Sparkplugs.com has received a lot of questions in regards to the performance gains and reliability of newer spark plug technology. They decided the best way to decide if some of the newer technology is just a gimmick, or if they have some true performance benefits would be to have them dyno`d. Therefore we took seven different types of spark plugs (stock Champion nickel, NGK nickel, NGK single platinum, NGK double platinum, NGK IX iridium, Denso iridium, and Pulstar pulse plugs), sent them to an independent dyno shop, and thought we would share the information with you.
The test vehicle was a stock 2005 Dodge Neon SRT-4, provided by Manny Gomez, a member of SRTForums.com (screen name: hawkable). The test was performed on a Mustang Dyno. We completed three runs for each plug in a cold, warm and hot state. We then averaged these runs to find the final average horsepower and torque numbers. There is a link below that points to the location where all of the dyno sheets can be reviewed. All results are based on the vehicle factory-specified gap setting of .050", except for the Pulstar plug, which had a maximum manufacturer recommended gap of .045".
After testing, the Pulstar plug had a horsepower advantage, having both the highest peak horsepower (205.95hp) and the highest average horsepower (204.04hp). The NGK Iridium IX showed the second highest average horsepower (203.78hp), and highest average torque (230.27 lb-ft), however, the NGK Iridium IX also displayed the most reliable and consistent horsepower figures. The Denso iridium showed the highest peak torque (235.96 lb-ft), third highest average horsepower (203.67hp), and second highest peak horsepower (205.51hp) and average torque (229.74 lb-ft).
All testing performed by Design Craft Fabrication for Sparkplugs.com
To see the complete set of dyno charts at Sparkplugs.com, click here.