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Indexing Spark Plugs
#1325787
10/25/12 10:19 AM
10/25/12 10:19 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,443
Indiana
YO7_A66
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Indiana
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How many of you index your spark plugs for a street car? Does it make a difference?
I have been reading up on this and since I have been messing with my spark plugs here recently, I have been thinking about doing it on my next new set. It appears that the "opening" of the plug electrode should be +/-20 degrees or so of facing towards the valves (up).
I checked one of my just to see where it was at and it appears that the opening is more like 45 degrees from facing the valves straight up. In the attached photo, the green mark on the plug represents the electrode.
1970 YO7 A66 [Canadian Export] F8 Challenger
340 (Currently in shop for stroker assy.)
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Re: Indexing Spark Plugs
[Re: YO7_A66]
#1325788
10/25/12 10:22 AM
10/25/12 10:22 AM
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Indiana
YO7_A66
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I asked Moroso where the indexing washer should go and they said to remove the existing seal washer and install the indexing washer first. Then put the sealing washer on second which allows the sealing washer to do it's job.
I found this picture on the net which shows the opposite which would not seal very well.
1970 YO7 A66 [Canadian Export] F8 Challenger
340 (Currently in shop for stroker assy.)
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Re: Indexing Spark Plugs
[Re: YO7_A66]
#1325789
10/25/12 10:24 AM
10/25/12 10:24 AM
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Indiana
YO7_A66
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This is a good picture showing the orientation for the plug and keeping the electrode out of the way.
Is it overkill or not?
1970 YO7 A66 [Canadian Export] F8 Challenger
340 (Currently in shop for stroker assy.)
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Re: Indexing Spark Plugs
[Re: YO7_A66]
#1325792
10/25/12 10:34 AM
10/25/12 10:34 AM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 36,040
Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert
Circle Track
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Circle Track
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 36,040
Lincoln Nebraska
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Might try cutting off the whole horizontle leg of the ground strap till your into the angled portion on the side which'll totally unshroud/expose the spark kernel to the chamber. Leave just enough angle/length so you can bend it slightly to restore the gap as it wears. Dont know if it made a significant difference but it made me feel better thinking I had done something "trick"  . Keeping the edges filed sharp does reduce the required voltage to jump the gap
live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
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Re: Indexing Spark Plugs
[Re: Challenger 1]
#1325793
10/25/12 10:43 AM
10/25/12 10:43 AM
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Indiana
YO7_A66
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""When I did use the washers I didn't remove the factory washer first, It don't matter which way you use the copper washer, it'll seal either way.""
I found five kits online. I can see your point on a copper indexing washer, but Moroso leads me to believe that maybe some of the kits are not using a soft material for the indexing washers.
EDIT FROM MOROSO:
""If you have a tapered seat plug then you need to put the crush washer on
last so that it seats and seals correctly in the head. If it is a flat seat
application then the order in which the washers go on is not as important.""
Thanks for the replies.
1970 YO7 A66 [Canadian Export] F8 Challenger
340 (Currently in shop for stroker assy.)
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Re: Indexing Spark Plugs
[Re: Dunnuck Racing]
#1325798
10/25/12 11:29 AM
10/25/12 11:29 AM
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Indiana
YO7_A66
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I see what you are saying about the racing version. It appears to not care about orientation.
Is there any issues in using a race plug on a street driven car?
Thanks
1970 YO7 A66 [Canadian Export] F8 Challenger
340 (Currently in shop for stroker assy.)
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Re: Indexing Spark Plugs
[Re: YO7_A66]
#1325799
10/25/12 11:48 AM
10/25/12 11:48 AM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 36,040
Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert
Circle Track
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Circle Track
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Lincoln Nebraska
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I wouldn't think so IF you could get the right heat range. Just the cut back electrode would not be a problem on the street. The only thing I could think of would be not enough electrode length to maintain the gap you want as it wears down & filing the edges sharp regularly is a good plan but that'd be a long term potential problem & you'd probably replace em way before you got to that point
live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
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Re: Indexing Spark Plugs
[Re: scratchnfotraction]
#1325800
10/25/12 11:52 AM
10/25/12 11:52 AM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
Challenger 1
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
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Cincinnati, Ohio
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Quote:
best to do it with heads off engine. get them all the same indexing positions that way with no doubt. then # the plug for install later.
i noticed a smoother idle and running engine. it will help performance. how much? results will vary.
over kill on a daily driver IMHO, on an all out high HP engine, they still do it today on the bigboys. yes,you may need a few set to get 8 out of them.
would i do another engine? sure. if time and budget allows for it. i like tinkering with stuff like that on the bench to keep busy when building engines. in the car with headers on? i would not bother.
I have never seen it done in the alcohol or nitro classes. I used to go through 16 plugs per run before going to one mag, it would take way too much time to index them in a hemi and would be waste of time imo. We only get one run per plug because we read them very closely after each run.I could look back at the whole weekend through my plugs and computer, they are very important tuning tools.
I kept a guy busy doing nothing but gapping plugs and dropping the oil. That all he did all day and was plenty busy without indexing plugs.
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Re: Indexing Spark Plugs
[Re: Challenger 1]
#1325804
10/25/12 04:48 PM
10/25/12 04:48 PM
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,300
Northern Indiana
Dunnuck Racing
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Northern Indiana
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Quote:
Racing plugs for the street is a bad idea.
Care to explain why? Not sure what you based that on,as even spark plug companies say the only down side is reduced plug life. That and street type plugs usually cover a broader range of heat range than a race plug that is more specific. Not trying to start a battle,just curious?
Keith
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Re: Indexing Spark Plugs
[Re: YO7_A66]
#1325805
10/25/12 10:36 PM
10/25/12 10:36 PM
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Indiana
YO7_A66
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I see that three different thickness of washers are in the kit. What if none of the washers orient the plug correctly. Can you use two or more washers to get the correct orientation?
Since the valves are at 12:00 to the spark plug, how close do you try to clock the spark plug gaps toward the valves?
11:00-1:00? 10:00-2:00? 9:00-3:00?
Thanks
1970 YO7 A66 [Canadian Export] F8 Challenger
340 (Currently in shop for stroker assy.)
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Re: Indexing Spark Plugs
[Re: Dunnuck Racing]
#1325806
10/25/12 10:56 PM
10/25/12 10:56 PM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
Challenger 1
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
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Quote:
Quote:
Racing plugs for the street is a bad idea.
Care to explain why? Not sure what you based that on, as even spark plug companies say the only down side is reduced plug life . That and street type plugs usually cover a broader range of heat range than a race plug that is more specific. Not trying to start a battle,just curious?
Keith
This is the only reason why I say that, plus I think they will foul easier if your tuneup is not spot on like a race car is.
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for the little bit of 'seat-of-the-pants' feel just wasn't worth it.
