Extreme MotorSports SD® officially presents the unofficial ultimate Spark Plug Thread

[NAZ1998BMWM3]

^^well I just took my car for a 13 block drive and it feels great.

If your wondering why I can only drive it for 13 blocks read my other threads haha.

[borealiss]

damn, i was running the ik20's on my twinscrew. never had a problem though... i guess i'll put my old ngk's back in.

[xjeeper]

ok, last two questions.... when you say the copper plugs have a much shorter life, what are we talkin here.... 20k miles before they need replacing?

Ans lastly, when you say your car didnt like the 6equp's, can you elaborate a bit? I just think it is so weird how one person can rave about them while another says they didnt like how the car ran..... it just seems like maybe the perceived differences may be simply subjective.... after all, we are putting the same hardware into essentially the same motors (NA guys, not FI) so how can there be such a large variance?

[manya2]

The weather/location/miles/driver/ect. has more to do in the way the car runs than the plugs , to many bariables.Am I OK ? Not trying to be smart ! Just want a honest opinion.

[ParadigmGuy]

^^well I just took my car for a 13 block drive and it feels great.

If your wondering why I can only drive it for 13 blocks read my other threads haha.

Careful, blow by isn't good. But glad to know that the car feels good otherwise. I don't remember, did you do a leakdown or just compression check?

damn, i was running the ik20's on my twinscrew. never had a problem though... i guess i'll put my old ngk's back in.

Hmm, I can see sticking with stock plugs for a TS, but you would probably see better results with the proper heat range and gap.

ok, last two questions.... when you say the copper plugs have a much shorter life, what are we talkin here.... 20k miles before they need replacing?

Ans lastly, when you say your car didnt like the 6equp's, can you elaborate a bit? I just think it is so weird how one person can rave about them while another says they didnt like how the car ran..... it just seems like maybe the perceived differences may be simply subjective.... after all, we are putting the same hardware into essentially the same motors (NA guys, not FI) so how can there be such a large variance?

I wouldn't want to run any of the single electrode plugs much over 30K on a performance car. With the BKR6E's I'd say 20K would be the max. But if your car is still running well with them, not reason to change. I can feel the hesitation when my plugs start to go though, and they last about 4K in my car.

Using the QUP's my idle wasn't as smooth. I also had a couple misfires at high RPM at WOT. I switched to the EIX's back then and the issues went away.

I'm not sure why the cars don't react the same to the same plugs. It might be the way that they were driven and maintained for however many thousand miles the car had before we owned them. It's the same reason that at 100+K miles some cars might make under 200 at the wheels while others with the same mods will make 220+. Or that compression sucks for some and is great for others.

[ParadigmGuy]

The weather/location/miles/driver/ect. has more to do in the way the car runs than the plugs , to many bariables.Am I OK ? Not trying to be smart ! Just want a honest opinion.

Is that a question?

The DME will adjust for weather, etc, but miles and condition of the engine do play a big part. The driver doesn't have too much of an impact on the smoothness of the idle.

[BJO]

ok, last two questions.... when you say the copper plugs have a much shorter life, what are we talkin here.... 20k miles before they need replacing?

Ans lastly, when you say your car didnt like the 6equp's, can you elaborate a bit? I just think it is so weird how one person can rave about them while another says they didnt like how the car ran..... it just seems like maybe the perceived differences may be simply subjective.... after all, we are putting the same hardware into essentially the same motors (NA guys, not FI) so how can there be such a large variance?

I had some problems with the 6equp's as well on my 95 m3. The car would miss during WOT at auto-xes. I switched to copper NGKs and it went away.

[borealiss]

Hmm, I can see sticking with stock plugs for a TS, but you would probably see better results with the proper heat range and gap.

i regapped them to 0.026, but the heat range is all messed.

[Balthazarr]

I had some problems with the 6equp's as well on my 95 m3. The car would miss during WOT at auto-xes. I switched to copper NGKs and it went away.

I don't spend more than a few seconds at WOT, but the other day I noticed
the engine seemed to falter after cruising at 4300rpm and then flooring it.

Maybe I should swap out for copper plugs.

[ParadigmGuy]

I had some problems with the 6equp's as well on my 95 m3. The car would miss during WOT at auto-xes. I switched to copper NGKs and it went away.

Yep, same with me, but it wasn't at auto-x's.

i regapped them to 0.026, but the heat range is all messed.

Yeah, I think I remember that the ES TS suggests stock heat range. So going one heat range hotter - I'm surprised you didn't have a lot of detonation or pre-ignition. I seem to remember you having a HG issue a while back, in case you didn't know, detonation can cause HG failure. Maybe the plugs were the reason.

I don't spend more than a few seconds at WOT, but the other day I noticed
the engine seemed to falter after cruising at 4300rpm and then flooring it.

Maybe I should swap out for copper plugs.

It could just time for new plugs if the others have worked for you. But I really like the basic V-Power coppers.

[borealiss]

the MLS cometic was not installed properly by the shop that did it. they did no prep work on the head and they overtorqued at least 3-4 different studs since they didn't follow the instructions i gave them from ARP for torquing sequence. i was also running proper ngk plugs after the stockers were at their end of life. i've only run the ik20's on the second gasket. no problems yet, but they're coming out tomorrow.

[ParadigmGuy]

the MLS cometic was not installed properly by the shop that did it. they did no prep work on the head and they overtorqued at least 3-4 different studs since they didn't follow the instructions i gave them from ARP for torquing sequence. i was also running proper ngk plugs after the stockers were at their end of life. i've only run the ik20's on the second gasket. no problems yet, but they're coming out tomorrow.

Ahh, OK. Glad the plugs weren't the issue back then.

[xjeeper]

Do they make a hotter version of the BKR6E? Can you get it in a 5 heat range? (do they even make that, and would I benefit at all from it?)

[Rennmeister M3]

Do they make a hotter version of the BKR6E? Can you get it in a 5 heat range? (do they even make that, and would I benefit at all from it?)

The 6's are proper for this engine. The hotter plugs are better for lower compression engines and people that do alot of short trips in cold weather where they can foul out the colder plugs.

[xjeeper]

cool, thanks.

[elsdragon314]

Just a note on gapping tools, Iridiums can be gapped, but you need a special tool that will not touch the center electrode or you have to be insanely talented with pliers, and not mar the surface to cause a sharp edge and change where the spark jumps to (the really cheap gapping tools rely on pressing against the center electrode and the ground strap to force them apart)

The 2,3, and 4 pronged can also be gapped, again, you need a special tool (it slips around the spark plug and essentially forces the ground straps in with little screw pins).

Of course in both of these instances they should come properly pre-gapped (I personally feel it is worth checking before installing though).

[antik]

I have the 4 prong NGKs right now and I hate them: they don't idle well at all in my car.

I may just spring for a set of the BKR6Es soon.

Edit: umm... website wants to add plugs I didn't click buy for into the cart and when I try to delete them it says nothing's in the cart. I'm confused??

[xjeeper]

Kurt, I am trying to order some plugs but dude.... the website sucks. I cant figure it out

[Deadeye]

ParadigmGuy, I was wondering, I am FI, but definitely not making power like you. Should I still change my plugs every 4-5k anyways though for best performance? Just wondering, I got like another 1500mi till my next oil change, thanks.

[eightyseven]

Are these the same price if we pick up at your retail location?

A couple times I called and the price on your web catalog and call-in price varied by large amounts.

[ParadigmGuy]

Do they make a hotter version of the BKR6E? Can you get it in a 5 heat range? (do they even make that, and would I benefit at all from it?)

They do make a BKR5E, but I wouldn't recommend it for you. Too hot of a plug can cause pre-ignition and detonation, which as you saw from above can cause HG failure.

Just a note on gapping tools, Iridiums can be gapped, but you need a special tool that will not touch the center electrode or you have to be insanely talented with pliers, and not mar the surface to cause a sharp edge and change where the spark jumps to (the really cheap gapping tools rely on pressing against the center electrode and the ground strap to force them apart)

The 2,3, and 4 pronged can also be gapped, again, you need a special tool (it slips around the spark plug and essentially forces the ground straps in with little screw pins).

Of course in both of these instances they should come properly pre-gapped (I personally feel it is worth checking before installing though).

Thanks.

I have the 4 prong NGKs right now and I hate them: they don't idle well at all in my car.

I may just spring for a set of the BKR6Es soon.

Edit: umm... website wants to add plugs I didn't click buy for into the cart and when I try to delete them it says nothing's in the cart. I'm confused??

Kurt, I am trying to order some plugs but dude.... the website sucks. I cant figure it out

Sorry guys, trying using this link - http://www.extremems.com/search.html - and entering in the spark plug. Then click go, it should work that way.

It seems that the catalog operates by sessions and when I post a link and others follow it, then everyone else adds to that session. So, the only way I've found to avoid it is by you guys starting at the search link and entering the part number yourself. If that doesn't work then let me know.

ParadigmGuy, I was wondering, I am FI, but definitely not making power like you. Should I still change my plugs every 4-5k anyways though for best performance? Just wondering, I got like another 1500mi till my next oil change, thanks.

If your plugs are working fine they way you normally run it, don't be concerned. I change my often because I notice hesitation. From what I understand this is common on some of the higher boosting Supras making big numbers also. But for the majority of the FI crowd I think that intervals closer to stock is fine.

If your car starts to hesitate when you try to accelerate, then you might want to try changing your plugs.

Are these the same price if we pick up at your retail location?

A couple times I called and the price on your web catalog and call-in price varied by large amounts.

The price is different at the shop. All of the parts ordered on-line don't get shipped through my shop. They go directly from the catalog to my supplier. The supplier ships directly to the customer. Because of this I'm able to charge less because there isn't as much overhead with an on-line catalog. At the shop I have electricity, phone, internet, water, employees, etc; that all gets figured into every sale.

[EricP]

Got mine swapped out yesterday, bosch 4-prong for the NGK BKR6E single prong. I don't think the gap on my old plugs would've been measured in thousandths of an inch... or hundredths... Needless to say the car pulls a lot harder All of the plugs smelled lightly of fuel, not a drop of oil in any of the holes. Time in engine: No LESS than 20,000 miles.





Here's something what they would've looked like originally. This is the FGR8KQE, the QC's were in my car.. not sure the difference.

[ParadigmGuy]

Wow, those plugs were definitely past their prime.

Hopefully you noticed an improvement with the BKR6E's.

[EricP]

Wow, those plugs were definitely past their prime.

Hopefully you noticed an improvement with the BKR6E's.

Butt dyno says good improvement In all honesty it really feels a good bit stronger throughout the rev range. Idle is a bit smoother, doesn't want to stall out as easily during warmup and I don't have to juice it as much to accelerate quickly. I was getting 24mpg before, I can only imagine how she'll do now

FWIW, Looks like the FGR8KQE superceded the FGR8KQC.

[ParadigmGuy]

Butt dyno says good improvement In all honesty it really feels a good bit stronger throughout the rev range. Idle is a bit smoother, doesn't want to stall out as easily during warmup and I don't have to juice it as much to accelerate quickly. I was getting 24mpg before, I can only imagine how she'll do now

FWIW, Looks like the FGR8KQE superceded the FGR8KQC.

Cool, sounds good. I'm not sure how much your mileage will improve since you'll be on it harder. Maybe on a road trip you would see an improvement.

And yes, the FGR8KQC was superseded by the FGR8KQE.