Mods Face Off Result: Brisk LGS Spark Plugs

[CoolVanilla]

Mods Face Off Result: Brisk LGS Spark Plugs, pn: ROR15LGS

This test consisted of testing the Brisk LGS spark plugs (pn: ROR15LGS, new) vs the stock Champion plugs (pn: RE14MCC4 w/31k miles) on my heavily modified 2005 Magnum RT.

Mod Tested: Brisk LGS ROR15LGS Spark Plugs
Date: 2/26/07
Dyno Location: SVS R&D, Sacramento CA
Track Location: n/a

***Remember to always review and keep in mind the Mods Face Off Testing Methodology Q&A while reviewing these results.***

The Good:

• The silver center electrode. This is bound to last much longer than the platinum of our stock plugs.

The Bad:

• The price. These are on the order of 2.5x more expensive than our stock plugs and when you need 16 of em, this can really add up to a significant cost.
• The gap. Our plugs are gapped to .045". The gap of the Brisk plugs are just about 2x that distance. This *could* be a problem with our stock coils over time; the stocks may not handle jumping this gap for the long haul.
• These plugs are not a perfect fit; there is around 1.5 threads exposed in the cylinder once tightened down. Typically threads in a cylinder head are a very bad thing.
• Performance wise, its a wash from stock.

The Results:



The graph tells the tale. Under nearly identical circumstances, these plugs performed no better than stock plugs with 31k miles on them.

The Pictures:









After two dyno runs, we see these plugs start to discolor due to heat.


Special Thanks:
Frank Racing Inc, a supporting vendor, supplied these spark plugs for test at no cost. Steve and Lee have yet again gone out of their way to support the MFO tests, and in turn support our efforts to find the "truth" when it comes to mods like this. As Steve put it, "that's why we test these things."

[CoolVanilla]

Incidentally, the stock plugs looked to be in great shape. I probably could have got 1.5x more lifetime out of them as they have only just started to show some rounding. Keep in mind these plugs have over 250 dyno pulls on them now and way to many 1/4 runs... course lets not talk about all the 'spirited' driving I like to do on a daily basis...

[Cam]

Well my $,02 on the power factor is because there are to deep in the cylinder. Them, ain't the right plugs. They will run to hot. Get the right ones. Also, with your mods CV, I'd suggest 2 ranges colder then a stock replacement. But that's just me.

[CoolVanilla]

Well my $,02 on the power factor is because there are to deep in the cylinder. Them, ain't the right plugs. They will run to hot. Get the right ones. Also, with your mods CV, I'd suggest 2 ranges colder then a stock replacement. But that's just me.

I believe this is the plug that Brisk spec's for our engines. Could be wrong about that though... maybe they've assumed (like so many others) that the 5.7 truck and car engines are the same...

Give me a PN Cam on the colder ones. I replaced my old ones yesterday with the Champion 3570s, the book crossover for our stocks.

[SRT8U]

Great test...would have been nice to see a comparison to some other aftermarket brands as well.

[Cam]

Bud, I'll gladly do that tomorrow. I'm sick as a dog, been waiting on a delivery today, it just came...........I'm gone.

I believe this is the plug that Brisk spec's for our engines. Could be wrong about that though... maybe they've assumed (like so many others) that the 5.7 truck and car engines are the same...

Give me a PN Cam on the colder ones. I replaced my old ones yesterday with the Champion 3570s, the book crossover for our stocks.

[CoolVanilla]

...would have been nice to see a comparison to some other aftermarket brands as well.

No question. Maybe we try for this at the next MFO event??

Bud, I'll gladly do that tomorrow. I'm sick as a dog, been waiting on a delivery today, it just came...........I'm gone.

Copy. No rush. Feel better.

[RobAGD]

We could use indexing shims to bring the threads out of the cylinders, I really am not comphy with threads being in the chamber as they will carbon foul, and they can lead to boogered threads in the head come next plug change.

Thanks CV, SVS, and FRI for testing these.

-R

[MattRobertson]

Cam whatchoo say to me doing the same on the plugs? CV and I are not modded the same, but we are similar. I need to change my plugs as I have 45k on the things. Guess I'd better take pics when they come out and we can see just how bad the plugs can be after 45k; since mine is by no means driven gently.

EDIT: Damn shame about the plugs. I was really hoping for a few cheap horses out of these.

[Hurst Equipped]

i didn't think there was anything to be gain in just a sparkplug change. i saw a zero difference with the bosch platinum +4 plugs too.

the strange part is the performed no better the very old stock plugs. possible they may perform worse the new stock plugs????

thanks jason for testing this...

[MomsR/T]

i don't think we're done yet.............I want to test again under different conditions.............

I want to test with high compression and nitrous.........

[moparman53]

I'm glad I didn't waste the money to change mine at 30K.

[Cam]

Hey guys, after reading this the other day I realized that some additional information was required to understand exactly how spark plugs work and why it's important to choose the correct heat range. I was wanting to write it up, but I'm still sick as a dog and the brain, she is a bit cloudy right now. So being that the internet is such a wonderful tool, I thought I would put it to use. The following is copied and pasted. But pertinent to this discussion.

SPARK PLUG BASICS:
The spark plug has two primary functions:

Ignite air/fuel mixture
Transfer heat from the combustion chamber
Spark plugs carry electrical energy and turn fuel into working energy. A sufficient amount of voltage must be supplied by the ignition system to spark across the spark plug's gap. This is
called "Electrical Performance."

The temperature of the spark plug's firing end must be kept low enough to prevent pre-ignition, but high enough to prevent fouling. This is called "Thermal Performance", and is
determined by the heat range selected.

It's important to remember spark plugs do not create heat, they only remove heat. The spark plug works as a heat exchanger
by pulling unwanted thermal energy away from the combustion chamber, and transferring the heat to the engine's cooling
system. The heat range is defined as a plug's ability to
dissipate heat.

The rate of heat transfer is determined by:

The insulator nose length
Gas volume around the insulator nose
The materials/construction of the center electrode and porcelain insulator
A spark plug's heat range has no relationship to the actual voltage transferred through the spark plug. Rather, the heat range is a measure of the spark plug's ability to remove heat from the combustion chamber. The heat range measurement is determined by several factors; the length of the ceramic center insulator nose and its' ability to absorb and transfer combustion heat, the material composition of the insulator and center electrode material.

Heat rating and heat flow path of NGK Spark Plugs


The insulator nose length is the distance from the firing tip of the insulator to the point where insulator meets the metal shell. Since the insulator tip is the hottest part of the spark plug, the tip temperature is a primary factor in pre-ignition and fouling. Whether the spark plugs are fitted in a lawnmower, boat, or a race car, the spark plug tip temperature must remain between 500C-850°C. If the tip temperature is lower than 500°C, the insulator area surrounding the center electrode will not be hot enough to burn off carbon and combustion chamber deposits. These accumulated deposits can result in spark plug fouling leading to misfire. If the tip temperature is higher than 850°C the spark plug will overheat which may cause the ceramic around the center electrode to blister and the electrodes to melt. This may lead to pre-ignition/detonation and expensive engine damage. In identical spark plug types, the difference from one heat range to the next is the ability to remove approximately 70°C to 100°C from the combustion chamber. A projected style spark plug firing tip temperature is increased by 10°C to 20°C.

The firing end appearance also depends on the spark plugs tip temperature. There are three basic diagnostic criteria for spark plugs: good, fouled and overheated. The borderline between the fouling and optimum operating regions (500&def;C) is called the spark plug self-cleaning temperature. The temperature at this point is where the accumulated carbon and combustion deposits are burned off.

Keep in mind the insulator nose length is a determining factor in the heat range of a spark plug, the longer the insulator nose, the less heat is absorbed, and the further the heat must travel into the cylinder head water jackets. This means the plug has a higher internal temperature, and is said to be a hot plug. A hot spark plug maintains a higher internal operating temperature to burn off oil and carbon deposits, and has no relationship to spark quality or intensity.

Conversely, a cold spark plug has a shorter insulator nose and absorbs more combustion chamber heat. This heat travels a shorter distance, and allows the plug to operate at a lower internal temperature. A colder heat range is necessary when the engine is modified for performance, subjected to heavy loads, or is run at a high rpm for a significant period of time. Colder spark plugs remove heat quicker, reducing the chance of pre-ignition/detonation. Failure to use a cooler heat range in a modified application can lead to spark plug failure and severe engine damage.

Below is a list of external influences on a spark plug's operating temperature. The following symptoms or conditions may have an effect on the actual temperature of the spark plug. The spark plug cannot create these conditions, but it must be able to cope with the levels of heat...if not, the performance will suffer and engine damage can occur.

Air/Fuel Mixtures seriously affect engine performance and spark plug operating temperatures.

Rich air/fuel mixtures cause tip temperature to drop, causing fouling and poor driveability
Lean air/fuel mixtures cause plug tip and cylinder temperature to increase, resulting in pre-ignition, detonation, and possibly serious spark plug and engine damage
It is important to read spark plugs many times during the tuning process to achieve the optimum air/ fuel mixture
Higher Compression Ratios/Forced Induction will elevate spark plug tip and in-cylinder temperatures

Compression can be increased by performing any one of the following modifications:

a) reducing combustion chamber volume (i.e.: domed pistons, smaller chamber heads, mill ing heads, etc.)

b) adding forced induction (Nitrous, Turbocharging or Supercharging)

c) camshaft change
As compression increases, a colder heat range plug, higher fuel octane, and careful attention to ignition timing and air/fuel ratios are necessary. Failure to select a colder spark plug can lead to spark plug/engine damage
Advancing Ignition Timing

Advancing ignition timing by 10° causes tip temperature to increase by approx. 70°-100° C
Engine Speed and Load

Increases in firing-end temperature are proportional to engine speed and load. When traveling at a consistent high rate of speed, or carrying/pushing very heavy loads, a colder heat range spark plug should be installed
Ambient Air Temperature

As air temperature falls, air density/air volume becomes greater, resulting in leaner air/fuel mixtures.
This creates higher cylinder pressures/temperatures and causes an increase in the spark plug's tip temperature. So, fuel delivery should be increased.
As temperature increases, air density decreases, as does intake volume, fuel delivery should be decreased

Pre-ignition

Defined as: ignition of the air/fuel mixture before the pre-set ignition timing mark
Caused by hot spots in the combustion chamber...can be caused
(or amplified) by over advanced timing, too hot a spark plug, low octane fuel, lean air/fuel mixture, too high compression, or insufficient engine cooling
A change to a higher octane fuel, a colder plug, richer fuel mixture,
or lower compression may be in order
You may also need to retard ignition timing, and check vehicle's cooling system
Pre-ignition usually leads to detonation; pre-ignition an detonation are two separate events
Detonation

The spark plug's worst enemy! (Besides fouling)
Can break insulators or break off ground electrodes
Pre-ignition most often leads to detonation
Plug tip temperatures can spike to over 3000°F during the combustion process (in a racing engine)
Most frequently caused by hot spots in the combustion chamber.
Hot spots will allow the air/fuel mixture to pre-ignite. As the piston is being forced upward by mechanical action of the connecting rod, the pre-ignited explosion will try to force the piston downward. If the piston can't go up (because of the force of the premature explosion) and it can't go down (because of the upward mo-tion of the connecting rod), the piston will rattle from side to side. The resulting shock wave causes an audible pinging sound. This is detonation.
Most of the damage than an engine sustains when "detonating" is from excessive heat
The spark plug is damaged by both the elevated temperatures and the accompanying shock wave, or concussion
Misfires

A spark plug is said to have misfired when enough voltage has not been delivered to light off all fuel present in the combustion chamber at the proper moment of the power stroke (a few degrees before top dead center)
A spark plug can deliver a weak spark (or no spark at all) for a variety of reasons...defective coil, too much compression with incorrect
plug gap, dry fouled or wet fouled spark plugs, insufficient ignition timing, etc.
Slight misfires can cause a loss of performance for obvious reasons (if fuel is not lit, no energy is be-ing created)
Severe misfires will cause poor fuel economy, poor driveability, and can lead to engine damage
Fouling

Will occur when spark plug tip temperature is insufficient to burn off carbon, fuel, oil or other deposits
Will cause spark to leach to metal shell...no spark across plug gap will cause a misfire
Wet-fouled spark plugs must be changed...spark plugs will not fire
Dry-fouled spark plugs can sometimes be cleaned by bringing engine up to operating temperature
Before changing fouled spark plugs, be sure to eliminate root
cause of fouling

Now, I do appologize for making you read all that, but every bit of it is important when choosing the proper plug for your application. Now, if you haven't figured it out yet. The Brisk plug you have right now IMO is to damn long. I feel for an effective burn, the electrode should be closer to the top of the cylinder. Now I have no idea what heat range this particular one is, but right now I would tend to guess that it's wrong.

Now back to another sore subject. I truely feel the reason you never saw any gains (really loses) from the shortie wires is because of using the incorrect heat range. Right now, I run two steps colder on the 5.7, and she's strong. But that's for another thread.

I like the engineering behind the Brisk plugs. I would very much like to get the correct units and try out this design. I'm with Lee, they should work very well. Ok, I'll go back to the fetal position now, I'm done.

[InferAl]

Hey guys, after reading this the other day I realized that some additional information was required to understand exactly how spark plugs work and why it's important to choose the correct heat range. I was wanting to write it up, but I'm still sick as a dog and the brain, she is a bit cloudy right now. So being that the internet is such a wonderful tool, I thought I would put it to use. The following is copied and pasted. But pertinent to this discussion.

SPARK PLUG BASICS:
The spark plug has two primary functions:

Ignite air/fuel mixture
Transfer heat from the combustion chamber
Spark plugs carry electrical energy and turn fuel into working energy. A sufficient amount of voltage must be supplied by the ignition system to spark across the spark plug's gap. This is
called "Electrical Performance."

The temperature of the spark plug's firing end must be kept low enough to prevent pre-ignition, but high enough to prevent fouling. This is called "Thermal Performance", and is
determined by the heat range selected.

It's important to remember spark plugs do not create heat, they only remove heat. The spark plug works as a heat exchanger
by pulling unwanted thermal energy away from the combustion chamber, and transferring the heat to the engine's cooling
system. The heat range is defined as a plug's ability to
dissipate heat.

The rate of heat transfer is determined by:

The insulator nose length
Gas volume around the insulator nose
The materials/construction of the center electrode and porcelain insulator
A spark plug's heat range has no relationship to the actual voltage transferred through the spark plug. Rather, the heat range is a measure of the spark plug's ability to remove heat from the combustion chamber. The heat range measurement is determined by several factors; the length of the ceramic center insulator nose and its' ability to absorb and transfer combustion heat, the material composition of the insulator and center electrode material.

Heat rating and heat flow path of NGK Spark Plugs


The insulator nose length is the distance from the firing tip of the insulator to the point where insulator meets the metal shell. Since the insulator tip is the hottest part of the spark plug, the tip temperature is a primary factor in pre-ignition and fouling. Whether the spark plugs are fitted in a lawnmower, boat, or a race car, the spark plug tip temperature must remain between 500C-850°C. If the tip temperature is lower than 500°C, the insulator area surrounding the center electrode will not be hot enough to burn off carbon and combustion chamber deposits. These accumulated deposits can result in spark plug fouling leading to misfire. If the tip temperature is higher than 850°C the spark plug will overheat which may cause the ceramic around the center electrode to blister and the electrodes to melt. This may lead to pre-ignition/detonation and expensive engine damage. In identical spark plug types, the difference from one heat range to the next is the ability to remove approximately 70°C to 100°C from the combustion chamber. A projected style spark plug firing tip temperature is increased by 10°C to 20°C.

The firing end appearance also depends on the spark plugs tip temperature. There are three basic diagnostic criteria for spark plugs: good, fouled and overheated. The borderline between the fouling and optimum operating regions (500&def;C) is called the spark plug self-cleaning temperature. The temperature at this point is where the accumulated carbon and combustion deposits are burned off.

Keep in mind the insulator nose length is a determining factor in the heat range of a spark plug, the longer the insulator nose, the less heat is absorbed, and the further the heat must travel into the cylinder head water jackets. This means the plug has a higher internal temperature, and is said to be a hot plug. A hot spark plug maintains a higher internal operating temperature to burn off oil and carbon deposits, and has no relationship to spark quality or intensity.

Conversely, a cold spark plug has a shorter insulator nose and absorbs more combustion chamber heat. This heat travels a shorter distance, and allows the plug to operate at a lower internal temperature. A colder heat range is necessary when the engine is modified for performance, subjected to heavy loads, or is run at a high rpm for a significant period of time. Colder spark plugs remove heat quicker, reducing the chance of pre-ignition/detonation. Failure to use a cooler heat range in a modified application can lead to spark plug failure and severe engine damage.

Below is a list of external influences on a spark plug's operating temperature. The following symptoms or conditions may have an effect on the actual temperature of the spark plug. The spark plug cannot create these conditions, but it must be able to cope with the levels of heat...if not, the performance will suffer and engine damage can occur.

Air/Fuel Mixtures seriously affect engine performance and spark plug operating temperatures.

Rich air/fuel mixtures cause tip temperature to drop, causing fouling and poor driveability
Lean air/fuel mixtures cause plug tip and cylinder temperature to increase, resulting in pre-ignition, detonation, and possibly serious spark plug and engine damage
It is important to read spark plugs many times during the tuning process to achieve the optimum air/ fuel mixture
Higher Compression Ratios/Forced Induction will elevate spark plug tip and in-cylinder temperatures

Compression can be increased by performing any one of the following modifications:

a) reducing combustion chamber volume (i.e.: domed pistons, smaller chamber heads, mill ing heads, etc.)

b) adding forced induction (Nitrous, Turbocharging or Supercharging)

c) camshaft change
As compression increases, a colder heat range plug, higher fuel octane, and careful attention to ignition timing and air/fuel ratios are necessary. Failure to select a colder spark plug can lead to spark plug/engine damage
Advancing Ignition Timing

Advancing ignition timing by 10° causes tip temperature to increase by approx. 70°-100° C
Engine Speed and Load

Increases in firing-end temperature are proportional to engine speed and load. When traveling at a consistent high rate of speed, or carrying/pushing very heavy loads, a colder heat range spark plug should be installed
Ambient Air Temperature

As air temperature falls, air density/air volume becomes greater, resulting in leaner air/fuel mixtures.
This creates higher cylinder pressures/temperatures and causes an increase in the spark plug's tip temperature. So, fuel delivery should be increased.
As temperature increases, air density decreases, as does intake volume, fuel delivery should be decreased

Pre-ignition

Defined as: ignition of the air/fuel mixture before the pre-set ignition timing mark
Caused by hot spots in the combustion chamber...can be caused
(or amplified) by over advanced timing, too hot a spark plug, low octane fuel, lean air/fuel mixture, too high compression, or insufficient engine cooling
A change to a higher octane fuel, a colder plug, richer fuel mixture,
or lower compression may be in order
You may also need to retard ignition timing, and check vehicle's cooling system
Pre-ignition usually leads to detonation; pre-ignition an detonation are two separate events
Detonation

The spark plug's worst enemy! (Besides fouling)
Can break insulators or break off ground electrodes
Pre-ignition most often leads to detonation
Plug tip temperatures can spike to over 3000°F during the combustion process (in a racing engine)
Most frequently caused by hot spots in the combustion chamber.
Hot spots will allow the air/fuel mixture to pre-ignite. As the piston is being forced upward by mechanical action of the connecting rod, the pre-ignited explosion will try to force the piston downward. If the piston can't go up (because of the force of the premature explosion) and it can't go down (because of the upward mo-tion of the connecting rod), the piston will rattle from side to side. The resulting shock wave causes an audible pinging sound. This is detonation.
Most of the damage than an engine sustains when "detonating" is from excessive heat
The spark plug is damaged by both the elevated temperatures and the accompanying shock wave, or concussion
Misfires

A spark plug is said to have misfired when enough voltage has not been delivered to light off all fuel present in the combustion chamber at the proper moment of the power stroke (a few degrees before top dead center)
A spark plug can deliver a weak spark (or no spark at all) for a variety of reasons...defective coil, too much compression with incorrect
plug gap, dry fouled or wet fouled spark plugs, insufficient ignition timing, etc.
Slight misfires can cause a loss of performance for obvious reasons (if fuel is not lit, no energy is be-ing created)
Severe misfires will cause poor fuel economy, poor driveability, and can lead to engine damage
Fouling

Will occur when spark plug tip temperature is insufficient to burn off carbon, fuel, oil or other deposits
Will cause spark to leach to metal shell...no spark across plug gap will cause a misfire
Wet-fouled spark plugs must be changed...spark plugs will not fire
Dry-fouled spark plugs can sometimes be cleaned by bringing engine up to operating temperature
Before changing fouled spark plugs, be sure to eliminate root
cause of fouling

Now, I do appologize for making you read all that, but every bit of it is important when choosing the proper plug for your application. Now, if you haven't figured it out yet. The Brisk plug you have right now IMO is to damn long. I feel for an effective burn, the electrode should be closer to the top of the cylinder. Now I have no idea what heat range this particular one is, but right now I would tend to guess that it's wrong.

Now back to another sore subject. I truely feel the reason you never saw any gains (really loses) from the shortie wires is because of using the incorrect heat range. Right now, I run two steps colder on the 5.7, and she's strong. But that's for another thread.

I like the engineering behind the Brisk plugs. I would very much like to get the correct units and try out this design. I'm with Lee, they should work very well. Ok, I'll go back to the fetal position now, I'm done.

This was some pretty interesting reading I'm surprised it ended the thread

[Cam]

This was some pretty interesting reading I'm surprised it ended the thread

I've always been good at killing threads .

Something I wanted to add. I get a kick out of the fact that so many people are concerned about switching from the manufactures recommended plugs. Fact is that they recommend the best overal averaged product for everyday driving in all climates. Now, take into account the few of us that really push our rides to the limit. We need to install heat ranges that accompany not only the modifications we have made, but our driving habits as well.

Grandma Jones in Porkme, Nebraska just doesn't need to run a colder plug in the dead of winter running down to the local drug store for her Geritol fix, it dun't work that way.