NGK SILZKBR8D8S Laser Iridium Spark Plug (97506 Laser Iridium), 4 Pack

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unlike the 95770 washer that deforms, the solid copper crush washer doesn't function by geometrically deforming once. It’s important to have the right spark plug setup on your modded N54 engine. They’re pretty simple parts but play a major role in proper engine operation. With many different considerations it can be challenging to determine the best setup for your BMW. Determining the right N54 spark plugs and gapping isn’t a perfect science, but there are general guidelines to follow. While colder options may exist the 1-step and 2-step colder spark plugs are the most common choice on the N54. Among the two most popular are the NGK 97968 1-step colder and NGK 97506 2-step colder. These are generally good options even for 600-700+whp builds, which is why we don’t fully agree with the 75-100 horsepower rule. As you increase boost and power on the N54 you’re increasing cylinder combustion pressures. That leads to more heat than the N54 OEM Bosch spark plugs were designed to handle. In turn that may cause pre-ignition and spark plug overheating. Not good. However, going too cold can cause spark plugs to foul faster than normal. This is because colder plugs may remove too much heat and not successfully burn off deposits.

Which spark plug is right for each person, engine, mods, tuning, etc can vary a lot. That’s why we put some larger and overlapping power levels above. It’s not like all OEM spark plugs are going to start having endless issues right at 375-400whp. Likewise, 2-step colder spark plugs are probably OK even at 400whp. The ceramic insulation for the ground electrode on the 97506 is 5mm wide inside the steel shaft, versus 3.8mm for the 95770. Okay its gotten to that point where the influx of newcomers to the platform is rapidly rising and there are several common questions that get asked repeatedly and this will focus on a few maintenance items. For the sanity of the veterans to the platform, it is nice to have threads like these to reference. This post will hopefully answer some of those questions and I will update this as much as possible as information evolves. Lets get to it:So here are some questions I have, and would like to hear any other observations people have as well: FFS you seriously need to do maybe 10 minutes of research before speaking on a subject. You continue to prove over and over again your "20 years" of experience is about as useful as zero years of experience.

Therein lies the need to find the right spark plug gapping for the N54 engine. As we increase boost cylinder pressures thereby increase. In turn, it increases the chance of turbulence and high-pressures blowing out the spark before it can fully light the air-fuel mix. In theory, the best spark plug gap is right on the verge of the highest gap possible without running into spark blow out. Recommended N54 Spark Plug Gaps Gapping spark plugs is another common topic for good reason. It’s important to have a good spark plug gap for many reasons. Too large a gap can cause misfire issues while too small a gap can reduce air-fuel burn efficiency. So, what is the right gap for N54 spark plugs? Let’s jump in and discuss the importance of spark plug gaps and recommendations for the 135i, 335i, and 535i. Please note – power numbers below are rough estimates of where we like each spark plug. For example, some run OEM N54 spark plugs above 400whp without issue while others like to run the NGK 2-step colder spark plugs even at 350-400whp. If your current spark plug setup has been working then there’s not much reason or benefit to changing things. However, if you’re planning to add more power then it is usually a good idea to start considering higher quality, colder spark plugs.

What’s your experience with N54 spark plugs & gapping? What do you run and what are your mods, boost, & power? I'm going to try to be as brief as possible but there are several related things I wish to bring up relative to plugs. I've done reading on Spoolstreet as well as other forum threads, with some success, but nonetheless ...

Anyways, as with the other topics there are some general rules here. N54 spark plug replacement intervals are roughly: Even then it’s best to run the factory gaps and adjust as necessary if you start noticing misfires or other issues. Some people instantly recommend gapping down to 0.022″, 0.020″ or 0.018″. We think it’s too aggressive for most, but there are some general guidelines. Here’s a rough breakdown: Plug gap is relative to your ignition system. A tune is not going to be relevant to plug gap. If you're running iridium plugs DO NOT gap them, you'll break the electrode. If squashing your plug gap (below factory recommendations) improves your drivability then you have a failure in your ignition system and may want to look at new coils. I am running full intake/exhaust, including FMIC, and diverter valves and am catless. I am running a BMS WMI kit with dual nozzle BC 10 Chargepipe injection.

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Moving over to a 1-step colder NGK spark plug did seem to help clean up timing and misfires became less common. Exact results can vary from car to car. Still, the OEM plugs can start becoming more problematic too far beyond 400whp. If you’re around that number and aren’t having issues then there isn’t much reason to change things. NGK is the brand leader in the UK spark plug market and are the world's biggest supplier to many major car manufacturers. Each and every one of their products are designed to meet the most rigorous standards and are the professionals' choice because of their quality and technical excellence. Their plugs can be found in use by teams in F1, WRC and MotoGP. Put simply, NGK genuine spark plugs are the workhorse at the heart of smooth-running engines around the world. There should be NO carbon or oil on the crush washer or the head seating area, yet I have it on multi-install 95770s all torque to spec. I would love someone to debate this as well. I am boosting up as much as 21 – 22 PSI as I don’t care if the turbos go out because I am planning to go larger.

Please debate, disagree, call me stupid ... ... I'd like the possibility of getting a bit smarter on all of this. And I'd like my timing corrections to drop - I'm pretty sure my setup is at fault. There’s overlap in these numbers for good reason. Boost pressures, fuel type, and other factors can affect these numbers. Some N54 engines may be happy with a 0.022″ gap even at 700whp. Others may need a 0.018″ gap before 600whp. The above guidelines are a good starting point, though. NGK is the brand leader in the UK spark plug market and are the world’s biggest supplier to many major car manufacturers. Each and every one of their products are designed to meet the most rigorous standards and are the professionals’ choice because of their quality and technical excellence. Their plugs can be found in use by teams in F1, WRC and MotoGP. Put simply, NGK genuine spark plugs are the workhorse at the heart of smooth-running engines around the world. All spark plugs remove some heat from the plug tip and transfer that heat to the engine cylinder head. Colder spark plugs are faster and more efficient at transferring heat away from the spark plug tip. Basically when you hear cold plug it means the spark plug transfers heat away from the tip rapidly. Hot plugs are slower at transferring the heat, which means the firing tip remains hotter. The spark plug gap affects the voltage required to jump the gap and actually light the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder. A larger gap requires more voltage. Increasing gap size can actually lead to a more efficient burn since it increases the spark area. However, high cylinder pressures (compression ratio & boost) can blow out the spark if the gap is too large.

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For a customer to request reimbursement for a “qualifying customer-pay repair” performed either by an authorized BMW center or independent repair shop located in the United States (including Puerto Rico), please have him/her submit his/her reimbursement request “online” at www.BMW-RP.com . However, they’re still generally good guidelines to follow. The more boost and heat you generate the more heat you need to move away from the firing tips. There isn’t much need or reason to go overkill and get too cold of a spark plug, either. The following is a specific list of our spark plug preferences: These plugs are suggested for most turbo BMW motors including the N20, N54, N55, S55, N63, N63TU, S63, and S63TU applications. Note BMW B58 uses a different NGK part found here.