2015 Taco spark plug confusion???

It’s your money man. Your smarter than the engineers who designed that engine.

 

Haha, you mean smarter than the engineers (more than likely the bean counters) that put Denso on one bank and NGK on the other bank? Hopefully you matched that combo when you replaced yours....lol just foolin around man.

 

The spark plug manufacturers have engineers also.

 

This whole forum is based around making these trucks better than the engineers could do with the constraints they had. I'm sure if they let Millen's Race Team design the suspension like they claim on the Pro models that not many people would ever have to or want to upgrade. One great example is HPTuners...Many people including myself have stated after adding the engine and trans tune that the truck shifts and drives like it should have from the factory. IMO that is the best money spent on an aftermarket part for the truck.

Anyways, lets get back to our regular scheduled spark plug programming!

 

The reason why they came that way one head was manufactured at one place. The other at another place. All cooper densos for me.

 

Really? That’s why?

 

Is there anyone that actually got counterfeit Denso or ngk plugs from Amazon or is this just anecdotal?

 

I’m sure there are counterfeits floating around Amazon - but I’ve purchased 2 sets now from well reviewed vendors via amazon - no problems.

 

I don't know if anyone has here. But it has been documented on Bob is The Oil Guy forum. If you really want to nerd out on ALL things maintenance related, those are the guys! They go engineering level deep into a lot of topics, over most people heads.....including my peasant head. haha It's not just a bunch of random yahoos either, vendor technical reps watch those forums and comment regularly as well.

 

There is very little detailed engineering discussion on BITOG. It’s mostly just arguing about favorite oils - same as here.

 

Iridium plugs burn hotter and these engines being aluminum are very sensitive to any over heating. Cylinders 5 and 6 already get over exposed to alot of heat being so close to the firewall, adding additional heat is not a good idea! Will iridium plugs make your 1gr-fe explode into a fireball.... No! But they are not doing anything positive.

 

Iridium plugs have nothing to do with combustion temperatures compared to a copper plug unless you get the wrong heat range. I have seen t a few HG failures on this site, but not in person which tells me there may be more to the story or very isolated issues in the manufacturing process/assembly line.

Here is a quote from NGK's site about the difference between their plugs:
“Copper spark plugs” is a term mistakenly used for a standard material spark plug. A standard material spark plug traditionally uses a nickel-alloy outer material fused to a copper core. Almost all spark plugs use a copper core center to conduct the electricity, jump the gap, and promote heat dissipation. However, as an outer electrode material, copper would not be a good choice, as it is soft and has a low melting point (resulting in a plug that would last minutes, not miles). Nearly all NGK spark plugs, including precious metals iridium and platinum, have a copper core. When one talks in terms of nickel alloys, platinum and iridium, one is referring to its durability, or how long a spark plug will last before it needs to be replaced. However, when one talks about copper, he or she is referring to its ability to conduct electricity that is needed to fire across the gap and ignite the air-fuel mixture."

 

Don’t throw money away.... you can go 60k miles easily on sparks. Toyota just lists 30k to get your money. Change every 60k and just go to the dealer and buy spark plugs there for easy peace of mind that you got the right ones. My dealer sells them for $4/piece.

Again, 30k mile change is a waste of money. Oh and don’t use anti-sieze unless you adjust the torque, Otherwise you’ll screw up the threading. I recommend not using anti-seize, it’s not needed.

 

I do like supporting the dealers and sometimes the prices are lower than people expect, in my area that is especially true for GM parts. Just an FYI though the Desno Long Life Iridium (

$53 DENSO 3421 ----- 6 PCS NEW

DENSO 3421) is only $5.56 (MERICA!!! you know, 5.56 ammo....haha, i had to) from Rockauto, although that doesn't include shipping. The OEM Denso plugs on RockAuto are less than $3. Just trying to be helpful. Plus RockAuto has a 5% discount in the Vendors section.

Totally agree on the anti-sieze! It's not needed like it was in the early days of aluminum heads. Now all (reputable) plug manufactures have a type of anti-sieze coating that does not impede the ground path. As far as torque goes, I guess I've just been doing it long enough that I haven't used a torque wrench for plugs in years. But it is a VERY good idea for someone that doesn't work on cars often.

 

The amount of facepalm going on in this thread is reaching astronomical levels.

Anti seize is a no no and Iridiums for NA are no nos.

If you guys got a problem with that, take it up with the Toyota engineers. They'll set you straight.

 

X2

 

What can anti seize harm? Not saying the engineers are wrong I just want to know. The knowledge could be handy some day.

 

People don’t account for torque and they tend to put tons of it on, so that’ll easily mess things up

 

Seems like a lot of people in this thread write things off because people implement them wrong. Using anti seize on a plug is not wrong if you implement it correctly, by adjusting the torque.

the spark plugs are one of the hottest parts of the engine. Easily 25-30 degrees hotter than the CHT. Anytime you add heat to the equation you risk seized threads. A seized spark plug will cost you $$, a $5 bottle of anti seize will last you the life of the engine, seems like cheap insurance to me.