Pulse Plugs: Bogus or bonus?

[plym49]

Originally Posted by elhigh

I've seen these so-called "pulse" sparkplugs advertised here and there, and also checked them out on the web. I can't find much in the way of reviews or testimonials about them. Does anybody know more, or has anyone on the forum tried them out?

...snip...

Again according to the ad copy, the pulse is supposed to be hotter and bigger, but I don't recall seeing any mention of the spark's duration, which seems important to me. I'm also curious as to whether it might do damage to a multi-spark ignition system.

I once installed a Jacobs' ignition on my SBC. They tout variable spark generation based upon the load on an engine, so maybe this is a more intelligent implementation of the same basic principle. I can't say that I noticed any performance or economy gains with the Jacobs unit. It did look kewl and had some nice bells and whistles, like a valet mode that limits rpm to, say, 1500. But I sure did burn through a lot of caps and rotors!!!!! Even when using supposed 'high voltage/high performance' (yeah right, it is still the same dielectric path because that is fixed by the shape) parts.

[WaxyChicken]

Alright, someone needs to educate me on this.
I thought the purpose of a spark plug was to ignite the gas vapor/mist to explode inside the chamber.

As far as i can tell, the only factors would be:
1 - response time between electricity sent to plug and when the plug actually sparks.
2 - wear and tear or durability

other than that, does it make any real difference? i mean - if it does the job of combusting the fuel then does one plug really work better than another? i thought an explosion was an explosion - they still have the same amount of fuel to ignite and the fuel still burns at the same rate.

I could understand the difference if one engine was igniting fireworks and the other was igniting TNT, but it's still gas in the same chamber. can you really get a bigger pow???

[plym49]

Originally Posted by WaxyChicken

Alright, someone needs to educate me on this.
I thought the purpose of a spark plug was to ignite the gas vapor/mist to explode inside the chamber.

As far as i can tell, the only factors would be:
1 - response time between electricity sent to plug and when the plug actually sparks.
2 - wear and tear or durability

other than that, does it make any real difference? i mean - if it does the job of combusting the fuel then does one plug really work better than another? i thought an explosion was an explosion - they still have the same amount of fuel to ignite and the fuel still burns at the same rate.

I could understand the difference if one engine was igniting fireworks and the other was igniting TNT, but it's still gas in the same chamber. can you really get a bigger pow???

Basically, no. As long as the ignition system is capable of handling the engine in question (rpm, compression ratio, etc.) and all else being equal.

[elhigh]

So far, I haven't yet seen an ignition system that was far and away better than the one already in the car. And since the one in the car - and the car is over 20 years old now - has proven to be effective and reliable, I'm loathe to go out on a limb on a Johnny-come-lately product that is backed by a bunch of claims that I can't verify.

The manufacturers had a pretty good idea of what they were up to when they put the ignition system in the car. Unless you're looking for super high performance or something else similarly special, I don't see much need to change the ignition.

[BetsyBio]

I am interested in the outcome SVO, as I just stumbled onto there page if they can do what they claim it would definitely be a good thing for fuel mileage.

[toomuch]

how did this turn out? Pulstar plugs any good?

[SVOboy]

I don't drive anywhere so I sent them for andrew to test, dunno how that's gone.

Carlos, wanna chime in with your experience?

[TomO]

I've finished my A-B part of my A-B-A testing of the Pulstar Plugs. I only have one full tank through on the last A side of testing, but I can tell a difference already. I will post more in about two weeks when I'm done with the last A. I will say that the difference is not hugely accurate as I don't have a SuperMID but my gaslog has show a slight difference.

[JohnnyGrey]

SVOboy -

I have a free set also (free stuff!!!!!!!!!!). Here is my current plan for testing them :

1 - Tune-up my car and put in generic brand X spark plugs.
2 - Reset ECU/PCM.
3 - Drive for two weeks and make notes of the weather conditions along with the MPG.
4 - Go to my mechanic and raise the car up in the air.
5 - With the car in the air, put the car in 4th gear at Y MPH with cruise control on.
6 - Reset the scangauge and let the car drive at Y MPH under stready-state conditions for 10 minutes.
7 - Take down all scangauge readings.
8 - Install pulse plugs.
9 - Repeat steps 2-7.

In this way, the car will have a before and after set of readings. The two weeks will allow for normal driving with all it's vagueries. The two weeks will also allow the ECU/PCM and the plugs to "get to know each other". The "up in the air" test will be an attempt to isolate an MPG difference from all the other external factors.

I have just finished my yearly tune-up, so now I have two weeks to wait. I may wait for three weeks, because we're due for a week of rain in LA this week (go figure). My mechanic just switched spark plugs, so I won't know the current model of plug until we replace them (I didn't ask him, my bad).

CarloSW2

Won't work. Your car won't be able to maintain a steady speed in cruise control off the ground. Tiny variations in throttle create huge differences in wheel speed. Either MPH will fluctuate wildly, or your ECU will panic and disable CC.

[cfg83]

SVOboy -

Originally Posted by SVOboy

I don't drive anywhere so I sent them for andrew to test, dunno how that's gone.

Carlos, wanna chime in with your experience?

They didn't work for me. Here is what happened :

1 - I drove to my mechanic and he installed the pulse-plugs. I originally had Denso Iridium plugs. Kept the Densos in the car just in case.

2 - With the engine already warmed up, I drove to work, 25 miles, and everything was perfect.

3 - When I got out of work, I started the engine, which was now cold.

4 - At this point, the engine started misfiring. Even after the engine was warm, I couldn't get it to stop misfiring.

5 - I went to a different mechanic, and they re-installed my old Denso Iridium plugs. The misfiring problem went away. This mechanic suggested that the Pulse plugs were not gapped properly.

I then sent an e-mail to the pulse-plug dude and he agreed that the pulse plugs were not all the same gap, but he also said he didn't think the gap was "big enough" to make a difference.

The pulse-plug dude sent me a *second* set of pulse plugs that were gapped to my Saturn specs. At first I thought they were working because I drove maybe 50+ miles over a few days. But, eventually, I got the same result and swapped the Denso Iridiums back into my car a second time.

After working with the pulse-plug dude, we figured that the pulse-plugs had never been officially tested on an S-Series Saturn engine. They had been tested on an "Ecotec" engine in a Saturn, so that was probably a Saturn Ion. On the Ecotec engine, the pulse-plug needed a special gap for it to work. The pulse plug dude suggested that I try other gaps, but I didn't want to do any more tests with my car. If he contacts me again saying "I tested on an S-Series with this gap", then I'll do the test again.

I can't recommend the pulse plugs, but I am also torn. The dude did give me two sets for free, so it wasn't like I "purchased" the right to say good or bad. Also, I think my problems were "not the test". If we knew the proper gap ahead of time, then I could have "done the test".

Instead of pulse-plugs, I would recommend researching "Nology Hotwires Performance Ignition Cables", because they are basically a different (but more expensive, ) version of the same thing. Here is an example of what I am talking about for an SOHC Saturn engine :

Nology Hotwires Spark Plug Wires, S series, SOHC - $159
http://www.spswebpage.com/index.php?...mart&Itemid=38

Improving the Saturn's breathing ability through intakes, exhausts, and headers also increases the pressure within the combustion chamber. This increase in pressure may require a more powerful spark to ensure smooth and complete ignition of the mixture. You can provide the needed spark with high performance Hotwires from Nology Engineering. Nology Hotwires create the most powerful spark possible. Hotwires work like an amplifier by accumulating energy from the ignition coil within a capacitor housed inside each Hotwire. Once the voltage at the spark plug electrode reaches the ionization point, all stored energy is discharged at once. The resulting spark is up to 300 times more powerful. Combustion becomes faster and more complete, resulting in more horsepower and cleaner emissions. Now CARB approved #D-414. 12.0mm thick. (Tech tip: For best results, use the Hotwires with a non-resistor type plug such as our BOS0657.)

The above "special spark plugs" are cheap.

I never got the impression that the pulse-plug dude was trying to scam me. Seemed like the honest sort, you know what I mean?

CarloSW2