1980 Liquifire spark plugs

[raiderfan]

What plugs are you guys running? I see Deere recommended N-2's. How about NGK's

[rminier]

Yes. Champion N2, or N2G plugs...the G plugs have a precious metal center electrode of "Gold Palladium" material, that was supposedly more resistant to plug fouling.
The Kawasaki Invader's of the same time, which used the nearly identical engine, used NGK BR9EV plugs from the factory. The "V" signifying a similar precious metal center electrode.
About all of the plug manufactures began using a different material in their premium plugs several years ago....Iridium.
NGK no longer even makes the BR9EV...they now have the same thing, only with a "better" Iridium center electrode, called BR9EIX.
Trouble is, those suckers are about 11 bucks apiece.
NGK also makes 2 other plugs that work great in these engines:
BR9ES......which is the plain, old common plug, much like a Champion N2.....around 2.50 apiece.
BR9EYA....which is just like the "plain jane" plugs, but it has a "U groove" center electrode that is advertised to be more resistant to fouling....around 3 bucks apiece.

I tend to believe that "a spark is a spark is a spark"
I think you can install any of these plugs (new, and properly gapped) in an engine and run it on a Dyno and not see a millionth of a Horsepower difference.
Do the more expensive, Iridium plugs resist fouling, electrode degradation, and require slightly less voltage to fire after several hundred miles? ...Well, yes, probably.
Are they worth the extra $$? Only you can decide.
Frankly, I change the plugs more often than I need to. I just like to install shiny new plugs at the beginning of each winter season, (and I'm a cheapskate!) so I have been using either the NGK BR9ES or BR9EYA's for a number of years with very good luck.
Remove the "R" from any of the NGK plugs if you prefer a non-resistor plug....the spark plug caps were designed to have 5000 ohms resistance.
I buy the resistor plugs...if the ignition system (CDI, coils, plug caps, etc.) was designed to run with resistor plugs, I leave well enough alone.

[JDT]

Well stated Rick.

[That Girl Racing]

As always this might be controversial but if you can't run a BR9ES in one of these sleds without fouling something is screwed up. Peter

[rminier]

Exactly, Peter...not controversial at all. One of the things that encouraged me to use the cheaper plugs is the fact that I picked up a nice 1997 Ski Doo MXZ about 6 years ago....it came from the factory with BR9ES plugs.
My respect for the Rotax group is huge....they have managed to develop some pretty darned good 2 stroke engines over the last 50 years.
Maybe Ski Doo didn't want to spend the extra money for the "premium" plugs...if you multiply the extra cost over the thousands of sleds they produce....that would be some serious coin.
In a car, where you might hope to get 100,000 miles out of a set of plugs, those Iridium or Platinum plugs make a lot more sense.
I just don't think I ever run them in my sleds long enough to really realize their longevity advantage.

[rminier]

This post got me thinking...usually that brings trouble.
I realize I have fallen into a habit of buying NGK plugs the last few years. I believe they are excellent quality, but I think Champions are, too.
I usually try to buy American products when possible.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Quality Control at the NGK facilities in Japan is as good as ever.
Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, or Yamaha would not still be using them if they had any issues.
Growing up in the late 50's seeing things stamped "Made in Japan" meant cheap junk. Not the case anymore....that title has been taken over by "Made in China".
I wonder about the Champion spark plug division. I really ought to rethink this and buy American, and help someone like me keep his job.
I really don't have a clue about their current status....I just know I heve been angered to see some proud American brand names move some of their manufacturing offshore to China, Taiwan, Mexico, etc.
I will have to do some "Googling" to see if Champion plugs are still made in the good old US.
Sorry for the rant.

[WinnipegStPaul9]

Wow!! Another wise Hoosier!!! Love the subject matter too Rick. I've always used BR9ES but don't have an allegiance to them. If an American made Champion was available I'd switch too.

Peter, great comments too!!!

DA

[haleynj]

im able to get the champion N-2 at Oriely's auto store

[JDT]

"Growing up in the late 50's seeing things stamped "Made in Japan" meant cheap junk."

I remember this well. My grandma would take us kids to Woolworths and give us 50 cents to buy a toy.
We could buy anything we wanted as long as it did not say Made in Japan on it.

Today you can go into some stores and not find anything that is not made in China.

But Japan really turned things around. They make the best cameras, electronics, musical insturments and lead in many other categories.

I remember that at one time the German cameras were considered the best. I started shooting with a 35mm Voigtlander.

By the way Champion makes good plugs also.

[JDGuy]

Speaking of Champion spark plugs, here is some history. Albert Champion started making spark plugs during the infancy of the auto industry under the AC name which were his initials. He begin to think the automobile wasn't going to make it and sold his company to what become General Motors AC Delco Division which included AC spark plugs and other components. Later on he seen the error of his ways and started making spark plugs again, but this time under his last name, Champion.

[raiderfan]

How about running B9ES'S? Ok?

[harleysportster]

Those plugs are fine although I had better luck with the Irridium plugs.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

[nick80lf]

How about running B9ES'S? Ok?

I use the non resistor B9ES.

[raiderfan]

Thank you for the replies. I got a deal on 2 sets.