Can a spark plug be too cold or too hot?
If the heat range is too cold, the spark plug will be unable to properly self-clean by burning off carbon deposits. If it the heat range is too hot, your engine could experience detonation, pre-ignition, or power loss. Most spark plug manufacturers recommend that the tip temperature remain between 500° C and 850° C.
Do you put the hottest spark plug in the engine?
More heat in the chamber makes life harder for the spark plug, so in some cases this may call for a one-step-colder heat range plug. To cut to the chase before getting into the details, the best advice for a performance street engine is to put the hottest plug in the engine that will survive. That sounds overly simplistic but it’s accurate.
What’s the difference in heat range between spark plugs?
A good rule of thumb is, one heat range colder for every 75–100hp added. In identical spark plug types, the difference from one full heat range to the next is the ability to remove 70°C to 100°C from the combustion chamber. The heat range numbering system used by spark plug manufacturers is not universal.
What makes a spark plug different from another spark plug?
In identical spark plug types, the difference from one full heat range to the next is the ability to remove 70°C to 100°C from the combustion chamber. The heat range numbering system used by spark plug manufacturers is not universal. For example, a 10 heat range in Champion is not the same as a 10 heat range in NGK nor the same in Autolite.
More heat in the chamber makes life harder for the spark plug, so in some cases this may call for a one-step-colder heat range plug. To cut to the chase before getting into the details, the best advice for a performance street engine is to put the hottest plug in the engine that will survive. That sounds overly simplistic but it’s accurate.
If the heat range is too cold, the spark plug will be unable to properly self-clean by burning off carbon deposits. If it the heat range is too hot, your engine could experience detonation, pre-ignition, or power loss. Most spark plug manufacturers recommend that the tip temperature remain between 500° C and 850° C.
What does the heat range on a spark plug mean?
Heat range is the speed at which a spark plug can transfer heat from the firing tip to the cylinder head water jacket and into the cooling system.
How are spark plugs used to remove heat?
The spark plug design determines its ability to remove heat from the combustion chamber. The primary method used to do this is by altering the internal length of the core nose. In addition, the alloy compositions in the electrodes can be changed.