I have seen at least a couple dozen different posts now in which Autolite plugs were suggested as anything from an "upgrade" to the solution for myriad problems that are not likely even spark related. What I can't figure out is why anyone would want to put Autolite plugs in a Chrysler product. They're not any cheaper than the Champions that were specifically designed for Chrysler engines. Autolite's are for Fords, same as AC Delco are for GM, NGK for Honda, Bosch for VW, etc.

Will someone please explain where this supposed wisdom came from? I mean, unless a Chrysler engineer whispered in someone's ear that the sticker under the hood with the Chamion part number should be ignored, I can't see this as having any benefit. I imagine many of the folks who think they've gotten a perfomance gain would have felt the same improvement replacing the plugs with new Champions (which is a 30K service on most Chrysler V-8's).

So, enlighten me.

 

a spark plug has a certan restance and inorder to make them fire X voltage needs to fire them at X gap and so on.
There is the nitty gritty. The coils and all the good stuff is built around the plugs. If u have a plug that is higher or lower restance it will change the way it fires and your outcome bad gas miles,pinging,backfire,pour performance.

 

All this I know, which is exactly why I fail to understand the logic behind switching from a plug dsigned specifically for that vehicle to one that was not even intended for the make. If someone wanted to change the heat range or spark intensity, champion is still the way to go for Chrysler. If I was going to switch makes, I'd go with AC delco rapid fires way before any autolite. At least GM and Chrysler have had common ground.

I will question anybody who thinks they know more about whats best for these engines than the guys who spent a decade at MIT so they could design them.

Edit: Were not talking about hi performance engines built from the ground up to certain specs where a certain combustion chamber temp is the goal for maximumpower with all teh other factors accounted for. We're talking about bone-stock engines having a single (or 6 or 8, as it were) component (s) changedunder the pretense that it will magically work better than the part originally designed to match perfectly with that engine. I say BS.

 

There's another discussion going on about the same topic over here... https://dodgeforum.com/m_1038817/tm.htm
I'm sure there's a dozen more available via search.

The short answer is that the Magnum V6/V8 is prone to detonation due to the intake manifold design and timing tables in the stock PCM's when the engines are hot or under heavy load. Dodge came out with a PCM update (aka "the death flash") which pulls 4 degrees of timing to help alleviate detonation, but it's still a problem for a lot of people (especially those with tuners that increase timing). A number of people started playing with the Autolite 3923, which is slightly shorter and one heat range colder than the stock-spec 5224 - the shorter/colder plug tends to control detonation a lot better than the stock plugs - it's been just a word of mouth recommendation from there.

 

So why Autolite and not Champion RC9YC (3923 equivalent) or AC Delco FR2LS? Or even a premium plug like NGK BKR6E orAC Delco 5 "Rapid Fire"?

Seriously, Autolite would be my absolute last choice. I view their quality as abouta half notch above Niehoff. Seen more of their starters, alternators, etc. fail quickly or never even make it out of the shop. That's why we quit using that crap and just tell people "sorry, it'll be tomorrow" if Napa, Dealeror FMP doesn't have it. Years ago, I went through 3 Autolite 100 Amp alternators on my '80 Powerwagon in a 9 month period before making Checker exchange it for an AC Delco (I happily paid the difference, which was more than the Autolite POS originally cost). Never would've used that crap in the first place, except my truck died 1/4 mile from Checker at4 on a Sunday afternoon.

Autolite[:'(]. They're OEM in Ford. What does that say? (even the Triton V8's reject them and spit them out from time to time)

 

Heck if I know - you'd have to trace a 'family tree' of thousands of truck owners dating back to ~1998 to find out who tried it first and recommended it to other people. I suppose "3923"is easier to remember than "RC9YC" when you hit the parts store...I know a few people haveused the NGK's, buthaven't heard much feedback at all about the others.

I haven't tried Autolite's other products, but I have used 3923's on 4x R/T's (2x with N2O) and I've never had a problem.

 

well here's my 2 cents
while i don't have a dodge truck, the champion RC9YC's are the stock plug for my '05 neon's 2.0 I4, and the when i went to the automotive section of my local non-wally supercenter, where i also work, the only brand of plugs we carried were Autolites, and the 3923's, were what was listed in "the book" for my car...
that's why i put 'em in.
it was what was immediately available.

 

I am surprised at how hard it is to find Champion plugs in the auto stores. The Advanced Autos near my house do not carry them. Autolites are very easy to find. I refuse to go to the dealer to buy a $1 plug for $4. I believe that Chryslers run better with the cheap old champions. If I can't find Champions I go for the NGK's or Denso plugs. The last set of autolites I bought were made in China. The plugs refused to thread properly in my 383 that I have.
I was a victim of the those pinging magnum engines and the "death flash" as well. It was easy to blame the plugs and not to admit that there was something wrong with the engines.

I have never heard of a good reason why the Magnums pinged. I think that it was a combination of high head temps, poor intake design, and timining advanced to far. The truck did run fine on 89 or higher octane.

My '69 coronet likes champions as well as my 08 Ram. That is what I continue to put in my mopars.