e3 spark plugs

[smitty]

I put e3 spark plugs in my 96 conquest a year or so ago. The engine definately started quicker, idled down to a ridicuously low rpm,and also seemed to have slightly more power and fuel economy. I was even able to start it by wrapping a small rope around the drive clutch, some thing I haven't been able to do with the stock Bosch or NKG plugs. One day at the back end of my trapline it started running on one cylinder. Thought it was a dead plug as it started running on both cylinders when I replaced the front one with a used Bosch and got me home. Now it will only run one e3 plug, doesn't matter which cylinder, and one regular plug. Runs both stock plugs as if nothing is wrong. Any ideas as to what occured so that it won't run both e3 plugs. Electrical issues is not one of my strong points.

[BREEZE]

When you removed the bad plug what did the bottom of the look like...ex,,,,white and wet/,,brown and wet,,,,,,dry and brown,,,dark and dry,,oily and dark,,,??? also did you try to pull the plug wire slightly off the plug as to making the spark jump from the wire to the top of the plug tower?

[mudNmallards]

I’m going to give you a probable “hypothetical” answer to your quandary that “may” solve the problem. ( or it may guide you on other things to check or it may be totally off base and useless)

See, I’m not the engine guru ( the only engines I build are my own) but I do get to see tons of testing from my clients. In this case we are talking plugs and Autolite and Bosch are 2 of my clients I do process work on and get to see some of their testing methods ( and participate as a blind observer to validate the results) where they compare their products with all others on the market. You may find the answer to your problem on what they have discovered.

I need to give you some background on how plugs are tested first for my hypothetical solution makes sense because all “claims” made by people on “super plugs” are mainly based on anecdotal evidence and confirmation bias rather than true verifiable data.

People and claims- you write those off automatically because they spent high dollars on things and “expect” things so they “see’ things that may or may not be factually attributable to what they are looking at. Also, there are a lot of variables in the mix which can account for results.

Tests- some people ( and organizations, experts and whatever) run tests (dynos and stuff) but their results are not reliable because of the testing protocols they use.
Speaking specifically on plugs for this post- in order to qualify, quantify and validate any testing ( that any legitimate body would recognize and publish) here is what would need to happen

1) The plugs would have to be bench tested before and after run tests ( to establish baselines)
2) The engine ( car for driving tests) would have to be tested ( compression, vacuum, tolerances etc) prior to testing- all parameters would have to be identical
3) The test would have to be run against baseline plugs with the exact same warm up times, times at load and under the exact conditions for the duration of the test.

Any published testing that does not meet these minimum control requirements (and publish them in the test) is being dishonest ( at worst) and publishing garbage data at best. ( good try but failed to provide any usable data)

The known facts- any spark WILL ignite gas vapors under pressure and run an engine and run it properly. The “heat range” of a plug is what the PLUG will endure for reliability (not how much it burns the gas). The fact of physics is that these are “SPARK” plugs, not “explosion” plugs so the ignition of the vapors is dependent on the FUEL- not the plug. Anyone telling you any different either has no concept of physics or is selling snake oil.

Now, there is a difference which some people (in uncontrolled experiments) make honest mistakes on where they “legitimately” believe there is an improvement. ( there is an improvement- but not the way they believe)

In OLDER engines ( where there is a higher mixture of dissolved lubricant because gasoline is a solvent) where the “brighter” spark ( measured in Rockwell colors) is factually hotter- it burns the mixed oil easier and makes it “ash” so it does not cause build up on a plug and the ash goes out of the valve. That is a “true” benefit in the sense the properties of the plug overcome some mechanical wear of the engine. The plug did not “improve” anything (defined as exceeding the original baseline) but it did factually “improve” performance by overcoming a problem. This is temporary and short lived.

A ‘spark” could be a gazillion degrees but that only IGNITES the vapors( which is a timed function of the coil and engine) but after that the GAS determines how fast the rest ignites and burns efficiently and the rod stretch/condition of the valves/rings and mechanical timing precision determines the rest.

A spark plug is nothing more than dense material (acting like a capacitor) that makes a spark. Over time that material breaks down ( from the arc and discharge) changing properties of the base material and the wearing of the arc surface. ( this is why you change plugs)

Now there is a baseline- to my “hypothetical” solution to your problem.

Assuming everything else is correct (mechanically in the engine) and that the coil(s) are functioning to OEM output- you may find that the E3 plugs have such a high impedance that it is is bordering on your coils output and 2 of them exceed its output and is making it break down.

That’s only a theory because in order to actually prove it would take an accurate coil tester ( or maybe a megger) that measures build up, load and breakdown- THEN you would almost have to have an oscilloscope hooked in to measure the pattern under load on your engine.

Without all that “stuff”( and you say it runs OK with 2 standard plugs) it sounds like 2 of these plugs is simply overloading your coils capability.
I would like to know what your final solution is just for my own personal knowledge.