I have a '91 Sovereign and what to know what plugs I should use? I know the owners manual says Champion RC9 YC, I have never been a fan of Champion plugs. What do the other members recommend/use?

 

I have heard good things about NGK as well

 

I looked at plugs online and found they ranged in price from a couple bucks to over $20 each! I shoulda stuck with my diesels! Most of them were in the $5-$8 range. Do I really need a platinum plug with 4 electrodes? Or will a factory (OEM replacement) plug do the trick? Is there a noticeable advantage to the "super plugs"? Spending over $150 on spark plugs boggles my mind!

 

The following are merely my opinions, based on certain amount of personal experience. I'm sure someone with more knowledge will chime in if I'm leading you astray.

1) Champion spark plugs:
I'm 100% with you on the Champion hate. In a long and varied mechanical career (primarily on motorcycles), the ONLY brand of plugs I've had a problem with were Champions.

2) "Super" plugs:
I think a lot of this falls into the "snake oil" category, or at the very least the "these cost more, so they gotta be better ... right?" mindset.
Certainly spark plug technology has come a long way over the years, but you can buy a nice set of Bosch, NGK (or whatever brand!) multiple electrode plugs at your local auto parts store (or Wal-Mart!) for a very reasonable price.
While a $20 spark plug might test superior in some respect on sophisticated test apparatus, I seriously doubt there would be any noticeable difference in performance or longevity in a real-life situation.
These certainly aren't Formula 1 engines we're dealing with!

Again, strictly my not-so-humble opinion. Yours may vary.
Good luck,
Retro

 

I feel the same way about these plugs. I think a good NGK will perform fine for my purposes. Even the cheapest Bosch is over $11.

 

I use champions in all things british and have for 10 years, nothing but the best of luck. No matter what you think these are simple motors with very simple ignition systems and a plain old copper core Champion plug will take you a long way.

 

I agree with you on the simple plugs. I just have had trouble with the champions, both in motorcycles and cars. Admittedly, that was 30 years ago though...

 

Just wandering by from the S-type section and thought I'd stick my 2 cents worth in.

Your opinions are well founded on the 'super' plugs regarding performance. Assuming that the correct heat range and length of plug has been chosen (ie the electrodes are projecting into the combustion chamber as designed) no plug will give better or worse performance than another. Basically, a spark is a spark.

Where the super-zoomy ultra platinum/iridium/unobtanium expensive types have a clear advantage and why they're used by the OEMs on newer cars is simply for durability. It's not rare for these plugs to last 100,000 miles/160,000kms. This longevity is required for pollution certification.

Whether it's worthwhile putting them in an older car from a cost point of view, I don't know.

 

I have to agree with pretty much all that has gone before me here. Let's face it, we are now talking in general about cars that are heading for 20 years old, with 50 year old engine designs.

So is your unobtanium plug going to help make things better, I doubt it.

Modern engines are different, with different alloys used, different thermal characteristics, higher rev ranges, lower emissions quotas, the list goes on.

Call me cynical, or just approaching grumpy old git status (whatever you want), but I am of the opinion that OEM status, by a third party manufacturer is today achieved from a purely economics basis.

Spec sheet given to plug manufacturers A, B, C, all make plugs that agree with the specs, but C gives the best deal to the car manufacturer.

C, becomes new OEM supplier.

Does any of that help my out of date, out of production XJ40, no! so I will use whatever is the best price and meets the recommended specs for my car.

I really don't need a plug that is guaranteed not to misfire at 20,000rpm and will last up to 100,000 miles, my 20 year old car will never aspire to either.

And can you imagine the response, if in 20 years time I post up into this thread, saying that I am now due to change my plugs for the first time in a generation.

So to Muleears, your money, your choice, I have had Champions, and NGK and a mixture of the two, never had any problems. Now plug leads, ah, that is another chapter, (you can have the best plugs, the best coil, the best dizzy cap, but if the spaghetti can't deliver then you have negated everything).

But even here, a non leaking simple cheap lead, is always going to be better than a broken down expensive jobbie.

Let us know, what you decide to do. As you can see, your simple question, gets the juices flowing. LOL

 

NGK
Spark Plug; BKR6E NGK


$1.86 each. I think they will work just fine for my Sunday driver. All I need now is the proper gap...
Thanks for the help, fella's.

 

I was wondering if anyone has tried the Bosch Platinum +4 plugs I got a set of them today for my 98 XJ8 L 4.0. A friend swears by them this is the first time I will be using them.

I agree with Champions being horrible, they are the worse plug I ever used never had any luck with them.


John

J.A.N.E Member