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Sat Oct 21, 2017 9:15 am

1600cc stock engine with the upgraded alternator. Best spark plug? I went with Champion and don't feel like a #%^^ing champion haha.

Sat Oct 21, 2017 9:52 am

That's one of those questions where there are infinite answers based on personal preferences.

I (emphasis on the I) have used Champions, Bosch and Auto Lite before with good results. Results may vary.

Sat Oct 21, 2017 10:10 am

I used Bosch for years in all my volkswagens. But once, the local VW vendor didn't have any. I went to Autozone and they didn't have them either, so I bought NGK brand.

What a difference! The threads just seem to fit better. With Bosch, there were times when removing and old plug was more difficult, not seized, exactly, but sort of. With NGK's, the plugs come out easily every time. And they are less prone to cross threading.

I use the B5HS.

Tim

Sat Oct 21, 2017 10:13 am

Yeah, a lot of what ifs, and personal preference. With Bosch discontinuing stuff, I've started using NGK stuff a while ago. A stock replacement to a Bosch W8AC would be a NGK B5HS (4210). A resistor version would be a BR5HS (3722). I like a plug with a protruded electrode a little better, so I prefer a BP5HS (4111). And the resistor version of that is BPR5HS (6222). The 4111's are usually in stock at Napa, or Advance Auto, or can be gotten by them the next day. I've had good luck with Autolites in Fords, but I don't even use Champion plugs in my lawn mower.

Sat Oct 21, 2017 10:46 am

Why does no one mention NGK BR6HIX? I run those in all of my Beetles.

Sat Oct 21, 2017 12:09 pm

kawfee wrote: Why does no one mention NGK BR6HIX? I run those in all of my Beetles.

There's nothing wrong with them. I personally don't see much of an advantage running an Iridium plug with a 40+ year old ignition system. A quick search found them close to $7 a plug, where there are places you can buy all 4 4111's for less than $7.

Sat Oct 21, 2017 12:32 pm

I like the NGK's.

Sun Oct 22, 2017 2:04 am

kawfee wrote: Why does no one mention NGK BR6HIX? I run those in all of my Beetles.
Would these be less prone to plug fouling in my tired 1600 ?

Sun Oct 22, 2017 4:23 am

bergfan wrote: kawfee wrote: Why does no one mention NGK BR6HIX? I run those in all of my Beetles.
Would these be less prone to plug fouling in my tired 1600 ?

No.

Sun Oct 22, 2017 7:24 am

opened my shop in 1975 and always used bosch....the difference in quality between them and the other stuff available at the time was significant...40 yrs later the quality has definately gone downhill....i ran ngk's in my race car cause bosch didnt have the heat range i wanted with no issues at all...and when i started buying new factory longblocks from mexico(back when they were still available) i was suprised to see they came with ngk plugs, not bosch....and saw various water cooled vw's with ngks as original plugs....so obviously they're good enough for the factory...the last set of bosch 7502's (w8ac) i bought were marked made in russia

Sun Oct 22, 2017 10:35 am

Lettuce :lol: not forget the importance of the correct spark gap either.
and of course conditon of coil, wires, cap and rotor. coils do die, often they die a slow death, little shorts in the windings gradually reduce performance over time. if you have poor running, trying a brand new coil might be the answer, if it dont fix anything, put the old one back and keep the new one in the trunk as a spare. I also keep my used plugs if not totally bad, as spares, at least one set kept in the trunk.

good luck, spark on!

Sun Oct 22, 2017 2:23 pm

I only use iridium or platinum plugs, last forever and a day and dont miss a lick. I also dont use hot or cold plugs.

Sun Oct 22, 2017 4:15 pm

Just installed the protruded electrode BP5HS to see if they help with fouling , autostick has wrong carb which is another story :cry:

Sun Oct 22, 2017 5:56 pm

Been using NGK B5HS or B6HS in customer and my cars for several years for stock head applications. Keep in mind that the lower the number for an NGK, the hotter the plug.

Mon Oct 23, 2017 9:39 pm

andk5591 wrote: Been using NGK B5HS or B6HS in customer and my cars for several years for stock head applications. Keep in mind that the lower the number for an NGK, the hotter the plug.

Does hotter mean the plug will make the combustion chamber/event hotter? Or will the plug itself stay hotter and help burn carbon off? I just found some nasty shit on my bus plugs and stuck some B7HS plugs in because I had them laying around.

Robbie

(This is also a PSA to maybe check your plugs more frequently than my 22,000 mile/11 month service interval.......)

Tue Oct 24, 2017 3:13 am

asiab3 wrote: andk5591 wrote: Been using NGK B5HS or B6HS in customer and my cars for several years for stock head applications. Keep in mind that the lower the number for an NGK, the hotter the plug.

Does hotter mean the plug will make the combustion chamber/event hotter? Or will the plug itself stay hotter and help burn carbon off? I just found some nasty shit on my bus plugs and stuck some B7HS plugs in because I had them laying around.

Robbie

(This is also a PSA to maybe check your plugs more frequently than my 22,000 mile/11 month service interval.......)

Wow that's some scary looking crud :shock:

And to answer your question: this is from NGK's site.

"It is a common misconception that spark plugs create heat. They don't. A heat range refers to how much heat a spark plug is capable of removing from the combustion chamber.

Selecting a spark plug with the proper heat range will ensure that the tip will maintain a temperature high enough to prevent fouling yet be cool enough to prevent pre-ignition. While there are many things that can cause pre-ignition, selecting a spark plug in the proper heat range will ensure that the spark plug itself is not a hot spot source."

Tue Oct 24, 2017 6:54 pm

asiab3 wrote:

That's a pretty nasty looking plug, are you using some sort of additive in your fuel?

An easy way to check if the heat range of your plugs is correct for your engine is to look at the colour change on the side electrode -- there should be a somewhat distinct colour change right about in the middle of the bend. If the change is closer to the tip the plug is too cold, if closer to the threaded base the plug is too hot.

Tue Oct 24, 2017 7:53 pm

asiab3 wrote: andk5591 wrote: Been using NGK B5HS or B6HS in customer and my cars for several years for stock head applications. Keep in mind that the lower the number for an NGK, the hotter the plug.

Does hotter mean the plug will make the combustion chamber/event hotter? Or will the plug itself stay hotter and help burn carbon off? I just found some nasty shit on my bus plugs and stuck some B7HS plugs in because I had them laying around.

Robbie

(This is also a PSA to maybe check your plugs more frequently than my 22,000 mile/11 month service interval.......)

Hey Robbie, what are the compression numbers? All four. And, is that the only plug that looks like that? Anything rebuilt or redone in the last few thousand miles?