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NGK vs. Rotax 297656 spark plugs

J

Joe Mckamey

Member
Hello all-

I've got a new 912 iS2 Sport engine in our RV12. Just bought it 2 months ago From Tango Flight with 22 hours on the engine. We are at the 100 hour mark now and am gonna do the spark plug inspection today. Doing a search for the cost of spark plugs, and as many of you know, the price difference is quite large between NGK and OEM Rotax.

I was hoping to get some opinions and advice as I'd much rather go with the NGK and just replace them more regularly if need be. Anyone have a great reason to spend 6-8 times more $$$ on OEM? Just looking ahead here as it says to replace at 200. TIA
 
I took the Rotax Maintenance course at Lockwood last winter. Dean Vogel said that the NGK plugs work fine, just make sure they have the hourglass-shaped piece that screws off the threads at the connector end. Apparently Rotax came up with their own plug$ because NGK didn't want aircraft-level liability exposure.
 
My engine was fitted with the new plugs; I've only ever used the NGK. The NGK were approved years ago. The new-style plugs are OPTIONAL. They were announced through Service Instruction SI-912 i-013R1 -- not a Service Bulletin (or Alert Service Bulletin).

Just be sure to get the NGK DCPR8E's that have the removable nut (NGK p/n: 4339) vs non-removable (NGK p/n: 4179)

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I've been running the NGK for a few hundred hours in my Rans. I replace them once a year just because they're so inexpensive.
$42 for 10 of them on Amazon:
Just remember to unscrew the little nut BEFORE you install them. 😜
 
Part of the 25 hour warranty inspection is to verify you have exclusively Rotax parts installed. They could deny warranty with the ngk plugs.
 
Amadeus said:
What warranty? Unless it is a replacement engine or someone waited until last minute to place the order the warranty is typically expired before the engine is mounted.
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My warranty. I also have the extended plan. Sure, when it’s expired, here come the after market parts.
 
flightdoc101 said:
How does one identify counterfeit plugs?
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A several years ago NGK published a warning on their website about such counterfeit plugs that identified "how to detect counterfeit plugs". A factory rep subsequently told me that the warning has since been removed from their website because the counterfeiters were using the information to further improve their counterfeiting techniques! The current NGK website does provide a list of authorized dealers -- mainly recognized major auto parts dealers -- that NGK recommends. I have been buying my NGK plugs from my local O'Reilly Auto Parts store (an approved NGK dealer) for years without issue.
 
Aircraft Spruce also sells the appropriate NGK plug for the Rotax engines, priced competitive enough that I buy from them. They aren't "real" airplane parts, but they at least have a business built around sound sourcing.
 
I wonder if it is worth counterfeiting a $2.50 - $3.00 like the ones we use. I have installed about 130 plugs in my engine from many sources, including Amazon & ebay. Only had one bad one that would misfire when under 150f, and that one came from Spruce.
 
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