GT2 Spark Plug Question.

[Anden L Schmitt]

Hey guys, yes another spark plug question, after searching the forums i didnt quite find what i was looking for so hopefully you guys can help me.

Firstly, im looking to add the RaceChip and Denso IHK24's gapped to .022. I currently have the BMS Intake (which i hate) and will EVENTUALLY add JBL Downpipes and EVC Complete exhaust. What im wondering is what gap should i run as ive read a variety of posts most of which saying to gap to .022 and what are the tell tale signs that my gap is to close or to open for my setup? I will be running 91 Octane fuel. Also, there are quite a few videos out there for uninstalling the spark plugs on a "Kia Stinger" and some for "Kia Stinger GT" and some of them dont even f*ck with the intake or anything but some almost completely disassemble the top end to get to the spark plugs, im wondering which way i can and should do in order to swap the plugs? Id like to get all this stuff taken care of before i put the plugs in and run into problems.

 

[ZyroXZ2]

Honestly, a lot of what you're asking I know for a fact is out there, lol

Having said that, you don't need to gap down to .022 if you're running a 91 octane chip. You can do .025 on stock plugs, even, and get a little more complete combustion.

As for installing spark plugs, you can do them without removing the intake manifold, but as a person who has swapped plugs more than a half dozen times, taking off the silicone coupler between the throttle body and cold side intake charge pipe makes life on that side a lot easier.

EDIT: Grammar.

 

[Anden L Schmitt]

Honestly, a lot of what you're asking I know for a fact is out there, lol

Having said that, you don't need to gap down to .022 if you're running a 91 octane chip. You can do .025 on stock plugs, even, and get a little more complete combustion.

As for spark plugs, you can do them without removing the intake manifold, but as a person how has swapped plugs more than a half dozen times, taking off the silicone coupler between the throttle body and cold side intake charge pipe makes life on that side a lot easier.

So with them gapped to .022 what sorta problems will I run into?

 

[ZyroXZ2]

So with them gapped to .022 what sorta problems will I run into?

Nothing, really. Maybe some mildly increased blow-by, an imperceptible decrease in torque, and thus a small drop in gas mileage. The gap has to be shrunken down when running large amounts of boost/additives (WMI, for example) to account for the increased pressure in the chamber and the increased difficulty in sparking across the gap (WMI may be a fuel, but there's water in the mix). But if you're running a 91 tune, you don't need to run the minimum (.022) gap, so you might as well target full combustion as much as possible which requires a bigger gap. When I was running on the LAP3 Mode 2 93+ octane map using an E85 mix, I was running stock plugs at .027 with zero issues and plenty of power. I've since moved down to .025 on WMI because I felt some hesitation at WOT and figured that the increased pressure and presence of water made .027 not feasible for WOT. It hasn't hesitated since. I have a brand new, spare set of the Densos gapped at .024 in case I feel any more potentially spark-related issues.

 

[Ahawk1968]

FWIW...
I have a jb4 and midpipes, nothing else. I gapped my denso's to .22 and have had no problem running map 0 (stock). I almost feel the idle is smoother with the small gap. No mileage difference. I've also never removed anything to change plugs, takes about 45 minutes.
Just curious, why the Racechip and not the jb4?

 

[Ahawk1968]

Spark Plug change tips

Lots of good info... (Read through the whole thread, not just the video at the beginning)

 

[Anden L Schmitt]

I'm going to be honest bro, most of what you said was Chinese to me. I am installing a catch can as well, so should I increase my gap to .025 than in order to get full combustion? (Which I still dont know how to tell if I'm getting full combustion or not or how increase the gap will achieve that.

Nothing, really. Maybe some mildly increased blow-by, an imperceptible decrease in torque, and thus a small drop in gas mileage. The gap has to be shrunken down when running large amounts of boost/additives (WMI, for example) to account for the increased pressure in the chamber and the increased difficulty in sparking across the gap (WMI may be a fuel, but there's water in the mix). But if you're running a 91 tune, you don't need to run the minimum (.022) gap, so you might as well target full combustion as much as possible which requires a bigger gap. When I was running on the LAP3 Mode 2 93+ octane map using an E85 mix, I was running stock plugs at .027 with zero issues and plenty of power. I've since moved down to .025 on WMI because I felt some hesitation at WOT and figured that the increased pressure and presence of water made .027 not feasible for WOT. It hasn't hesitated since. I have a brand new, spare set of the Densos gapped at .024 in case I feel any more potentially spark-related issues.

 

[Anden L Schmitt]

I didnt go with JB4 because racechip seemed a lot more user friendly and way less modding needed to be done. Much esyier to just take it off and turn it into the dealer for warranty repairs rather than Jb4.

FWIW...
I have a jb4 and midpipes, nothing else. I gapped my denso's to .22 and have had no problem running map 0 (stock). I almost feel the idle is smoother with the small gap. No mileage difference. I've also never removed anything to change plugs, takes about 45 minutes.
Just curious, why the Racechip and not the jb4?

 

[Ahawk1968]

I was just curious. I initially was going the Racechip route too, however, JB4 customer service, price, ease of install (four plugs, if I remember correctly) logging capabilities, plus the Bluetooth app. No comparison in my opinion. No additional modding is necessary, I only have secondary downpipes, stock airboxes and paper filters. 0 problems and Terry has answered any questions I've had either on this forum or the N54 on the Burger side. Anyway you go, best of luck!

 

[392DCGC]

I didnt go with JB4 because racechip seemed a lot more user friendly and way less modding needed to be done. Much esyier to just take it off and turn it into the dealer for warranty repairs rather than Jb4.

Apparently Race Chip is a lot less capable. I mean think about it... if it's not plugging into multiple systems, is it really doing much to the car?

 

[turboAWD]

I'm going to be honest bro, most of what you said was Chinese to me. I am installing a catch can as well, so should I increase my gap to .025 than in order to get full combustion? (Which I still dont know how to tell if I'm getting full combustion or not or how increase the gap will achieve that.

The basic summary is: re-gap or install new plugs. Racechips first said, not necessary, then after some failures, changed their minds. So you need new/re-gapped plus for either one. Around 0.024 is around what I've seen for most.

Racechips is like the jb1, the earlier version of the jb4. It's a little easier, but also provides less power. If you have good (93+) octane and/or want to mix in some E85, jb4 can get close to double the power of the racechip (RC does like +60 hp, jb4 can do +120, IIRC, with enough octane). But yes, it has a couple more wires. ecko04 sells plug-and-play harnesses for the fuel wires for the jb4, so it's also 100% reversible by unplugging a few things.

 

[Anden L Schmitt]

What's the link for that harness so I can book mark it

The basic summary is: re-gap or install new plugs. Racechips first said, not necessary, then after some failures, changed their minds. So you need new/re-gapped plus for either one. Around 0.024 is around what I've seen for most.

Racechips is like the jb1, the earlier version of the jb4. It's a little easier, but also provides less power. If you have good (93+) octane and/or want to mix in some E85, jb4 can get close to double the power of the racechip (RC does like +60 hp, jb4 can do +120, IIRC, with enough octane). But yes, it has a couple more wires. ecko04 sells plug-and-play harnesses for the fuel wires for the jb4, so it's also 100% reversible by unplugging a few things.

 

[Ahawk1968]

3.3TT - Creating True Plug-N-Play JB4 Harness (w/Fuel Wires)

 

[ZyroXZ2]

I'm going to be honest bro, most of what you said was Chinese to me. I am installing a catch can as well, so should I increase my gap to .025 than in order to get full combustion? (Which I still dont know how to tell if I'm getting full combustion or not or how increase the gap will achieve that.

Erhm, a larger spark gap means that even though the coil has to output more power to jump the gap, the spark itself is stronger. A stronger spark ignites more molecules at the point of ignition which increases the rate of combustion across the chamber. There's not a lot of "time", per se, to wait for combustion to completely burn through everything in the chamber before the opposing cylinder in the sequence fires off and whatever's in the chamber gets pushed out the exhaust valve, burned or unburned. Thus, bigger gap, stronger spark, able to burn more of what's in the chamber before it gets pooped out the back.

This all has virtually nothing to do with a catch can. A smaller gap might just see your can fill up a little faster, but you may not really notice the difference since the cans generally only need to be checked every 1000-2000 miles.

 

[Tonkabob]

Apparently Race Chip is a lot less capable. I mean think about it... if it's not plugging into multiple systems, is it really doing much to the car?

Race chip has connections for boost, MAP and crank angle (timing). Jb4 has boost, MAP, and 2 wires to tap in for AFR control. The fuel wire harness makes this cleaner. RC has bluetooth integrated, JB4 you have to wire it in as an add on. RC does have some custom maps but RC makes the changes and beams them down to you. JB4 you do it yourself do some logging ro see how it is working. The jb4 loggimg is nice. I've owned both.
If you like to tinker and go faster go jb4. If you want a it super clean and easy and dont mind giving up a little power running the stock rich afr, go RC.

 

[niko]

Nothing, really. Maybe some mildly increased blow-by, an imperceptible decrease in torque, and thus a small drop in gas mileage. The gap has to be shrunken down when running large amounts of boost/additives (WMI, for example) to account for the increased pressure in the chamber and the increased difficulty in sparking across the gap (WMI may be a fuel, but there's water in the mix). But if you're running a 91 tune, you don't need to run the minimum (.022) gap, so you might as well target full combustion as much as possible which requires a bigger gap. When I was running on the LAP3 Mode 2 93+ octane map using an E85 mix, I was running stock plugs at .027 with zero issues and plenty of power. I've since moved down to .025 on WMI because I felt some hesitation at WOT and figured that the increased pressure and presence of water made .027 not feasible for WOT. It hasn't hesitated since. I have a brand new, spare set of the Densos gapped at .024 in case I feel any more potentially spark-related issues.

I am running 91oct and denso olugs gapped at .022. I have primary and secondary pipes so no cats. And I get a lot of smoke/ blow-by through the back. Even when I just had my stock primary I had some smoke/blow-by but not as much as I do now. Would u suggest to open that gap up more to see if that can stop as much blow-by/smoke. From what u r saying I think I need to target full combustion.

 

[Tonkabob]

I am running 91oct and denso olugs gapped at .022. I have primary and secondary pipes so no cats. And I get a lot of smoke/ blow-by through the back. Even when I just had my stock primary I had some smoke/blow-by but not as much as I do now. Would u suggest to open that gap up more to see if that can stop as much blow-by/smoke. From what u r saying I think I need to target full combustion.

Catless causes the smoke / oil burn.

 

[Terry@BMS]

Friends don't let friends run RaceChip. Get a JB4 for almost the same money.

Don't want to connect the fuel wires? Then don't. The real game changer with the JB4 is it's CANbus integration via the easy to route OBDII cable. The JB4 is able to read every sensor the ECU can in addition to internal ECU calculations (like fuel trims) and incorporate that data in to your tuning. The RaceChip and other dumb systems can't even read something as simple as how far down you are pushing the gas pedal.

 

[ZyroXZ2]

I am running 91oct and denso olugs gapped at .022. I have primary and secondary pipes so no cats. And I get a lot of smoke/ blow-by through the back. Even when I just had my stock primary I had some smoke/blow-by but not as much as I do now. Would u suggest to open that gap up more to see if that can stop as much blow-by/smoke. From what u r saying I think I need to target full combustion.

You're running catless, so everything getting pushed out of the combustion chamber ends up out your tailpipe. Increasing the gap could decrease it by some amount, but without cats, you're always going to have smoke and various "crud" blowing out the back because the cats are specifically there to clean that up, lol

 

[Tonkabob]

You're running catless, so everything getting pushed out of the combustion chamber ends up out your tailpipe. Increasing the gap could decrease it by some amount, but without cats, you're always going to have smoke and various "crud" blowing out the back because the cats are specifically there to clean that up, lol

And the lack of back pressure causes the seals to leak oil so its worse than just not cleaning things up.