Installation Manual

kits), and failure to address ALL of these areas will virtually guarantee engine damage.
An engine that has poor oil control can sometimes mask the symptom temporarily by running a
slightly hotter spark plug. While this is a "Band-Aid" approach, it is one of the only examples of
when and why one would select a hotter spark plug.
6. Using "Racing" Spark Plugs
Be cautious! In reality, most "racing" spark plugs are just colder heat ranges of the street
versions of the spark plug. They don't provide any more voltage to the spark plug tip! Their
internal construction is no different (in NGK's case, as all of our spark plugs must conform to the
same level of quality controls) than most standard spark plugs.
There are some exceptions, though. Extremely high compression cars or those running exotic
fuels will have different spark plug requirements and hence NGK makes spark plugs that are
well-suited for these requirements. They are classified as "specialized spark plugs for racing
applications". Some are built with precious metal alloy tips for greater durability and the ability
to fire in denser or leaner air/fuel mixtures. However, installing the same spark plugs Kenny
Bernstein uses in his 300+ mph Top Fuel car (running Nitromethane at a 2:1 air/fuel ratio and
over 20:1 dynamic compression) in your basically stock Honda Civic (running 15:1 a/f ratios with
roughly 9.5:1 compression) will do nothing for you! In fact, since
Kenny's plugs are fully 4 heat ranges colder, they'd foul out in your Honda in just a few minutes.
NGK as a company tries to stay clear of saying that a racing spark plug (or ANY spark plug) will
give you large gains in horsepower. While certain
spark plugs are better suited to certain applications (and we're happy to counsel you in the
right direction) we try to tell people that are looking to "screw in" some cheap horsepower
that, in most cases, spark plugs are not the answer.
To be blunt, when experienced tuners build race motors, they select their spark plugs for
different reasons: to remove heat more efficiently, provide sufficient spark to completely light
all the air/fuel mixture, to survive the added stresses placed upon a high performance engine's
spark plugs, and to achieve optimum piston-to-plug clearance.Some of these "specialized racing
plugs" are made with precious metal alloy center/ground electrodes or fine wire tips or
retracted-nose insulators. Again, these features do not necessarily mean that the spark plug will
allow the engine to make more power, but these features are what allow the spark plug to
survive in these tortuous conditions. Most racers know screwing in a new set of spark plugs will
not magically "unlock" hidden horsepower.
7. Using High Power Ignition Systems
Many of the more popular aftermarket ignition systems are of the capacitive discharge type.