Changed Spark Plugs Weird Results!!!!

[jimmydigital00]

I just changed my spark plugs on my 1996 Cobra.
They were the original plugs since my car only has 6000 miles on it. When I started I removed the drivers side and found that the electrode was a little melted away and were labeled AWSF32E. The electrode was in a pyramid shape not the normal cylinder shape. So then I continued onto the passenger side and notice they are labeled AWSF32EG. The plugs show no wear and are the electrode is the normal cylinder shape.

Any info would be great.
Did the factory put the wrong plugs in on one side?
Should I be putting in 2 different plugs?


Thanks

 

[caliboy08]

are you the only owner? if so, the factory may have not had the correct plugs and used what they had.. you never know... if your gonna replace them, get 8 new plugs and do it right.. autolite 764's gapped @ .054.... and you should be good!

 

[RoadZOmbie]

I doubt SVT would purposely mix match plugs like that. If they did those cheap bastards :nono: . Just get a new set and get your plug wires while you are at it too! :thumbsup:

Edit: You said "original plugs".....oh man your plugs are 11 years old! CHANGE THEM ALL!

 

[Red98CobraStang]

They did that from the factory on all the cobra's. for some reason they ran two different style plugs. I cant remember the reason, but I know I read what it was somewhere.

Anyways, you can run the same style plug just fine on both sides. Im a fan of ngk plugs myself. I feel they work better than the autolites. I've tried both and love the idle w/ the nkg's. autolites..... not so much.

NGK tr55's gapped @ .054 FTW. plug part # is 3951 I believe off the top of my head at 3:15am...

 

[jimmydigital00]

I went ahead and changed all 8 to the 764's gapped to spec .054. Digging through my manual last night I found where Ford mentions there were 2 different plugs but they didnt tell why.
What I am more concerned with is why on the passenger side the electrode is ok but the drivers side 4 plugs the electrode is in a pyramid shape. It looks like it started to erode.

 

[Cobranator]

The reason Ford put what seems to be two different plugs in the car is becasue of the waste spark ignition. When one plug fires on the cylinder that requieres ignition the other corresponding plug fires on the exhaust stroke at the same time, you actually get two plugs firing at the same time, hence the waste spark ignition. The plugs on one side are platinum tipped on the electrode and on the other side they are platinum tipped on the ground electrode. On one side the spark goes from the electrode to the ground and on the other side it jumps from the ground electrode to the center electrode. Thats why when you remove a plug it has to go back into the same cylinder it was taken out.

These are called single platinum plugs and were installed at the factory only and a little cheaper for Ford to use. Ford also must meet 50,000 mile emission requierement and these plugs will do it but after that when you need to replace them you will buy service replacement Motorcraft plugs which are all double platinum so it won't matter in which cylinder you will install them. Perhaps a little more expensive but at this point Ford doesen't care becasue it's your coin now.

 

[jimmydigital00]

So in that case is it okay to put in the autolite 764's in all 8 cylinders?

 

[STAMPEDE3]

So in that case is it okay to put in the autolite 764's in all 8 cylinders?

Yes.
And Cobranator is correct.

Easy way to think of it,
One side normal. the other is reverse polarity.

 

[bvysochin]

Wow, very interesting.. Thanks for the info cobranator.

 

[jimmydigital00]

Thanks for all the help guys.
You learn something new everyday. Especially when dealing with Ford.
No one would have ever believed me that Ford put 2 different plugs in a car from the factory.

 

[98 svt]

They did that from the factory on all the cobra's.

Hmmmm....very interesting...:coolman:

 

[XRacerX]

Thanks for all the help guys.
You learn something new everyday. Especially when dealing with Ford.
No one would have ever believed me that Ford put 2 different plugs in a car from the factory.

Especially in a hand-built motor... go figure, thats what happenes when the bean-counters get invovled...

 

[Red98CobraStang]

Hmmmm....very interesting...:coolman:

I should have said all cobra's with the waste spark ignition to be prefectly clear. So this means only the 96-98's had this done. 93-95 cobras has Distributor Igintion and 99-04 had the COP (coil on plug) style igntion.

 

[Toasty]

They did that from the factory on all the cobra's. for some reason they ran two different style plugs. I cant remember the reason, but I know I read what it was somewhere.

I read it too somewhere. Prolly on this forum.