More thoughts on K&N, plugs & wires

[Jambo]

Last weekend I finally installed some new parts. The same time that I was changing the oil (and that crappy ol' Fram Filter!), I put in new Bosch Platinum plugs (Not, however, the +4s), Splitfire wires, and the K&N filter. I expected that any improvement would be somewhat subtle, since my truck is a '96 and was running fine beforehand. There is a difference now, and it is good. But, as I expected, is not spectacular. The engine does run a bit smoother. There is a definite difference in power, which I feel mostly when going uphill. It seems to be able to hang on to its speed a little better now. There hasn't been a whole lot of change in the sound, but I did not remove the upstream portion of the filter housing as I would like to.

The bottom line is that I do recommend these upgrades to anyone, especially if you need to replace these components anyway. But unless your truck was running poorly before the mods, don't expect a super-fantastic performance improvement. My truck with these mod's is still a dog compared to my dad's SOHC...

Next, I would like to replace the exhaust with some sort of performance system, but I am not going to do that until this set rusts off... Dead Link Removed

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JGB
Ontario Canada(!)

 

[2mrchio]

I know how to outperform your dad's SOHC. I do it all the time with my OHV against my father's '98 XLT 5.0 - hide his keys. Dead Link Removed

Be sure to tip your waitresses & bartenders...



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Brian Tomarchio
1993 XLT 4x4

 

[Jambo]

I forgot to mention that I finally decided to go with the Bosch Platinums over the +4s mainly because I saw the advantage of the +4s being mainly longevity. I could replace the plugs three times with the Bosch Plat's before meeting the price of the +4s. And I was pretty certain that the performance difference (ie Power!) would be extremely minimal. I found that changing them wasn't as bad as I had been expecting. It took me (an amateur) less that an hour to do all six. I used a plug socket, a swivel, and then a 3 foot extension. I got most of the wounds on my hands when I was installing the new wires...

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JGB
Ontario Canada(!)

 

[S.Matsushige]

Jambo-When you can change all six in the time you did, I wouldn't consider you an amateur. Good job! You also gained a plug that is less likely to foul over the regular platinum plugs. I think you did your homework well!