
Plugs and the VTX
Plugs tend to be a topic of controversy on the VTX - from the famed "broken
electrode" Bosch plugs to the "overpriced" Uber plugs to the
"required" irridium plugs from NGK. I find that each plug has its
place depending on the rider's choice, riding habits/style and the bike itself.
I personally run the Bosch +4 4419 plugs with no ill effects and the cost is
just right for me at about $5 a plug - but everyone's experience tends to be
a bit different, they say variety is the spice of life...
Here are the facts about plugs and the VTX...
The shallow plugs on the VTX (front right and back left) tend to look nicer
than their counterparts, the deep plugs (front left and back right). This is
typically a side-effect of the break-in on the motor and tends to "work
it's way out" after the first 6,000-8,000 miles. If you take apart a cylinder
head and look there is no discernable difference between the 2 plugs positioning
in the head, they are very symmetrical. Each plug is set next to an intake valve
on the outer edge of the combustion chamber and they both have the same distance
from the exhaust valve. Based on that information there should be no difference
in fouling between the shallow and deep plugs in a new engine, but let's take
this one step further... There are two oil jets in the crankcase set at the
base of the cylinders that spray oil onto the connecting rod's wrist pin area,
these oil jets not only lubricate the wrist pin to piston connections, but also
lubricate the cylinder walls and help keep the piston itself cool. In a new
engine the rings are not seated in yet and the over spray from the oil jets
that go into the cylinder walls can get past these unseated rings and up into
the combustion chamber. There it is burned off, but it can first contribute
to plug fouling. The oil jets on the VTX face the "deep plug side"
of the cylinders and therefore may be a contributing factor in the deep plugs
looking worse that the shallow ones one newer engines.
The 2002 VTX's came with a plug that is one step colder than the 2003's and
up. These bikes are not known for producing pretty looking plugs to begin with,
so these colder plugs were renowned for fouling early and often. One of the
culprits that compounded this fouling problem is the lack of a good ground on
these bikes. Most of this problem can be remedied by reworking the grounds using
this
excellent article by Tapper of the VTXOA,
but even that is no sure fix for all riders in all conditions and environments.
I generally tell people that if you're running the colder plugs (which were
stock for 02's) and have good results (i.e. nice, pretty, tan plugs) then stick
with it. I believe that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".
Now for those with 02's who are still fouling - even after reworking the grounds,
checking your coil connections and making sure the plugs are properly installed
- then go ahead and swap to the hotter plugs which are stock in the 03+ VTX's.
Generally speaking this solves most people's problems with fouling, or at least
makes them as good as can be expected from these bikes. On rare occasions if
someone with an 02 has really good looking shallow plugs but badly fouled deep
plugs I have recommended sticking with the stock 02 (colder) plugs in the shallow
holes (if it ain't broke...) but running the 03 (hotter) plugs in the deep holes.
On these rare occasions it seems to work better than all cold or all hot plugs
across the board - just a little "food for thought", YMMV.
Proper installation
of plugs
The most common mistake I see when guys install plugs on their bikes is that
they flip open the manual and see 13 ft/lbs as the recommended torque and go
to town changing plugs without realizing they made a mistake. The manual spec
for a plug is 13 ft/lbs BUT this pertains to old plugs
which have already been installed and seated properly. When installing new plugs
you have to seat them finger tight first and then use a ratchet to tighten them
1/2 a turn further. Doing this seats the crush washers properly and will eliminate
the possibility of oil blow-by coming up the threads while the motor is running.
Oil blow-by will prevent the plugs from getting a good ground and further assist
the plugs in fouling. When you install a new plug properly you will actually
feel the crush washer seat at roughly 1/2 a turn past finger tight and it gets
much tougher to tighten after that - that's when you stop. Once your plugs are
properly installed you can pull and check them anytime you want and THEN reinstall
them using the manual spec of 13 ft/lbs. Always use a little bit of anti-sieze
on the plug threads before installing them, and NEVER
install plugs into a hot (or even warm) motor.
Something to watch for when installing plugs - do NOT cross-thread them. With
steel plugs and aluminum heads it is a sadly too common occurrence to see. If
you're a "new" wrench and afraid you might make this mistake then
go to the auto store and get yourself about a foot of 3/8" fuel line. It
will cost a couple bucks but you can slide it over the insulator on the plug
and use it to thread the plugs into the heads. What makes this fool-proof is
that if you start to cross-thread the plug the fuel line will slip on the plug
before it will ever actually cross-thread the plug into the head. It also helps
with getting those deep plugs started sometimes if you don't have a plug socket.
Spark
plug cross-reference for the VTX |
||
GAP
1.0 - 1.1 mm (.038 - .043 in) |
||
Manufacturer |
OEM |
Cold |
AC Delco* |
41-806 |
41-801 |
Autolite |
APP3924 |
APP3923 |
Bosch Platinum +4* |
4419 |
4418 |
Champion Copper* |
RC9YC4 |
RC9YC4 |
Champion |
- |
7346 |
Champion double platinum |
- |
RC10PYP4 |
Denso |
VK16PRZ11 |
VK20PRZ11 |
Denso |
- |
PK20PR11 |
| Denso Iridium* |
- |
IK16 |
Motorcraft |
- |
- |
NGK* |
IFR5L11 |
IFR6L11 |
NGK Iridium |
BKR5 EIX-11 |
BKR6 EIX-11 |
Splitfire* |
SF522D |
SF392C |
Splitfire platinum* |
TP522D |
TP392C |
Uber
Power* |
FZX5iL |
FZX6iL |
*I tried
to verify as many plug numbers as possible but ran into problems finding
any concrete answers from the plug manufacturers. The plugs with "*"
next to them are verified by the manufacturer as a direct cross-reference,
the others are old numbers that were floating around the VTXOA.
|
Visual spark plug gauge
