New spark plug design

[Geoff2]

I wouldn't say ' spark plugs are by & large the same'. Don't see 18mm plugs, magnetos & 0.015" plug gaps any more. Just like some of the people on this thread are deriding these new plugs as a ' gimmick', much the same response happened with the introduction of projected nose core plugs, copper centre electrode [ they were going to melt ] etc.

[ClassAct]

I wouldn't say ' spark plugs are by & large the same'. Don't see 18mm plugs, magnetos & 0.015" plug gaps any more. Just like some of the people on this thread are deriding these new plugs as a ' gimmick', much the same response happened with the introduction of projected nose core plugs, copper centre electrode [ they were going to melt ] etc.

Many are running less than .020 gaps today. I also see many running magnetos. The 18mm plug was a loser from the start.

[rebelyell]

ka-ching ! ... seems summit sells noisy gear drives as well.

in the vid, the hawker explicitly says they're Not spark plugs; later he compares his to "other" spark plugs. And, as everyone knows by now, product will get more interest if your hawker has a strong British accent. sarcasm is a gift.

[hoodeng]

18mm plugs were a hangover from earlier demountable plugs constructed of steel and mica, these plugs were constructed to be dismantled, cleaned of residues of lead and ash, mica polished, then reassembles and reinstalled, uncleared lead would attack the mica and pit it.
There is a crossover of years here where demountable plugs were still in use and TEL was introduced as a knock suppressor. These plugs were still used in aircraft after the introduction of porcelain plug insulation. These engines were running the highest lead content of any fuel commercially available, but using a plug that's insulation was consumed by it. Mica plugs were still being manufactured up to during 1950's.
Copper cores emerged as a improvement in conductivity in the seventies, this was not a new idea but a reintroduction of an old idea, copper was sometimes used as an electrode pre WW2.

Formula one plugs are down around 8mm [5/16"] ø, some discussion on if it could be made smaller is around getting the plug to do all its self maintenance functions whilst contained in an even smaller package, yes, plugs do clean themselves by getting the porcelain to run at around 500-700° to burn off residues, but not create a pre ignition source, that is why we see different heat ranges in what is essentially the same engine but in different work environments.

There was a book released by the RR Heritage trust called 'The vital spark' by Keith Gough, Yes, a plug is a lot more than a nail in porcelain!

Cheers.

[Krooser]

I want their skull shift knob...

[naukkis79]

It's well known that consuming metal in spark increases spark quality a lot. But electrodes made with soft metal wear rapidly. So in this design they introduce yttrium metal as neutral electrode. Very interesting design.

[Alaskaracer]

Gimmick plug, plain and simple. The OEM's went to exotic materials for the electrodes so the plugs will last longer, not due to any performance improvement. Less customer worry about tune ups......but the basic design is not only well proven, but has also out proven gimmick plugs every time.....whoever said that comment about if it were better the OEM's would be using them is dead nuts correct. He'll make some money then fade away when everybody realizes what's going on....

Just like the "Tornado" deal.......I actually got into an argument with that guy at a car show where he had a display set up.....I likely cost him several hundred dollars in sales that day, but I'm glad I saved the people that would have bought it the $45-60ish that it would have cost them for absolutely nothing.....

I'm all for innovation, as long as it's proven, and it works. But these days results reflect the agenda of who's paying for them, and things like "new design spark plugs" are no different. Put 10-20 thousand of them out there for a year or two and come back with the same data as the initial claim, then there's something there......but a few short videos and claims......with minimal test data from who??? Not buying it......

[Geoff2]

The silly attitude to something 'new' amazes me. Luckily for us today, when those strange things called automobiles first appeared, they were not dismissed as 'gimmicks'. Or we would still be riding horses.....
The lower arc over voltage of fine wire plugs allows the hotrodder to increase the plug gap without extra stress on the ign system. Plus, the sharper electrodes aid spark generation, reducing the risk of misfire. There is a performance benefit.

[David Redszus]

The intensity of a spark during the glow discharge phase is not uniform along its length but is strongest right where the spark enters or leaves a metal surface. A conventional plug has two of these surfaces at any given time. This plug has four surfaces. So maybe there is a difference. Don’t really know.

Me? I’m a fan of fine wire plugs if possible, with big gaps, lots of current and lots of duration.

Some observations gleaned from testing various spark plugs on a bench where the spark line can be
visually observed.

Regardless of which material the electrode is made, the spark is always a clean bright blue in color,
unless the firing voltage is marginal in which case the spark appears yellowish.

The location of the spark moves about from cycle to cycle and within a single firing. As the spark
connects the metal surfaces, the spark temperature (approx 60,000F deg) will cause local melting,
changing the resistance of the gap. The spark will then move to a new location with a reduced
resistance and the process repeats.

Having tested Bosch racing plugs, some with four ground straps and some with no ground straps, the
spark thread jumps around seeking a new, lower resistance electrical path.

The heat range of a plug refers to the thermal path of the center electrode, not the ground strap.
The thermal path of the ground strap is shorter than the center electrode yet will often run hotter
due to combustion heat.

The maximum spark plug gap is determined by the available firing voltage of the coil.

What determines the minimum spark plug gap?

[Circlotron]

I’d say the minimum spark gap is determined by the quenching effect of the adjacent electrodes, similar to a piston crown and head surface approaching each other very closely. And the likelihood of successful ignition on a given cycle, everything else being equal, is a statistical thing. The smaller the spark gap the less fuel and air molecules present in the gap so the less likely the flame will be initiated and grow and progress and intended. That said, even though an engine with forced induction often needs smaller plug gaps both because of the boost pressure and less ignition advance meaning the firing point is closer to TDC so more pressure again, the fact that there is more pressure means there is a greater number of air and fuel molecules in the spark gap than otherwise so presumably successful ignition is more likely.

[FredWinterburn]

It seems to me that the design might just allow for a longer (physically, not duration) spark with a lower threshold firing voltage. Perhaps even better than a fine wire electrode spark plug. Might be worth trying if they don't come apart inside the engine. Fred

[jsgarage]

In my opinion, only two 'oddball' plug designs ever actually worked compared to the usual single electrode plug from 100 yrs ago. That was the dual ground strap plug used in countless piston aircraft engines starting before WW2 and -I dunno- maybe still used today in these antiques. The second ground strap was supposedly a safety measure. Whatever, they let me have an equal number of takeoffs and landings!

The other design was the surface gap plug used in some two-stroke motorcycles. And again, that was supposed to solve the plug fouling these oil- burning engines routinely experienced. I put over 25,000 miles on a Kawasaki 500 2-stroke triple and got better mileage from the surface gap plugs than I did from the cranks & pistons... Nowadays I have no idea where you might find spares for either.

[Bob Hollinshead]

I put this post up because I thought they were new-looks like they've been out awhile though and still in business. Talking about new plug designs, gimmicks... I thought the E3 plugs looked like a joke when they first came out but I put a set in my Wife's 05 Honda Pilot quite a few years ago now and they've racked up 150K miles on them with no problems. Not to say a conventional plug would have had problems doing the same-but nice to see them trouble free for so long when I don't want to mess with the daily drivers regularly.