radio snap - crackle - and pop ... as well as just about anything electronic including telephones, aircraft control towers and heart pace makers by causing static and interference.
Sources of RFI:
Automotive ignition systems are not the only things that spew RFI into the atmosphere. Lawn mowers, snowmobiles, ATV's, tractors, power lines, traffic control devices, etc. all do it. One publication refers it to "electronic air pollution". As many of us know, we live in a sea of constant electromagnetic waves.
Any time you have a flow of electric current you will have a magnetic field. Coils, relays, switches, solenoids, generators, servomotors all affect communication equipment, electronic circuits and computers. The higher the voltages, the more critical this becomes. Anytime you have the spark jump a gap or a contact, you have a miniature radio transmitter.
RFI Standards:
Back in the 1930's, engineers recognized that RFI could be a nuisance. As the years, testing and technology advancements went by, it turned into an even greater problem. Especially with the advent of high-tech communications systems, computers and electronic engine control devices. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) decided to set up standards for measuring as well as the control of RFI. These are called "EMI Standards" or the more technical name for radio static of Electromagnetic Interference (EMI).
The current standard for EMI was adopted in 1961 and is known as J551. It limits RFI at frequencies between 20-1,000 MHz. All spark plug manufacturers must adhere to it. The most common method used to suppress RFI is to install a resistor in series with the spark plug's center electrode.
​

Other ways that control RFI include:

• The metal fenders, grille and hood of your car. These provide a shielding affect which absorbs much of the RFI emitted from your ignition components. Plastic and composite body panels are basically transparent to RFI and provide little to no shielding.
• The use of capacitors, silicone grease at connections, proper grounding of all circuits and routing wires to reduce electromagnetic interference are all helpful in reducing RFI.
• The use of carbon impregnated secondary wiring (plug wires) and resistor spark plugs have the most impact when reducing and controlling RFI. In our race cars with our high output ignitions, it is best to use a specifically designed plug wire for our applications. These are usually the what is called "Spiral Wound" style plug wires. The construction of these wires starts with a Ferro0-Magnetic impregnated inner core, helical wrapped copper alloy conductor, a high dielectric insulator then a heavy fiberglass braid. Wrapping this is a 8mm to 10mm silicone jacket. Also, secure connections of the plug wire's terminal ends are mandatory along with secure fitting boots.

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Adding an Aftermarket Ignition Unit (Amplifier):

OK, I felt I had better address this now. There are numerous ignition units available that say they give you "X" horsepower gain, or do this or that for your engine. In most cases the ignition unit will benefit your engine, but is it needed? To decide if adding an ignition unit to your vehicle is going to be worthwhile you need to ask yourself a few simple questions:

• Am I trying to get maximum spark energy, engine efficiency, lowered emissions, and power output from my engine?
• Am I modifying the engine (cams, head porting, exhaust system, larger carbs/injectors, compression, or any other assortment of aftermarket performance parts) so that cylinder pressures will be increased?
• Am I adding a serious power enhancer (Nitrous, Supercharger, Turbocharger, etc)?
• Am I planning on racing the vehicle?
• Am I increasing the RPM range of the engine?

If you answered YES to even one of the questions above you could consider the addition of one of the available ignition units. If you answered YES to 2 or more of the above questions, you'd better install a quality ignition amplifier (Mallory Hyfire, Holley Annihilator, Crane Hi-6, MSD, etc).
Of course there is going to be B.S, hype from many ignition manufacturers, and the facts surrounding what an ignition unit can really do.
Some Facts:

1. A small power increase and strides in efficiency will be seen in most cases. Note that if you are racing, not having a good ignition amplifier can cause serious power loss and engine damage if the air/fuel mixture is not ignited properly
2. Without the correct or adequate coil the ignition unit cannot do its job properly
3. Analog ignition units are slow and not as good as digital units
4. Opening up your plug gaps just because you have added an amplifier CAN SLOW YOU DOWN and cost your horsepower. (read below)
5. Not all ignition units are the same (Inductive amplifier and Capacitive Discharge amplifier, not to mention brands)
6. If it takes 10k volts to fire your spark plug, that is what you will get. Just because you have a bazillion volt system does not mean the box will give that to your plugs and combustion process. Don't believe that just because the ignition has the highest "millijoule" rating that it is the best.
7. Using the wrong coil can have serious implications (we have seen coils overheat, boil over, and catch the vehicle on fire because the coil could not handle what the box was telling it to do).
8. Not all ignition triggers are equal (breaker point, magnetic, magnetic breakerless, hall effect, photo optic, etc). Each can affect the efficiency of your ignition unit.
9. One of the main benefits of an ignition amplifier is the spark duration of 20° crank degrees per spark. (this is the B to C distance on the chart above under RFI)

Proper Plug Gapping:

• Proper gapping of the spark plug is necessary to get maximum spark energy, lowest RFI release as well as what is best for the longevity of the secondary ignition components (coil, cap, rotor, wires, plugs).
• When checking plug gaps, the correct way is to use ONLY wire gauges, though many of us are using the slider style gapping tools. These flat or feeler gauge style gauges do not accurately measure true width of spark plug gap.
• When increasing the gap size for our high performance applications utilizing advanced ignition systems such as Mallory, Accel, Jacobs, Crane and Holley ... it is important never to go more than plus or minus .008". This is to maintain parallel surfaces between ground and the center electrodes.
• Something many do not know, is that with Higher Compression ratios and Superchargers as well as Nitrous, in many cases smaller spark plug gaps must be used as well as the use of a much hotter ignition system (see above). These higher cylinder pressures require more energy to jump the spark plug gap.
• The rule of thumb on plug gaps is to open them up in .002" increments at a time. When the car (race vehicle) begins to lose power or slow down then go back .001-.002" and this in most cases is the optimum gap.

Remembering that the Ignition Unit, plug brand as well as heat range, cap and/or rot

 

[SrtBrad]

I got a small improvement with my hemi on gas mileage and 4HP/ 3Tq on my hyperpac for what it is worth. Just looking for colder plugs, longer lasting and stronger plugs.
I doubt there would be any huge gains. But heck, around 60 bucks for plugs, no big deal. BTW, ordering them thru Art and Henson motors. He's been helping me search. So I am throwing some on the wife's minivan....fastest minivan in town! Actually, she liked the K&N filter.

Bone can you arrange for a group buy price from him. I'm in. I have an 05 SRT10 QC and an 05 Hemi Durango that need plugs. Anybody else in? BTW my wife also likes the K&N as well.

Brad