Side-gapping spark plugs?

[Black-Wolf]

So...

Was just cruisin the web today, and started reading something about spark plugs - came across a "side-gapped" plug video on the book of farce (here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/325339826515603), and watched it. Guy basically cut off the 1/4" end of the electrode, and then ran it in a spark plug tester - looked like it produced much cleaner spark than the non-side-gapped plug. I believe that this is done primarily for racing and on older style vehicles that use a spark plug wire and rotor, but, is there any reason it wouldn't work with a dual-coil packs? I use performance coils from RIPP superchargers and did get a mileage boost and more power.

Anyway, now I'm curious and have some questions:

1) Has anyone here EVER done this - regardless of vehicle?
2) Did it improve or reduce performance (fuel mileage, engine power, etc.)?
3) Has anyone tried it on any generation of Hemi engine?
4) What are the associated risks (besides spark plug failure/failure to ignite)?

Thanks!

V/R

Black-Wolf

 

[RocknSnowRyan]

I think that it would work until the center electrode wears out some but I wouldn't test it. It probably looks cleaner since it's firing from the edge, but image after the center electrode wears down how far the gap will be to the other side, it will probably look even worse and more sporadic than if left alone. There are plugs like split fire or even ones with 4 electrodes that would've discovered this, if it did work better. The possibilities seem endless with multiple straps/ gaps/ and cutting the straps down.

 

[Green_Manalishi]

If the manufacturer could save $0.0001 on every plug by using less material and keep the same performance, you can bet they'd do it.

 

[Sherman Bird]

So...

Was just cruisin the web today, and started reading something about spark plugs - came across a "side-gapped" plug video on the book of farce (here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/325339826515603), and watched it. Guy basically cut off the 1/4" end of the electrode, and then ran it in a spark plug tester - looked like it produced much cleaner spark than the non-side-gapped plug. I believe that this is done primarily for racing and on older style vehicles that use a spark plug wire and rotor, but, is there any reason it wouldn't work with a dual-coil packs? I use performance coils from RIPP superchargers and did get a mileage boost and more power.

Anyway, now I'm curious and have some questions:

1) Has anyone here EVER done this - regardless of vehicle?
2) Did it improve or reduce performance (fuel mileage, engine power, etc.)?
3) Has anyone tried it on any generation of Hemi engine?
4) What are the associated risks (besides spark plug failure/failure to ignite)?

Thanks!

V/R

Black-Wolf

The risks are simple: The waste spark nature of the coils on this engine means that spark plug design, condition, and performance are very critical.
Changing the basic gap/ electrode properties WILL ABSOLUTELY cause a higher circuit demand on the computer driver circuits and eventually damage the computer.
The ENTIRE basic design of OBD2 is to achieve as close to perfect as possible perfect Lamda. All the components in the fuel and ignition systems are calibrated to this end. Lambda is Stoichiometric of air/fuel ratio of 14.7:1.
This means that the computer is really devoted to maintain a certain spark quality and intensity at the plugs.
My advice is to leave it alone with the exception of replacing the spark plus every 90,000 miles!

 

[Wild one]

So...

Was just cruisin the web today, and started reading something about spark plugs - came across a "side-gapped" plug video on the book of farce (here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/325339826515603), and watched it. Guy basically cut off the 1/4" end of the electrode, and then ran it in a spark plug tester - looked like it produced much cleaner spark than the non-side-gapped plug. I believe that this is done primarily for racing and on older style vehicles that use a spark plug wire and rotor, but, is there any reason it wouldn't work with a dual-coil packs? I use performance coils from RIPP superchargers and did get a mileage boost and more power.

Anyway, now I'm curious and have some questions:

1) Has anyone here EVER done this - regardless of vehicle?
2) Did it improve or reduce performance (fuel mileage, engine power, etc.)?
3) Has anyone tried it on any generation of Hemi engine?
4) What are the associated risks (besides spark plug failure/failure to ignite)?

Thanks!

V/R

Black-Wolf

Some guys have reported benefits from wiring the coils together to bypass the waste spark system,so that both coils and plugs fire at the same time in each cylinder.


This is from Hakan Osman (product engineer, ignition systems) at Chrysler.

With the Hemi's 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 firing order, the parent/companion pairings are:1/6, 8/5, 4/7, and 3/2. Therefore, to fire the two plugs on cylinder No. 1 at the same time, coils 1 and 6 are triggered, resulting in four spark plugs firing-two on cylinder No. 1 on compression stroke and two on cylinder No. 6 on the exhaust stroke. Since the plugs firing in cylinder No. 6 during the exhaust do not work, they are termed "waste spark", and in turn the entire ignition system is referred to as a "waste spark ignition system."

Another person from chrysler said the two plugs on the #1 cylinder fire at "nearly the same time"

 

[Sherman Bird]

So...

Was just cruisin the web today, and started reading something about spark plugs - came across a "side-gapped" plug video on the book of farce (here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/325339826515603), and watched it. Guy basically cut off the 1/4" end of the electrode, and then ran it in a spark plug tester - looked like it produced much cleaner spark than the non-side-gapped plug. I believe that this is done primarily for racing and on older style vehicles that use a spark plug wire and rotor, but, is there any reason it wouldn't work with a dual-coil packs? I use performance coils from RIPP superchargers and did get a mileage boost and more power.

Anyway, now I'm curious and have some questions:

1) Has anyone here EVER done this - regardless of vehicle?
2) Did it improve or reduce performance (fuel mileage, engine power, etc.)?
3) Has anyone tried it on any generation of Hemi engine?
4) What are the associated risks (besides spark plug failure/failure to ignite)?

Thanks!

V/R

Black-Wolf

This is one of those times when a person might not see the mountain in the landscape, so to speak. So, you saw someone using a spark plug in the great outdoors, in atmospheric pressure! It produced a nice clean spark, and you said "WOW!" and were impressed by the prospect. Fair enough.

Now, let's get right down to brass tacks.... The spark plug in your engine has several potential variables depending on the particular application, thus the catalogs offering hundreds of different choices! What is the resistance, reach into the cylinder, plug electrode gap, and the configuration of said electrode called for by the manufacturer? And Why?

Well, inside a cylinder under compression, kilovolt demand TO fire the spark plug is 10 times that of atmosphere. In essence, a .045 gap plug in your engine can and will jump a nearly 1/2 inch gap outside of the engine easily.
Other consideration is turbulence across the spark during combustion event in the cylinder as opposed to outside.

The manufacturer of your engine has designed and engineered the engine for maximum combustion efficiency. There are many detailed factors in the successful completion of the goal. Spark plugs play a very important role on their part. Screwing with the design or configuration of it will throw off the balance of these dynamics.

Changing anything germane to the spark plus will skew combustion efficiency and likely incur a check engine light and DTC's for fuel correction issues and very likely cause misfire codes. It's also possible that errant EMF feedback from ignition will cause widespread mayhem in the car's sensitive computer and CAN/BUS systems. I see this all the time.

I hope this helps shed light on the subject! Peace!

 

[Mister Luck]

So...

Was just cruisin the web today, and started reading something about spark plugs - came across a "side-gapped" plug video on the book of farce (here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/325339826515603), and watched it. Guy basically cut off the 1/4" end of the electrode, and then ran it in a spark plug tester - looked like it produced much cleaner spark than the non-side-gapped plug. I believe that this is done primarily for racing and on older style vehicles that use a spark plug wire and rotor, but, is there any reason it wouldn't work with a dual-coil packs? I use performance coils from RIPP superchargers and did get a mileage boost and more power.

Anyway, now I'm curious and have some questions:

1) Has anyone here EVER done this - regardless of vehicle?
2) Did it improve or reduce performance (fuel mileage, engine power, etc.)?
3) Has anyone tried it on any generation of Hemi engine?
4) What are the associated risks (besides spark plug failure/failure to ignite)?

Thanks!

V/R

Black-Wolf

It’s not going to harm your vehicle in a dramatic way but you could have spark plug longevity issues and carbon / soot build up.

Spark Plug Designs are more than surface appearance and electrode sizing is a strategic science, the size and the diameter of the electrode body plays in part to how hot of cold a spark plug preforms.

I could see a race team testing a new camshaft and cylinder head wanting more piston clearance cutting the side electrode to fit their custom application but not for a daily driver.