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Just wondering if anyone has experimented with the Pulstar plug as a replacement for the standard type spark plugs on your car/rod/truck?
Interesting theory, but a bit pricey at $24 each. With its advertised 6% increase in fuel eficiency, it would take many miles to recover the higher cost of these plugs. It also claims increased horsepower and torque, but I'm unsure of the specific claim in these areas.
Just curious!
Here's a link if you want to take a look... http://www.pulstarplug.com/
Don't believe the claims, lots of hype, not a lot of hard facts.
I'm no electrical engineer....They're claiming to have a "pulse coil" on the inside of the plug.... Are they trying to increase the firing voltage of the plug or what? Seems if that's all it is, a high output coil would accomplish the same thing?????
I dunno if they're trying to do a multiple spark, or increase the voltage... Anyway, whichever it is they're is already much easier ways to do it then spending that much on plugs that may or may not work, or may or may not last!!!!!!!!
Another related question....Is there any advantage to adding a MSD (or other make) ignition box to a "cruiser", or is that stuff pretty much designed for the racing guys? Sorry, but I'm ignorant on this.
I've always felt the majority of the MSD stuff is primarily for the racers and hi performance street crowd... For a cruizer igniton, I think a quality HEI with a bit of extra spark power does just fine.... Cruizin' at low speeds is probably tougher on an ignition system then 7500 RPM blasts at the track, takes a good spark to keep things clean... My experience with a lot of the trick ignition systems is that it's overkill, and also some reliability issues......Quote:
Originally Posted by roofcam
Sure. The MSD boxes have a proven record. The Pulstar seems like a gimmick to me. I don't need either, just curious. Can't imagine I would see any changes since I only do the cruising stuff, but as I mentioned, I don't know anything about the hotter ignition boxes or their application. Always appreciate the input from you experts. Best site for learning that I have found.
The MSD is king for cruising. Cruising is where rpms allow multiple sparks. I changed out my '68 427 vette from factory transitorized ignition to MSD and it made a tremendous difference in starting, warming up, and cruising. I'm a believer.
As for the plugs it looks like they are using an internal inductor to boost the voltage but the net spark energy actually might be less due to losses in the inductor. They claim enhanced power. I believe that but it is more unclear what the end effect is. And reliability is king here and they are relatively untested.
Kitz
Quote:
Originally Posted by DennyW
A Judson magneto??? What are you running that in??? Better post up some pics, most of the young-uns don't even know what a mag is.... How are you getting the start voltage high enough to use it on the street????
Excuse me if I'm wrong, but doesn't MSD work on capacitive discharge theory?Quote:
Originally Posted by kitz
Excuse my ignorance :LOL: I never took the time to figure out what MSD stood for or if I heard it, I forgot.Quote:
Originally Posted by DennyW
Some where out in the garage I have an ancient Delta Mark Ten system that if I can ever find I just might try to get it to work on the Mustang.
Multiple spark discharge.
Denny is MSD A brand name? If not what is the difference between HEI and MSD? I have the Mallory HEI . Do I need a different timing light to set my timing? Right now I am set on 12 deg.Advance and the car was set with a regular old timing light I bought at a garage sale.Quote:
Originally Posted by DennyW
Hey Denny....still waiting for the pics and info on the Judson Magneto!!!! They are super rare and way big kewl!!!!!!! What engine do you run it on?????? I've only seen some of the VDub ones....
Denny the timing light is different for the MSD System vs HEI system,right?
So I am OK at setting the timing with the regular single pulse timing light?
Thanks for the info.I am back in school when it comes to understanding any thing electrical.
Pulstar plugs have a capacitor built in I belive, that's the big diffrence, what it's purpose is.. I have no clue.. personally I run autolites on everything.
Me too, Matt.... Sometimes we go the NGK hi dollar stuff on the drag cars, just cuz a sponsor buys them though..... Autolite has always been #1 in my book....Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt167
Thought maybe this Pulstar thing might be something.... plugs have remained basically unchanged over the years, one of the few things automotive that hasn't been totally redesigned.
I have been given a set of these plugs by the manufacture for my LS 7 in my Corvette. We are going to dyno it again shortly to see what happens with some other changes to, but I will make a separate pull just for the plugs. One thing they told me is the check engine light might come on. The only reason I can think of is there may be more initial resistance with these, anybody have a better explanation why it would come on?
Ken
I have never seen a lot of difference in spark plugs on the dyno.
We run the $1.99 NGK's in the 300 hp engines and wew also run the $1.99 plugs in the 700 hp engines.
I think it is more important that you look at reach along with the heat range.
I think the Pulstar has a compensated inductive winding inside of it. If thats the case there will be a back emf associated with each discharge reflected back into the coil packs. This might be interpreted by the ECM as an ignition fault. I don't think the ECM will do anything about it though. Not completely sure though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Thurm
Kitz
A spark plug's purpose in life is for the electrical energy to jump the gap at the proper time. The voltage required to jump that gap is set by the properties of the medium (air plus fuel) in the gap. If the dilectric strength of the medium is 50,000 volts per mm, then the spark happens on the voltage rise when the 50,000 volt level is reached.....putting 80,000 volts thru the circuit will not make the spark happen sooner, later, hotter, colder, or whatever......the only way to make the spark hotter (higher voltage) is to either (A) change the dilectric strength of the medium in the gap or (B) make the gap wider. The GM HEI distributor accomplished this by raising the coil voltage and specifying a wider plug gap....remember that the pre-HEI gaps were down in the 0.035" range while the HEI plug gap is 0.060" or so. Their goal was to provide more energy in the spark...they couldnt change the medium (air/fuel in the chamber) but they could increase the plug gap so the voltage required was higher. Then, they beefed up the supply system so that the energy was available to jump the gap at the precise time.
I have never been a fan of "miracle" devices....if the idea is so great, the auto manufacturers would figure a way to incorporate it into their product....if an increase in fuel economy of 2mpg could be accomplished by a change in spark plugs, every car in the USA would come equipped from the factory with those plugs...there's that much at stake. It would be so easy for the auto makers to up their CAFE if they could only buy the "miracle".
There may....may be a benefit into a longer spark duration..
to light the mix more effectively but putting a capacitor into a plug, putting multiple electrodes on a plug, adding horse apples to the box, etc. defy the laws of physics. But,
as P.T. Barnum once said, "man is the only animal that you can skin more than once"
My first thoughts ....what is this going to do to the rest of the ignition system ....might draw way more ,meaning a failure sooner ,might just make the check engine light come on ,might fry the system too or atleast reduce its life greatly..........might burn the coil packs out after soo long ...??????
Quote:
Originally Posted by shawnlee28
It shouldn't.. coils just operate off induction, the secondary windings have no power source other than induction caused from the pulsating magnatism in the primary windings.. Coils can generate 10-50k volts, most new cars can generate 50k, but only use 10-15k regularly. going to 25-45k or so would not hurt a thing on a newer car w/ coil packs.
The difference is that if the pulstars have an additional winding there will be a reactive component reflected back to each coil pack during each discharge, whereas a regular plug represents a resitive load only and there is no reactive component from it. Will it mess something up? I don't know for sure without seeing all the details. And then again I don't care anyway. I would be willing to try 'em though for free. :3dSMILE:Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt167
Kitz