Pulstar Spark Plugs > Preview > Review
Mar 5, 2008, 01:27 PM
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Pulstar Spark Plugs > Preview > Review
March 25th Update
Preview Part 1 (Speculation and Theory)
This article might jump around a bit, the points I raise should prove useful when it comes to evaluating Pulstar Spark Plugs.
After spending all night on the phone talking a friend who was enjoying a Kirin Beer for lunch half a world away. After he finished rubbing in my face that he was having the time of his life working on the Galant Fortis (lancer) and EVO X for track events, we shifted the subject to these Pulstar Spark Plugs. In Japan, there hasnt been much official talk about it, but he has heard them mentioned. After going over how the plugs work (http://www.pulstarplug.com/howtheywork.html), we started throwing ideas around and discussing what could this mean for the Mitsubishi. Or more specificly what does this mean to the Lancer and its 4B engine family.
Enter Mivec : What is it?
MIVEC is a engine related technology developed by Mitsubishi involving variable valve timing. Before stepping into the Mitsubishi world I was really only familure with other incarnations of this idea with Toyota's VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence) or Honda's VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control).
. Now of course its not a new technology and its not something exclusive to just these three companies, each company has a different way of going about this, some better then others in different aspects or categories, so it really depends on what your goal is. For more information about Variable Valve Timing, view the general information wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VVT.
Getting back to Mivec, where things get more with the MIVEC version is its new generation that the system doesnt just involve working with the intake valves but now also applies it to the exhaust valves. "The intake and exhaust cam timing is continuously independently controlled and provide four optimized engine operating modes” For more on this generation MIVEC in detail straight from Mitsubishi click here. http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/cor...006/18e_09.pdf
Now tying this all back to the pulstar plugs and combusion what is unknown, at least to me and those around me, is what is the possible + and - with such a complex timing system. Its hard to say for sure how the engine will react. Shooting this exact question to my friend on the phone "Japanese Wonder" he speculates that should the engine not react negatively to the plugs firing pattern, [a slightly delayed, intense, but brief electrical discharge], it should work very well if the computer [ECU] can detect the gain or increase in efficency. There are 3 possible outcomes.
1. The time is off and the computer is unwilling to too stupid via programing to compensate for this type of plug.
2. The computer will not detect the combustion performance increase and act as it was before not compensating by retarding or advancing normal timings. (Increasing performance at the cost of fuel economy)
3. The computer will detect the additional performance and attempt to formulate a more fuel effiecent timing solution. (moderate but balance gain between fuel economy and power)
We both agree that the 3rd outcome is most likely. My own view on this says there is another factor here that may prove very beneficial to those who have the new Lancer. The benefit comes to the 4B11 and 4B12's that have CVT (Continously Variable Transmission) equipt.
Enter CVT : The second Brain
I spoke about the CVT in a previous thread recently, https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...73&postcount=3
The CVT is kind of like a hero's useful sidekick that sometimes can get in the way. What I mean by that is, Mitsubishi has designed this new lancer with a transmission that observes the drivers and attempts to anticipate what the driver wants based on how he drives.
Here is an example that will make the point clear. The software monitors a driver that is for the most part passive = aka grand ma. the software watches how you accelerate, monitors how often you use the breaks and profiles you. Now lets say at a stop light, she switches seats with her 16 year old grandson Billy that drives like a maniac. If the car is in D mode (automatic variable) this car is not gonna want to drive the way he wants, that transmission is going to work counter to what his habits are, at least for the short term until the software adapts itself to how the new driver drives.
Two reasons why I make this point, 1. is to show how complicated the Lancer set is and how involved the ECU(s) can be. 2. to make everyone mindful that the CVT's job is to be as fuel efficient as possible above all else. What you get is a CVT working MIVEC's strengths and applying a LOW RPM / high torque / High Performance solution to the situation.
. Its very possible that these plugs may really shine in the low RPM range all the way up. And for those who opted to buy the CVT know very well what low RPM is all about. With moderate passiving driving habits, your Lancer would probably never see an RPM speed above 2500 RPM. a TQ upgrade here would be greatly appreciated.
A look ahead
If these spark plugs perform as they are intended and MIVEC does its job, I could honestly beleive we might have a winner on our hands. BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, I shouldnt get my hopes up to high, with so many variables, this may not work, or it may work with marginal performance gains. I currently have a series of tests lined up for evaluating the fuel economy and performance of the pulstars vs. our OE NGKs. A side by side road evaluation for a set distance with two identical Lancer GTS's no advantage, no slip stream driving, just multiple laps between two set points.
The only way to figure out performance, is to throw that bad boy on the dyno.
More to come.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ORIGINAL POST
There is has been alot of buzz about the new Pulstar spark plugs, with one or some saying they are nothing but trouble and others saying they are good, and others just not sure what to say or make of it. I started receiving donations to get a dyno test of the plugs out there to prove or disprove or at the very least, figure out how they work.
More recently a represenative did answer the call/challenge and has offered up plugs for our evalution. With the coming dyno summit in the comming weeks, we will get a chance to see if these plugs make a diff, as well as test some other hardware from some vendors and more importantly end users bringing their cars in to be evaluated.
I will be interviewing the rep and getting some answers about questions some of us may have. So if you wish to comment or ask something let it be known here.
Their current position on their spark plugs directly from their FAQ,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FAQ
Q: What is a pulse plug?
A: A new ignition device that replaces spark plugs and increases peak spark current by up to 20,000 times as compared to spark plugs.
Q: Will the installation of Pulstar™ affect the warranty on my car?
A: No. The 1975 Magnuson Moss Act prevents a manufacturer from voiding a warranty based on a customer's selection of parts that the dealer does not offer.
Q: How long does Pulstar™ last?
A: Pulstar™ lasts as long as most spark plugs - about 50,000 miles depending on the condition of your vehicle and driving habits.
Q: How much performance improvement will I get after the installation of Pulstar™ in my car?
A: Pulstar™ will improve all aspects of combustion quality in your car. You will notice improved throttle responsiveness, more torque and better fuel economy. The amount of performance will depend on the make, model and condition of your vehicle. In general, you should expect torque to increase by 4 to 12% and realize a significant improvement in fuel economy.
Q: Do I need to make any modifications to my car to use Pulstar™?
A: No. Pulstar™ is a "plug and play" product with no further modifications necessary.
Q: Will the high power of Pulstar™ in any way harm my engine?
A: No. The high power of Pulstar™ occurs within 2 nanoseconds (billionths of a second), which is enough time to ignite fuel, but not enough time to overheat the combustion chamber or engine parts.
Q: Will Pulstar™ work with other aftermarket products?
A: Yes. Pulstar™ is designed to work with most aftermarket products like ignition systems, cold air intakes and exhaust headers. Pulstar™ is the best place to start your power or fuel economy upgrade.
Q: What will Pulstar™ do to my engines main computer?
A: Nothing. Pulstar™ contains circuitry to prevent radio frequency interference (RFI) and electro-magnetic interference (EMI).
Q: What gap setting do I use for Pulstar™?
A: Pulstar™ presently comes from the factory with a .045" gap. If your vehicle manual calls for a gap less than .045" then use the factory recommended settings. Under no circumstance set the gap to greater the .045" regardless of the manual setting.
Q: Why is Pulstar™ more expensive than spark plugs?
A: Pulstar™ is more expensive to make than an ordinary spark plug. It is based on a totally new principal and technology than ordinary spark plugs. As such, it has totally different components inside of it, versus only a plain metal core, and operates far differently. As a result it produces a greater amount of horsepower/torque than a conventional spark plug. It also burns the fuel/air mixture inside of a engine cylinder more completely and faster than an ordinary spark plug, thereby increasing fuel economy and reducing unburned hydrocarbons. Reduce your carbon foot print; buy Pulstar™. It actually pays for itself in 12 months or less.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More details as they come
Preview Part 1 (Speculation and Theory)
This article might jump around a bit, the points I raise should prove useful when it comes to evaluating Pulstar Spark Plugs.
After spending all night on the phone talking a friend who was enjoying a Kirin Beer for lunch half a world away. After he finished rubbing in my face that he was having the time of his life working on the Galant Fortis (lancer) and EVO X for track events, we shifted the subject to these Pulstar Spark Plugs. In Japan, there hasnt been much official talk about it, but he has heard them mentioned. After going over how the plugs work (http://www.pulstarplug.com/howtheywork.html), we started throwing ideas around and discussing what could this mean for the Mitsubishi. Or more specificly what does this mean to the Lancer and its 4B engine family.
Enter Mivec : What is it?
MIVEC is a engine related technology developed by Mitsubishi involving variable valve timing. Before stepping into the Mitsubishi world I was really only familure with other incarnations of this idea with Toyota's VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence) or Honda's VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control).
. Now of course its not a new technology and its not something exclusive to just these three companies, each company has a different way of going about this, some better then others in different aspects or categories, so it really depends on what your goal is. For more information about Variable Valve Timing, view the general information wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VVT.Getting back to Mivec, where things get more with the MIVEC version is its new generation that the system doesnt just involve working with the intake valves but now also applies it to the exhaust valves. "The intake and exhaust cam timing is continuously independently controlled and provide four optimized engine operating modes” For more on this generation MIVEC in detail straight from Mitsubishi click here. http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/cor...006/18e_09.pdf
Now tying this all back to the pulstar plugs and combusion what is unknown, at least to me and those around me, is what is the possible + and - with such a complex timing system. Its hard to say for sure how the engine will react. Shooting this exact question to my friend on the phone "Japanese Wonder" he speculates that should the engine not react negatively to the plugs firing pattern, [a slightly delayed, intense, but brief electrical discharge], it should work very well if the computer [ECU] can detect the gain or increase in efficency. There are 3 possible outcomes.
1. The time is off and the computer is unwilling to too stupid via programing to compensate for this type of plug.
2. The computer will not detect the combustion performance increase and act as it was before not compensating by retarding or advancing normal timings. (Increasing performance at the cost of fuel economy)
3. The computer will detect the additional performance and attempt to formulate a more fuel effiecent timing solution. (moderate but balance gain between fuel economy and power)
We both agree that the 3rd outcome is most likely. My own view on this says there is another factor here that may prove very beneficial to those who have the new Lancer. The benefit comes to the 4B11 and 4B12's that have CVT (Continously Variable Transmission) equipt.
Enter CVT : The second Brain
I spoke about the CVT in a previous thread recently, https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...73&postcount=3
The CVT is kind of like a hero's useful sidekick that sometimes can get in the way. What I mean by that is, Mitsubishi has designed this new lancer with a transmission that observes the drivers and attempts to anticipate what the driver wants based on how he drives.
Here is an example that will make the point clear. The software monitors a driver that is for the most part passive = aka grand ma. the software watches how you accelerate, monitors how often you use the breaks and profiles you. Now lets say at a stop light, she switches seats with her 16 year old grandson Billy that drives like a maniac. If the car is in D mode (automatic variable) this car is not gonna want to drive the way he wants, that transmission is going to work counter to what his habits are, at least for the short term until the software adapts itself to how the new driver drives.
Two reasons why I make this point, 1. is to show how complicated the Lancer set is and how involved the ECU(s) can be. 2. to make everyone mindful that the CVT's job is to be as fuel efficient as possible above all else. What you get is a CVT working MIVEC's strengths and applying a LOW RPM / high torque / High Performance solution to the situation.
. Its very possible that these plugs may really shine in the low RPM range all the way up. And for those who opted to buy the CVT know very well what low RPM is all about. With moderate passiving driving habits, your Lancer would probably never see an RPM speed above 2500 RPM. a TQ upgrade here would be greatly appreciated. A look ahead
If these spark plugs perform as they are intended and MIVEC does its job, I could honestly beleive we might have a winner on our hands. BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, I shouldnt get my hopes up to high, with so many variables, this may not work, or it may work with marginal performance gains. I currently have a series of tests lined up for evaluating the fuel economy and performance of the pulstars vs. our OE NGKs. A side by side road evaluation for a set distance with two identical Lancer GTS's no advantage, no slip stream driving, just multiple laps between two set points.
The only way to figure out performance, is to throw that bad boy on the dyno.
More to come.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ORIGINAL POST
There is has been alot of buzz about the new Pulstar spark plugs, with one or some saying they are nothing but trouble and others saying they are good, and others just not sure what to say or make of it. I started receiving donations to get a dyno test of the plugs out there to prove or disprove or at the very least, figure out how they work.
More recently a represenative did answer the call/challenge and has offered up plugs for our evalution. With the coming dyno summit in the comming weeks, we will get a chance to see if these plugs make a diff, as well as test some other hardware from some vendors and more importantly end users bringing their cars in to be evaluated.
I will be interviewing the rep and getting some answers about questions some of us may have. So if you wish to comment or ask something let it be known here.
Their current position on their spark plugs directly from their FAQ,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FAQ
Q: What is a pulse plug?
A: A new ignition device that replaces spark plugs and increases peak spark current by up to 20,000 times as compared to spark plugs.
Q: Will the installation of Pulstar™ affect the warranty on my car?
A: No. The 1975 Magnuson Moss Act prevents a manufacturer from voiding a warranty based on a customer's selection of parts that the dealer does not offer.
Q: How long does Pulstar™ last?
A: Pulstar™ lasts as long as most spark plugs - about 50,000 miles depending on the condition of your vehicle and driving habits.
Q: How much performance improvement will I get after the installation of Pulstar™ in my car?
A: Pulstar™ will improve all aspects of combustion quality in your car. You will notice improved throttle responsiveness, more torque and better fuel economy. The amount of performance will depend on the make, model and condition of your vehicle. In general, you should expect torque to increase by 4 to 12% and realize a significant improvement in fuel economy.
Q: Do I need to make any modifications to my car to use Pulstar™?
A: No. Pulstar™ is a "plug and play" product with no further modifications necessary.
Q: Will the high power of Pulstar™ in any way harm my engine?
A: No. The high power of Pulstar™ occurs within 2 nanoseconds (billionths of a second), which is enough time to ignite fuel, but not enough time to overheat the combustion chamber or engine parts.
Q: Will Pulstar™ work with other aftermarket products?
A: Yes. Pulstar™ is designed to work with most aftermarket products like ignition systems, cold air intakes and exhaust headers. Pulstar™ is the best place to start your power or fuel economy upgrade.
Q: What will Pulstar™ do to my engines main computer?
A: Nothing. Pulstar™ contains circuitry to prevent radio frequency interference (RFI) and electro-magnetic interference (EMI).
Q: What gap setting do I use for Pulstar™?
A: Pulstar™ presently comes from the factory with a .045" gap. If your vehicle manual calls for a gap less than .045" then use the factory recommended settings. Under no circumstance set the gap to greater the .045" regardless of the manual setting.
Q: Why is Pulstar™ more expensive than spark plugs?
A: Pulstar™ is more expensive to make than an ordinary spark plug. It is based on a totally new principal and technology than ordinary spark plugs. As such, it has totally different components inside of it, versus only a plain metal core, and operates far differently. As a result it produces a greater amount of horsepower/torque than a conventional spark plug. It also burns the fuel/air mixture inside of a engine cylinder more completely and faster than an ordinary spark plug, thereby increasing fuel economy and reducing unburned hydrocarbons. Reduce your carbon foot print; buy Pulstar™. It actually pays for itself in 12 months or less.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More details as they come
Last edited by evo_soul; Mar 25, 2008 at 07:31 PM.
Mar 5, 2008, 01:32 PM
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well, another guy in the EVO forum says something else about them, something about damage to the head, but if you read the entire thread it sounds like the person bought the wrong spark size and it possible extended into the chamber.
We will see what happens with this review.
We will see what happens with this review.
Mar 5, 2008, 04:21 PM
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i didnt kno spark plugs really made a difference, would this also help the car start faster cause theres ties where i have to really hold the key for the engine to get goin. ive had it not start at all also.
Mar 5, 2008, 09:47 PM
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this article may help, independant testing of this vs. mid quality NGKs (stock)
http://www.sparkplugs.com/files/Prin...%20Feature.pdf
http://www.sparkplugs.com/files/Prin...%20Feature.pdf
Mar 6, 2008, 09:43 AM
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lol I will be selling my old spark plugs lol joking this is strictly for testing, I have gone thru 3 sets of spark plugs testing different exhaust configurations, measuring the burning profile on the plug.
my poor car is already at 30,000km and its only been 6 months
my poor car is already at 30,000km and its only been 6 months
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Mar 6, 2008, 01:48 PM
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dude.. i saw the pulstar plug for like 25 dollars
http://www.sparkplugs.com/results_app.asp?aaia=1438375
Mar 6, 2008, 02:15 PM
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dude.. i saw the pulstar plug for like 25 dollars
http://www.sparkplugs.com/results_app.asp?aaia=1438375
http://www.sparkplugs.com/results_app.asp?aaia=1438375
4 spark plugs
x $25 each
-----------------
$100 total
Mar 8, 2008, 09:52 AM
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funkad3llic split fire plugs in its history made certain claims that I think the government had issues with, if you read the wiki page about them it may fill in the blanks.
pulstar plugs has something similar to a capcitor in the core of the plug, causing a build up of energy the curcuit that they mention in some of their papers or ads, explains in the sense that once it reaches a certain level it makes a very quick and rapid discharge of that stored energy hense the larger spark.
The energy of the spark is much greater then a conventional spark, even of premium sparks from NGK and the other big names. in theory its plausable and some mags have tested it out and given thumbs up to performance.
to visually picture it, if you look at a standard spark plug the ground and center node gives of a spark, that spark if you took a shot of it would look like a lighting bolt, I think from the core to the plug tip and finally the ground arm. the energy released from the pulstar plug is alot more then a lightining bolt, more like a spark wave.
as my friend were joking around with me at the shop, remember back to the old Nintendo games from the 80's and 90's hold down the B button for 2 seconds and let go. Nuff said
pulstar plugs has something similar to a capcitor in the core of the plug, causing a build up of energy the curcuit that they mention in some of their papers or ads, explains in the sense that once it reaches a certain level it makes a very quick and rapid discharge of that stored energy hense the larger spark.
The energy of the spark is much greater then a conventional spark, even of premium sparks from NGK and the other big names. in theory its plausable and some mags have tested it out and given thumbs up to performance.
to visually picture it, if you look at a standard spark plug the ground and center node gives of a spark, that spark if you took a shot of it would look like a lighting bolt, I think from the core to the plug tip and finally the ground arm. the energy released from the pulstar plug is alot more then a lightining bolt, more like a spark wave.
as my friend were joking around with me at the shop, remember back to the old Nintendo games from the 80's and 90's hold down the B button for 2 seconds and let go. Nuff said
