| Author | Message | ||
     Jarhead |
A few years back I bought some "Pyrostars" spark plugs when I first got my hardtail. I was running dual plug heads and still fouling them. Too much carb. Put the Pyros in and BAM, complete burn and easily noticable increase in throttle response, torque and gas milage. All seat of the pants dyno. Anyway, I love these plugs and wanted to get some for the buells, but it seems the company has disappeared off of the face of the earth. Guess the plugs didn't catch on and its a shame, because they really do work! For those who havn't seen them, instead of the typical spark plug anode/cathode configuration, it has a mushroom shaped-pre gapped 8 point star at the end of the plug that arcs to the base of the plug so it sparks 360 degrees around. pictures of the one spare set I have coming as soon as I find the cable to my camera. Anyway....has anyone every tried any of these plugs? and on the outside chance, does anyone know where a stash of these may be located? | ||
| Jarhead |
ok, cant find the cable for my camera, so these are from the wife's cellphone.   (Message edited by jarhead on November 10, 2005) | ||
| Blake |
Looks similar to the Torquemaster brand plug. I'm fairly confident that if you had gone to the next hotter conventional plug, you would have seen the same results. | ||
| Blake |
Nice green naugahyde! | ||
| Jarhead |
Thanks bro! the table cloth matches the decor....or so the Chief of staff says... as far as the hotter conventional plug....the NGKs weren't cutting it. | ||
| Jarhead |
The Torquemaster is the closest thing I've seen to the pyro. The same(more spark) concept, but different delivery. It seems like the Bosh platinum +4 for autos. I'll have to check them out. | ||
| Sparky |
Torquemasters are the real deal, offering surface effect firing through a 0.090" spark to a true 360 degree ground electrode. I'm not aware of any other plug with this design. Their performance, reliability and longevity are outstanding, IMHO. With upgraded ignition systems on my Buells, I've racked up approx 60k miles on the same set in the S1 and up to 32k miles in the Firebolt with no noticeable degradation in performance! A new outfit, Extreme Spark bought out Maurice's TorqueMaster business but, I understand, still offer the same products. Try 'em. I think you'll like 'em. 96S1, 98S3, 03XB Sparky | ||
| Fullpower |
sparky: what "upgrades" have you made to the ignition system on your XB9? | ||
| Sparky |
Fullpower, The stock Firebolt comes with a fairly robust ignition system compared to the 96 & 98 models, so all my '03 9R needed was the newer spark plug cables which fit tighter on the plugs, that and dielectric grease on the inside of the plug boots. The stock coil has plenty of juice to fire across the 0.120" gap of the Torqueys. Correction: in the above post I mistakenly said 0.090" gap but the gap for standard TMs is 0.120". | ||
| Fullpower |
that is amazing, you are running a nearly 1/8 inch plug gap on the stock XB9? that is indeed a stout ignition system. how is the idle? | ||
| Sparky |
Idles normally. I guess the trick thing about these plugs is the "surface effect" design. The spark travels from the center electrode and across the insulator for a short distance and then jumps the air gap to the ground electrode, in effect using the insulator as a conductor. The end result is a rather long arc that faces the combustion chamber and is not shrouded by a ground electrode "arm". A handy byproduct of using the surface of the insulator is that debris, like a carbon deposit around the center electrode, becomes a focal point for the next spark to jump from, eventually burning off the deposit. | ||
| Jarhead |
thanks for the info sparky. The ones I have fire at 8 points around at about .038 gap.  I will deffinately check out the Torquemasters. here are some better pictures   (Message edited by jarhead on November 11, 2005) | ||
| Daman |
I dont know, but i think that style plug would be detrimental. The spark might not go through all the 8 points kind of like it would favor the point of least resistance. I've seen somewhere on the web of side-gaping plugs. They cut off the arm of the ground electrode and gap it closer then if it still had the arm. Supposedly exposing the spark directly toward the piston. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Snakeoil. If the spark plug actually helped to speed combustion, you would need to retard the advance to compensate. On a fuel injected engine, you can't adjust the timing of the ignition without adjusting the timing of the squirt. So at best, the new fancy spark plugs don't do anything different and the bike feels normal. Worst case is if they actualy DO help to speed combustion. If that is the case, then it would be the same effect as a standard plug with the ignition advanced too much. | ||
| Ara |
I'm with Natexih1000 on this, but for a different reason. A spark will travel the path of least resistance. Those surface effect plugs will not produce multiple sparks or an "umbrella" spark, they'll produce one spark at a point wherever the resistance is the least. That point may well be where a piece of carbon has attached itself to the plug and get burned off by the spark - in effect making the sparkplug self cleaning - but you'll get only a single spark. Pull the plug, put on a pair of gloves, reattach the plug to the ignition wire, ground the plug to the bike, and briefly turn the motor over. It's a cheap experiment and doesn't take long. You will observe a single spark. The laws of physics do not change to fit marketing hype. | ||
| Ezblast |
The Torque Masters look different than those - someone post a pic please. Never mind -   This is different all together! GT - JBOTDS! EZ  | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Those pics are pretty but look like multiple arcs per pic. You can get a "plasma ball" discharge in a partally evacuated enviroment. Not in a pressurized hot combustion chamber with ionized free radicals floating about. I replace my plugs about every 10K miles. It is not because there is carbon but the center Electrode gets rounded off. Round electrodes discourage arc propigation. The fact of the matter is that the modern ignitions can jam an arc across almost anything. I DARE you to try a pair of torque monster plugs in my old ironhead with points. | ||
| Jackbequick |
I defer to the experts, but I think the photos (illustrations?) showing those plugs firing simultaneously across many multiple points is inconsistent with the way electricity works in the real world. Could this possibly be a scam? Jack | ||
| Sparky |
It's time-lapse photography, my friends. Every pulse from the coil only produces one spark. Period. I think the pic is trying to show the 360 degree firing capability. That is one reason why TMs can last so much longer than ordinary plugs. Like what Nate said, ordinary plugs need to be replaced so often because the center electrode erodes at one spot. The TM can retain a sharp center electrode 8 to 10 times longer than plugs with an "arm" ground electrode. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Another thing I want to bring up here: If those plugs are worth 7.5 horses or even ONE, don't you think they would sell new bikes with them installed? The motor companies work hard for every single horsepower they can. Don't you think they know about these alternate designs? | ||
| Monorad |
i fouled both stock plugs around 5600 miles. probably because of so much low speed riding and idling in city traffic. rear plug went at 5840 miles and i had a thumper going over the williamsburg bridge. really freaked me out. i changed the rear plug, rode for a day and the front plug crapped out at 5870 miles. how crazy is that. replaced them with the stock HD plugs. everythings fine other than I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT A PAIN IN THE ••• IT IS TO CHANGE PLUGS ON THESE BIKES. argh. took 40 minutes most of which i was trying to reach those short coil wires and make sure they were seated properly. my knuckles are raw. any tips? last thing, those multi-arc plugs look gimmicky to me. i'll stay with tried and true stock parts in the engine, thanks. | ||
| Leftcoastal |
Jarhead - I was in a bike shop on Sat. and they had a bunch of the Pyrostar plugs hanging up behind the counter. I asked the guy there about then and he said that the plugs didn't increase HP or anything like that, but all the guys that used them said that they got better gas mileage with them. One of the people using them had a '05 Ultra Glide and after a few tanks with the plugs, was getting around 25 - 30 more miles to the tankful. With premium grade fuel still at $3.00, that might make it worth the 26 bucks for the plugs. Since the shop is not a sponsor of this site, ping me offline in case you want to contact the shop for the plugs. AL | ||
| Jarhead |
Thanks Al! The great response I got from these plugs is due to a few factors, not JUST the plugs. My mill was over carbed and over cammed, These plugs gave me enough spark to stop running so rich without rejetting. kinda balanced everything out. Maybe not the perfect solution, but it is a work in progress. |
