Spark plug Code...

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Indawoods
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Spark plug Code...

Post by Indawoods »

1.NGK
2. B
3. P
4. R
5. 8
6. E
7. S


1. The makers name.
2. Thread Diameter - B = 14mm.
3. Projected Insulator.
4. Resistor type plug.
5. NGK's Heat Rating.
6. Plug reach - E = 19mm.
7. Super wide range electrode.

Just in case your interested.....
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Post by KC »

So would an 7ES be a hotter or colder plug, and for example does the term "hotter" mean it actually runs hotter? or does it mean it's made for "hotter" environments (so it runs colder)?

I always get this mixed up, no wait, I'm just always mixed up!

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Post by KDXer »

The plug is hotter.
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Post by fuzzy »

Be careful, it might burn your hands when taking it out of the box! :lol:

The range is specified by the engine mfg for the engine itself, and it's recommended fuel to burn. A hotter plug will run hotter engine temp-wise. This being said, you always want to run the coldest plug you can get away with while maintaining the proper operating temp. In this case, it happens to be the B9, or B8 for the KDX depending on elevation, fuel, and jetting.

A hotter plug can sometimes be used if you misteriously find yourself in a rich, plug-fouling condition, but ONLY as a temporary band-aid to the jetting issue at hand.
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Post by KDXer »

Yeah what he said.... :lol: :rolleyes:
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Post by KDXGarage »

KC, the larger the number, the more it is suited for high speed operation. I run an 8 in my KDX's, though the manual suggests a 9. If I was always on the gas like in a desert, then a 9 might be the correct plug. As it is for my slow self, a 9 loads up with carbon and fouls. An 8 produces that nice tan color. The higher number plugs absorb more heat from the engine.
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Post by quailchaser »

KC wrote:So would an 7ES be a hotter or colder plug, and for example does the term "hotter" mean it actually runs hotter? or does it mean it's made for "hotter" environments (so it runs colder)?

I always get this mixed up, no wait, I'm just always mixed up!

Thanks,
KC
Just to clarify the plug thing. The temperature rating of a spark plug has to do with how much heat the spark plug itself can dissipate(take away) from the combustion chamber. The hotter the plug rating (lower number) the less heat the plug will remove from the combustion chamber. Thus the combustion chamber will run hotter. Conversely, the cooler the plug(higher number) the more heat it will take away from the combustion chamber. Thus the combustion chamber will run cooler.

With a properly jetted engine, the goal is to have the right balance of having enough heat to properly burn the fuel/air charge, while removing enough heat to not overheat the charge. Did that make sense? :?

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Post by fuzzy »

Yep
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Post by KC »

Excellent answers guys, thanks. I was confused cuz my sleds run a 9ES's, so I thought it was for colder environments, but I guess the sled engine runs harder and requires more heat disipation. Thanks!
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Post by canyncarvr »

So...a too cold plug will remove too much heat from the chamber...and take it...where?

If heat is removed from the chamber it goes someplace. If it's the plug that is 'removing' it, it does so by sinking the heat to the water cooled head? That means a way too cold plug will cause an engine to run way too hot? Overheat? :twisted:

OR...a too hot plug will NOT sink enough heat, allowing an increase in chamber temps..causing the engine to run way too hot? Overheat?

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Post by KDXGarage »

cc, go buy a B11ES and do some testing. :grin: The lower the number, the less heat it will pull from the engine. The higher the number, the more it will pull/absorb. As best I remember, the higher the plug number, the more ceramic.

If you run a B5ES, I imagine it will blister in little time.
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Post by canyncarvr »

I'm pulling some legs....playing devil's advocate to see what pops up.

Jason wrote:Conversely, the cooler the plug (higher number) the more heat it will take away from the combustion chamber.
Where does the heat go?

BTW...the higher the number, the colder the plug...the LESS ceramic, so a shorter distance for heat on the tip to travel.
NGK website wrote:In identical spark plug types, the difference from one heat range to the next is the ability to remove approximately 70°C to 100°C from the combustion chamber.
OK. That's agreed. My point was, where does that heat go? If an 8 removes 70-100ºC more than a 7 (shorter ceramic, heat has a shorter distance to travel, plug runs cooler), where does that heat go? It can't just vanish.

Please re-read my above post (call it 546). There is a problem with the semantics. My point is to make things more clear by pointing out the obvious confusion. :rolleyes: How'm I doin'? :wink:

BTW..keep in mind that a plug does not have anything to do with heat generation. It does NOT 'make' heat.

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Post by Indawoods »

The plug does not make the heat... but it determines where it goes.

A hotter plug does not absorb as much heat and keeps the heat in the combustion chamber more than a cooler one. A cooler plug takes the heat and disperses it throughout the plug and water cooled head.

Right?
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Post by KDXGarage »

YEAH! and then onto your fingertips when you try to spin out a hot one. Ouch.
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Post by canyncarvr »

Inda wrote: A cooler plug takes the heat and disperses it throughout the plug and water cooled head.

Right?
That's what I'm after. That would mean the cooler the plug, the more heat goes in the water.

I want to hear someone argue that point. :wink:

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Post by bradf »

argue...ok; Ski doesn't don't run water! :mrgreen:
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Post by fuzzy »

Pulled from NGK's site:

Heat range

The term spark plug heat range refers to the speed with which the plug can transfer heat from the combustion chamber to the engine head. Whether the plug is to be installed in a boat, lawnmower or racecar, it has been found the optimum combustion chamber temperature for gasoline engines is between 500°C–850°C. When it is within that range it is cool enough to avoid pre-ignition and plug tip overheating (which can cause engine damage), while still hot enough to burn off combustion deposits which cause fouling.

The spark plug can help maintain the optimum combustion chamber temperature. 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. This means you may not be able to visually tell a difference between heat ranges. When a spark plug is referred to as a “cold plug”, it is one that transfers heat rapidly from the firing tip into the engine head, which keeps the firing tip cooler. A “hot plug” has a much slower rate of heat transfer, which keeps the firing tip hotter.

An unaltered engine will run within the optimum operating range straight from the manufacturer, but if you make modifications such as a turbo, supercharger, increase compression, timing changes, use of alternate racing fuels, or sustained use of nitrous oxide, these can alter the plug tip temperature and may necessitate a colder plug. A rule of thumb is, one heat range colder per modification or one heat range colder for every 75–100hp you increase. 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 numbers used by spark plug manufacturers are not universal, by that we mean, a 10 heat range in Champion is not the same as a 10 heat range in NGK nor the same in Autolite. Some manufacturers numbering systems are opposite the other, for domestic manufacturers (Champion, Autolite, Splitfire), the higher the number, the hotter the plug. For Japanese manufacturers (NGK, Denso), the higher the number, the colder the plug.

Do not make spark plug changes at the same time as another engine modification such as injection, carburetion or timing changes as in the event of poor results, it can lead to misleading and inaccurate conclusions (an exception would be when the alternate plugs came as part of a single precalibrated upgrade kit). When making spark plug heat range changes, it is better to err on the side of too cold a plug. The worst thing that can happen from too cold a plug is a fouled spark plug, too hot a spark plug can cause severe engine damage
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Post by Indawoods »

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Post by John Cena »

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The firing end appearance also depends on the spark plug tip temperature. There are three basic diagnostic criteria for spark plugs: good, fouled and overheated. The borderline between the fouling and optimum operating regions (500&def;C) is called the spark plug self-cleaning temperature. The temperature at this point is where the accumulated carbon and combustion deposits are burned off.

Bearing in mind that the insulator nose length is a determining factor in the heat range of a spark plug, the longer the insulator nose, the less heat is absorbed, and the further the heat must travel into the cylinder head water journals. This means the plug has a higher internal temperature, and is said to be a hot plug. A hot spark plug maintains a higher internal operating temperature to burn off oil and carbon deposits, and has no relationship to spark quality or intensity.

Conversely, a cold spark plug has a shorter insulator nose and absorbs more combustion chamber heat. This heat travels a shorter distance, and allows the plug to operate at a lower internal temperature. A colder heat range is necessary when the engine is modified for performance, subjected to heavy loads, or is run at high rpms for a significant period of time. The colder type removes heat more quickly, and will reduce the chance of pre-ignition/detonation and melting or damage to the firing end. (Engine temperature can affect the spark plug's operating temperature, but not the spark plugs heat range).



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Post by Indawoods »

This help CC?

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