Date: Wed, 21 Feb 1996 18:51:05 -0500
From: Don Sprinkle
It seems that in the last few months the local supply of NGK BP7ES plugs I use on the Norton has dried up, at least at Pep Boys and places like that. Will the B7ES plugs work as well? I guess what I am asking is, What does the 'P' stand for?
TIA, Don
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 1996 16:40:55 -0800 (PST)
From: Colin Bryant
>It seems that in the last few months the local supply of NGK BP7ES
plugs I
>use on the Norton has dried up..
[Snip]
"B" = Thread type.
"P" = Projected.
"7" = Heat range (works in reverse to the Champion numbering method!)
"E" = I'm not sure but it may refer to the "Extended" heat range capability.
"S" = Special if my memory serves but I'm not quite sure in which way.
It refers to the way the tip "projects" out of the plug into the combustion chamber. This projection helps to get the mixture burning better and is important for good combustion. I use the BP7ES in my Commando but have also used Bosch on occasion. Can't your parts shop find anything in another line?
BTW - I understand that projected tips will be hit by the high crown of Triumph pistons. If there are any Moto Guzzi Eldorado owners in your area. I think they use the B7ES.
Colin Bryant
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 1996 19:59:01 -0500
From: Pat Moyle
Hi Don,
In a message dated 96-02-21, you wrote:
>It seems that in the last few months the local supply of NGK BP7ES
plugs I
>use on the Norton has dried up, at least at Pep Boys and places like
that.
>Will the B7ES plugs work as well? I guess what I am asking is, What
does the
>'P' stand for?
>
>TIA, Don
The "P" stands for projected tip. B7ES should work fine.
Regards,
Pat Moyle
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 1996 01:14:32 -0500
From: Pat Moyle
Hi Colin,
In a message dated 96-02-21, you wrote:
<Don's message deleted>
>"B" = Thread type.
>"P" = Projected.
>"7" = Heat range (works in reverse to the Champion numbering method!)
>"E" = I'm not sure but it may refer to the "Extended" heat range capability.
>"S" = Special if my memory serves but I'm not quite sure in which
way.
Close, very close. The first letter denoted the thread diameter. "B" indicates 14mm ("D" would be 12mm). The "P" indicates projected tip as you mentioned. "7" is in fact heat range with the lower the number, the hotter the plug. I think the range is 5 to 10, but I'm not sure of that. Next we have "E". This is the plug length or reach. "E" indicates a 3/4" reach plug (as poopsed to "H" which would be a 1/2" reach plug. The letter "S" indicates the electrode configuration. That would be a normal, single electrode as opposed to "V" which is a very thin centre electrode. One more common designation would be the letter "R" between the "P" and the heat range number. This would indicate a resistor tip plug. These are the most common designations, but they have a whole laundry list of other, special application designators, none of which come to mind at this moment.
<snippety snip>
To Don (dosprinkle@aol.com):
>Try your local Porsche repair shop. This is a very popular plug for
>Porsches. If you still can't find any let me know, I'll send you some.
Regards,
Pat Moyle
Return to the
Contents Page.
39.2 NGK Sparkplug Quality.
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 96 09:07:01 PST
From: Jerry Jensen
I don't know about Commandos but my Atlas had severe pinking with Champion N-7Y (extended tip) plugs while climbing long mountain ggrades. I later changed to a ratty set of used N-7 s (non-extended tip) and the problem went away. I never would have expected this result since the heat range is suppose to be the same for both plugs.
Jerry Jensen
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 1996 09:33:30 -0800 (PST)
From: Steve Murphy
Has anyone had problems with NGK plugs? For some reason I've had three plugs go bad on the right cylinder almost on after the other. I swap wires and plugs so I know the problem lies in the plug. I start the engine on only one cylinder, ground the plug (so far with three bad ones)and get an intermittent spark. Switch out to another plug and get a good spark.
The piston isn't crowning out on the plug and there doesn't seem to be any physical damage to the plug.
This has caused me incredible grief! I've been trouble shooting a rough engine for quite awhile; almost even bought another BTH mag ($750!!!) and it turns out to be a batch of bad plugs!
Strangely enough, on two of the plugs, they ran fine for about 20 minutes
then crapped out and failed on one cylinder, always the right side (maybe
just by
chance)
I don't know if this is a vibration problem or just poor quality plugs. Has anyone experienced this before?
-Steve
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 96 12:44:26 CST
From: Chuck Kichline
Have you tried swapping the "known good" plug from the other cylinder to the bad side? If it goes out you might want to look at the spark some more. I had a car with a bad condenser and it would start and run good on new plugs, but slowly lose one cylinder after another after about 100 miles. Mechanics even told me it was "bad plugs".
Date: Thu, 09 May 1996 17:22:32 -0600
From: Bob Cram
Gregg Kricorissian wrote:
"Several people asked which Platinum's I'm using. They're Bosch WR6DP, and though my testing isn't exhaustive, they've already lasted longer than the others I was using last season.
Though Guy thinks it may be poor quality control in the plugs (and I tend to agree), I also wonder whether we have strange fuel additives up here in Canada, that are compounding the fouling problems?"
When I put my Bonneville away for restoration 18 months ago, it was fouling plugs every few hundred miles. Even with new plugs it would miss at midrange throttle, so I assumed it was associated with the needle jet or needle. I tried everything and nothing improved it. Now that I'm about to start riding it again, I'm hoping it will run better. Of course, we had 10 cm of snow yesterday, and it still needs the wheels back on, carbs synched, and timing done, but I'll get there.
Anyway, I'm curious to see what will happen now. I've also bought 105 needle jets instead of the stock 106 as an experiment. I will start with the 106's again, but if that doesn't work, then I'll try the 105's. And it looks like I might have to try Bosch platinum plugs too.
In any case, I think there is something wrong with the fuel in Canada. Certain fuel additives designed to be environmentally friendly do not seem to work well with some older, carburettor vehicles and caused a build-up of carbon deposits. In the U.S., I know the industry was required to introduce additional additives that would combat this build-up of carbon deposits. I have a few articles on this. What I've always suspected, but never been able to determine for certain, is that in Canada we introduced the first group of additives, and not the second.