Westers/Spark plug

wlrottge · October 11, 2004

I talked to Lyndon at Westers last week and am going to order a 93 tune for my 2000 K2500, 5.7 crew. I asked him if there was anything special I should do to get ready for the chip and he said the usual sort of things, clean air filter (I have K&N), injector cleaner and a fresh set of plugs. He said, no Bosch platinum plugs...... why is that? I would call him back, but I hate to waste his time on such a little irrelevant question.

Chris97K1500 · October 11, 2004

Don't know exactly, but I got lots of pinging from the Bosch after I put them in. Wasn't getting any before with just stock AC Delco's. Tried out Copper NGK's TR55's, but still some pinging under slight load. Went back to AC Delco's, pinging went away. I'm waiting now to get my Wester's back since my tranny upgrade! I'm having Wester's withdraw ! The old saying is true, you never know what ya got til it's gone! Chris

wlrottge · October 12, 2004

So, I'm going to assume that since you are having withdrawel, you like your chip? I haven't talked to anyone w/the 5.7 with a Westers. How did you get tuned? Impression?

Haulin' 8.1 · October 12, 2004

"He said, no Bosch platinum plugs...... why is that?"

I own and race several supercharged V6 Thunderbirds and I learned this one the hard way. Bosch platinums have a very thin firing electrode shrouded in porcelin. What this does is force the spark to go straight down and jump across the gap to the ground electrode, thereby preventing misfires caused by the current flowing up the insulator to the shell etc. High pressure air is a great insulator, and that's all thats in a plug gap when it matters. The thick porcelin shroud is also to protect the very thin firing tip from melting away when exposed to high combustion temperatures. This is all fine and good for mom and pop style motoring. The problem in using them high performance applications is that the firing electrode still melts. It starts melting away at the bottom where it's exposed and continues to do so up into the insulator until the gap is so large that misfires prevent any further melting temperatures. By that time your engine misfires under any heavy load. When used in a real performance application, the Bosch electrode goes away very quickly. In my supercharged birds I was misfiring within 5,000 miles.

If it matters to anyone, I've obviously spent a lot of time studying spark plugs and for high performance I recommend Champion or OEM's with a lower heat range. Single platinums are fine for distributor or individual coil igntions but ignitions that use coil packs, where one coil fires two plugs, should use double platinums exclusively. Also setting your gaps at the smallest spec. or slightly smaller goes a long way to preventing WOT misfires and usually provides a nice free bump in HP.

Vernon

Chris97K1500 · October 13, 2004

It's not a chip, it's an entire computer module called a PCM. Totally replaces the stock one. There are 5 plugs that connect to it on the driver's side of the engine bay, about 6" by 8". I got a 89 Octane tune, Torque management removed as much as possible, increased shift firmness, and speedo recalibrated to the 35's. Basically told Lyndon what I had on my truck and told him I trusted him to get the most from it. Just taking off at the first stop light was amazing after putting it in. No lag time in shifting, no slow increase in power, when I hit the gas it "woke" up and ran (for a truck with 35's ) Without it, feels like someone is pulling me backwards as I take off. I did have slight pinging for about the first 25-40 miles, mainly under partial throttle going up hills. But that went away and I ended up gaining about 1.5-2mpg. So I now get about 15mpg. Could have gone with a more aggressive 93 "hot" tune, but gas is expensive enough. I just recently had my tranny upgraded and a lower t-stat put in, so I needed to get some stuff reprogrammed to work with the new tranny. I was extremely pleased with mine, and Lyndon has always answered my questions within a day. I called Lyndon personally when I ordered mine, great customer service. Chris

wlrottge · October 13, 2004

I was thinking a/b getting one of the new King Cobra intakes and a chip (read PCM). I do a lot of hauling w/my truck but wife does not see need for diesel...... hope that got it all....