Iridium?
- Thread starter tomspro
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There is no point in running an Iridium plug in a bike with a single coil. The iridium electrode only helps when it is the negative post -it emits electrons easier.
With a single coil one center electrode will be positive and the other will be negative so the Iridium plug will only help on one side.
If you feel you need the help of a rare element electrode with a single coil then you would want to run a double platinum plug such as an NGK Laser plug. They have a platinum disk on the side electrode also and are made for double post ignition coils.
Realistically just run an inexpensive plug and change it regularly. The biggest enemy with most Nortons is carbon buildup anyway and a rare element plug is not going to prevent that. Jim
With a single coil one center electrode will be positive and the other will be negative so the Iridium plug will only help on one side.
If you feel you need the help of a rare element electrode with a single coil then you would want to run a double platinum plug such as an NGK Laser plug. They have a platinum disk on the side electrode also and are made for double post ignition coils.
Realistically just run an inexpensive plug and change it regularly. The biggest enemy with most Nortons is carbon buildup anyway and a rare element plug is not going to prevent that. Jim
I'm starting to wonder about you Jim... And L.A.B. as well, the amount of knowledge you guys have of all things Moto is not normal! Those wack job theories of interstellar aliens living amongst us "normal" humans is starting to sound, well not so wacked!!!
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If you want to take advantage of the fine wire electrode [that does help a bit] without paying for the Irridium electrode then you can buy the NGK V plug.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-NGK-6824-B8E ... dc&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-NGK-6824-B8E ... dc&vxp=mtr
I would make sure YOU know the plug fits and not trust some bonehead auto parts guy, I went to get plugs for my 1800ES Volvo once & they were out so the bonehead guy tried to sell me some fancy expensive plugs he said were a direct upgrade of my BP7es plugs.. When I looked sat them they were 1/4" to long and if I had put them in they would have gone through my pistons & or valves!! That store went out of business shortly after, gee wonder why?
ashman
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I am running stoct standard N7Ys plugs in my Norton for 39 years and have only had one plug fail in all that time, my last set of N7Ys have been in for over 5 years now and 25,000 mile on them and they look as good as the day I put them in, then again I am running a Joe Hunt maggie, I have run other plugs before and my bike for some unknown reason runs better with the stock plugs (Champion N7Y) and at a few $$$ each.
Ashley
Ashley
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Subject to Jim's point about single vs dual coils - sharp points - that's the idea behind platinum or iridium center electrodes. Platinum melts at a far lower temperature than iridium. Only a seriously mistuned Norton could make enough heat to melt a platinum center electrode. Turbo or supercharged engines, however, is where the higher heat tolerance of an iridium plug can pay for itself. Also, many of the newer platinum on both sides plugs are not designed for high performance, rather, they are designed for 200,000 mile automobile (anti-smog regs) longevity by virtue of platinum's greater resistance to the spark erosion that a steel electrode suffers from.
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xbacksideslider said:
Yes, The common steel center electrode like the old Champion melts at 2500 F.
The copper center electrode like NGK and modern Champions melts at 1985 F.
Platinum melts at 3215 F.
Iridium melts at 4436 F.
The melting point simply determines how long the plug will hold it's sharp edges. For the normal plug change interval on a Norton the copper center electrode is plenty good enough with dual coils.
With a single two post coil you will wear one plug out sooner than the other unless the center and outer electrodes are of the same material. Jim
Of course even with diss-similar metals carbon buildup is usually going to mean the plug gets replaced before erosion is a concern.
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Don't know if it is true or not but I recall it said that the original fine wire platinum Champion plugs that were popular with the old magneto points ignitions on the Yamaha two stroke twins operated as a "fuse" in that - it was claimed - the platinum would melt, increasing the plug's spark gap, and thus degrade the spark, thereby reducing heat, just before the moment that the engine would melt a piston or seize.
elefantrider
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Years ago we used a spark plug cleaner.... like a mini sand blaster. Helped to blow off all the carbon build up. Used today with Iridium's more durable electrode, that might be longer term plug solution for carbon build up?
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