Tricky-Ricky

Trust you lot to turn it to something smutty, i thought i would state mature as i am pushing sixty this year, and some of the younger guys don't like to be seen around us old gits, as it destroys your street cred mind you in my head i am still 35 and i don't look my age.

Just had our offer excepted for a house about three miles from Kings Lynn, and wondering if there are any other owners around that area, i own the Skyline 350GT, rather than the 350Z, but same underneath the skin, it would be good to meet up and have a chat now and then, i have a pretty fair mechanical and bodywork knowledge, so could be of help if needed.

LOL! there will always be story's knocking about like this,there is no practical difference between plugs other than the precious metal thats used for the electrode, i have measured the resistance of different plugs, and even different brands of the same type/grade plugs don't share the same resistance, let alone platinum v iridium, IMO thats a justification for failed coil packs!

I certainly wouldn't dispute that the Denso iridiums are too fragile for turbo application's, just curious about Denso recommending 30k change when Nissan who fit them say 60k, personally i just use copper core and change them every 6 to 8k, although platinum and iridium are designed to last a lot longer, i am still inclined to agree with the theory/belief that plugs build up and internal resistance over time, and so start to limit spark efficiency and power.

A nice plug debate LOL! that doesn't make sense Jez, as pardon me if I'm wrong, but where not iridium plugs developed to be a long service life plug, in keeping with modern engine design, to take over from platinum, which in turn took over from copper core.

The trouble is that everyone on car forums thinks they are an "expert" and every newcomer is a complete pleb, without considering the newcomer might actually know a thing or two, and when they start to exhibit a bit of savvy, the self appointed expert's start to feel threatened and go in for the immediate discredit, seen it happen, and experienced it so many times

Don't forget painting is also an option, 2k is absolutely fine for use on an engine, and you will never run out of colour choices

Had to laugh at some of the comment's on this thread, car forums are such predictable places

Maybe they just put in 10W40 and not 5W30, no big deal i run mine on 10W40.

I would agree with using copper while trying new engine mods and for tuning, from a sacrificial point of view as they will melt before the pistons do, but once properly tuned and known to be running well why not use a better plug that you don't have to change every 10k. Since i would probably pull my plugs every couple of K anyway just to check and pre empt any problems, i have no problem changing them that often, like i said its just service life there is no performance difference between iridium, platinum or coper core, same goes for a lot of modern oils, they are designed and specked for longer service intervals, in some cases in excess of 20K rather than 6-9K, personally i would rather know that my oil in relatively uncontaminated by combustion by products, rather than chemically bonded to the oil.

I am running copper cored in mine, and also run them in every turbo car i have owned, certainly wouldn't use denso iridium in a FI car either, and at £12 a set for copper, i am quite happy to change them every 10,000 miles same reason i wont use an over specked oil.

The only difference between iridium plugs and other precious metal plugs is the service life, the better spark bit is just hype, if someone had actually made a better sparking plug they would have cornered the market by now, plug manufactures have been claiming the "new better plug" bit for over a hundred years now

You wont need spring compressors to remove the old shocks and springs, but you may need to disconnect the drop links, you will need another jack to take the load of the bottom arm while you undo and remove the pivot bolts, on the rear, and a pry bar for the front if you don't.

LOL! thought you would say that Mark, i am not implying that in the right hands a hub or wheel dyno is not a very useful tool, but you have to admit that there are many variables to contend with, like ambient temps (especially FI) and although with experienced operators like yourself, its less likely to be far out, there is still the drive train, which has to be an educated guess as to the losses, is it actually possible to work out just how much a gearbox with wear or non std oil, or CV joints on drive shaft or wheels, brake friction, wheel bearings, tyre friction etc etc can effect the final reading?

You have to remember that dyno calculations are just an educated guess so to speak, and like you say there are so many variables involved, the only real way is an engine dyno, one thing i am not sure about with what your saying about you result is that BHP is a direct calculation from the torque figure so in theory you can't have more of one without the other.

As said previously its all relative, and totally dependent on what you used to and previous experience, sound like you have taken a step up from FWD and obviously something that had a fair bit less power, Once you get to grips with the handling characteristics and extra power it will feel perfectly normal, It was just the same for me but in reverse, having come from mad power RWD turbo cars to something with less than half the power output, meant i had to relearn how to drive with less, and couldn't do some of the things i could before.

It seems everybody is hung up on dyno BHP figures? i always aim for torque increase, thats the one you will notice most, remember torque is responsible for how quick you can accelerate, BHP is how fast your going nearer the limits, a nice fat torque curve is far more rewarding than lots of top end BHP

Personally i would rather have more torque than BHP, thats what will make to most difference in real day to day driving.

Took me about a year to get used to the drop in performance

Suppose i had better ask the last relevant question, out of all those that have answered "no idle or stall problems" how many have had remaps?

And how about with a plenum spacer installed as well?

Do you suffer from slightly uneven idle? stall or near stall on quick closed throttle? fully warm, or during warm up? Edit: should have stated pre HR. Edit 2: And how about with a plenum spacer installed as well?

When it comes down to it just enjoy the 350Z for what it is, a very capable GT car with a nice feel, which is rewarding to drive quickly, its never going to the be fastest thing out there, i came for big powered turbo cars, but still enjoy my Skyline 350GT (350Z with four seats) for what it is.

Just fit a switch to the power wire on the yaw sensor in the center console, then you can turn it back on without having to bugger about with relays etc.

Does that comment mean that the Alfa's are unreliable then?