FINALLY changed my plugs and wires

[alec_b]

Boy was it over-due. Started her up today and I could tell right away something wasn't right. It had been raining overnight and it was pretty wet this morning, I assume the humidity is what finally did it. I popped the hood and I immediately saw that the #6 plug wire was arcing at the coil. Damnit....

 

Went to autozone and got a set of duralast wires and NGK TR55 plugs. I wasn't about to pay $4.99 for AC Delco Rapidfires. The TR55's were $2.69 each. Wires were $19.99.

 

The plugs were the ORIGINAL R44LTS6's, and the back three were FINGER TIGHT. I just twisted the plug wire boot and they turned right out. But no matter, everything is back in and it runs GREAT now, even better than before. I gapped the plugs a little tighter than spec, about .050. Seems to have smoothed out the idle slightly, but I still get vibration because of my front motor mount being bad.

[Night Fury]

Why skimp on spark plugs? Original ones lasted 121K, why get cheaper ones that could only last half that or less?

[alec_b]

Originals are R44LTS6, which are the same price basically as the NGK's. I'm just saying the rapidfires aren't really necessary for a stock SI 3800, not for twice the price anyways.

[BXX]

The R44LTS6 are only a 40-60K plug tops.. its just a copper Delco so he wouldnt notice a difference going to the NGKs. Now the later years where they called for factory, there can be a noticable difference swapping to a lesser plug.

[alec_b]

Exactly. If it had been a newer 3800 I'd have run platinums in it, but since this had copper factory then NGK's are fine. Besides, the AC Delco Rapidfires are copper core, are they not? What makes them so special compared to regular old, say, R44LTS6's?

[xtremerevolution]

Exactly. If it had been a newer 3800 I'd have run platinums in it, but since this had copper factory then NGK's are fine. Besides, the AC Delco Rapidfires are copper core, are they not? What makes them so special compared to regular old, say, R44LTS6's?

 

I tried them and they sure didn't improve performance any.

[dodgethis]

Exactly. If it had been a newer 3800 I'd have run platinums in it, but since this had copper factory then NGK's are fine. Besides, the AC Delco Rapidfires are copper core, are they not? What makes them so special compared to regular old, say, R44LTS6's?

 

 

NGK's are better than Bosh Platnium's

[Crazy K]

Exactly. If it had been a newer 3800 I'd have run platinums in it, but since this had copper factory then NGK's are fine. Besides, the AC Delco Rapidfires are copper core, are they not? What makes them so special compared to regular old, say, R44LTS6's?

 

rapidfire plugs are platinum tipped.

 

http://bellsouthpwp.net/p/a/padgett46/rapidf.htm

[Galaxie500XL]

Watch out for those Duradontlast plug wires...

 

I replaced the wires on my wife's 93 Century wagon, and the '92 Century I had with those wires (Buick 3300 V-6) , and within 6 months, had misfire problems due to them breaking down due to the heat between the firewall and engine. BOTH developed a misfire within 2 weeks of each other.

 

I ended up replacing both sets with Bosch wires.

 

 

Boy was it over-due. Started her up today and I could tell right away something wasn't right. It had been raining overnight and it was pretty wet this morning, I assume the humidity is what finally did it. I popped the hood and I immediately saw that the #6 plug wire was arcing at the coil. Damnit....

 

Went to autozone and got a set of duralast wires and NGK TR55 plugs. I wasn't about to pay $4.99 for AC Delco Rapidfires. The TR55's were $2.69 each. Wires were $19.99.

 

The plugs were the ORIGINAL R44LTS6's, and the back three were FINGER TIGHT. I just twisted the plug wire boot and they turned right out. But no matter, everything is back in and it runs GREAT now, even better than before. I gapped the plugs a little tighter than spec, about .050. Seems to have smoothed out the idle slightly, but I still get vibration because of my front motor mount being bad.

[xtremerevolution]

Watch out for those Duradontlast plug wires...

 

I replaced the wires on my wife's 93 Century wagon, and the '92 Century I had with those wires (Buick 3300 V-6) , and within 6 months, had misfire problems due to them breaking down due to the heat between the firewall and engine. BOTH developed a misfire within 2 weeks of each other.

 

I ended up replacing both sets with Bosch wires.

 

I'm using the same wires, so here's to hoping they'll last.

 

At least I still have the acdelco wires that were on there before, which are still good. I only replaced them to test the previous ones and was too lazy to take them back off.

[alec_b]

I don't mind if the wires don't last. They're so easy to change, and with a lifetime warranty who cares. Autozone is literally 2 blocks from my house, if I have to slap a new set on in 6 months so be it.

 

Same with my front brake pads. I just slapped a set of duralasts on there (no rotors) just because the old pads were GONE. I figure what the hell, I'll drive the shit out of these pads, wear them out, and warranty them for a new set next time and get new rotors then. Besides, for $19.99 the wires work just fine. I've used them on several cars in the past and never had a problem.

[Addicted to eaton]

My new set of AC/Delco wires just came apart at the boot less then 5k miles/6 months old.

[Galaxie500XL]

I reread my post...I apologize if I sounded kind of testy, that was not my intention. Been a rough few days, and I'm afraid that might have come through in what I wrote.

 

However, if your car does develop a misfire, hopefully I've saved you a little time in tracking it down...

 

[alec_b]

Oh don't worry, I know lots of people that feel that was about autozone/duralast parts. Honestly, if I could afford to put something better than that on there I probably would too, like some Belden's at least. But when you're as broke as me the difference between a $32.99 set of wires and a $19.99 set of wires is HUGE. Plus, at autozone, I get the rewards program, and I buy SO much stuff there it makes it pretty easy to spend $100 and make a free $20.