If it's running fine, it's running fine and you don't need to know any more about it.

If it'll happily run platinums and go long enough between replacements to justify the additional expense, then you might just as well run the platinums and save yourself some work and maybe a short stack of nickels. But be sure to put anti-seize on the threads because they're going to be in there a lot longer. The forum doesn't need another tale of woe about busted spark plugs.

Most of these small block Magnums don't really like expensivum plugs because the stock ignition doesn't make enough voltage to reliably establish and maintain a proper arc channel across the gap. The expensivum plugs take a bit more initiation voltage to get the arc started, and take a bit more energy to keep the arc channel established once they're lit. If your coil is near the edge of reliably lighting them, then as the expensivums age and get harder to light, you'll see intermittent misfires that force you to swap out the plugs well ahead of their rated lifespan -- completely negating the only reason to run expensivums. Contrary to popular belief, expensivums do not outperform copper -- they just last longer under the right conditions. If they're not seeing those right conditions, they're nothing more than a waste of money.

And we all know someone who runs premium fuel through a stock low octane requirement four banger claiming that it runs better on it... but without them, those who need higher octane would always be getting stale gas, so let's not tell those fools any different.

 

Swapped my driver/passenger seat cushions, mostly to hide the tear on the driver side cushion.

Pics:

Driver seat:


Empty spot where seat used to be:


Driver seat on the passenger side:


New driver seat:


Easy peasy swap. 4 10mm bolts (each seat) and a few minutes.

 

My new 08 Ram is $41 a month for full coverage with a $500 deductible. That's the benefit of staying with one company for several years and no tickets or accidents.

 

Expensivums platinum plugs do make a difference for performance in my experience, there was a big difference between copper and platinum, when the platinum was gapped slightly smaller than the factory gapping for copper plugs, It was definately noticeable.

 

Compared to new coppers, or to the old ones that had just been removed?

PS: I'm not religiously opposed to expensivum -- I've got about 15k miles behind my NGK Laser Iridiums.

 

I had StateFarm since the day I bought my truck, nearly 3 years ago, and priced jumped for no apparent reason. My record is clean.

 

Sorry to hear it. Progressive has lowered my insurance twice this year. I have liability for my 94 Acclaim, full coverage for both my Rams and it comes to $101 a month for all 3.

 

New copper plugs. Thought about getting NGK iriduims but they were to expensive... At $7/plug, that was $56...

 

Now that's interesting. Expensivums really don't perform their primary function quite as well as copper plugs do... their only purpose is to extend the duration between replacement. I wonder WTF is going on there. Was anything else changed coincident with the installation of the platinum plugs? Are we looking at a bone stock small block Magnum, particularly the ignition system? I'm wicked curious.

I've yet to meet someone with a stock ignition on a small block Magnum who was pleased with Iridium plugs. They're known to misfire like crazy on these old beasties.

If memory serves I paid about nine bucks a whack for my plugs -- but they're not a direct cross for the stockers. I spec'd 'em out to get a .058" gap without screwing up the electrode relationship... would have preferred to go to .060" or more, but none of my searching yielded a plug in the correct configuration that would go that far.

 

Yep bone stock as far as I know.. Unless a previous owner put a different ignition coil on... Which it looks factory to me...

Only other thing was dist cap and rotor, and spark plug wires, but still it worked better than when I put copper plugs in about 5000 miles later (because the platinum were to hot). I've got colder platinums in now and they are working great... No knocking so far...