Spark Plug Replacement

[Zpak]

More spark=more pre ignition=no bueno

 

[onanysunday]

I didn't check this thread for a response to my post for three days because I knew it would ruffle some feathers and figured nobody would agree and someone would've bashed it without good reasoning. I was correct in that assumption and didn't realize firsthand experience was meaningless here. Point taken. I figure you'd guys would come up with something like that to try and disprove anything that is outside the expected norm or typical/ expected response. And yes, I'm aware of what heat range is in terms of sparkplugs and the part number I shared is what Pulstar recommends for my engine and what I use without any issue whatsoever- just better performance. Also, zero pre-ignition events to report. I'd say more engineering went into these plugs than any other as they were developed at the Sandia National Labs here in the US and use technology no other company has- not just a fancy ground electrode design on a traditional type plug that doesn't amount to anything.

Carry on with whatever you're doing, irrespective of anything else that may be better out there. They're most certainly not a scam and better performing than OEM. At first, they had reliability issues, but not after switching over to iridium. Take something as simple as a bigger spark. How can you honestly think a smaller, weaker spark is going to be better and offer superior performance? That is the opposite of what would be true from a scientific or common sense perspective. Also, a sparkplug with an internal capacitor is going to outperform one without it. It's just that simple.

 

[Ta2dResqr]

I didn't check this thread for a response to my post for three days because I knew it would ruffle some feathers and figured someone would've bashed it without good reasoning. I was correct in that assumption and didn't realize firsthand experience was meaningless here. Point taken. I figure you'd guys would come up with something like that to try and disprove anything that is outside the expected norm or typical/ expected response. And yes, I'm aware of what heat range is in terms of sparkplugs and the part number I shared is what Pulstar recommends for my engine and what I use without any issue whatsoever- just better performance. Also, zero pre-ignition events to report. I'd say more engineering went into these plugs than any other as they were developed at the Sandia National Labs here in the US and use technology no other company has- not just a fancy ground electrode design that doesn't amount to anything.

Carry on with whatever you're doing, irrespective of anything else that may be better out there. They're most certainly not a scam and better performing than OEM. At first, they had reliability issues, but not after switching over to Iridium. Take something as simple as a bigger spark. How can you honestly think a smaller, weaker spark is going to be better and offer superior performance? That is the opposite of what would be true from a scientific or common sense perspective (if you believe in that sort of thing). Also, a sparkplug with an internal capacitor is going to outperform one without it. It's just that simple.

You say it performs better. Do you have dyno results showing brand new Iridium plugs from multiple brands vs. Pulstar Iridium plugs resulting in increased hp/lb-ft? Some kind of emissions analysis that shows more complete burn? Seat of the pants feel? Long-term use that shows they last longer? What is your scientific proof that shows better performance? There are so many ways to judge performance, what are you calling performance? Longevity, power, cleaner emissions, lighter wallet?

 

[Ecoboost_xsport]

I didn't check this thread for a response to my post for three days because I knew it would ruffle some feathers and figured nobody would agree and someone would've bashed it without good reasoning. I was correct in that assumption and didn't realize firsthand experience was meaningless here. Point taken. I figure you'd guys would come up with something like that to try and disprove anything that is outside the expected norm or typical/ expected response. And yes, I'm aware of what heat range is in terms of sparkplugs and the part number I shared is what Pulstar recommends for my engine and what I use without any issue whatsoever- just better performance. Also, zero pre-ignition events to report. I'd say more engineering went into these plugs than any other as they were developed at the Sandia National Labs here in the US and use technology no other company has- not just a fancy ground electrode design on a traditional type plug that doesn't amount to anything.

Carry on with whatever you're doing, irrespective of anything else that may be better out there. They're most certainly not a scam and better performing than OEM. At first, they had reliability issues, but not after switching over to iridium. Take something as simple as a bigger spark. How can you honestly think a smaller, weaker spark is going to be better and offer superior performance? That is the opposite of what would be true from a scientific or common sense perspective. Also, a sparkplug with an internal capacitor is going to outperform one without it. It's just that simple.

Whoa, hold on there princess, sensitive much? There were only 2 responses to your response and only 1 of them could be seen as MAYBE somewhat negative. However, I'd lean more toward that response being informational. Cool your jets, pal. There's no giant conspiracy being perpetrated against you...you're not that important.

He wasn't wrong, if they were the best thing since sliced bread, we'd definitely be hearing about them more. Same holds true for the plugs I use. Brisk is well known in the performance arena, but let's face it, at the levels our platform performs at, or will ever perform at, it's doubtful we'll see the full benefit of any of these "performance" plugs. Bottom line, the plug doesn't create the spark, the coil does. The plug is simply a conduit for that spark to be used in a controlled environment (combustion chamber). There really isn't any complicated science behind this...

Relax new guy. Welcome to the internet. You're gonna have to grow a thicker skin if your gonna make it through life without crying every other day about something someone you don't know says that doesn't agree with you.

 

[onanysunday]

Yes to a better seat of the pants feel, more complete combustion, more power. Also, tires chirp easier now than before with traction control on while flooring it on a green light. That's something that's pretty concrete for me and the types of improvements I care most about -although I am not sure how to quantify that. More mpg? Not for me at least. I believe the ECU compensates for this and if the engine or current setup is capable of providing more fuel/air (or better spark in this instance) which this does, than it allows for more power which can actually reduce mpg or keep it at current levels. Lighter wallet? Yes. Just like buying any other replacement sparkplug would give you a lighter wallet. Price is very reasonable for the slight boost in performance but plugs still need to be gapped just like everything else. I don't dyno as I'm just a regular guy with a daily driver who appreciates a bit of added performance here and there wherever possible for not a lot of money. You cannot compare a plug with an internal capacitor to a plug without one. That wouldn't be a fair comparison. I don't know if you saw the video I posted but it's pretty clear what's going on in the combustion chamber with these plugs. The capacitors store and release a much higher voltage in milliseconds- even when using the same ignition coils as before. I've experienced zero pre-ignition issues using them. Long-term reliability? We'll see. I am still giddy with all the small improvements in performance I've made to the car in the past month and will report back if they don't meet expectation. Iridium is iridium and wears slower than some other metals that are used in sparkplugs, so I would expect them to last as long as any other iridium would. I've also combined them with the Sultans of Spark coils which are also better performing than stock at the lower to midrange rpms, but I replaced the plugs first still using the original coils and there still was an improvement there before the other performance coils were installed. I shyed away from Accel or MSD because they seemed to have spotty reliability. But as with anything else, lots of times you only hear from the people with a bad experience.

Here you can see the testing and research results:

https://pulstar.com/how-it-works/#tabs-1

 

[Ecoboost_xsport]

Yes to a better seat of the pants feel, more complete combustion, more power. Also, tires chirp easier now than before with traction control on while flooring it on a green light. That's something that's pretty concrete for me and the types of improvements I care most about -although I am not sure how to quantify that. More mpg? Not for me at least. I believe the ECU compensates for this and if the engine or current setup is capable of providing more fuel/air (or better spark in this instance) which this does, than it allows for more power which can actually reduce mpg or keep it at current levels. Lighter wallet? Yes. Just like buying any other replacement sparkplug would give you a lighter wallet. Price is very reasonable for the slight boost in performance but plugs still need to be gapped just like everything else. I don't dyno as I'm just a regular guy with a daily driver who appreciates a bit of added performance here and there wherever possible for not a lot of money. You cannot compare a plug with an internal capacitor to a plug without one. That wouldn't be a fair comparison. I don't know if you saw the video I posted but it's pretty clear what's going on in the combustion chamber with these plugs. The capacitors store and release a much higher voltage in milliseconds- even when using the same ignition coils as before. I've experienced zero pre-ignition issues using them. Long-term reliability? We'll see. I am still giddy with all the small improvements in performance I've made to the car in the past month and will report back if they don't meet expectation. Iridium is iridium and wears slower than some other metals that are used in sparkplugs, so I would expect them to last as long as any other iridium would. I've also combined them with the Sultans of Spark coils which are also better performing than stock at the lower to midrange rpms, but I replaced the plugs first still using the original coils and there still was an improvement there before the other performance coils were installed. I shyed away from Accel or MSD because they seemed to have spotty reliability. But as with anything else, lots of times you only hear from the people with a bad experience using a product so it can

Here you can see the testing and research results:

https://pulstar.com/how-it-works/#tabs-1

I guarantee there is no increase in power output, particularly any that will "make the tires chirp" whereas they hadn't with a different sparkplug...this is fanciful at best and probably just a reflection of a different driving technique.

Sure...I'm gonna trust the testing of a company's product done by.....that very same company. C'mon now, you can't be that naive.

 

[onanysunday]

I definitely noticed a difference and want others to at least try them as well. The "chirp" is a pretty good barometer of additional performance for me. It just wasn't happening before. I think you'll be happily surprised if you can go into it with an open mind. If not, what's the big deal? Who cares. They're just plugs, do it already. You'll have a new set of iridium performance plugs and won't need to change them out for awhile. There's a 0% chance they're going to be any worse than anything else you'd put in there unless they're defective. I really wish someone would just dyno them and put this silly discussion to rest.

 

[Ecoboost_xsport]

I definitely noticed a difference and want others to at least try them as well. The "chirp" is a pretty good barometer of additional performance for me. It just wasn't happening before. I think you'll be happily surprised if you can go into it with an open mind. If not, what's the big deal? Who cares. They're just plugs, do it already. You'll have a new set of iridium performance plugs and won't need to change them out for awhile. There's a 0% chance they're going to be any worse than anything else you'd put in there unless they're defective. I really wish someone would just dyno them and put this silly discussion to rest.

There are no plugs on the market that will make your tires "chirp" whereas they didn't before. That change is due to an imperceptible modification of your driving style. Sorry. No need to try plugs when the current plugs have been proven and vetted. And I'd venture to say there is always a chance they can be worse, especially if the manufacturing process is shoddy and they fall apart...which does happen.

No one is trying your silly plugs...sorry guy.

 

[kryptto]

There are several respectable - notorious brands we all use. NGK/Ford Performance/Bosch/maybe even Champions, even after several here in this forum posted about Brisk, with mixed reviews. That said each vendor I listed uses capacitive plugs. Glad you enjoy them, take some photos after 50K miles.

I found more scientific proof than speculation claims:

$25/plug only good for 50K miles... send us those photos, just want to see for that price how they hold up. To be fair I feel my comments have been on the level. The people's comments who own those plugs have commented "they don't last, the gains are quickly normalized after a short period of time, say 10K miles."

I super trust this guy:

Updated thought: One comment after watching Project Farm on YT - all his tests were great however let's keep in mind all standard spark ignition engine tests versus turbocharged engines application is everything.

My last thoughts, please do all the testing you like, keep us informed, provide some before and after MPG, and any issues you might have. Many people have taken risks - went the unconventional route and shared pictures and data, please do the same. If you choose not to, I won't be switching from my Ford Performance Parts Spark Plugs M-12405-35T.

Sent from my SM-T860 using Tapatalk

 

[Ta2dResqr]

Yes to a better seat of the pants feel, more complete combustion, more power. Also, tires chirp easier now than before with traction control on while flooring it on a green light. That's something that's pretty concrete for me and the types of improvements I care most about -although I am not sure how to quantify that. More mpg? Not for me at least. I believe the ECU compensates for this and if the engine or current setup is capable of providing more fuel/air (or better spark in this instance) which this does, than it allows for more power which can actually reduce mpg or keep it at current levels. Lighter wallet? Yes. Just like buying any other replacement sparkplug would give you a lighter wallet. Price is very reasonable for the slight boost in performance but plugs still need to be gapped just like everything else. I don't dyno as I'm just a regular guy with a daily driver who appreciates a bit of added performance here and there wherever possible for not a lot of money. You cannot compare a plug with an internal capacitor to a plug without one. That wouldn't be a fair comparison. I don't know if you saw the video I posted but it's pretty clear what's going on in the combustion chamber with these plugs. The capacitors store and release a much higher voltage in milliseconds- even when using the same ignition coils as before. I've experienced zero pre-ignition issues using them. Long-term reliability? We'll see. I am still giddy with all the small improvements in performance I've made to the car in the past month and will report back if they don't meet expectation. Iridium is iridium and wears slower than some other metals that are used in sparkplugs, so I would expect them to last as long as any other iridium would. I've also combined them with the Sultans of Spark coils which are also better performing than stock at the lower to midrange rpms, but I replaced the plugs first still using the original coils and there still was an improvement there before the other performance coils were installed. I shyed away from Accel or MSD because they seemed to have spotty reliability. But as with anything else, lots of times you only hear from the people with a bad experience.

Here you can see the testing and research results:

https://pulstar.com/how-it-works/#tabs-1

The very first problem with those dyno pages, they all say Drive By Wire: No. With the exception of the 1966, I am pretty sure every one of those vehicles is drive-by-wire. Next, there are no details. Were they stock, brand new factory spec plugs vs. Pulstar Iridium or were they used plugs? Just putting a new set of plugs in could give you the 0-8hp they are seeing. Combine that with things like copper vs. iridium and you will see changes like that. Third, where is the independent testing?

I also like how you sent a link to a page with 8 dyno tests and yet say you wish someone would just dyno test them and prove them.

Why does the plug they recommend for our car cover 22 different NGK plugs including our plug and 1 heat range higher and lower of the same plug? 13 of their plugs cover NGK's entire lineup.

 

[Majestic]

I didn't check this thread for a response to my post for three days because I knew it would ruffle some feathers and figured nobody would agree and someone would've bashed it without good reasoning. I was correct in that assumption and didn't realize firsthand experience was meaningless here. Point taken. I figure you'd guys would come up with something like that to try and disprove anything that is outside the expected norm or typical/ expected response. And yes, I'm aware of what heat range is in terms of sparkplugs and the part number I shared is what Pulstar recommends for my engine and what I use without any issue whatsoever- just better performance. Also, zero pre-ignition events to report. I'd say more engineering went into these plugs than any other as they were developed at the Sandia National Labs here in the US and use technology no other company has- not just a fancy ground electrode design on a traditional type plug that doesn't amount to anything.

Carry on with whatever you're doing, irrespective of anything else that may be better out there. They're most certainly not a scam and better performing than OEM. At first, they had reliability issues, but not after switching over to iridium. Take something as simple as a bigger spark. How can you honestly think a smaller, weaker spark is going to be better and offer superior performance? That is the opposite of what would be true from a scientific or common sense perspective. Also, a sparkplug with an internal capacitor is going to outperform one without it. It's just that simple.

How many manufactures spec them for use in their vehicles? Answer = zero. If these were really the bees knees you'd think Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, etc. would put them in their vehicles. They don't because they are snake oil plugs.

But it's your money, so feel free to waste it. I'll stick with what Ford engineers recommend. In the meantime, you might want to toughen up a bit. You sound like you are selling these.

 

[yaycandy]

I definitely noticed a difference and want others to at least try them as well. The "chirp" is a pretty good barometer of additional performance for me. It just wasn't happening before. I think you'll be happily surprised if you can go into it with an open mind. If not, what's the big deal? Who cares. They're just plugs, do it already. You'll have a new set of iridium performance plugs and won't need to change them out for awhile. There's a 0% chance they're going to be any worse than anything else you'd put in there unless they're defective. I really wish someone would just dyno them and put this silly discussion to rest.

The chirp makes you slower really. Let some air pressure out or buy better tires.

 

[Kevin Curley]

How many manufactures spec them for use in their vehicles? Answer = zero. If these were really the bees knees you'd think Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, etc. would put them in their vehicles. They don't because they are snake oil plugs.

But it's your money, so feel free to waste it. I'll stick with what Ford engineers recommend. In the meantime, you might want to toughen up a bit. You sound like you are selling these.

Exactly, my first thought was this dude must work for Pulstar LOL

 

[onanysunday]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to follow-up as I said I would if anything out of the ordinary happened as the resident guinea pig. No, I don't work for Pulstar and my tires are brand new Continental Xtreme contact at the factory recommended 42 psi. I have an important update about the Pulstars some may be happy to hear. I care more about helping people out than saving face. A set of six plugs only lasted about 2 months before I experienced random misfires at high RPM. I wasn't sure if it was the coils or plugs acting goofy, so I pulled the Sultans of Spark coils and put the OEM Motorcraft coils back in. Same misfire issues. Then I removed the coils, plugs and installed new Motorcraft SP-580-X iridiums gapped at .032. Everything is more or less ok now, except after keeping more careful mileage records, I found there's a 2mpg penalty for using the Motorcraft iridiums in combined city/hwy driving compared to the Pulstars which kind of sucks.

To summarize, I feel the iridium Pulstars are a superior plug offering better performance, a more complete burn and improved fuel economy, but not worth it unless you like wrenching around. I am about 50/50 on this. While I like wrenching around constantly to tweak things, I also don't like being forced to- only when I decide to add performance upgrades of my choosing that are not completely necessary to get me from point A to B in my daily commuter. I reached out to Pulstar after taking resistance measurements of each plug. I asked them to tell me what the normal range of resistance should be for my plugs so I can get a better sense of which ones may be on their way out. These varied wildly, from 1.67kΩ to 3.11kΩ which is a significant difference of 47% between them. The rest measure around 2.5kΩ which I think is the average that they are supposed to be -although Pulstar never confirmed this or got back to me. Anyway, I gave them the chance to try and make it right but they never responded- bad move on their part that costs them. So yeah, maybe they're good if you want maximum performance at the drags and change plugs frequently, but obviously the Motorcraft iridiums are going to be exponentially more reliable even if there is a slight hit to performance.

 

[kryptto]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to follow-up as I said I would if anything out of the ordinary happened as the resident guinea pig. No, I don't work for Pulstar and my tires are brand new Continental Xtreme contact at the factory recommended 42 psi. I have an important update about the Pulstars some may be happy to hear. I care more about helping people out than saving face. A set of six plugs only lasted about 2 months before I experienced random misfires at high RPM. I wasn't sure if it was the coils or plugs acting goofy, so I pulled the Sultans of Spark coils and put the OEM Motorcraft coils back in. Same misfire issues. Then I removed the coils, plugs and installed new Motorcraft SP-580-X iridiums gapped at .032. Everything is more or less ok now, except after keeping more careful mileage records, I found there's a 2mpg penalty for using the Motorcraft iridiums in combined city/hwy driving compared to the Pulstars which kind of sucks.

To summarize, I feel the iridium Pulstars are a superior plug offering better performance, a more complete burn and improved fuel economy, but not worth it unless you like wrenching around. I am about 50/50 on this. While I like wrenching around constantly to tweak things, I also don't like being forced to- only when I decide to add performance upgrades of my choosing that are not completely necessary to get me from point A to B in my daily commuter. I reached out to Pulstar after taking resistance measurements of each plug. I asked them to tell me what the normal range of resistance should be for my plugs so I can get a better sense of which ones may be on their way out. These varied wildly, from 1.67kΩ to 3.11kΩ which is a significant difference of 47% between them. The rest measure around 2.5kΩ which I think is the average that they are supposed to be -although Pulstar never confirmed this or got back to me. Anyway, I gave them the chance to try and make it right but they never responded- bad move on their part that costs them. So yeah, maybe they're good if you want maximum performance at the drags and change plugs frequently, but obviously the Motorcraft iridiums are going to be exponentially more reliable even if there is a slight hit to performance.

Thanks for the update - if they were good I would be interested in hearing about it. I would put in the Ford colder range if you are running a tune.

 

[onanysunday]

Better performance with worse reliability. They still look perfect and their heat range was spot on with a nice light tan color on the electrodes. Even their "iridium" nature can't save them from premature failure. My guess is their internal capacitors go haywire after being pummeled at high rpms on turbocharged engines like ours that eat plugs for breakfast. Who wants to change plugs every 2k and "guess" which ones have gone bad? Not me (unless Pulstar told me the normal resistance range to expect from these plugs and supplied me with free replacements. At least that way I could stay on top of it). I figure I can't do all their job for them, although (oddly) I was still willing to futz around with them because I liked them so much while they lasted. But without their cooperation and support, there is nothing- only an empty void that I will not fill by purchasing replacements at my own expense. So yeah, why don't all the auto manufacturers use these as OEM? Because their iridium re-design is still unreliable and they may be in bed with other sparkplug manufacturers.

 

[Ta2dResqr]

my tires are brand new Continental Xtreme contact at the factory recommended 42 psi.

I am guessing that 42psi is the number you see on the side of your tire. This is a maximum inflation pressure at the load given on the tire usually something like "####lbs(####kg) @ ##psi(##kpa) cold". This is given because the tire can fit many applications from small cars to trucks. You should always follow what is printed on the sticker inside your driver's door (on the door or jamb). Here is an excerpt from the manual:

Maximum Inflation Pressure is the tire manufacturer’s maximum
permissible pressure or the pressure at which the maximum load can be
carried by the tire. This pressure is normally higher than the
manufacturer’s recommended cold inflation pressure, which can be found
on the Safety Compliance Certification Label (affixed to either the door
hinge pillar, door-latch post, or the door edge that meets the door-latch
post, next to the driver’s seating position), or Tire Label which is located
on the B-Pillar or the edge of the driver’s door. The cold inflation
pressure should never be set lower than the recommended pressure on
the Safety Compliance Certification Label or Tire Label.

I believe my 2015 says 35psi F/35psi R. If you run them at 42psi, you will probably get better mpg, stiffer ride, increased center tire wear, decreased traction, etc. The only time I would stray from that pressure is if you change tire size. There are calculators that you can use to calculate new pressures based on new sizes. Some people will drop the pressure when at the drag strip also.

 

[kryptto]

Better performance with worse reliability. They still look perfect and their heat range was spot on with a nice light tan color on the electrodes. Even their "iridium" nature can't save them from premature failure. My guess is their internal capacitors go haywire after being pummeled at high rpms on turbocharged engines like ours that eat plugs for breakfast. Who wants to change plugs every 2k and "guess" which ones have gone bad? Not me (unless Pulstar told me the normal resistance range to expect from these plugs and supplied me with free replacements. At least that way I could stay on top of it). I figure I can't do all their job for them, although (oddly) I may still be willing to futz around with them because I liked them so much while they lasted. But without their cooperation and support, there is nothing- only an empty void that I will not fill by purchasing replacements at my own expense.

Yeah all the testing I saw was on regular gasoline - naturally aspirated - nothing turbo charged.

 

[onanysunday]

I am guessing that 42psi is the number you see on the side of your tire. This is a maximum inflation pressure at the load given on the tire usually something like "####lbs(####kg) @ ##psi(##kpa) cold". This is given because the tire can fit many applications from small cars to trucks. You should always follow what is printed on the sticker inside your driver's door (on the door or jamb). Here is an excerpt from the manual:

Maximum Inflation Pressure is the tire manufacturer’s maximum
permissible pressure or the pressure at which the maximum load can be
carried by the tire. This pressure is normally higher than the
manufacturer’s recommended cold inflation pressure, which can be found
on the Safety Compliance Certification Label (affixed to either the door
hinge pillar, door-latch post, or the door edge that meets the door-latch
post, next to the driver’s seating position), or Tire Label which is located
on the B-Pillar or the edge of the driver’s door. The cold inflation
pressure should never be set lower than the recommended pressure on
the Safety Compliance Certification Label or Tire Label.

I believe my 2015 says 35psi F/35psi R. If you run them at 42psi, you will probably get better mpg, stiffer ride, increased center tire wear, decreased traction, etc. The only time I would stray from that pressure is if you change tire size. There are calculators that you can use to calculate new pressures based on new sizes. Some people will drop the pressure when at the drag strip also.

No, this is unrelated (or that it really matters at this point) but it's 42 psi cold as indicated on the doorjam not on the tire itself and these tires have a AA traction rating.

 

[Majestic]

I was unaware that any SHOs came with 18 inch wheels. Mine has 20s and that sticker on my car says 35psi.