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Author Topic: Plug Questions  (Read 1279 times)

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skyman

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Plug Questions
« on: August 19, 2010, 05:51:06 PM »

I have an 06 SE Ultra with 49k miles, head work, pro pipe, SS 560 cam and a stage one.  In May I sucked the cam bearing through the motor destroying just about everything.  Long story but I got the motor rebuilt and am back on the road.

Prior to the rebuild I was running irridium plugs--they made a huge difference in how the bike performed.  After the rebuild I had 800 miles on the bike and decided to take a weekend jaunt from Sacramento to Salt Lake City--easy weekend ride for those of us who like to pound the pavement.  I couldn't find any irridiums prior to leaving so rode on stock plugs and it ran crappy----was it the plugs or breaking in a new motor--probably both plus they did not remap the bike.

I got to the stealer in Riverdale and they comped me some cryogenic plugs and wanted me to give them an evaluation.   Now, doing that with a new motor while breaking it in is like trying to hit a moving target. 

The numbers on the bike before the rebuild were 110 HP and 120 flbs of torque.  Right now it is pretty flat on top--no power in 5th.  Went over this with my mechanic and it looks as tho I am running a bit rich making the moving target a bit more complicated.

So--this is what I did notice with the cryogenic plugs.  At 85-90 mph accross the dessert the bike was really smooth much more so that the trip out.(break in or new plugs is the question)  My fill ups at that speed were 2-4 tenths less fuel than before my rebuild and the trip out.  I have gone through one tank back home for commuting and the gas mileage is the same as before the rebuild.  I think this is probably due to running rich.

The plan is to go in at 5k and remap the the bike, lean it out accordingly then due a ride with new cryogenics then switch back to irridiums for a comparison.

My question is has anyone else tried these plugs and what do you have to say about them?

Thanks,
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hogasm

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Re: Plug Questions
« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2010, 08:16:02 PM »

Use only the stock plugs. Tried Uridium's .....what a waste of money....

Why are you waiting for 5k for a tune. It is broken in already. Tune it before you do damage by washing out the rings
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Twolanerider

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Re: Plug Questions
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2010, 08:26:15 PM »

Use only the stock plugs. Tried Uridium's .....what a waste of money....

Why are you waiting for 5k for a tune. It is broken in already. Tune it before you do damage by washing out the rings

What he said  :huepfenlol2: .  "Iridium" or other high end plugs are often snake oil.  And the platinum tipped or other plugs that do have a real benefit have as their benefit a longer service life.  Not to say there aren't marginal and measurable performance gains to be had with a good versus a bad plug.  But that we'd feel going down the road in the seat of the pants?  Not unless the plugs that came out were junk to begin with.

As for the "cryogenic" plug?  What the hell is a frozen spark plug?
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skyman

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Re: Plug Questions
« Reply #3 on: August 19, 2010, 08:32:23 PM »

Well---every machine is different---the irridium plugs in my bike was a night and day difference over stock plug that you could really feel.  Could it be related to how the motor has been moded--I don't know--I'm not a mechanic.

The method of heating and cooling metals to change their properties has been around since time began.  The hoopla says by using cryogenics on the plugs it realigns the molecules in the metal part of the plug to iprove performance through less resistance---that's the sales pitch anyway.
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Twolanerider

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Re: Plug Questions
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2010, 08:37:15 PM »

Well---every machine is different---the irridium plugs in my bike was a night and day difference over stock plug that you could really feel.  Could it be related to how the motor has been moded--I don't know--I'm not a mechanic.

The method of heating and cooling metals to change their properties has been around since time began.  The hoopla says by using cryogenics on the plugs it realigns the molecules in the metal part of the plug to iprove performance through less resistance---that's the sales pitch anyway.

There are some places where metallurgists confirm strength increase through use of cryogenic freezing.  While I've never heard of a "cryogenic" spark plug think about a plug though.  Even if the metal body of the plug were strengthened that doesn't help you any.  The insulators aren't metallic.  And the conductors are already pretty high end.  Snake oil on spark plugs is nothing new.  It's been around as long as people have been sold parts for their cars.

What's the brand name on these "cryogenic" plugs? 
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skyman

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Re: Plug Questions
« Reply #5 on: August 19, 2010, 08:42:10 PM »

for clarification I did not set to buy these.  I couldn't find the ones I wanted.  Because of a friend these were given to me at the dealership.

I'm just asking questions--however I did see a difference in gas mileage

Here is the link: http://www.bluelightningsparkplugs.com/technology.aspx?TypeId=pc
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Twolanerider

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Re: Plug Questions
« Reply #6 on: August 19, 2010, 08:53:51 PM »

for clarification I did not set to buy these.  I couldn't find the ones I wanted.  Because of a friend these were given to me at the dealership.

I'm just asking questions--however I did see a difference in gas mileage

Here is the link: http://www.bluelightningsparkplugs.com/technology.aspx?TypeId=pc

You were suspecting bad plugs initially.  Changing the plugs made the bike run better.  Going from bad plugs (Iridium, platinum, whatever) to good plugs is going to make the bike run better and perhaps give a measurable increase in fuel economy.  But that's just going from bad parts to good parts.

However....  I'm sure you're convinced the Iridium or the frozen plugs are accounting for all manner of good things.  And that's all that matters on your ride.  The marginal improvements of a very good plug are real.  Perhaps not cost effectively real in an environment where we change them often.  But real nonetheless.

I've got NGK iridium plugs in both of my bikes.  But it's not to make them run better.  Standard stock plugs changed regularly would run so close to as well I'd never feel nor measure the difference.  I've got them in there because they were on sale and I decided to be lazy.  They can last for 100k miles and still be as good.  So I don't have to change them every other oil change.  I do, however, put a socket on them and move them a half a turn loose then back tight.  Too long in one place and I'd worry about seizing to the head.  And that is metallurgy that would ruin your whole day.
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skyman

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Re: Plug Questions
« Reply #7 on: August 19, 2010, 08:58:51 PM »

in the past when I switched to the irridiums I did a side by side comparrison.  take a ride with new stock, new stock gold new stock champoin and new irridiums.  Again on my back it was very noticible.

as for the frozen ones--I don't know yet--too man variables that have to smooth out prior to doing the comparison.  Again--all I could really notice was a bit of gas mileage so looking for more opinions

thanks
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Twolanerider

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Re: Plug Questions
« Reply #8 on: August 19, 2010, 09:46:27 PM »


as for the frozen ones--I don't know yet--too man variables that have to smooth out prior to doing the comparison.  Again--all I could really notice was a bit of gas mileage so looking for more opinions

thanks

The cryogenically prepared plugs are a new gimmick (or real life improvement) to me.  Hadn't seen that before.  So if your experience allows some comparative data to be collected showing how they do I'd be interested.  I'm skeptical of most such new offerings.  But that doesn't mean some of them don't pan out.  So no matter how skeptical some might be it doesn't mean we won't also be interested.
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