Hey Gary, according to the Denso web site, the Iridiums come pre gapped and shouldn't need adjustment unless you have a modded engine. IIRC that's what I've done on my bikes, just swap 'em out and let her rip.
http://www.densoiridium.com/faq.php
Steve C.
Steve,
So what's the deal with these plugs? I've just been using the stock NGK plugs. Can those of us without new coils and wires get a benefit from these plugs?
Marsh, I've never done back to back dyno runs with OEM style vs Iridium plugs but it's what Hank put in the motor when he built it for me so I can only imagine they are worth a few ponies at high RPM. He doesn't believe in spending $$$$ that don't equal horsepower. The biggest improvement I've found so far is changing to the accel coils. No dyno runs but she certainly starts easier which is a good thing since the FCR-39s don't have a choke circuit.
Thank you Mr. Conklin, sir. I will pass that on to my friend who discovered said iridium units in the head of his Futura that was running a little funny. Here she is and not looking too bad for 54,000 miles.
(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c385/apriliabob/IMG_4426.jpg)
Darn nice site here, Fluffy!! ;)
I used to run stock ngk but switched to 1 step colder plug to help with heat and pinging in the summer, some riders switch back and forth depending on weather.
my 85 FJ 1100 is bone stock right now...i switched to iridium plugs and gapped them to regular specs...made a huge difference...way smoother idle, better response,negligable mpg increase. it runs far smoother and just feels better at every rpm level now.
OGmudbone
Just ordered a set for the FJR. NGK site gives you the gap.
Did you get your plugs by now? Let us know what you think, I am going down the same route.
Steffen
Got the plugs and they're sitting on the bench. Hoped to do them today, but the damn water softener wasn't cooperating after changing out the motor, gear cam, and seals. Try again tomorrow night.
I'm stepping up to the Iridium plugs myself. I can't seem to get better than 38mpg out of my 92 FJ; I think that the previous owner neglected a lot of the maintenance on this one.
Maybe this will help with the rough idle, too.
Mike
Guys I hate to say it but Iridiums & Platinums are a waste of money for somthing like the FJs. The main reason for them is there long life they will not give you any more power.
The long life is nice for Cars/bikes & other engines where the plugs are a BITCH to get to (the FJ is not one of them :i_am_so_happy:) so any of the $3. a piece standard plugs and change them about every 8000 miles you will be $$$ to the good. :good:
All I know is that a fresh set of plugs in my buddies' BMW R65, makes it clearly very much faster, and more enjoyable to ride with (the old plugs looked ok coming out not all sooted up or too dark/ light). If there is such a difference between an old plug (10K miles) and a new one, maybe a fancy schmancy plug would be even better.
I'd be curious to hear the feedback from those that are trying them in an FJ. I can't see the harm, and who knows, maybe the spark is bigger, and makes for a better burn -or some such.... Please do report back, for those of you that are trying them.
Dan
Dan, You are comparing a old set of spark plugs to new :dash2: Yes there is going to be a differance.
You were saying the plugs were all sooted up that is telling me he is running rich (put smaller jets & bigger needles in it and solve it's problem) As for the FJ get a set of NGK DPR8EA-9s and then a set of the Iridiums or Platinums and take it to a dyno and run back to back pulls. My bet is there will be less the .5% differance in Hp & Tourque the only dirrerance you will feel is how much fuller your wallet feels with the $$$ you saved :rofl:
It takes X amount of current to jump the plug gap once it jumps you could have 1.000.000 volt coils and it would not make a bit of differance (the only thing is you could run a wider plug gap to ignite a leaner mixture charge)
Kim
Here is an article that might be of interest.
I think the benefits might be minor but only the best for our girls, right? :yes:
http://www.spark-plugs.co.uk/pages/technical/iridium_spark_plugs.htm (http://www.spark-plugs.co.uk/pages/technical/iridium_spark_plugs.htm)
It's a waste of hard earned $$$ but do what you want. Your combustion chamber wont know the differance.
The only time the high buck plugs come into there own is on HIGH boosted Supercharged or Turbocharged engines +20lbs.
Quote from: tqmx1 on April 19, 2009, 10:01:34 AM
Dan, You are comparing a old set of spark plugs to new :dash2: Yes there is going to be a difference. You were saying the plugs were all sooted up that is telling me he is running rich
Kim-
you missed the operative word "the old plugs looked ok coming out
not all sooted up or too dark/ light" I am no expert, but I can look at a plug and look for soot, and the right color,these were sootless and ~ the right color seems to me -somewhere between dark and light chocolate...
If replacing one plug with 10K miles on them, that are NOT all sooted up, :yes: can make a noticeable difference, then a different high tech plug may be even better... Maybe not. As to your claim that 1,000,000 volts is 1,000,000 volts, probably true. But if you read the marketing literature, and look at the photos -the spark itself is bigger, broader.
I coppied this from the NGK page regarding their Iridium plugs:
"Iridium IX Spark Plugs are the most technologically advanced high performance plugs available. Featuring a 0.6 mm iridium center electrode tip, they offer superior ignitability without sacrificing durability. The tapered ground electrode increases flame kernel expansion, while the superior heat range design is ideally suited to the demands of high performance environments. Specially designed to meet the needs of serious enthusiasts, Iridium IX Spark Plugs offer outstanding acceleration, high fuel efficiency and long life. When you demand the most from your engine, rely on the proven performance of NGK Iridium IX Spark Plugs. "
...increases flame kernel expansion!! I'm going to get a set for my oven! Probably marketing hype, but you never do know...
Again, folks, I'd like to hear reports from those that install them...
Dan
For me it's worth a try. The additional money is equal to about 4 grande Starbucks coffees. I bought mine at Checkers for $7.99 each.
One thing to remember is that every combustion cycle that did not ignite due to inefficiency of the plug fouls up the chamber, valves.... In theory the irridium plugs should have more reliable ingnition and for more cycles. In my mind that is worth it.
Steffen
PS: I am changing mine today and I let you know if I can feel the difference.
What's with all the fucking little rocks that want to fall into the cylinder as you change the plugs???? :shout:
Totally different animal, but we tried them in 2 stroke dirt bikes and they wet fouled far easier than the standard plugs, plus seemed to "soot up"much quicker. I noticed no difference in power.
Never tried them in the YZF600. If I really believed I could pick up a horse or two for just the price of plugs I would. The Wired George coil relay is a cheaper solution to OEM coil spark issues.
http://www.wgcarbs.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=26 (http://www.wgcarbs.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=26)
It made a big difference on starting and low RPM running on my YZF, and if you try hard enough it's cheaper than 1 iridium spark plug...
First impressions with new NGK 2202 Iridium plugs
The plugs I took out where all nice tan color regular NGK type and the bike ran very nice with some rough starting but the temps here are still in the 30's in the mornings.
After the plug exchange the bike started on the first turn which is somewhat new but other than that there is no noticeable difference. My last gas mileage was 46 mpg but I doubt that plugs will change tha
I will let you know how they look in a few thousand miles.
Steffen
PS: I guess all the little rocks in cylinder 1 and 2 (before I noticed) blow out on start-up :good:
I have been running these(NGK) for over a month and I can't say I have notice any gains in power. I was able to get them local for $20 a set. I don't know if I would have purchased them if I had to pay $32/ $8ea the standard price, especially when I can get a stock set of NGK's for less than the price of one Iridium plug.
I did notice and still do that my starts are always on the first crank and I only pull the choke out about 1/4 as far as before. Mileage has seem to go up a little but I want to go though a couple more gas tanks to be sure. I have only put a little over 650miles on them so they are still in the testing stage. I'll pull them and take a look at them when I hit 1K-1.5K miles.
LA Mike
89 FJ1200
I put the iridiums in about 40,000 miles ago. I like 'em, so much in fact that I swapped them over to my new engine last year. And didn't have to re gap them.
But I'm kinda' fucked up like that.. I like things that last a long time and enhance driveability :sarcastic:
Got the Iridiums into the FJR yesterday. They seemed to be pre-gapped appropriately from the box. Have to use the Yamaha tool in the tool kit for plug removal. Holes are really tight (no wise-ass comments) and I didn't have a socket that could fit, even some thin-walled ones. Runs okay. Try it tomorrow on the way to work.
Don't think I would put them in the FJ. Then again, I'm not riding the FJ too much anymore.
I spent 10 or so years working as an auto mechanic, and I get the differences between standard plugs, platnium, and iridium plugs. Long life is supposed to be the primary advantage of the premium plugs, and possibly better performance and economy based on the lower resistance value of the premium materials.
With that in mind, I was in a quandry, tearing my hair out over the lousy fuel economy I was getting with my 92 FJ (with 84,000 miles on it). I bought it in early March, and after two full tanks of 92 octane, my best fuel economy was 37 mpg. Granted, I do a fair share of city driving, and because it's still cold here (Minneapolis, MN, mind you), I have been letting it idle a good 5 minutes before I ride (long enough for Joe Camel and I to have a brief chat).
Based on the poor fuel mileage, and that I didn't think that the previous owner really took care of a lot of the maintenance issues in a timely manner, I went after the common items which may affect fuel mileage. I changed the oil (using the same brand and weight of oil that the previous owner used - Golden Spectro 20W-50), checked the air filter (adequate, not pristine), and the plugs. Everything seemed pretty okey-dokey, so I figured that $30.00 was a reasonable chance to take on the iridium plugs. Here are some photos of the ones which came out:
http://s681.photobucket.com/albums/vv179/mikeholzer/1992%20FJ1200%20Plugs/?action=view¤t=Plugs-20090423_01.jpg (http://s681.photobucket.com/albums/vv179/mikeholzer/1992%20FJ1200%20Plugs/?action=view¤t=Plugs-20090423_01.jpg)
They not only seemed to have "normal" wear, they actually seemed almost new to me. No real discernable wear on the electrodes; they are, in fact, still pretty much square at the ends. The bike has been running great, it has plenty of power, no stumbles, hesitations, or glitches; it just eats too much fuel, right.
Cutting to the chase: I've used another 1 1/2 tanks of fuel since I changed these plugs. Fuel economy on the first tank jumped to 44 mpg, and the current tank appears as though it may even be better. Now, granted, the weather has been getting a little bit warmer, but not that significantly. Normaly, I'd poo-poo any clown who told me that they saw a 15-20% fuel economy increase by changing to new-fangled spark plugs. However, I am actually seeing a profound difference here.
DISCLAIMER: Individual results may vary. Blah, blah, blah...
Whatever! I still see it as money well spent. I realize that I need to ride it more to see if the economy improvement is legitimate or some wicked outliar. But, it would seem to me that the iridium plugs are worth the premium price. The fact that I probably won't have to touch them again for another few seasons is just the icing on the cake.
Mike in Minneapolis
hmmmmm, so they may be worth the $$ -interesting, Thanks.
Dan
Mike, you could also see an increase in fuel economy by going to 10W-40. I did, although I only get 40+ mpg on the freeway, 35 in town.
New data point,
I have driven 2 tanks with the Iridiums and my gas mileage went from ~46 mpg to 38mpg!! To complete the experiment I changed them back to a new standard set yesterday and will see if the mileage goes up again. Still no difference in how the bike runs and it also starts well with the new regular plugs. The Iridium plugs looked good when I pulled them out.
Steffen
Two tanks of hard and twisty riding up and down the canyons here in CO with the new standard plugs and my mileage is back to 44.6 and 46.1 mpg. I think I am sticking to the regular plugs.
Steffen
Quote from: TRoy on April 19, 2009, 04:11:52 PM
I put the iridiums in about 40,000 miles ago. I like 'em, so much in fact that I swapped them over to my new engine last year. And didn't have to re gap them.
But I'm kinda' fucked up like that.. I like things that last a long time and enhance driveability :sarcastic:
..just changed them again..just for good measure i figure they must be getting tired after all these years and miles :)
I guess I should check mine, not sure how many miles I have on them at the moment.
Quote from: FJmonkey on August 19, 2013, 03:17:38 AM
I guess I should check mine, not sure how many miles I have on them at the moment.
What? no-one used the words snake oil yet, I'm amazed.
My platinum plugs didn't show much of a noticeable difference in power but thats not what I got them for. So far they have >42,000kms with no difference to the initial power, starting or fuel economy (before and after the engine had a spice up) and they still work like new, any standard plugs were great for approximately 15,000kms and then the bike rode rougher etc.
I also know that the same type of plugs made a small noticeable difference in power in the Z1R (now 36,000kms old)- go figure.
Are they worth it, last at least three times longer for twice the price - yes
Quote from: FJmonkey on August 19, 2013, 03:17:38 AM
I guess I should check mine, not sure how many miles I have on them at the moment.
I have over 15K miles on mine, time to pull them and check the valves as well. Bike runs great and still getting about 48 mpg.
My 1st set lasted 80,000klms, really didn't need to change them, 2nd set has 30,000 still going fine :good2:
Quote from: baldy3853 on August 20, 2013, 08:33:45 AM
My 1st set lasted 80,000klms, really didn't need to change them, 2nd set has 30,000 still going fine :good2:
There is no reason for these plugs not to last any longer if the engine is well tuned and in good nick, judging by the 80K your engine is at its peak. My platinum's might not last that long but this time I'll run these till I feel a drop off in either fuel economy, power or running rough.
Seriously guys? Dickwaving about who can make their plugs last the longest? Really?
Different jetting, fuel quality, riding styles, and engine conditions are going to mean that everyone probably has a slightly different "best" plug for any given engine. Usually plugs seem to have different characteristics from brand to brand in any given motor. For example, I used Champions in an old car that could oil foul a set of NGK's inside a month. In the FJ, I use sidegapped cheap NGK's, and replace them waaaaay before they're due because it makes it easier to get good plug reads when playing with tweaking the motor.
I'd say it's a bit like an oil thread. Use what keeps the motor running, and don't pay a fortune. Check often, change regularly, and get on with your life.
Gee, some one had a hard night. At no time was I (or anyone else from what I read) "dick waving" its what we gain by passing our knowledge to each other, isn't what this forum about?
anybody notice how old this topic is? :sarcastic:
fuck you Danny... see you in about a month :drinks:
Quote from: Bozo on August 21, 2013, 06:17:36 PM
Gee, some one had a hard night. At no time was I (or anyone else from what I read) "dick waving" its what we gain by passing our knowledge to each other, isn't what this forum about?
+1 Bozo :biggrin: