I've been running 2 step colder plugs on my Vortech setup...I know the main drawback as you go colder with with plugs is fouling; I recently pulled out my plugs to check their condition after about 5k miles...





it dosen't seem look fouled to me, just trying to get some opinion from more experienced eyes...

 

more will comment tomarrow but is it just the light or does that second pic look like its starting to glaze?(which would be a indicator of too hot but that seems insane on a vortech i dont have that problem at 600 to the wheels granted dont have 5k miles)

 

I would say they look good....but I hate judging them from pictures.

 

way too dark for 5k miles unless this is a purpose built track car and you do'nt do any normal cruise driving.

With normal cruise driving (daily driver) the car is seeing about 95% of it's life in stoich (14.7a/f) therefore the plugs should be dark white or a very very light tan. Only when you go WOT at get down into the 11:1 a/f will you start getting some darkening of the plugs.

I can't see from the angle but that gap looks quite large as well. Have you noticed any misfires or anything?

 

My plugs are 1 step colder and typically look much more sooty than that. In fact yours look glazed which is no bueno...Do you have an A/F gauge to make sure you're not too lean?

 

I was having some tune issues so that's probably the reason for the glazing everyone is talking about....that's being resolved...

I just wanted to make sure I didn't need to switch back to 1-step colder...

 

what gap should they have? when I bought mine they told me they were already gap for it. I also have the vortech supercharged, DE engine.

 

ive gapped mine down to .030 but anywhere between .030 and .035 should be good for the vortech.

 

this.

the -11 plugs have a .044 gap which might work for lower power levels on iridium plugs but there is a chance for spark blow out and misfires. If you get them that aren't the "-11" then they are gapped I think around .035 which is more appropriate for FI. If you try to gap down iridium plugs be very careful.

 

this is a purpose built track car and you do'nt do any normal cruise driving.

 

you most certainly dont need 2 step, probably dont even need 1 step.

without a proper chop, its hard to know whats really going on.

 

What part number for the .035 gap? All the ones for the VQ35DE are .044

 

LFR7AIX the 7 i have gotten(one went bad i think to getting dropped somewhere along the line) where all .030-.035

 

ive gapped mine down to .030 but anywhere between

 

Same part number as before with no "-11" at the end. The "-11" stands for 1.1mm which is .044". That's what all those dash numbers mean on spark plugs. it's a gap measurement.

 

I've been using LFR6AIX-11 and getting misfires placed an order for LFR7AIX.

 

1 step colder isnt going to help your misfires. it could even make it worse

 

so should i go with LFR6AIX? I originally bought the LFR6AIX-11 prior to having a built motor.

 

Doesn't matter how built your engine is. Unless it's pure race only car 2 steps colder wouldn't benefit anything. Timing and fuel should be adjusted to keep from detonating not adjusting plug heat.

If you are misfiring then going colder will probably make it harder to fire thus increasing the misfires. Either the plugs are just worn out (meaning put the same plugs back in) or there is something else wrong.

We need to put a sticky on "proper use" on spark plug heat ranges. Huge misconceptions with why there are different heat ranges.

 

You can't usually tell much from view a SparkPlug like that, unless something is very much wrong with the motor.

Cylinder pressure is related to spark blow out and misfires. The higher the pressure, the more chance for spark blow out and misfires.

I'd replace with a new set, 1 step colder and gap them to .0035" for 12psi, .0032" 14-16psi, and .0030" for 18-20psi