pitzel Posted October 5, 2004 Report Share Posted October 5, 2004 My plugs on my 3.1L V6 (1992 Cutlass Supreme) will be replaced soon, and shopping at Wal-Mart, it would appear that I have a few options available from the ACDelco line. Cheap R44LTSM's #6 Rapidfires 41-805 Platinum "100k mile/160k km guarantee" plugs My first instinct would be to pick the latter, however, the price is $14 for a pack of two plugs (in Canadian dollars). I can probably get that price down to $12.5 for a set, however, thats still $40 for a set of 6. Seems like a lot. So my questions: a) How much are the 41-805's in the USA or online? Maybe I can find them cheaper than here in Canada. Is this 100k mile service life a bunch of baloney or what? c) Any cheaper/better alternatives? The car is running factory plugs which have gone approximately 65k miles (rated @ 50k miles I believe). Are the modern platinum plugs any better than the OEM ones? I don't have any specific driveability concerns right now, but opportunities for changing plugs are very limited due to weather around here, so am just planning ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted October 5, 2004 Report Share Posted October 5, 2004 My plugs on my 3.1L V6 (1992 Cutlass Supreme) will be replaced soon, and shopping at Wal-Mart, it would appear that I have a few options available from the ACDelco line. Cheap R44LTSM's #6 Rapidfires 41-805 Platinum "100k mile/160k km guarantee" plugs My first instinct would be to pick the latter, however, the price is $14 for a pack of two plugs (in Canadian dollars). I can probably get that price down to $12.5 for a set, however, thats still $40 for a set of 6. Seems like a lot. So my questions: a) How much are the 41-805's in the USA or online? Maybe I can find them cheaper than here in Canada. Is this 100k mile service life a bunch of baloney or what? c) Any cheaper/better alternatives? The car is running factory plugs which have gone approximately 65k miles (rated @ 50k miles I believe). Are the modern platinum plugs any better than the OEM ones? I don't have any specific driveability concerns right now, but opportunities for changing plugs are very limited due to weather around here, so am just planning ahead. 100k is stretching it, even on platinums. I usually go 30k on resistors, or 50k on Platinums. I'd say just go with the ACDelco resistors, as good as it gets for the $ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maybe2fast Posted October 5, 2004 Report Share Posted October 5, 2004 Platnium isn't that good of a conductor it just lasts longer, use the resistors best spark, plus once you do the plugs once on the 3.1 is cake, to do it again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newpontiac Posted October 6, 2004 Report Share Posted October 6, 2004 Changed plugs for the first time a few months back on a 3100 engine that had the original plugs, get the miles out of them you have and save your money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newpontiac Posted October 6, 2004 Report Share Posted October 6, 2004 211,000 thousand miles on those plugs, just started to miss and a random misfire code appeared. youll have plenty of warning when to change them. Gas mileage was always good also. Save your money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted October 6, 2004 Report Share Posted October 6, 2004 waiting for a misfire until changing plugs is no way to maintain a car, I don't understand why that's being recommended. But go ahead, not my problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitzel Posted October 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2004 So what are the 41-805's, the AC Delco 'Professional Platinum 100k mi/160k km' plugs worth in the United States? They range anywhere from $13.50/pair at Wal-Mart to $26/pair at the local Partsource, although Partsource will pricematch and beat by 10%, so my cost would be down to roughly $12/pair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93CutlassSupreme Posted October 6, 2004 Report Share Posted October 6, 2004 Platnum plugs won't last 100K on a 3.1 whoever maintained my car before i owned it installed some Delco platnums, they lost their gap just like coppers. not worth the $ if you ask me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted October 6, 2004 Report Share Posted October 6, 2004 My truck came with Delco double-platinums. Has a platinum tip and a platinum dot on the side electrode. I changed them out at 100k. They were fine, gaps were fine. Only problem with them is the bond between the platinum dot and the side electrode had weakened... when I put my feeler gauge in the plugs to check the gap, the platinum dot broke off. It only happened on one plug, but I'm guessing later on down the road, it would have come off eventually. I replaced them with the same. I'm not sure if the same type of double-platinum is offered for the 3.1 or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EurosportZ34 Posted October 7, 2004 Report Share Posted October 7, 2004 AC Delco! It's what's best for your car and what it originally came with! I think all the new cars are guarranted to 100K miles before they need a tune-up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitzel Posted October 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2004 AC Delco! It's what's best for your car and what it originally came with! I think all the new cars are guarranted to 100K miles before they need a tune-up. Yeah so how much are the 100k mile platinum AC Delcos in the USA? Car stuff tends to be cheaper south of the border, and with the strength of the Canadian dollar lately, and my upcoming trip to eastern Canada, i will be looking to pick up a set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93CutlassSupreme Posted October 7, 2004 Report Share Posted October 7, 2004 AC Delco! It's what's best for your car and what it originally came with! I think all the new cars are guarranted to 100K miles before they need a tune-up. Yeah so how much are the 100k mile platinum AC Delcos in the USA? Car stuff tends to be cheaper south of the border, and with the strength of the Canadian dollar lately, and my upcoming trip to eastern Canada, i will be looking to pick up a set. they won't last 100K on a 3.1 pick up AC Delco coppers for 1.39 a piece and change them in 30,000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EurosportZ34 Posted October 7, 2004 Report Share Posted October 7, 2004 Car stuff tends to be cheaper south of the border, and with the strength of the Canadian dollar lately, and my upcoming trip to eastern Canada, i will be looking to pick up a set. just not our south of the border! Mexico Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitzel Posted October 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2004 they won't last 100K on a 3.1 pick up AC Delco coppers for 1.39 a piece and change them in 30,000. Why not? In an engine that is kept in good mechanical tune with emmissions controls in good working order, why can't I get 100k miles out of a set? As I said earlier, 65k miles on the original 12-year-old factory plugs/wires and no problems to speak of, can get 1000 km per tank of petrol on the highway, and only the usual crappy running of the 3.1L when its cold. Why would ACDelco specify a 100k mile change interval for their plugs if this was not realistic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93CutlassSupreme Posted October 7, 2004 Report Share Posted October 7, 2004 they won't last 100K on a 3.1 pick up AC Delco coppers for 1.39 a piece and change them in 30,000. Why not? In an engine that is kept in good mechanical tune with emmissions controls in good working order, why can't I get 100k miles out of a set? As I said earlier, 65k miles on the original 12-year-old factory plugs/wires and no problems to speak of, can get 1000 km per tank of petrol on the highway, and only the usual crappy running of the 3.1L when its cold. Why would ACDelco specify a 100k mile change interval for their plugs if this was not realistic? i've pulled AC Delco platinums out of my 3.1 that had less than 30,000 on them and the gap was almost 0.06", when a gap of 0.045" is specified Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulo57509 Posted October 7, 2004 Report Share Posted October 7, 2004 I like doing maintenance on my Lumina. I couldn't stand to put in 100k mile spark plugs. Where's the fun in that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93CutlassSupreme Posted October 7, 2004 Report Share Posted October 7, 2004 I like doing maintenance on my Lumina. I couldn't stand to put in 100k mile spark plugs. Where's the fun in that? spark plugs arn't hard on a 3.1. even though engine access sucks ass compared to a real car, they arn't bad to get at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sl3196 Posted October 7, 2004 Report Share Posted October 7, 2004 spark plugs arn't hard on a 3.1. even though engine access sucks ass compared to a real car, they arn't bad to get at. So our car's aren't real again eh? Well i'm going to go get in my "not real" car and drive to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockgp Posted October 7, 2004 Report Share Posted October 7, 2004 they won't last 100K on a 3.1 pick up AC Delco coppers for 1.39 a piece and change them in 30,000. Why not? In an engine that is kept in good mechanical tune with emmissions controls in good working order, why can't I get 100k miles out of a set? As I said earlier, 65k miles on the original 12-year-old factory plugs/wires and no problems to speak of, can get 1000 km per tank of petrol on the highway, and only the usual crappy running of the 3.1L when its cold. Why would ACDelco specify a 100k mile change interval for their plugs if this was not realistic? he said petrol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitzel Posted October 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2004 he said petrol Yeah? What does your car burn? If you know of a diesel conversion kit for the 3.1, please speak up, that's a mod I've love to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1138 Posted October 8, 2004 Report Share Posted October 8, 2004 he said petrol Yeah? What does your car burn? If you know of a diesel conversion kit for the 3.1, please speak up, that's a mod I've love to do. My car burns GASOLINE, LOL I know what petrol means, it just makes you sound like you're from England. I realize Canucks call it petrol, but it's still kinda funny.4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth Posted October 8, 2004 Report Share Posted October 8, 2004 Ive never heard anybodu say petrol where I live its called gas, btw umm do the spark plugs not last as long the 3.1 because dont all 3 cylinders fire on each side every turn? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitzel Posted October 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2004 Well, out west here, we have a strong oil and gas industry. The gas that is produced is natural gas, a mixture of methane, ethane, and other hydrocarbons and hydrosulfides. petrol is a liquid fuel derived typically from crude oil through the process of fractional distillation and hydrothermalcracking and appropriate blending with additives. Certain vendors will add ethanol to the petrol, but ethanol reduces the effective heat rate associated with the blended petrol (fewer kJ's per kilogram of fuel), so I try and avoid it. A major vendor/manufacturer (at Strathcona) of petrol is Petro Canada, an evil social experiment of the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Ottawa Liberal government. They simply took the word petrol, and ommitted the 'l', to come up with the name of that particular government-owned oil company, and added a tax to everyone's petrol in Canada in order to pay for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth Posted October 8, 2004 Report Share Posted October 8, 2004 are you serious or did you make that up? :? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitzel Posted October 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2004 are you serious or did you make that up? :? The National Energy Program most certainly wasn't made up. Many Albertans lost their jobs, lost their houses, and were forced into bankruptcy and suicide because of the eastern-centric policies of the Trudeau government, including its policies towards western based producers of oil and gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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