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[hrdtail78]

I have tested many multi electrode spark plugs in a machine that adds pressure and spark.  Every 100 hours of flight on Robinson helicopters.  Spark will only jump from one electrode at a time.  Why do they have more than one?  Why do they have dual plugged heads and run two magneto's?  It is all about redundancy.  Not performance.  Any other advertised reason is snake oil.

I tuned a bike for a customer and he called me up a couple of month later.  He changed plugs to E3's and had complaints.  He reinstalled his old plugs and bike ran like it did off the dyno.  I understand that isn't a lab grade test, but it taught him a $40 lesson.

[grc]

I did right on the graph to show which one is which

Oops.  Sorry, I missed that.  I was looking at the info at the bottom for each run expecting to see which plug was used for each run.  Didn't think to look at the actual lines.

Jerry

[GMR-PERFORMANCE]

No issue Jerry..

[HILLSIDECYCLE.COM]

There are certain things that CAN be done to the ground strap that enhance the spark kernel/flame and we tested/witnessed that here as well yeeeeeeeeeears ago, and was shared with Jamie Stanton's record setting 2002 Camaro that was featured in Super Chevy Magazine.
Not news, and certainly, NOT rocket science either.
Scott

[2006ULTRA]

I tried a set of the E3 plugs and pulled them after a short ride.  Motor didn't seem happy so back to Champions.

[Texas 103]

Need to label the chart Steve so it's obvious which run is which.  Obviously several people took your post and chart to mean you were claiming the E3 plugs increased power.  I was about to call BS myself, before you clarified the results. 

The first time I saw the E3 plug being hawked, it was being offered as a magic product for lawnmowers and other gasoline power yard tools.  They only had a few part numbers to fit different thread sizes and depth, no real heat range choices, and they were sold mail order or eventually in discount retailers.  I didn't pay much attention to them for several years, since it was obviously just another BS spark plug design, and then recently I noticed they had expanded their offerings to include vehicles.  The design is still BS of course, the only difference is the marketing.

One of the things many companies try to claim, or at least imply to the uninitiated, is that having all those extra ground electrode surfaces is somehow going to result in a huge circle of fire at the tip of the plug.  That's not how a plug works.  The spark forms between the electrodes with the lowest resistance.  In the case of a multi-electrode plug, the spark forms between the center electrode and ONE of the multiple ground electrodes.  The spark may move around to different ground electrodes during subsequent firing cycles, but it doesn't fire across all the electrodes during one cycle.  And all those extra electrodes can in fact partially block the mixture from the actual firing zone.

I still stick with my original answer to the OP.  Standard style plugs, either standard material or platinum/iridium, are the best bet.  Con artists have been offering up other whiz bang designs since shortly after the first internal combustion engine was sold, but ultimately the manufacturers stick with the simple and proven design.  That other stuff is for the folks who believe in fairy tales and something-for-nothing.

Jerry

If they were that good...You think maybe some of the NASCAR boys might be all over 'em?? I believe that all run good 'ole single electrode plugs..just sayin....

[FLTRI]

How quick we forget those magic plugs from just a few years ago...
SPITFIRE? No that's not it. SPLITAIL? Nope, that's not it...wait...I remember those plugs! I put 'em in a WOW! Power felt like it doubled! Gas mileage doubled!
Yep, those were the greatest sparkplugs ever invented!
The absolute best balance of grounding!
SPLITFIRE! That's it!

What? Oh no! SPLITFIRE only has 2 ground straps?
There's something even better? 
Lesse....since Splitfires got me twice the power and mileage just think how those triple grounders will make my engine perform!
Wait...4 ground straps? Yea, that's the ticket!
Can't wait!

[North Star]

So what do the experts here think about indexing spark plugs? Any benefit?.

I bought a set of indexing washers and use them every spring when I change my plugs. I figure why not, it can't hurt and they were cheap enough.

[HILLSIDECYCLE.COM]

Claimed from years ago that up to a 10 hp gain on a SB Chevrolet with indexed plugs.
Never saw any of that here while testing, but on thing, we'd never allow the back of the ground strap to face the chamber on our AHDRA bike.
Scott

[GMR-PERFORMANCE]

For your street engines you are not going to find anything by indexing a plug, S/C or turbo NOS then yes I would go that route. But your not racing running crap pump gas piston in the hole low compression ( compared to a drag engine) its a mute point. Now a  extra washer may be helpful for the CVO head as it will pull the threads out of the chamber , and it would then be less likely to damage threads when the plug is removed. 

[HILLSIDECYCLE.COM]

If someone uses an indexing washer on an untouched CVO head it with pull the plug up into the threaded protusion in the chamber and actually hide the plug up inside the hole..................NOT what you'd want to do whatsoever, or maybe we just have different heads here...........
Optimum would be to have the threads flush with the chamber, and the open side of the plug between approx. 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock, along with the proper heat range and gap, for the application.
Scott

[HD Street Performance]

Winters almost over so we can get on the bikes and ride and not worry about such trivial pursuits. Oil, spark plugs, and so on

[EZRIDN]

No one seems to talk about plug gap.  Back in my drag car racing days (oh so many years back) we ran very short gaps with good results...of course the ignition I used back then could fry a cat at 25 feet.  

I played around a little bit with gapping on my 103' and have found no seat of the pants differences.  I have to ask has anyone ever done dyno pulls on a vtwin to see results of varying gaps only/no other changes?     

[HD Street Performance]

Why would there be any change
The plug is just a match, it either works or doesn't, Considering the ION sensing there is more to screw uip by deviating from stock regardless of some minute HP gain.

The subtleties between all of these changes are hair splitting
Or an OCDs dream come true, IMHO

[CVO Couple]

What is the ION sensing system?