Phillip Posted March 5, 2004 Report Share Posted March 5, 2004 I am having a devil of a time finding AC-Delco plugs for my '96 STS. The dealer has them for $16.00 each but nobody else has Delco plugs available. I have always used Delco, and I can guess the answer to this question, but would anyone recommend NGK or Champion? I have heard a lot of grumbling about Bosch, so I won't even ask about them. Also, what about aftermarket wires? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted March 5, 2004 Report Share Posted March 5, 2004 Try the "e-mail" tab on this page and tell them what you are looking for. Include your VIN. http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/ Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
growe3 Posted March 5, 2004 Report Share Posted March 5, 2004 I have been using Champion Double Platnum in both of mt 93 STS's for several years now, and they work fine. I did try Bosch quad tip Platinum and the were not so good. I was getting a smog test and although I passed the readings were a little high. I changed to the Champions a couple of days later, the engine seemed to feel a little stronger, and asked the guy if he would do a quick check to see if the readings were better. No problem and no charge. I was well within the limits now. I don't know why the Bosch plugs wern't working but they wern't. -George Drive'em like you own 'em. - ....................04 DTS............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cpk Posted March 5, 2004 Report Share Posted March 5, 2004 www.rockauto.com is an ACDelco dealer. They have good prices and good service, and they take PayPal in addition to the standard payment methods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry94 Posted March 5, 2004 Report Share Posted March 5, 2004 I've been using NGK Platinum for a few years. They work great with no problems. 2008 STS V82016 Colorado Z711970 Corvette LT-1 Coupe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustin S Posted March 6, 2004 Report Share Posted March 6, 2004 On the good Northstar, the plugs are easy to change. If you are faced with problems getting the AC's, and don't mind changing them every 30000, the Autolite copper plugs from walmart are only $0.94/pc and seem to react well with GM products, even the NS. They are rated well on other boards, but not the Autolite platinums, though. Maybe this will help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted March 6, 2004 Report Share Posted March 6, 2004 I am having a devil of a time finding AC-Delco plugs for my '96 STS. The dealer has them for $16.00 each but nobody else has Delco plugs available. I have always used Delco, and I can guess the answer to this question, but would anyone recommend NGK or Champion? I have heard a lot of grumbling about Bosch, so I won't even ask about them. Also, what about aftermarket wires? Where are you looking for them. Advance sells AC-Delco spark plugs and last time I knew (back when I worked there a few years ago), they stocked the 951s (which I think were the P/N back then). Check Advance if you haven't yet. No substitute for the plugs or wires in my book. As you can see, others have tried other brands and some work and some don't. The only known results are going to be if you use OEM stuff. You know it'll work and it'll work well. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob D Posted March 6, 2004 Report Share Posted March 6, 2004 I have been using Champion Double Platnum in both of mt 93 STS's for several years now, and they work fine. I did try Bosch quad tip Platinum and the were not so good. I was getting a smog test and although I passed the readings were a little high. I changed to the Champions a couple of days later, the engine seemed to feel a little stronger, and asked the guy if he would do a quick check to see if the readings were better. No problem and no charge. I was well within the limits now. I don't know why the Bosch plugs wern't working but they wern't. -George Pre 2000 North* engines fire the spark plug twice during the cycle. Once on the positive impulse, once on the negative. For the optimum conduction in each direction, the plug for these must be DUAL platinum, many of which the aftermarket plugs are not, including the Bosch you used. I know besides A/C Delco, NGK makes a plug that is worthy of North* performance, and I belive there is one more. Other than those, I'd stay away form any others. You're just setting up less than optimum conditions. These 4.6's don't deserve that.. '93 STS.. opened, dropped, wide...fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg P. Posted March 6, 2004 Report Share Posted March 6, 2004 I wouldn't use anything but the OEM plugs on the Northstar. I have heard of too many problems with aftermarket stuff. Same goes for wires but even more so. My first question is why are you even changing plugs and wires? Unless you have a known problem, I wouldnt even bother. These things last a long long time on the Northstar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinW Posted March 6, 2004 Report Share Posted March 6, 2004 Pre 2000 North* engines fire the spark plug twice during the cycle. Once on the positive impulse, once on the negative. For the optimum conduction in each direction, the plug for these must be DUAL platinum, many of which the aftermarket plugs are not, including the Bosch you used. The platinum pads are for maintaining a near constant gap during service, not their conductive properties. On a 4 coil waste-spark system with "regular" plugs, you'll find 4 worn ground electrodes and 4 worn centre electrodes due to the cylinder pairing and current flow. ___________________________________________________ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeb Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 i had a miss on my 96 so i replaced the less than one year old ac-delco's with a single platinum brand. no help. i finally put new plug wires in and the miss went away. should i put the ac's back in? they look good. not much of a ground platinum tip left but they only have about 5-6k miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 AUTOLITE plugs...????...!!!!! BE AWARE that a friend of mine put a set of Autolite plugs in a Northstar and IMMEDIATELY blew it up. The Autolite plug listed for the Northstar engine fit but was the wrong heat range and immediately overheated and induced preignition which destroyed the engine. He was running it at WOT at the time...but the AC plugs had run at WOT for several hundred hours in the application without a whimper. The FIRST time the engine was loaded with the Autolite plugs it exploded due to spark plug induced preignition. I still have the autolite plug sitting on my desk mounted in a block of wood...with the melted, aluminum splattered porcelean. A good "learning" tool to show someone what spark plug induced preignition looks like. Severe editing on the quoted post. Any there a chance we can see a picture of the Autolite plug?? Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 OK; fess up BobD. And show us pictures of the sparking bolts and pistons. Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob D Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 Any there a chance we can see a picture of the Autolite plug?? Ask BobD.....LOL Now wait a minute there 'bill'(aka bbobynski)...Let's be clear on this..I had nothing to do with those Autolite plugs...I don't want to get blamed for that one.. As far as the pictures go, Hey, whose the guy that hasn't sprung for a camera yet?? Don't be volunteering me pal, your'e closer! '93 STS.. opened, dropped, wide...fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob D Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 [ Don't be volunteering me pal, your'e closer! I figured that you would be all over that telling everyone that I need to get a digital camera so that I "can" take a picture.....LOL I used the "like/dislike the new STS" string for that.. But, I was still trying to be tactful.. Now that you're admitting it to the whole world... C'mon, Get One!! '93 STS.. opened, dropped, wide...fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip Posted March 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 Hey, give Guru a break. I have also been resisting the temptation to by a digital camera because I have been disappointed in the ability of the digitals to take action pictures (ie. sports or moving vehicles). Most digital cameras have a delaly from the time you press the shutter until the image is taken that makes composing a good picture difficult. The other day, I tried a new Canon Rebel and it was amazing. It shot just as quick as an SLR. They're still expensive but if you want to take action pictures, it is the way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 AUTOLITE plugs...????...!!!!! BE AWARE that a friend of mine put a set of Autolite plugs in a Northstar and IMMEDIATELY blew it up. The Autolite plug listed for the Northstar engine fit but was the wrong heat range and immediately overheated and induced preignition which destroyed the engine. He was running it at WOT at the time...but the AC plugs had run at WOT for several hundred hours in the application without a whimper. The FIRST time the engine was loaded with the Autolite plugs it exploded due to spark plug induced preignition. I still have the autolite plug sitting on my desk mounted in a block of wood...with the melted, aluminum splattered porcelean. A good "learning" tool to show someone what spark plug induced preignition looks like. Guru, if I remember correctly, the engine you are referring to was in a airplane. Do you really think Autolite plugs in a Northstar powered car will cause it to blow up with only short WOT bursts? I can certainly see an aviation used Northstar with very long periods of WOT having problems with hotter plugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted March 9, 2004 Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 AUTOLITE plugs...????...!!!!! BE AWARE that a friend of mine put a set of Autolite plugs in a Northstar and IMMEDIATELY blew it up. The Autolite plug listed for the Northstar engine fit but was the wrong heat range and immediately overheated and induced preignition which destroyed the engine. He was running it at WOT at the time...but the AC plugs had run at WOT for several hundred hours in the application without a whimper. The FIRST time the engine was loaded with the Autolite plugs it exploded due to spark plug induced preignition. I still have the autolite plug sitting on my desk mounted in a block of wood...with the melted, aluminum splattered porcelean. A good "learning" tool to show someone what spark plug induced preignition looks like. Guru, if I remember correctly, the engine you are referring to was in a airplane. Do you really think Autolite plugs in a Northstar powered car will cause it to blow up with only short WOT bursts? I can certainly see an aviation used Northstar with very long periods of WOT having problems with hotter plugs. It was in an airplane....good memory...but the fact is that the fuel and spark calibration was correct (the guy with the airplane had "connections") and that the engine had run for hundreds of hours without a problem with the correct, factory OEM dual platinum plugs. Not a single problem with plugs or preignition at all. All that was done was to put the autolite plugs into the engine and the very first time it was run at WOT it preignitied and failed the engine. Unquestionably the spark plugs. Since that time, that plane has been rebuilt (it was destroyed in the ensuing hard landing/crash when the engine failed due to preignition) and is running fine again...using the OEM dual platinum plugs. There is nothing different here between a Northstar in a car and in that application. If the autolite plugs preignited in that application I would expect them to do the same if run at WOT for any continuous period of time. In a car, they might run for brief intervals (5-10 seconds) OK but I would NEVER EVER trust them for long bursts of WOT. Possibly autolite has corrected this or the plugs listed at the time were incorrect or something....but....it is a common example of what you can run into with the aftermarket. The plugs were listed as the correct replacements but they were the wrong heat range and had obviously never been tested thoroughly for the Northstar application. So, did Autolite have any liability in this or any other case? I would think they would if they list it as usable in that engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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