Pulstar Plugs???

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Steve Krusich

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Anyone tried these (www.pulstarplugs.com) ?? Their data suggests a 10% increase in mpg and horsepower can be achieved. They cost $25 per plug but if their data is correct they would pay for themselves in about 1 year with the 4.6L V8 engine. I am thinking about them. What do you think?



Steve
 
I thought about them in my ailing 1992 LeSabre before I try them in the trac...the expense and the pita of changing plugs on the trac when it doesn't work isn't worth it....of course, the v8 might be easier on plug changing, I don't know.



Though I do know that all the other special plugs fail, the theory of DirecHits and Pulstar makes sense....it delays the spark and puts out one big push later instead of a wimpy push throughout a range of piston motion. Slow timing while increasing power...sounds good, I just need to get the $$ to try it out.



(and establish a good sample of a non-pulstar ride in order to judge effectiveness)



Though I personally have high hopes for ignition products, as it is the most essential and most overlooked part of an Internal Combustion engine :(
 
Gimmie an "<font size=+4>S!</font>"

Gimmie a "<font size=+4>C!</font>"

Gimmie an "<font size=+4>A!</font>"

Gimmie an "<font size=+4>M!</font>"



Whats that Spell?



<font size=+4>SCAM!</font>



At $25.00/plug the only person that will benifit is the seller.





Tom
 
Someday, someone has to improve the ignition....if the ignition was more sound, then the whole system would be more efficient.



Sadly, that day doesn't seem to have come. 150 bucks is a lot to spend to test, but then again, magnecor wires are 100 bucks.....maybe if the money was flowing, but I still don't have a good sample of no-plug data.



Pulstar also lacks solidly credible reviews. Their other product, direchits, had some semi-credulous reviews, but that product was a pita to even theoretically use. 125 bucks + non resistor plugs + their "special wires" (inc in 125, but voids credibility) + the extra space of the capacitor.



 
Stock ignition systems are greatly improed. From multiple spark discharges, high voltage, and DIS ignition systems, todays ignition system are SO much better than in the past.



The idea that a capacitor will increase power is BS. The split second it takes for your coil to build power and release it is not going to build any more power.



Spark plugs have changed very little from the time they were invented. They are one of the few items that are darn near perfect from the get-go. Others have tried, and failed, to make a better spark plug. Split Fire, Beru Silverstone, Bosch +2/4 plugs are all examples that never "ADD" any power or economy.



I have used a set of Magnecor wires on my Escort GT. Are they any better than Taylor-Vertex? Nope. Same thing. Same way they work, etc.



Nology claims they have a patened design that builds a better spark. One many tests, Nology wires performed NO better than Stock OE wires and in some cases, did worse.



Those plugs are nothing more than another item added to the list of thousands of items that do nothing but drain money out of your wallet.





Tom
 
Those plugs are nothing more than another item added to the list of thousands of items that do nothing but drain money out of your wallet.
Click to expand...



Sad but True....though ah still have my hopes that it wasn't a lie.



High Voltage ignition? Doesn't an ignition have to be "high voltage" just to bridge the spark gap?



What would a low voltage ignition have been?
 
Some vehicles today are pushing 50,000 to 80,000 volts. Years ago, 15,000 to 20,000 volts was the norm.





Tom
 
Ok, so it's higher than original voltage.....some textbooks say that high voltage is 100V or above, and I knew that you couldn't be talking about a 99 volt or lower ignition system. Not only didn't those exist, but it is infeasible.



I don't think I'm hitting that high voltage wise.
 
captive discharge ignition systems are not a scam. Releasing as much spark energy in as short as possible amount of time is essential to high-HP and highly tuned motors. When you see an ignition box in race cars or hot rods, they are using a type of captive discharge ignition system.



However, these systems not only keep the charge stored up and release it in one short but powerful burst, but provide a stronger (hotter, higher voltage, etc) spark to begin with.



The theory behind the plugs is perfectly sound, and they probably are more efficient then regular plugs if the work as advertised, but because the ignition system is still stock, the spark isn't any stronger and ultimately, any small gain you would see could easily be negated by low air pressure in the tires, a strong head wind, an extra passenger, etc.



Spark plugs have come a long way from where they once were, but stick to OEM replacements on a mostly OEM motor. If you start adding boost, nitrous, or serious motor work and ignition upgrades, then new sparkplugs are in order.
 
captive discharge ignition systems are not a scam. Releasing as much spark energy in as short as possible amount of time is essential to high-HP and highly tuned motors. When you see an ignition box in race cars or hot rods, they are using a type of captive discharge ignition system.
Click to expand...



Nology Hot Wires make that claim. Tests show otherwise.





TOM
 
A true captive discharge ignition system is more then just wires. Who cares what some test showed for a set of wires; there is more to it then just a set of wires. Captive discharge systems work, plain and simple. There is a reason why top-level race teams use them.
 
The fastest cars in the world use a blower with two distributors.



So much power, there is no dyno that can measure it.



The captive discharge systems do not produce that much power.





Tom
 
Wow...just, wow.



Almost nothing about that statement is even close to being true.



For one, the fastest cars in the world use jet power, not piston engines. The Thrust SSC breaks the sound barrier, while the fastest piston engine cars can't even get to half that speed.



But, I suppose you're talking about the NHRA, top fuel rails in particular. In that case, there are certainly dynos that can handle the 8,000 HP the motors produce, its the motors themselves that can't handle the dyno. A typical top fuel motor is made to last about 7-seconds at full throttle before they have to be rebuilt, which is just not long enough to get an accurate reading on a dyno. You could get a number, but as anyone will tell you (even drag racers) it didn't happen unless you can back it up.



Oh, and by the way, those two large red things hanging off the right front of the engine are magnetos, not distributors. Kinda hard to run a coil and distributor when there is no battery.



At least you got the blower part correct.



To quote MSD, famous for high-quality ignitions in use in race cars the world over,

"CAPACITIVE DISCHARGE

The MSD 6 Series Ignitions feature a capacitive discharge ignition design. The majority of stock ignition systems are inductive ignitions. In an inductive ignition, the coil must store and step up the voltage to maximum strength in between each firing. At higher rpm, since there is less time to charge the coil to full capacity, the voltage falls short of reaching maximum energy which results in a loss of power or top end miss.

The MSD Ignition features a capacitor which is quickly charged (within one millisecond) with 460 - 480 volts and stores it until the ignition is triggered. With the CD design, the voltage sent to the coil is always at full power even at high rpm."



So, yes, captive discharge systems do work, but a set of "captive discharge sparkplugs" won't give the same results as a true CD ignition.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The term of a distributor was a generic term. My uncle used to own an NHRA Top Fuel dragster 30 years ago. I know a little about dragsters...FWIW.



Still, I stand behind my statement.





Tom
 
IMO, the only thing not adequate in todays stock ignition, stock motors, are the factory plugwires. If they would all go to spiral core low resitance wires, the the stock ignition on a moderate compression non forced induction, is suffeciantly perfect. Even at sustained high rpm. All the rest is a scam. If it wasnt the factory would use all that stuff, to get their cafe rates up. So they can please the Feds.
 
If you buy that then you need this. A tornado 13 hp and 6-10 mpg also powerade spacer 20 hp and 2-3 mpg. Also the milage magnetie comeing in at 11.6 mpg. And last a good brand on 2 speed blinker fluid. That puts you up to about 40 mpg + the 10% you get from the new plugs WOW do you want to buy a nice bridge any state. Good luck and have fun. Bill
 
Fast Eddie-

To Ford, the stock shocks and sway bars are "suffeciantly perfect", too. But, whenever someone new comes here, they are almost always instructed to change them out.



It's been shown that a simple intake filter change and muffler change can in fact improve horsepower and MPGs. Since those are simple mods, why doesn't the factory do it from the beginning to improve CAFE (which will fall no longer be valid in a few years) and "please the Feds"? Seems pretty logical, right? But it doesn't happen.



Just because it isn't stock on some cars, because CDI are standard on high-performance cars (Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc.), doesn't mean even a stock system can't benefit from a small and simple upgrade.



CDI systems are not snake-oil. They have been in use in cars, even in Fords, since at least the 1960s. Like I said originally, on a stock motor, any improvement in MPG could be easily outweighed many other factors, or simply, not very much at all. Driveability and throttle response should be improved, though.
 
On a stock FI engine that is not running high Compression or running a/f ratios in the 12's a CDI may not show any gains, BUT in the racing world, it helps dramatically. Add the factor of a multiple Spark discharge and longer burn time, IT helps a lot to burn the richer mixture, making more response and power....



On the ST you may never need a CDI or MSD. Yes a smoother transfer such as better wires and maybe the coil with less high RPM break up can make the ST feel better and idle smoother, I see no benefit to adding one to A ST....



Plugs are mainly gimmicks on street cars, and race cars never keep the plugs in there that long, so they use a basic plug as well....



We even tested different plugs and the basic platinum did the same or better then the gimmick plugs....



Of course I would gladdy try it and dyno it to test if a kit was available for the ST



Todd Z



 

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