Pulse Plugs

I was reading my Popular Science issue tonight, and came across an ad for Pulse Plugs...

http://www.pulstarplug.com/index.html

Pulse Plugs to replace regular automotive spark splugs (for EI engines)? It sounds really interesting...a little more horsepower, a little more torque, and a little better fuel economy...

They are expensive at $25 a piece though!!

cjensen said:

I was reading my Popular Science issue tonight, and came across an ad for Pulse Plugs...

http://www.pulstarplug.com/index.html

Pulse Plugs to replace regular automotive spark splugs (for EI engines)? It sounds really interesting...a little more horsepower, a little more torque, and a little better fuel economy...

They are expensive at $25 a piece though!!

Click to expand...

Be interested to hear from anyone who tries them. Might cause some engine noise in the radios, though...

It beats me why

Any plug can claim to improve horsepower or torque.

The plug does one thing...it sets fire to the mixture when its told to by the EI, once mixture burning its burning and the plug is irrelavent.

if it dosn't set fire to the mixture that is a misfire and will be felt immediatley....I guess in a twin plug engine thats not quite true

What am I missing here?

Frank

frankh said:

Any plug can claim to improve horsepower or torque.

The plug does one thing...it sets fire to the mixture when its told to by the EI, once mixture burning its burning and the plug is irrelavent.

if it dosn't set fire to the mixture that is a misfire and will be felt immediatley....I guess in a twin plug engine thats not quite true

What am I missing here?

Frank

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Well, for one thing if your assessment were true then there would be no difference noted in performance between a Magneto and Electronic Ignition (except what could be accounted for by timing).

Such is not the case.

The extra "Oomph" from EI clearly provides better burning - just idle your engine and do a mag check between the two.

The question, then, is if there STILL remains opportunity for yet more improvement in the burn initiated by these "miracle plugs" than is provided by EI. I would be skeptical until I hear reports otherwise.

Or, maybe I'm missing the boat entirely - are these plugs meant to be used with MAGS, and to "simulate" electronic ignition?

Well there's mags and there's mags.....

Are you comparing EI to cheasy slick mags or the more robust Bendix S1200?
I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of your (general audience here) experience is with Slick because they are cheaper and offered on almost every rebuild and engine kit as the base line ignition. If you want better you will have to pay for it, even with a mag.
Slicks have a pretty high (like 350 mag rpm) speed requirement to generate a good stable spark. EI gets to suck off the battery during starting and slow idle.
That's not exactly a spark plug problem.
I'm dubious about any new spark plug, but the fine wire and other noble metal plugs do have their special characteristics. I'm just a little reluctant to try Pulseplugs in my plane before more data is available....Although they are about the same price as aircraft Champion plugs.
Has anyone here used automotive plugs in their homebuilt?

SHIPCHIEF said:

Has anyone here used automotive plugs in their homebuilt?

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Lots of people on the forum have used auto plugs, including myself. Of course these are usually only used with EI, P-mags in my case. I just pulled one out after 135 hours in a low compression engine and looked great. No plug related problems at all.