edrach Posted April 28, 2005 Share Posted April 28, 2005 OEM sparkplugs for Forrester (p/n 22401AA570) are list price $12.95 each! So what kind of platinum plugs are these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthWet Posted April 28, 2005 Share Posted April 28, 2005 WOW! It's like they think that they are made of gold or something... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOMAD327 Posted April 28, 2005 Share Posted April 28, 2005 They are made by NGK or DENSO, double platinum, which is required for our ignition systems. (or no platinum). They are $15 list, so you're getting a break. Advance auto sells them for $10 a piece that helps. I have used Autolite double platinum which have a quality appearance with no problems and they are about $6 apiece, but i recommend the NGK, it's only every 60,000 miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swi66 Posted April 28, 2005 Share Posted April 28, 2005 You got to be kidding.............. What motor are we talking here? I have a 98 Legacy and when I bought plugs I went to NAPA, got Bosch and I think they were a buck apiece...........not platinum. swi66 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattocs Posted April 28, 2005 Share Posted April 28, 2005 Bah...nothing but NGK for my Subaru. Advance Auto Parts were out of Iradium and Platinum ones...so I had to settle with the V-Groove ones...they work great. They were $2 each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuBrat84 Posted April 28, 2005 Share Posted April 28, 2005 Yup.. my 98 2.5 GT calls for NGK Platinum.. cheapeast I could find them was $11.95 ea. I wouldn't put anything less in my subaru. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KStretch55 Posted April 28, 2005 Share Posted April 28, 2005 Real platinum spark plugs should last the life of your vehicle. If you're paying over $10 a plug you'd better be getting real platinum plugs or you're getting ripped off. Otherwise, buy good quality Autolite or NGK and change them every 30K for a lot less $$$$$. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuBrat84 Posted April 28, 2005 Share Posted April 28, 2005 Most platinums plugs I know of are rated to last 100,000 miles under "normal" driving conditions. (Definately not the life of any SUBARU I've ever been in.) I can handle changing my plugs every 60k miles for 50 bux... That's not too bad to keep my car in good running condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99obw Posted April 28, 2005 Share Posted April 28, 2005 I chose to try the v-groves this time. $7 vs. $50. Hmmmm... Should be good for 30k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KStretch55 Posted April 28, 2005 Share Posted April 28, 2005 100K is generally considered to be normal life expectancy of most vehicles. Granted, Soobies do seem to be the exception to this rule, fortunately for those of us who enjoy and drive them. Platinum spark plugs have been used for many years in aircraft engines, long before they were available for ground vehicles. They were used on aircraft because platinum can sustain higher temps for long periods without eroding, thus eliminating fouling and keeping combustion byproducts from buidling up on the electrodes. There's a big difference between fouling a plug and pulling over to clean it and fouling a plug and looking for a survivable place to put it down. So, if you choose to spend the extra on Platinum plugs, more power to you. A good quality one should last you 100K. If they don't, I'd think twice about spending that much green on them again and find another brand. LOL, if you choose to change them at 60K, can I have your old ones?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99obw Posted April 28, 2005 Share Posted April 28, 2005 100K is generally considered to be normal life expectancy of most vehicles. Given the neglect and abuse that most people subject them to, agreed. With decent maintenance and reasonable driving, the worst of cars can easily last 200k. Our suby has just shy of 60k on the current set of NGK double platinums. My wife has experienced a couple of really hard starts, so I plan on swapping the v-groves in when I get a chance. I'll swap the fuel filter too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuBrat84 Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 LOL, if you choose to change them at 60K, can I have your old ones?? Sure.. but the way I drive they probably will be fried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 They last longer than the head gaskets. Can't be too bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnuman Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 Shawn, you Subified an 81 Westy? was that an air cooled one? That must have been a PIA to do. . .Where did you stuff the radiator? I know that in the later models (waterboxers) burping it can be a pain as well. Burping a Subified vanagon will be an interesting experience. I'm doing freelance work for a coupel of guys that take totaled Legacies and pull the engine/wiring harness and use them to Subify later model Vanagons. Seems the Subaru engine is orders of magnitude better than the Volkswagon one. . . Who'da thought. . As an aside, most of the upgrades I got for Emily were from cars that we parted out (stripped, actually). Several other Subaru owners in the area have also benefitted similarly. I actually went a year backwards on my stereo so I could retain the AUX port on the tape deck, while adding the CD head (from the same car). Now I have all forms of media available to me: Radio, Tape (Logic controlled, so I can skip tracks if I want), CD, and iPod. . . this on a 12 year old car. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 Shawn, you Subified an 81 Westy? was that an air cooled one? That must have been a PIA to do. . .Where did you stuff the radiator? I know that in the later models (waterboxers) burping it can be a pain as well. Burping a Subified vanagon will be an interesting experience. I'm doing freelance work for a coupel of guys that take totaled Legacies and pull the engine/wiring harness and use them to Subify later model Vanagons. Seems the Subaru engine is orders of magnitude better than the Volkswagon one. . . Who'da thought. . As an aside, most of the upgrades I got for Emily were from cars that we parted out (stripped, actually). Several other Subaru owners in the area have also benefitted similarly. I actually went a year backwards on my stereo so I could retain the AUX port on the tape deck, while adding the CD head (from the same car). Now I have all forms of media available to me: Radio, Tape (Logic controlled, so I can skip tracks if I want), CD, and iPod. . . this on a 12 year old car. . . Yup, pain in the rear. Radiator goes in the stock spot just missing the upper radiator support which i fabricated using a Legacy upper radiator bracket. The cooling system is completely a PITA, adding the front heater box stinks, and im still not driving the van yet. The conversion is way beyond the realm of possibility for most people. You better have a lift and a shop with alot of tools and an experienced mechanic available to you before diving into this mess. Hands down the hardest Vanagon conversion that can be done aside from adding Syncro to it, which I am dumb enough to dream about doing later down the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnuman Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 Yup, pain in the rear. Radiator goes in the stock spot just missing the upper radiator support which i fabricated using a Legacy upper radiator bracket. The cooling system is completely a PITA, adding the front heater box stinks, and im still not driving the van yet. The conversion is way beyond the realm of possibility for most people. You better have a lift and a shop with alot of tools and an experienced mechanic available to you before diving into this mess. Hands down the hardest Vanagon conversion that can be done aside from adding Syncro to it, which I am dumb enough to dream about doing later down the road. HAW!! the group that I'm working for has at least three Syncro Westies on the lot. Most of the work being done right now is getting the Syncros ready for Syncro De Mayo in a week. . . My job in that same week will be yanking an SVX engine/wiring harness so that it can be put into a Vanagon (at least this is my guess). Now an SVX engine in a Syncro. . .bwahahahahaha!!!! So did you use Kenedy kits or the Smallcar stuff? I like the Westy except for the engine, so Subifying them sounds like a real good option to me. . . (they always start with a waterboxer based Vanagon when Subifying) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthWet Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 Back on topic... The only platinums that I have ever used were Bosch, and I haven't bothered with them for over 15 years. They lasted about 10-15k and the center electrode was eroded down to the insulator. POS, IMHO. As far as I can remember, platinum is not used for durability (melting point) but rather for its conductivity. Bosch platinums (again, the only ones with which I have had experience) used a very thin center electrode, which reduces the potential (EMF, voltage) needed to fire across a given gap. That very thin electrode did not survive for long in my Datsun 510. Plain-old NGKs lasted almost forever... and with around 350k on the chassis, almost forever was a long time. You want durability? Maybe they should come out with Tungsten plugs. Maybe Champion will do that, and still use the same cr**py insulator that breaks down in 5k miles... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hklaine Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 What are your experiences with gaps on these platinum plugs over the long haul? My EJ22 calls for non-platinum plugs every 30k, and when I pulled them out at the interval the gap was about twice what I set it to when I installed the plugs. Needless to say the new plugs gave me a bit of a boost, but perhaps simply regapping the old ones would have done the same? I guess for $6 I might as well put new ones in if I am going to remove, regap, replace. -Heikki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subie94 Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 in the 92 legacy i had awhile back.i put in the bosch platinum plus 4.they wrote on the back,if you don't feel the difference that they'd buy you a set of your choice.they go for about $7 bucks a piece at walmart. in the 94 i have now,i'm useing the bosch platinum single electrode.don't seem to bad but gonna try ngk when it's time to switch.my mechinic stands by them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnuman Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 I'm using the Bosch Plus 2 plugs in Emily (my 92 wagon) and they seem to be doing just fine. I have plenty of power, good milage (25MPG on a 12 year old car, and I'm not exactly light on my right foot, if you know what I mean. . .)I just Seafoamed and put a new O2 sensor in, and the car feels like it is alive and wants to go eat up some roadway. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KStretch55 Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 I just put Bosch Platinum 2 plugs in my 91 Loyale and regular Bosch Platinum in my '92 Loyale. Bought 2 sets of the regular ones so my son can put a set in his '86, too. Paid about $6 for all 3 sets!! Ok, I scrounged around the local JY the other day and found them. Bought a pneumatic spark plug cleaner that Harbor Frieght had on sale for $9.95 and cleaned them all up. Kind of did it just as an experiment to see how well they'd work and how well they'd clean. The Platinum 2 plugs clean better, because the dual electrode design doesn't seem to block the abrasive blast like the single overhead electrode does. But, they all seem to work great. Might be just my imagination but the '92 seems to have more power climbing the hill on the way to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swc7916 Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 What a bunch of cheapskates! You pay $20,000.00+ for a car and then want to save a few bucks on spark plugs! I agree that $60.00 for 4 plugs is kind of expensive but it's only once every other major service. I have 4 platinum plugs that I bought on eBay and don't have a use for because my 1996 Outback was totalled last October. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KStretch55 Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 $20,000!!! LMAO!!!! I paid $1100 for my '91 three years ago and about the same for my '92 less than a year ago (I did a bit of horse trading for it, so there wasn't a real $ value to it.). I've owned 5 EA82s and I stick with the design cuz' it's reliable, also it's easy and fun to tinker with and work on. Also, I don't owe a bank or anyone else a dime on them. When I was younger I fell into the Credit scam like most Americans and now that I'm almost out of it I'll never go there again, the only exception being my mortgage and one of these days I hope I have it paid off early, too. "Credit debt" is one the worst thing we as Americans have ever done to ourselves. I highly encourage everyone, especially younger people, to check out www.daveramsey.com Ok, off my soapbox. ;-P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swc7916 Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 $20,000!!! LMAO!!!! I paid $1100 for my '91 three years ago and about the same for my '92 less than a year ago (I did a bit of horse trading for it, so there wasn't a real $ value to it.). I've owned 5 EA82s and I stick with the design cuz' it's reliable, also it's easy and fun to tinker with and work on. Also, I don't owe a bank or anyone else a dime on them. When I was younger I fell into the Credit scam like most Americans and now that I'm almost out of it I'll never go there again, the only exception being my mortgage and one of these days I hope I have it paid off early, too. "Credit debt" is one the worst thing we as Americans have ever done to ourselves. I highly encourage everyone, especially younger people, to check out www.daveramsey.com Ok, off my soapbox. ;-P Please don't presume to lecture me about debt - I don't owe a thing for any of my cars; they were all purchased new and paid for in cash. I may be willing to buy more expensive cars than you would, but that is my business. Ok, off MY soapbox. ;-P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firstwagon Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 Please don't presume to lecture me about debt - I don't owe a thing for any of my cars; they were all purchased new and paid for in cash. I may be willing to buy more expensive cars than you would, but that is my business.Ok, off MY soapbox. ;-P I used to buy expensive cars and then I had kids. The kids are cheap but it's the accessories that will kill you. The only cars I have put platinums plugs in were cars that were really hard to change the plugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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