Colder SparkPlug Discussion.Lets get to the bottom

[DatSRBoi]

Ok I notice my car performs allot better when its cold. Started thinking about an old post on how superchargers shuold run colder plugs to advoid early detonation. Then I remember being told if a N/A cars ran the colder plugs that we'll be safe and nothing will happen like misfire and all.... Yet many of us run the normal ones that we get from the factory specification...

My question I want to figure out now is..
- Is it ok for stock solara or Intake/Catback Solara/ Lightly tuned solara to run colder plugs that the Supercharger solara run?
-- Will it kill any performance or power in all power ranges?
--- If I started racing another car with it, will it rob power or will It actually help in performance?
---- Why do autozone people say dont get it unless you are boosted when the price is same and other people say its ok for non boosted cars.
----- Is it safe if go and buy it tommorow and throw them in.. Specially when winter hits...
------ Will it run normal and like stock plugs
------- Whats the exact colder plugs do we buy and brand and recommendations?

Im just wondering because Im doing spark plugs changes withing the next week and since the price is same for the plugs would it be ok for me to throw them in... Since Im a V6 and the motor still gets hot from the heat it produce, would this colder plug help me reduce early detonation if I start racing up to near redline? I know summer my car gets really hot but not anywhere near over heating. But when I push my car I can feel the heat taking its toll on the cars performance.. Winter In Texas isnt really cold for long periods..


PS...... I know Im not boosted.. But with traffic and heat that Texas gives, I think my car is like a boiling turbo...

[jeffrey_o]

Hey there friend, I'll give you a hand since I have a bit of knowledge in this section.

The primary job of the spark plugs is to transmit energy that can turn fuel into a form of energy that the engine can use. They do this using voltage and thus creating their name, spark. They have a secondary task though, that's REMOVING heat from the combustion chamber. That's right, they remove heat. Now why would you ask, would you want to do that? Well, detonation is the term for early combustion or detonation. That's bad mmmkay? There are a million and one writeups of what that is but, for now remember that you don't want it. It's most common for F/I individuals, but can happen on a few N/A applications. Now you also need to understand a few things...

#1, Octane rating of fuel is NOT a performance enhancer!!! The number is its resistance against detonation.

Now you're going to ask me why does my car feel faster when I put in a higher octane fuel? The engine can read these little pings of sound from the detonation that is occuring, the less there is, the more it'll advance timing and thus give your engine will push a little harder since it's at less of a risk.

#2, Colder spark plugs are used to remove unwanted heat from the combustion chamber. That means that if you're recieving detonation, colder spark plugs are a good first step to prevent it. They will remove unwanted heat that is causing early detonation. The spark plugs heat range is the range that it can remove heat from the combustion chamber, plane and simple.

#3, You said your car runs better when it's cold, why you ask? Because colder air = more condensed. That means you're getting more air into your engine at one time, however, the temperature of your spark plugs have nothing to do with this.

Bototm line, unless you're running your engine for a prolonged period of time, pushing it hard, revving it hard, or are using something that could bring about detonation (generally F/I) you don't have a need for colder spark plugs. You can try it, and if you do I recommend one range lower, nothing more. I make no promises that they'll help you at all though.

I hope this was of help and I'll be happy to answer any questions you have.

[Jon11582]

Step 3: Heat Range - The third factor in choosing a race plug is heat range. Correct heat range is critical in maintaining peak performance throughout the duration of your race or event. Switching to a colder or hotter plug will not increase horsepower, but could affect engine performance. Choosing a plug that is too hot can result in preignition or detonation. A plug that is too cold could cause an engine to stumble, misfire or foul.

The main factors to consider in selecting the proper heat range are: type of race, methanol, specific output, nitro-meth, compression ratio, nitrous oxide, horsepower, super or turbo charging and racing fuel.

http://www.aa1car.com/library/2004/us30428.htm

WHAT HAPPENS IF I USE THE WRONG PLUG?
If you have used a plug that is too hot or too cold for your application, this will be revealed in one of two ways. If the plug is too hot, the engine may suffer from detonation, pre-ignition and high running temperatures. Detonation occurs when the fuel mixture explodes quickly rather than burns. You don't want this to happen because it can damage the engine. The telltale signs of detonation are a "miss" in the exhaust tone at high speeds and a pitting of the cylinder head around the glow plug and the top of the piston. Severe detonation can cause the coil element of the glow plug to come loose, and this can severely damage the engine. The primary cause of detonation, however, is excessive compression. Simply using a hot plug will not usually cause detonation, so don't be afraid to experiment. If you're using high-nitro fuel and have increased the compression by reducing head clearance, however, a hotter plug may just push the engine too far and cause damage. At the very least, an excessively hot plug will cause pre-ignition, in which the fuel mixture begins burning well before the piston reaches the top of the cylinder.

Using a plug that is too cold will result in a loss of acceleration and top speed and will cause poor engine idle. If the plug is much colder than it should be, you might notice an excessive raw-fuel discharge from the exhaust pipe, but don't confuse this with an excessively rich fuel mixture.

http://www.rcnitro.com/rn/articles/glowplugs.asp