TKFlight Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 (edited) Last time I checked the service manual it said either NGK BKR5E-11 or Champion equivalent. Just say I do an ebay or amazon search for them, they always come up but it always say "BKR5E-11 V-Power" what does that even mean? Also, is there a iridium plug that I could also use? Edited November 14, 2014 by TKFlight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 What model/year/engine is your Subaru? "V-Power" is NGK's most basic copper core plug--and the most economical to buy. They are excellent plugs. Unless your manual recommends some "fancier" plug you're just throwing your money away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 NGK V-power plugs have a V shape notch cut in the end of the copper electrode. This is supposed to help direct the spark in a certain way in order to improve the spark discharge. They also have a standard copper plug without the V notch. All the seemingly random numbers actually indicate specific characteristics of the plug. http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/techinfo/spark_plugs/partnumberkey.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKFlight Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 (edited) What model/year/engine is your Subaru? 01 legacy gt 2.5 NGK V-power plugs have a V shape notch cut in the end of the copper electrode. This is supposed to help direct the spark in a certain way in order to improve the spark discharge. They also have a standard copper plug without the V notch. Thanks for the info, I assumed they were copper but confused on V-Power Unless your manual recommends some "fancier" plug you're just throwing your money away! So throwing money away if I bought the BKRE-IX11, I assumed that I know they last longer but didn't know if it was worth buying them. Edited November 15, 2014 by TKFlight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushwick Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Just get the basic plug and MANUALLY gap yourself as none of the lower grade plugs come pre-gapped since they fit a plethora of different cars. If the engine is turbo'd, then get EXACTLY what it calls for. Only plugs that I think are worth a damn are the plugs that have the ground strap exactly cut to sit over the center electrode and no further. Really cheap plugs can have the electrode overhang past the center, which causes hesitation, ping, and lugging on hills. An old drag racing tip I learned many years ago was to file the ground strap back on those and round it's square edge to match the electrode's. On a V8 engine, it adds roughly 5hp, and eliminates hesitation. Pulling hills it's a much stronger spark and the engine will respond better. I've done this on everything from single piston 4 stroke lawnmowers to motor cycles to cars. Every single one of them benefited. The lawn mower wasn't as quick to bog on high grass and 91 octane like it had before. The bike was more responsive. Thankfully, plug companies like Champion finally caught on and started shortening the electrode strap,but they still leave the tip square rather than rounded. All those "V" "X" etc. shaped plugs are overpriced gimmicks. Any benefit from those I think is from all the added material being forced into the piston chamber and slightly altering the compression ration artificially. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 The V power plugs are great, with a split tip. IF you are into an iridium, you could go for the "G" power or their platimum equivalent. my ej25d 2.5 legacy outback calls for G power bk6 11 whereas the v power will car for bpr6 11 It is recommended to use only NGK brand plugs as that is the OEM supply and the engines are engineered with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKFlight Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 (edited) Just get the basic plug and MANUALLY gap yourself as none of the lower grade plugs come pre-gapped since they fit a plethora of different cars. Ok, I read somewhere the gap is .044? Is that correct for N/A 2.5's? I stumbled upon my old gapper and dielectric grease yesterday, made me think about my spark plugs in my subaru. I think I'm going to stick to the coppers since its what the motor calls for. Really cheap plugs can have the electrode overhang past the center, which causes hesitation, ping, and lugging on hills. Really? I haven't changed the plugs/wires yet since I've had the subaru, and there is definitely pinging and lugging on hills. I think maybe the last owner got cheap plugs or they just need to be replaced. Edited November 15, 2014 by TKFlight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushwick Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 (edited) Really? I haven't changed the plugs/wires yet since I've had the subaru, and there is definitely pinging and lugging on hills. I think maybe the last owner got cheap plugs or they just need to be replaced. Yup, really. Back in the 70's when you had to squeeze every last bit from a small block Ford to get that extra tenth of a second and turbo's and superchargers weren't popular with carbs nor was the science, you had to make due with what was there. I followed a story from an old mid 70's mag (it was given to me about 15 years ago, not that old ) where a guy was using a 65'? Mustang to drag race with, and every "mod" he did was backed up with a 1/4" mile run. The mod he did that stuck out was the spark plugs. Basically, when looking at a normal plug from a side profile the electrode is facing "up". The ground strap extends beyond the center "up" point, sometimes by as much as 1/16th" and looks like an overhang. Using a fine mill file and cardboard (1st timers need to be careful), insert the thin card board between the center electrode and ground strap, then bend the card board down a little so as to not be in the way. Carefully work the overhang back to roughly the center of the electrode like you were filling a fingernail. I usually start with knocking the square edges off 1st so it looks like this /```\ rather than this [````] (that's a finger nail view from top-down electrode top) . Then slowly round that further. Then start on the next plug, using the 1st as the template so no major variations occur. Once all done, clean any metal debris from the plugs. The card board is two-fold, it'll prevent accidental slipping and electrode or ceramic damage, and it keeps most shavings from entering around the electrode. Blow any out with compressed air or rinse thoroughly. The benefit from doing this is it centers the spark, shortens it's travel, and it's more consistent where it lands. The extra long ground strap forces the spark all over, and it shrouds the incoming charge a bit, which can/will delay spark time from further, irregular travel and cause hesitation, even on new plugs. By grinding the strap back, it forces the spark to hit the incoming charge dead on and apparently is more accurate and consistent. I've been doing this in my cars for about 15 years on basic copper plugs and it works great. They last as long as they normally do, but you'll get bet responsiveness. Maybe I'll do a video on it in case anyone is interested in trying. Might only add 1-2 hp in a 4 banger, but MPG will be a touch better and the engine won't hesitate as much. Engine sound will be slightly different as well from before when hesitating to after when just firing more. I have done this in my Mustangs, 96' Mark VIII, 92' SHO, to the turbo'd the Saab in the sig (it has basic NGK plugs) with 20 psi. The V8's REALLY liked it. Edited November 15, 2014 by Bushwick 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKFlight Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 Maybe I'll do a video on it in case anyone is interested in trying. Might only add 1-2 hp in a 4 banger, but MPG will be a touch better and the engine won't hesitate as much. I'd definitely be interested in watching that video. I seen a thread on another site saying that the gap is supposed to be .044? Is that correct? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushwick Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 I'd definitely be interested in watching that video. I seen a thread on another site saying that the gap is supposed to be .044? Is that correct? I'll see about making one. Hadn't bothered doing it with the Subaru last year and it could use it. I'll grab some plugs tomorrow and do a video of the filling, and everything suggested. And to any potential nay-sayers, no it won't blow the spark out. That's rubbish. I think .044 is the most it can be gapped. Look in your owners manual, or pop the hood and look at the little diagram. It'll state "plug gap 0.xxx". If it gives a range of the gap, stay on the larger side i.e. 0.043 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushwick Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 OK, good news and bad news. Went to Auto Zone and looked at the "V Power" NGK and the Autolites. BOTH have shorter ground strap than what I've seen in the past. The NGK "V" is closer to what I was talking about as they actually terminate the strap about 80% of the way over the electrode. From a side profile, you can see it clearly where the round electrode doesn't have the ground strap overhang at all. The Autolite however has a little more length and the edge of the grounding strap stops in-line with the electrode exterior. The NGK however has a shorter exposed electrode than the Autolite, and they notched a very tiny groove into the center of the electrode, which may or may not be beneficial. Unfortunately, both plugs still have a squared tip. For a near no-fuss approach, I went ahead and got the NGK "V" Power plugs. I'll knock the corners off the ground strap anyways to focus the spark more and in theory reduce turbulence around the tip (squared edges are never aerodynamic). I'll take some pics later on as a video won't be warranted since most of the work has already been done by NGK The other plugs with the obtrusive 4-way grond straps are the ones I was referring to as being gimmicky since they actually shroud the electrode a bit and are WAY overpriced. The NKG V Power is about as smart as it gets with a copper plug. YMMV with them with when they'll need replaced in the future, but several years of normal driving should be norm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluedotsnow Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 ngk iriduim ix work fine in my car 96 legacy 2.2 especially if you don't like changing them every 20k miles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKFlight Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 I know this is unrelated to spark plugs, beck arnley has a pcv valve for $2 on rock auto or should I just buy the OE one? I heard beck arnley is just rebagged OE products. From a side profile, you can see it clearly where the round electrode doesn't have the ground strap overhang at all. Nice, can't wait to see how to do the mod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKFlight Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 Last time I checked the service manual it said either NGK BKR5E-11 or Champion equivalent Correction. It is actually NGK BKR6E-11 or Nippondenso/Champion Equivalent. Haynes manual states gap should be between 0.039 and 0.043. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmdew Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Get a Subaru PCV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKFlight Posted November 16, 2014 Author Share Posted November 16, 2014 Get a Subaru PCV Ordered, would drive to a dealership but the drive isn't worth it. Going to be ordering the plugs and wires shortly, I hope I can get a nice day in the near future. Its been seriously cold in the north east. Is Teflon tape good enough for the threads around the PCV? Also, how would I go about changing the hose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushwick Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Ordered, would drive to a dealership but the drive isn't worth it. Going to be ordering the plugs and wires shortly, I hope I can get a nice day in the near future. Its been seriously cold in the north east. Is Teflon tape good enough for the threads around the PCV? Also, how would I go about changing the hose? Just replace the hose with another. It's not under pressure and is designed to transport crankcase fumes. I did the plugs yesterday and the end result has me floored. The little EJ22 really liked having these plugs modded than it did with the normal NGK un-modded, thinking the head design where the air enters is hitting the plug just right (real hardcore racers will index their sparkplugs, buying as many as needed to get the final resting position fully-threaded to stop at an exact spot to the incoming charge; figure this is doing a similar thing). Noticed running through the rev range it was quicker and cleaner (like giving the engine caffeine). Not in the "more hp" sense, but in the hit the gas and it just climbs from a strong spark. I noticed in forced FWD with the fuse in (before), it'd always run through the revs a tad quicker and AWD was putting more strain to get the revs going. Now it's through the revs in AWD like FWD was before. Seriously, no BS. Worth the $2.30 plug price IMHO. I'll post a quick thread for you TK with what the final plug looks like if you want to try. All you need to do with the NGK V's is knock the edges of the square ground tips to match a fingernail tip, so it mirrors the electrode's outline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keith3267 Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 There is another little trick I have heard of, but not tried myself. After you profile the anode to match the cathode, then you drill a #7 hole through the anode in line with the backside of the cathode. People who have tried it swear by it, but I haven't tried that myself. Something that I have done which is common on racing engines is to file the anode back to the center of the cathode. You do not round the edges on this, you leave them square. The downside it that the anode and cathode will erode rapidly so you may only get 5k out of the plugs, but then most races are somewhere between a quarter mile and 500 miles so a short life is a mute point. Personally I go iridium now as they are inherently superior to any anode shaping of an iron or copper tipped plug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushwick Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/150194-spark-plug-mod-to-eliminate-hesitation-free-a-hp-or-2-quicker-rev/ Sorry, it's a long post. The link to the vid is around the middle. It won't allow it to be embedded for whatever reason, but the link should work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushwick Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 There is another little trick I have heard of, but not tried myself. After you profile the anode to match the cathode, then you drill a #7 hole through the anode in line with the backside of the cathode. People who have tried it swear by it, but I haven't tried that myself. Something that I have done which is common on racing engines is to file the anode back to the center of the cathode. You do not round the edges on this, you leave them square. The downside it that the anode and cathode will erode rapidly so you may only get 5k out of the plugs, but then most races are somewhere between a quarter mile and 500 miles so a short life is a mute point. Personally I go iridium now as they are inherently superior to any anode shaping of an iron or copper tipped plug. Filing back the grounding strap to the anode tip, or going even further by 10% then rounding the edges to loosely match the anode's outer circle is what I'm doing. Wear is the same as the stock plug. Biggest benefit is unshrouding the ground strap and reducing how far out the spark has to travel before grounding out i.e. the corners extend the possible reach of the arc. Never heard about the #7 drill bit. Suppose you have drill through the ground strap to get there? Dunno if bending it back to drill a hole in the center of the anode is worth it, but very cool idea nonetheless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keith3267 Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 The cathode is the center electrode, the anode is the ground strap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forester2002s Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Doesn't it depend on which spark-plug is being considered? Don't some spark in one direction, and others in the opposite direction? So for some plugs, the ground-strap is the anode, and for othets it is the cathode? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 In waste spark system yes, the spark plugs on one side of the engine will fire from the ground strap to the center electrode. This is a function of the design of the ignition system, not the design of the plug. But when speaking in a general sense, for spark plug applications, the cathode will be the center. I may have to give this trick a try. I've had odd hesitation and stumbling in both of my cars for quite some time. I was considering a set of iridium or double platinum plugs just to see what would happen but I'm hesitant to spend the money on them. This seems like an easy mod, and it can be done to the plugs that are currently in use to see if it makes a difference. And if it makes it worse, new plugs are only about $10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThosL Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 The last time I got plugs the parts store pushed the plat/iridiums on me, pre-gapped though I eyeballed them just to make sure before putting them in. My mpg is lower than usual, low 20s, not sure what that would be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushwick Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 http://vespamaintenance.com/elec/plugs/resistplug.gif I looked here as I wasn't familiar with calling by anode/cathode (with regards to plugs) and had trouble finding pics calling by that name as well. @Fairtax, this mod won't make your existing plugs "worse". If they are at the end of their lifespan however i.e. 40k mile copper plugs with a lot of hard driving, it won't do much to help them. As long as your wires and such are in good shape, it'll definitely help the car out. My old Mark VIII that had a set in for AWHILE finally developed a miss after several years in the car and a ton of hard driving and some towing. Pulled them and they looked near new, with minor wear and were clean, but it was definitely failing. Just saying, give the mod a 2nd chance with new plugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.