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Article: 444 of rec.autos.sport.tech
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From: tbrunner@et0038.pto.ford.com (Thomas Brunner)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport.tech
Subject: Re: SplitFire plugs = Snake Oil???
Date: 1 Jun 1994 13:06:20 GMT
Organization: Ford Motor Company
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We did some testing over a year ago in our research lab at the University of
Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Our engine was a 1.9L Ford Escort which had been
broken in properly on the dyno. We used an eddy current dyno with a digalog
controller.
In terms of brake quantities, SFs did nothing. There was less than 1 lb-ft of
torque difference between the two plugs. We also took emissions data at WOT
and two part throttle points. At low RPMs (<2000) there was some difference
in hydrocarbon emissions. We attribute this to the fact that the engine had
been sitting for quite a while before we ran the Motorcraft plugs, but we ran
the SFs back to back with the Motorcrafts. The theory is that the cylinder
walls, crevice volumes, and crankcase desorbed hydrocarbons, throwing the low
RPM Motorcraft data off.
We ran the test twice. The first time we preignited with the Splitfires because
they were a hotter plug than the motorcrafts. They have much more exposed metal
area, and much less ceramic. A colder plug may have helped, but I still suspect
that the SFs would have a tendency to preignite before a stock single electrode
plug.
Our theory on the split electrode is that electric discharges will follow the
path of least resistance, SO, IT WILL ALWAYS FORM ONE ARC. This idea would then
say that a splitfire will last twice as long, but will not have multiple arcs
at any given point in time. I am not hugely knowledgeable on ignition systems,
but I suspect that the splitfire commercial with that wonderful arc is filmed
with something like an MSD ignition with a distributor spinning at 10,000 RPM
or so. :-)
We do have cylinder pressure data from our experiment, and I am still intending
on examining and possibly trying to publish our results, when I get time.
IMHO, for 5-6 bucks a plug, you would have to drive a lot farther on a tank to
justify the difference in cost. Remember, a spark plug cannot change the
fundamental efficiency of an Otto cycle engine.
And also, remember that I do not in any way speak for my current, past, or
future employers on this (or most any) topic.
Thomas Brunner
tbrunner@aec002.ve.ford.com or tbrunner@et0038.pto.ford.com
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Article: 457 of rec.autos.sport.tech
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From: raz@MCS.COM (Anupam Razdan)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport.tech
Subject: Re: SplitFire plugs = Snake Oil???
Date: 3 Jun 1994 13:09:50 -0500
Organization: MCSNet Services
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dafuller@sequent.com (David Fuller) writes:
>My '86 GTI has plugs that have 3 electrodes, arranged at 120
>degree intervals around the rim of the plug. So I wondered
>what all the SplitFire fuss was about...
>--
>Dave Fuller All opinions expressed are my own and not
>Sequent Computer Systems those of Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.
>dafuller@sequent.com
The Bosch 3 electrode plugs are know as "Tri-electrodes" and are configured
for longevity. The "Platinum" series of plugs is optimized for performance.
Regarding SplitFires, TechTonics, the well-known VW tuner who *NEVER* supports
a product without dyno data, recently tested SplitFires against Bosch Platinums,
and found absolutely no gain for the SplitFires and maybe a small decrease in
Hp. I repeat, the dyno did not support SplitFire's claim.
On a slightly different note, isn't it about time that the government starts
holding advertisers to their words? First Slick-50, the SplitFire, what next?
Anupam Razdan, raz@mcs.com
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Article: 461 of rec.autos.sport.tech
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From: dgrant@bud.peinet.pe.ca (Dennis Grant)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport.tech
Subject: Re: SplitFire plugs = Snake Oil -Closure
Date: 5 Jun 1994 12:36:13 GMT
Organization: Private Internet connection
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In article Steve Cutchen writes:
>
> That's why I asked the knowledgable folks in this newsgroup. It seems that the
> majority have seen, or believe anyway, that there is no benifit. Only Dennis
> Grant <2sm2ns$3gm@bud.peinet.pe.ca> has seen otherwise:
>
> >I said it before, I'll say it again. I put SplitFires in my T/A, and picked up
> >about 4.5 HP, calculated from a number of test runs at Race City Speedway in
> >Calagary, Alta, Canada. Tests were baselined and plugs were changed at the
> >track. They work.
OK, now it's time for me to tell you all _why_ I think they work, and more
specificly, why they worked for me.
Ever here of indexing plugs? It's a process where one ensures that the spark
gap is pointing into the combustion chamber, and not at a wall. (The flame
kernal from a normal plug is "C" shaped, with the gap in the C being where the
ground electrode attaches to the plug. You want the side of the C opposite the
gap to point into the combustion chamber) Essentially, one marks the location
of the gap on the outside of the plug, and then screw it into each hole in the
head until you find one that puts the mark where you want, and if you can't
find one, copper shims are inserted between the plug and the head, until it
does line up.
It's a time consuming process, but it can gain you anywhere from 0 to about 10
HP, based mostly on combustion chamber shape. Heads with strongly offset plug
holes, wedge shaped chambers, high compression, and lots of quench benefit the
most. Hemi heads usually get nothing.
Now the flame kernal on a SplitFire has another place to go -> down, out the
split in the electrode. And as most plugs are angled towards the combustion
chamber, what you get is a pre-indexed plug.
Most all of the racers I know that tried SplitFires also got power gains
consistant with the gains produced by indexing plugs, and one guy I know
indexed his SplitFires, and got no further gains.
So, if you get a power gain from indexing plugs, you should get a gain from
SplitFires. If there is no gain to be had for your motor by indexing, you're
probably better off saving your $. And if you never try either approach,
you'll get beat by the guy that does. Power gains come in small steps, not
large hunks. Every little bit helps.
>
>
> Thanks to all for the feedback. I think I'll save my money...
See above. :)
>
> Maybe I'll try that new digital fuel injector gizwhat that JCWhitney is selling.
> You just stick it in the fuel line in place of the filter. Customers report
> *significant* HP gains... :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
Is this that silly electromagnetic gizmo that supposedly applies an electrostatic
charge to your fuel, with the idea that now the fuel droplets will repel each
other and promote better atomization? (There's one in this month's Summit
catalogue too, which is suprising, 'cause Summit normally only sells race
proven stuff) This smells like snake oil to me, big time. If I see a test on
it, maybe, but I ain't buyin' it 'till I see one.
>
> Regards ---ssc
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> Steve Cutchen Upon reflection,these opinions may not even be my own;
> scutchen@arco.com they're certainly not my employer's...
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dennis Grant dgrant@peinet.pe.ca Charlottetown, PEI, Canada
Amiga 4000/030/6/120/40 MHz '882/IDEK 17" monitor
1977 Trans Am SE 6.6l Slalom swerver and dragstrip burner
There 'aint no replacement for cubic displacement.
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Article: 468 of rec.autos.sport.tech
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From: saread@u.washington.edu (Steven Read)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport.tech
Subject: Re: SplitFire plugs = Snake Oil -Closure
Date: 6 Jun 1994 03:37:08 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
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In article <2ssgrt$68g@bud.peinet.pe.ca>,
Dennis Grant wrote:
>OK, now it's time for me to tell you all _why_ I think they work, and more
>specificly, why they worked for me.
>
>Ever here of indexing plugs? It's a process where one ensures that the spark
>gap is pointing into the combustion chamber, and not at a wall. (The flame
>kernal from a normal plug is "C" shaped, with the gap in the C being where the
>ground electrode attaches to the plug. You want the side of the C opposite the
>gap to point into the combustion chamber) Essentially, one marks the location
>of the gap on the outside of the plug, and then screw it into each hole in the
>head until you find one that puts the mark where you want, and if you can't
>find one, copper shims are inserted between the plug and the head, until it
>does line up.
>
>It's a time consuming process, but it can gain you anywhere from 0 to about 10
>HP, based mostly on combustion chamber shape. Heads with strongly offset plug
>holes, wedge shaped chambers, high compression, and lots of quench benefit the
>most. Hemi heads usually get nothing.
>
>Now the flame kernal on a SplitFire has another place to go -> down, out the
>split in the electrode. And as most plugs are angled towards the combustion
>chamber, what you get is a pre-indexed plug.
>
>Most all of the racers I know that tried SplitFires also got power gains
>consistant with the gains produced by indexing plugs, and one guy I know
>indexed his SplitFires, and got no further gains.
>
>So, if you get a power gain from indexing plugs, you should get a gain from
>SplitFires. If there is no gain to be had for your motor by indexing, you're
>probably better off saving your $. And if you never try either approach,
>you'll get beat by the guy that does. Power gains come in small steps, not
>large hunks. Every little bit helpsw.
Geez, I hadn't planned to say anything about splitfires but the topic of
plug indexing came up. I agree that when you think about it plug
indexing should help. Smokey Yunick has talked some about plug indexing
in his article in Circle Track; his conclusions about plug indexing are
that power gains are minimal. You can gain more power by simply
eliminating some sort of parasitic drag, e.g. a new water pump. When
indexing plugs you get the plug open to the combustion chamber; this
means that the open "face" of the plug is facing in and up towards the
valves. Essentially the flame kernal that you speak of is pointing
directly toward the incoming charge of fuel and air. If what you are
saying is happening in the split fire is that the flame kernal is exiting
through the split it isn't going the same direction as an indexed plug,
its pointing at the top of the pistion. Agreed that it is heading in a more
direct route to the combustion chamber but it certainly isn't the same as
indexing.
I don't think there's 10 hp in indexing any motor. I could be wrong
since I haven't run any dyno tests, but with that magnitude of hp gain by
spinning your plugs it seems that your going to run into detonation
problems and have to drop some timing advance. There is more power in
advancing timing than indexing plugs. Realizing that all things in
racing involve some sort of compromise and that you are correct in that
it is the small things that make winners from losers, I wouldn't index
for the simple reason that changing plugs at the track would be way too
time consuming and I'm not certain that the same shims would get me back
to my index when I've removed the plugs to read them. To win the race you
first have to be in the race and messing around with an indexed plug when
my time could be better spent repairing damage or messing with suspension
setup seems a waste of precious pit time. Not to forget that you have
selected a plug that is sticking into the combustion chamber a specified
amount and shimming that plug out is also pulling it out of the cylinder.
That's enough. Just thought I'd share a few thoughts. This thread
turned out to be a way better thought provoker than I originally thought
it would be. I hope there's going to be more on plugs; they are a somewhat
overlooked, and a bit mysterious part of racing.
Steve Read
saread@u.washington.edu
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Article: 477 of rec.autos.sport.tech
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From: chucko@rahul.net (Chuck Fry)
Subject: Re: Spark Plug Wires??
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In article <2sva9i$9tt@ra.msstate.edu>,
Jiann-ming Su wrote:
>Anybody recommend a good brand of plug wires?
Since you asked this in rec.autos.sport.tech I'll assume you're looking
for wires for a race car.
Any of several brands of magnetic-suppression wire (aka "spiral core")
should do the job just fine. Mallory, MSD, Jacobs, Taylor, and various
others all make such wires. I consider the "Split Core" wires from
Splitfire to be unadulterated snake oil.
Do not use solid-core plug wires anywhere near anything electronic. I
would use these only on race cars fired by magnetos.
Don't forget to use silicone dielectric grease to seal the plug wires to
the plugs and the distributor cap. This will help prevent
moisture-induced misfiring. And be careful to avoid running the wires
parallel for any length, as this may cause inductively coupled
crossfire. Nice, neat, parallel plug wires are purely for show, not go.
-- Chuck
--
Chuck Fry chucko@rahul.net
"I do have a cause, however. It is obscenity. I'm for it."
-- Tom Lehrer, 1965
(thanks to Stan Schwarz and Elf!! for the correction)