What spark plug

So I have a 1980 Lincoln Continental 302/5.0 Liter block, stock heads, stock cam. Do I use the same size/part number of the original spark plug that was in it before the re-build?

 

Yes. Same heads, same plugs

 

Wow, that was simple, thank you.

 

preferably platinum plugs.. if you don't want to be changing them every year and/or watching you mileage decrease over shorter periods of time.

 

Platinums definitely. I've had better luck out of those.

 

If you're running this with a carb, you don't need platinum plugs, the std plugs will work fine and last several years.

 

Yep Edelbrock 500cfm carb Thanks guys

 

I agree 100%. I never had any luck with platinum plugs on an older engine. Waste of money

 

lol.. some pretty funny reading around this joint sometimes.

yeah.. who needs lower resistance.. more concentrated spark kernels.. and far less gap erosion anyways. That's the kind of stuff that only fuel injected motors need. :16suspect

Personally.. I've never met a motor that doesn't respond to them if everything is tuned properly to begin with. Especially cold blooded carb'd versions which are required to start easier/quicker in sub-zero weather.

But hey.. it's only gas.. and who really wants to spend more than 10 bucks for plugs or worry about gap erosion. Much better things to do in life these days.

 

We're not igniting a high compression Top Fuel or Funnycar...it's a stock low compression 1980 Lincoln Continental engine with stock heads and stock cam.

 

yep.. so we must surely treat it like the lo-po design that it is.. and never worry about improving on Fords bean counters corner cutting designs?

some people are perfectly fine with "good enough" to save 10 bucks.. and some aren't. first thing I do to a car like that is chop the cat off(if it's never inspected).. install a better/larger air filter.. better coil/wires/plugs. and bam!!!.. 4-5 more MPG and noticeably easier/funner to drive.

I challenge anyone to do a resistance test on those factory plug wires once.. then replace them with premium low resistance wires and tell me that the motor doesn't idle more smoothly, start easier in bad weather, make more power, and ALSO get better mileage. Although it's to a lessor degree with premium plugs.. same same.

I.. and most power/efficiency junkies I know.. have installed them on many dozens of cars through the years and I won't use anything else whenever possible. I even use them on any small engines that have availability and all my snowmobiles.. not because I "think they are better".. but simply because.. they are better.

Ever wonder how the newer cars can go 100,000 miles before needing their first tuneup? Try doing that with a copper plug and soft ground strap. You're lucky to make 30,000 before the gap reaches .070 thou... and factory ignitions don't care for that sort of thing.

Anwho.. it was just advice based on my personal experience and an entire automotive industry full of much smarter people than I. That's good enough for me.

and actually.. you could never use a platinum plug on those motors since they would act like glow plugs. MSD doesn't recommend them for their ignition boxs on high compression motors either.

 

Got 10 answers for everything huh? The reason platinums last so long in the newer cars is the ignition system. It actually fires twice, once from either direction. This blows the platinum back and forth between the electrode and the ground strap. Copper plugs do not hold up well to this.

 

Yeah.. I'm still working my way up to your "1 short answer trumps them all" knowledge level. But.. I'm working harder on shortening my replies up to making the broadest blanket statement possible though. As usual.. it's always fun to banter back and forth with you. I tend to learn something new every time.

sooo.. just so I understand how these things work.. you're saying that these newer ignition systems actually produce a multi-spark at each plug? :16suspect

Wow.. who knew we all had multi spark ignitions on our newer cars and never needed any of that aftermarket hubbub to increase efficiency.

if you really want to compare notes here.. my belief is that you're confusing the operation of a wasted spark ignition system which fires 2 plugs at a time(one on each pposing bank).. with each plug firing twice(once in either direction as you mentioned). Eevn though wasted spark ignitions only fire one of those plugs for the actual power stroke.. the other gets fired anyways. So, twice the firings.. twice the wear.

Seriously though.. if you have links to anything proving that a single coil fire can actually produce 2 distinct spark kernels on a plug?(remember splitfire's "multi-spark" claims which got them into hot legal water?).. I'm all ears.. errr.. eyes.

while we're comparing notes here.. have you or anyone else around here ever run the pulstar plugs?

Reason I ask is that I've used the Nology capacitive discharge stuff on several of my own vehicles and know a few others(mainly tuner car guys) who've had great success with them as well. The technology is sound and I'm thinking on trying the Pulstar plugs to see if they live up to the hype.

 

I don't profess to know all the particulars of every modern ignition system, but I do know platinum plugs were designed for this stuff, whereas the OP's Duraspark system simply does not need them. I've been running the same set of copper plugs in my Comet now for 4-5 years. The set I had in a carbed Explorer 5.0 in an 89 Ranger fired via a Crane XR-1 lasted 3-4 years. Even when I did decide it was time they got changed, they really didn't need it then. After two years running they essentially looked as good as the new set I'd bought to replace em with. So I screwed em back in the holes and left em to do their job. It funny how you always seem to "poo-poo" everyone elses advice that's contrary to your own, instead of repecting their opinions, then you do the old "Baffle em with bs" by posting two pages of info most of which is probably irrelevant to the situation. Then just when it seems you know you stuff, you go off in left field, like that post where you couldn't understand why Holley rates their 2 bbl and 4 bbl carbs differently. The answer was pretty simple, really. But no, instead you launched into another tirade questioning my intelligence when it was pointed out and explained to you. The OP asked a question about what plugs worked with a 33 year old ignition system, not one that's used in today's newer cars. If he wants to spend twice as much for plugs that work just as well in his car as copper plugs, then so be it. It's his money. You offered your advice, then we offered something more cost effective, there was no need for you to question our intelligence for doing so. The only reason I do so with regard to you, is your 10 paragraph posts and the fact that you seem to look down on others. If you will stop, I will do so too. Most guys want an answer that's short and to the point, many will tend to gloss over posts like yours, I know I do.