Thread: Pulstar Iridium Spark Plugs

http://www.grandprixforums.net/side_gap.php

Aluminum - 2.65 Micro Ohms per centimeter
Gold - 2.24 Micro Ohms per centimeter
Copper - 1.67 Micro Ohms per centimeter
Silver - 1.58 Micro Ohms per centimeter
Platinum - 10.5 Micro Ohms per centimeter!
Iridium - 4.7 Micro Ohms per centimeter!

As you can see, the Iridium may last longer, but it's has more resistance to current. I wouldn't recommend the side gapping at the link I provided for you, but there's good information there. Also, the copper plugs will provide some amount of fail-safe before other parts of the engine break. Plus, it's good to see how the engine is running by checking the plugs a little more often than 100,000 miles. I bought the ngk Iridium plugs for my Honda a couple years ago before I new much about the metal resistance properties. I'll probably check them at about 40k.

Originally Posted by RegalGS98s

Also, the copper plugs will provide some amount of fail-safe before other parts of the engine break.

Yeah?

Originally Posted by RegalGS98s

Plus, it's good to see how the engine is running by checking the plugs a little more often than 100,000 miles.

Who pulls and checks the plugs on a vehicle that's running well? If there's something wrong that you can tell from plugs, plugs probably aren't your first indication.

Originally Posted by UCF04GPGTPCompG

Actually I'm already in the process of doing the raw mathematics, but that takes long averages so I'm not going to release those #'s till it's done. Sorry to burst your bubble, but you are kinda talking to an engineering student here. Hence why I know about statistical significance...

Oh wow, an engineering student. I guess that means you know everything.

LOL I know too many engineers. They all have the same mentality.

"Well, it works in theory so it must be true."

Real world results have shown that the Pulstars not only don't help, but are a downgrade. Read reviews on sites other than places that sell Pulstar. I have yet to see one positive result.

End result, you wasted your money, you're not getting better fuel mileage, and you did not gain horsepower.

Originally Posted by SlowNA06

With your special rebate (everyone else pays $2/copper), you're looking at $42 to cover 100,000 miles, which is nothing to sneeze at. That's $84 for the rest of us that can't find a good deal. The pulstars are like $75 (?) for the same 100,000 miles and would require 6 less plug changes. Most of us take at least 20 minutes, so that's at least 2 hours of your life you could spend getting laid or kicking hobos or something like working overtime. Let's say you make $30/hr on overtime... that's ~$35 after taxes in your pocket, making the total price of iridiums only $40.

Say you get a 3% increase in mileage from these over stock. 100,000 miles ought to save you ~$375 in gas over 5 years, resulting in you actually getting paid $335 when coupled with that OT you put in, just to install these plugs. If that all goes to gas, it means he can drive ~2,700 miles farther than you with the same money. Did I math right?

Stock vehicles come with iridiums and he's got a stock vehicle. Perfect.

Personally, I'd check and re-gap an iridium plug at 50,000 miles - at 70k, mine were baaaarely out of gap, but my mileage was starting to hurt.

Your math is overly skewed by too many what ifs. You are not going to gain horsepower with some gimmick plugs. You will save more in fuel by driving with a lighter foot than by spending $75 on some garbage gimmicks in a box.

you know its kinda funny I work for a major defense contractor and most of the time the engineers ask us what is going to work cause most of the time they come up with crap engineering.they work on paper we work on the real thing.

Originally Posted by UCF04GPGTPCompG

I've noticed the most is increase MPG, and decreased RPMs at cruising speed.

How do these plugs change your FDR?

Originally Posted by matt5112

As much as I appreciate your post stealthee, you cannot convince someone who firmly believes in their theory otherwise.

Therefore I refuse to provide any sort of rebuttal from this point onwards.

The key word in your post is theory.

^ha.

How many times do I have to say...

old motors...old technology.

Sh1t works.

Cheap ass $1.99 copper plugs...I might have to change them more but they out perform all your expensive trillion dollar plugs everytime.

Originally Posted by SlowNA06

Yeah?

The copper plugs are said to melt down before something else will fail vs the iridium's will probably be the last thing to melt. I think Blue said this before and it makes sense.

Originally Posted by SlowNA06

Who pulls and checks the plugs on a vehicle that's running well? If there's something wrong that you can tell from plugs, plugs probably aren't your first indication.

Plugs can tell you a lot about how the engine is burning the fuel.

wow, i love how you guys love to throw words in people's mouths. I don't believe I ever said that these plugs were amazing, or that any of your opinions suck. I simply stated that I got these, these are the results I've seen so far. I love how you guys take a few words and just run with it. I've done what I did to my car cause "I FELT LIKE IT" for various reasons. Can't know how something is going to work until you try it. So to most of you, shove it. All I've done is say what I was going to do, did it, and told you the results I've seen. If anything, you should be thanking me if the results I've gotten aren't large enough for you to consider purchasing this product.

this forum, and the # of idiots never ceases to amaze me. We are all here to get info on our cars, and try to help others out with info we have. So get over yourselves, take the info, if you like it, that's fine. If you don't, that's fine too, but unless you think someone is going to kill themselves by modifying their car, then don't bash them around.

Originally Posted by stealthee

Real world results have shown that the Pulstars not only don't help, but are a downgrade. ... You are not going to gain horsepower with some gimmick plugs. You will save more in fuel by driving with a lighter foot than by spending $75 on some garbage gimmicks in a box.

Before the OP posted the mileage results that he witnessed first hand (a claim I doubt you can make), I've never heard anything good about Pulstars. I certainly don't have the confidence in them to try Pulstars myself, for what that's worth. I also believe that even if a spark plug changed your HP, the results would be immeasurable even with the proper instruments; a feeling cannot tell you that such an insignificant change has taken place. On the other hand, iridium spark plugs (ex: AL606XP) have been proven to provide consistently better gas mileage than a copper plug in 3800s.

Originally Posted by stealthee

Your math is overly skewed by too many what ifs.

Disregard the rest of the hypothetical, then. There's absolutely no denying that if you receive a 3% increase in gas mileage that you will save a couple hundred bucks over the course of 100,000 miles.

Originally Posted by RegalGS98s

The copper plugs are said to melt down before something else will fail vs the iridium's will probably be the last thing to melt. I think Blue said this before and it makes sense.

Copper's melting point is lower than iridium's, yes. I guess you could get lucky and only ruin a spark plug if you set up your car wrong. I wouldn't bank on getting lucky with engine failures bad enough to vaporize copper.

Originally Posted by RegalGS98s

Plugs can tell you a lot about how the engine is burning the fuel.

If I can tell just as easily without busting out a wrench, why bother?

thanks for some backup, I hadn't done all the calculations yet, but yeah, even a small % increase does save a fair amount of money over 100K miles. Good point. Rough calculations based on original 23.0 and new 23.7 MPG saves about 128 gallons of gas over 100,000 miles, based on $3.50 per gal. that's about $448....just saying.

Also, I think it's kinda of funny how some of you are bashing engineers, considering everything you have used, do use and will use (including that car of yours) was designed by an engineer...just saying...

the point for me is to have an affordable mid/full size sedan with fair HP, acceleration and MPG. That's my goals for a car.

I dunno, GPs seem to do a pretty decent job at it....definitely not MPG numbers in the teens...
I used to have a 2001 Dodge Intrepid, 2.7L V6 that did only like 1-2MPG better than my Grand Prix. So i'd say that's a pretty decent increase in HP while still keeping reasonable MPG.

Originally Posted by SlowNA06

Copper's melting point is lower than iridium's, yes. I guess you could get lucky and only ruin a spark plug if you set up your car wrong. I wouldn't bank on getting lucky with engine failures bad enough to vaporize copper.

I didn't say it would vaporize the copper. It would melt enough for the engine to run bad so you know to check things out. Usually the spark plug is what takes the grunt of a failure. I know first hand , when I first got my GTP, it started running rough after a hard acceleration less than a 1/4 mile from home. Got home, pulled the plugs and one of them had the copper almost touching the electrode due to the gap closure.

Originally Posted by SlowNA06

If I can tell just as easily without busting out a wrench, why bother?

What other methods would you use?

Originally Posted by RegalGS98s

What other methods would you use?

Audio, visual, logging.
Listen for knocking, pinging, idle speed changes, whistling, grinding, etc.
Look for smoke, steam, engine movement, leaks
Keep track of operating temperature, idle, mileage, oil and coolant use, feelings of power reduction, hard shifts, etc

Oh, and scanning never hurt anyone.

With the exception of checking fluid levels, all of this is pretty much automatic for me anymore. If every single one of the above reads normal, I guarantee you have happy spark plugs. The only thing that could go wrong at that point is the thing that can go wrong with any electronic device - sudden, unwarranted failure for no good reason at all, which is pure chance as long as you have a quality part.

As far as running too hot, lean, rich, etc, still think you should check the plugs every so often. The other items you list, I do also. And not everyone has a scanner. I just got one myself to use when I finish my build, but some vehicles like my Honda, don't have OB2 to check with a scanner. Guess I was taught old fashioned with checking the plugs.

Originally Posted by RegalGS98s

not everyone has a scanner

Ain't nothin' wrong with checking the plugs.

But as for scanners: If you're modded past intake/exhaust on a grand prix, you should have an aeroforce or equivalent.