E3 Sparkplugs

Reading some chatter about these on goldwing forum, thought i'd give'em a try in the Venture. Now, whether it is fresh plugs or what, i can hear and feel a difference, less vibration in floorboards, smoother acceleration. I'll know by tomorrow night if their mpg claims are valid or not. I fueled Monday and today, each time right at 110 miles, and each tank was +-.1 gallon, at 3.4 average. By the time I get home tomorrow night I will be at 110 miles again and fuel up. Then we will see!

Are you saying you are going 110 miles on 3.4 gallons? If so, that is only a little over 32 mpg. If that is the case, you have a lot bigger problems than the brand spark plugs you are using. I am routinely getting from 42 to 46 mpg and the higher number is 2up.

RandyA

Bob I can tell you I was sponored by split fire a similar type plug. I ran them in my FJ 1200 motor with mixed results. First couple weeks were ok. But then started. Acting like was fouled out. Turned out they were killing the ecm box. Burned 2 up and I threw them in trash.

That is roughly all I have ever gotten from this, for MPG, in the 14 years i have had it

That is roughly all I have ever gotten from this, for MPG, in the 14 years i have had it

I used to get 38 to 40mpg's years ago. I replaced the diaphragms and did the needle shim and I have got as good as 50mpg's if I am careful not to lug the bike too much, and this has been 2up in the mountains up to 6,600 feet.

I wish you well with the E3 plugs, but to me they are just a gimmick.

RandyA

I guess I'll be parking my 86 in your garage this winter and you can do the magic to it that it needs. I replaced diaphragms last fall, have maybe 2500 miles on them. Made no difference in mpg, little change in performance.

I guess I'll be parking my 86 in your garage this winter and you can do the magic to it that it needs. I replaced diaphragms last fall, have maybe 2500 miles on them. Made no difference in mpg, little change in performance.

Come on down, we'll see what we can do with it.

RandyA

Bob just wondering and poking questions. but have the stations up that away started with the "winter blend" fuel yet? My 2nd gen on the highway I pretty much get 35. So yours dont really sound off that much to me. What about a carb sync?

You would think theory wise that the plug is supposed to fire 2 sparks from the prong it would get a bigger bang and combust better. But one of the ideas tossed at me when I asked some of the engine tuners for race teams I know about that type of plug was "you dont see any of us using them do you?" or "your forcing the spark to pick 2 places to jump across now, so it needs a bigger spark (coil)"

Show me that it jumps both gaps every time it fires and I show you some fire water that you'll get 500 miles to the gallon on. I run stock plugs.

kickshot

I seem to recall something about " the path of least resistance"!

Impossible to jump two gaps at the same time. The coil collapsing is not going to suddenly re-energize to fire a second time that fast and there is no signal to do so either during that compression stroke.

My 1st Gen has broken 50 MPG several times. NGK plugs and tuned right.

A friend on another forum touted the 3G's when he installed them on his Road Star 3 years ago.

So, I tried a set on my RSTD. Good at first (not enough to brag). But they seemed to be short lived.

Replaced them with stock NGK. Just replaced those at 40k miles.

I have thought about the "gapless" plugs also, some are called center fire or maybe rim fire. But they are like the plugs that use to be in the old recip aircraft engines. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51iTygKzwGL._SL500_AA300_.jpg or what about these types. http://www.boschautoparts.com/SparkPlugs/PublishingImages/IRFusionPlug238.jpgI think the latter brings the same point. Spark is only going to jump @ one point.

So....question:?

What is the best all around plug for our motors?

Consensus?

Poll?

david

save the money and stick with ngk's

Are you saying you are going 110 miles on 3.4 gallons? If so, that is only a little over 32 mpg. If that is the case, you have a lot bigger problems than the brand spark plugs you are using. I am routinely getting from 42 to 46 mpg and the higher number is 2up.

RandyA

That's easily explained, I'll bet your passenger wants you to use the throttle a little less enthusiastically?

Spark is only going to jump @ one point.

One possibility could be the better likelihood of a clean path for the arc? As one area deteriorates from the arcing another may be fresh and produce a stronger spark. This would continue until all surfaces are too oxidized to spark properly and the plug needs replacement. This should take longer than a plug with a single gap.

For this reason I sort of like that gapless one. That and I once had a piece of insulator crack off and score a cylinder after a head gasket leak sprayed coolant onto a hot plug. Turned a head gasket replacement into a top-end rebuild. That gapless plug looks like it would retain the insulator better.

The plugs I pulled looked great, had about 5 k miles on them, and lots of seafoam additive. I carefully looked at the plugs with a magnifying glass looking for deposits that others claim would be there from the SF, but saw nothing. All 4 plugs look exactly alike so what ever is causing the poor economy is consistent. All 4 are (very)light brown streak down one side, white the rest of the way around. No black.Air filter was fresh last year when i put the diaphragms and plugs in, don't ride off road, mainly interstate, and yes I ride fairly "brisk", usually 12 - 20 over.

Your mileage does not sound bad for riding around town or even mixed riding. But it is a little low for highway riding. Make sure your carbs are synced and properly adjusted. Then check your mileage on a non stop highway ride under about 75 mph. That will give a good repeatable baseline to work from. Also winter fuel will drop the mileage considerably so watch for that.

There is a place for exotic spark plugs. They can help delay the effects of other engine problems such as valve seals or rings, rich or lean mixtures etc. But if your engine is working as designed they won't do much. Once the fuel mixture ignites the spark plug becomes irrelevant.

Mike

Won't swear to the sync right now but less than 4 months ago it was as close to dead even as my mercury manometer and my skillful blind eyes could get it.

Likely pull the carbs shortly and sonic clean them