I'm going to put a new Opti in my car and while I'm doing it I'm replacing plugs and wires. (90,000 on the car.)

I had a set of SplitFires in a TPI motor once and really didn't notice much difference, although I would say it ran fine and can't say anything negative about them.

I wanted to try a set of the Delco clones that had 4 prongs around the perimeter of the electrode, but I can't seem to find a picture of them anywhere on Delco's site. Did they quit making them???

Anyone run the Delco Clones or the SplitFires in an LT1, mostly stock engine? (Stock internals.) Or other SplitFire clones worth looking into???

Paul 'X'

 

im getting to that point too and would like to know..

so a BUMP

 

According to Magnacore wire Co.,they told me not to use splitfie spark plugs because they have no ribs on the porcelon part,which means the spark will try to find a ground,climb up the plug,shoot though the boot,and maybe creat a light show,and loose power.This was a few years ago,maybe they changed,I dunno.Might go to the NGK web site,as they have a great writeup on thier plugs for the LT1.Hope this helps.(I put a set of splitfires in an old toyota,and they didn't do jack).My02

 

The Split-Fires I have seen appear to be very poor quality plugs. Looks like they buy the cheapest generic plug they can find, then split the ground electrode with a pair of diagonal pliars.... seldom get the "split" in the middle. And even if it is "split".... what is the advatage? The spark is going to jump the smallest gap of the two, and you will still have a single spark, just like any other plug. The "split" electrode is no more than a gimmick.

The plug with 4 ground straps, spaced evenly around the plug is not a Delco.... they are Bosch. They also make one with 2 ground straps. I have never had any of the local guys that liked these after they tried them. To me, its just like the Split-Fire.... the spark jumps to the ground strap that is closest to the center electrode. The extra ground straps do little more than "shroud" the spark from the A/F mixture. It would seem to me they would hurt more than they would help.

People have have very good results with NGK's and Rapid-Fires. For nitrous or blower applications, NGK or Autolite. Don't be fooled by the advertising for multiple ground strap or split electrode plugs.

 

I have been running the splitfire tripple plats in my Z for over 2 years. I luv em. I swear the engine revs faster with them, but realy have no proof of that. They looked like very high quality pieces too. I gapped them to 0.050. I never had a bit of trouble with them and I use them in all my cars.

 

Injuneer-

For the most part, I agree with the basics of what you've said above... Split or multiple electrodes are probably 'mostly' gimmics. The spark will take the path of least resistance. However...

1) It WILL take the path of least resistance, however that doesn't necessarily mean that it will take ONLY 1 path if a) too much power is sent through the circuit with the least resistance and/or b) two pathes have almost exactly the same resistance.

In the case of the SplitFires, and the age-old typical spark plug designs, the spark is always shrouded by the ground tab. Thus my desire to try the Bosch 4-prong deals. With the Bosch 4-prong design, the spark is always directly open to the air/fuel charge that is being compressed directly into its opening.

Also, with the 4-prong design, you have 4x the amount of ground to burn off before the spark plug 'gap' becomes a performance problem. I know it isn't as much of a problem with EFI engines, but I don't know how many times I've pulled a set of plugs out of a 'Barely Streetable' carb'd small block to find the ground tab nearly burnt completely off.

http://www.boschusa.com/AutoParts/Sp...latinumPlus4/#

You'll notice that nowhere on the web site or the videos does it actually show the spark plug firing..

But, theory and speculation aside, the best and/or only real way to know is from those who have used them... So keep the stories coming!!!

Paul 'X'

 

i have the bosch platinum +4's and i love them!! i noticed a diff. after i put them in!! although i am getting rid of them(nitrous+platinums=bad things)

 

I have Splitifire steels in my ride........I haven't noticed any negative effects........

I hope I don't too.........damn plugs suck **** to change.

 

Theories ,or practical application?
Just do a search and see what works for folks here,and make your own opinion..I think the computer,with all the sensors will make the final decision anyway.My02

 

I run champion coppers in mine.

I also like Kix cereal.

-Mindgame

 

I run the Champ's too..... but I don't know about the Kix.

I've used the NGK's and Autolites with nitrous... and of course the engine ran fine the 99% of the time it wasn't spraying. The OEM AC Delco platinums were a disaster, IMHO, shedding the little platinum pucks all the time.

 

Although, non LTx IC engine, my experience with them, was an unexplained miss/vibration. I consider split fire plugs gimmicktry, and a waste of $$. Aren't kix for rabbits?

 

silly trix are for kids, not kix!! but i love my platinums and i think every one is gonna support what there runnin!!

 

You know Kix arnie... no added "sugars", no "fancy stuff", just plain old cereal.

This "splitfire" stuff is just gimmicry and you don't need anything more than a 6th grade education to know why.

Remember this little phrase from your science class?
Electricity always takes the path of least resistance

Interestingly enough, David Vizard wrote an article in the May issue of Pop HotRodding magazine (really starting to like this mag) on the subject of spark plugs. Here's an exert...

.... What you need to be aware of is selling spark plugs to the end user is as much about marketing as it is technology. Single split electrodes, do not produce multiple sparks. The gap breaks down at the point of least resistance and is where the spark occurs. The advantage of multiple electrodes (like Bosch 4) is that as erosion occurs at one point so the resistance at that point increases. This causes the spark to seek a new point of low resistance and plug erosion is slowed by being distributed among more than one electrode

He goes on to caption a Bosh 4 plug with this....

Multiple electrodes as seen here do not mean multiple sparks, just longer life.

So it doesn't matter how many electrodes you have, electricity is still going to take the path of least resistance. The problem I have with the Bosch 4 (and it aint just me) is that they shroud the spark. No point in even indexing those plugs....

-Mindgame