E3 Spark Plugs...

[Cal_Gary]

Hello All,
I'd mentioned at the end of my head gasket project about trying out these E3 plugs so I got a set of the E3.52 plugs, installed them on Wednesday then took a test drive. I noticed just a slight nudge in power; however, a definite upgrade at idle with an improved, smoother idle, and the plugs are warranted for 5 years and are good for 100K miles. The manufacturer also claims a slight fuel savings that I will monitor then report back on.

Oh, I drove the truck to work for this shift and will be chugging up the big hill in about 3 hours from now.

More to follow,
Gary

[52 M-42]

Are these the military waterproof plugs? Could you maybe post a picture of one of the plugs?

Thanks, Gary!

[w30bob]

52,

No, they're regular automotive plugs. They look like a regular spark plug but the ground electrode looks like a three legged coffee table with a square hole in the middle, directly above the center electrode.

Gary,

All kidding aside, whether the plugs improve performance or not, the larger ground electrode surface area of the plug's design will attract more carbon buildup over time than a standard spark plug. Having more electrode means you have more electrode exposed to the products of combustion. These plugs are designed for modern fuel injected engines with hotter spark and more tightly controlled fuel management than the ol' M37 has. Not saying they won't work or make your engine run better........just saying take a peak at them from time to time just to make sure you don't have a fouling issue sneaking up on you. Also, I don't know how you gap these plugs....it doesn't look obvious.....but watch out for large gaps, as they'll make your coil work harder (and shorten its life).

regards,
bob

[Cal_Gary]

Thanks guys for your questions and insights. My plugs are civiIian as is my distributor and plug wires. I took the hill this morning running the E3s, didn't do as well as it did the other day although I was able to remain in 3rd gear instead of dropping into 2nd. The weather was cooler last week that might have had an impact. This evening, for a sanity check if nothing else I pulled the E3s and reinstalled my ACs then took another test run downhill then back up. The only difference with the ACs was that the hint of surging showed itself under load-something it did not do with the E3s. So I'm going back to the E3s to run a long-term test on how they perform.

Bob, I hear you on the carbon factor and will check them periodically. Since i can change the set of 6 in 15 minutes it's not a big deal. Also, the gap on the E3s is preset and not adjustable.

52M, here's a photo.
Gary

[52 M-42]

Thanks, guys!

I quit paying much attention to automotive improvements when the stopped using carburetors and started adding circuit boards.