Resistor spark plug converted into a non-resistor spark plug (with pictures) - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

lsmalley · #1 01-26-2014, 04:31 AM

Well I have done it. I have converted resistor spark plugs to non-resistor plugs. I did this because non-resistor plugs are so hard to come across despite what anyone on here says, you can not walk into any local autozone and buy non-resistor plugs without either going to the dealership or ordering them online. The plugs that I have are Champion RS12YC #401. The recommended plug is S12YC, no R. These plugs are only $2.09 at autozone and they almost always have them in stock.

Using my multimeter I set the dial for resistance and short the 2 leads together to get a 0 resistance.

Next I connected the leads to either end of the spark plug, I'm not sure what the resistance is supposed to be, but the multimeter dial is set at 200k and the plug is showing 22.3 resistance. I guess if I moved the dial to 2000k It would be 223 resistance. This may not be the exact resistance of the plug because its kind of hard to take the pictures and hold the leads in place to get a solid connection. Either way the resistance is there.

Next take the spark plug and unscrew the cap. This step you need to be careful as the tip seems to be threaded into the porcelain with thread lock. Use visegrips to get a firm grip on the tip and a regular crescent wrence on the body.

If you look down into the plug with the tip out you can see that it is hollowed out.

Next empty the contents of the spark plug which will be a smal cylinder-shaped piece about <1 cm and a small spring. the cylinder-shaped piece is the resistor.

Next I take the resistor (just to make sure it actually is the resistor and I test it against my multimeter.

Now this is the part that varies, I was originally going to use a 10 gauge unsheathed wire cut the length of the resistor, but then I wanted something solid so I grabbed a coat hanger. After realizing the coat hanger was not made of copper, I decided to grab my old Bosch H9DC plugs and crack them open and cut out the copper core. I guess you can use any type of metal that carries a current, especially since there is a spring in the plug that is probably just steel or some alloy, but since this is new to me, I chose to play it safe.

Finally put everything back together, minus the resistor and then hook the plug up to the multimeter leads and you should now have a non-resistor plug

. *Note that the spring goes in first and then the legnth of copper. Another variable of this is to bypass the spring and just use a length of copper that will reach the plug's bottom, but not be too long on the top.

pawoSD · #2 01-26-2014, 11:07 AM

.....The dealer sells the right plugs....you can find them online too....

oldsinner111 · #3 01-26-2014, 11:19 AM

I'm going to make some,and see if my 1/4 mile times improve at the track.I run triple grounds for my nitrous,can't have fouling plugs.

lsmalley · #4 01-26-2014, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

.....The dealer sells the right plugs....you can find them online too....

True, but the point is to not have to order online and wait for 3+ days just to get spark plugs and that goes for the dealer as well. Sometimes they need to order non-resistor plugs and the price per plug was something like $ 7.68. So why hassle when you can just go to pretty much any local parts store and buy some resistor plugs and make your own? Actually, making your own costs less and takes less time than going to the dealer or ordering online. I'm fortunate to live 5 mins from the dealer, but not many other members have that accessibility. So this is something to help out those that want the convenience and cost-effectiveness of making their own non-resistor plugs. By the way, I did notice a much smoother performance once I took out those resistor plugs I previously installed. My remote start would take 3-4 tries to crank the engine, now its just one....maybe 2 if the engine is cold and sat overnight.

JamesDean · #5 01-26-2014, 01:30 PM

Cool info. Glad it worked out for you.

Not that I am against these sorts of modifications, I think I've just become lazy. Last time I ordered spark plugs for my 190E I bought 12. I think the change interval is what 16K? I buy nearly all of my parts online as it is anyway.

It is good to have an alternative though. I actually was able to buy the proper non-resistor NGK's for my 420SEL at the AutoZone last summer.

Frank Reiner · #6 01-26-2014, 04:14 PM

ismalley:

Re: meter readings

Inasmuch as you were using scales for Kohms (thousands of ohms), the numbers displayed on the meter represent that number of thousands of ohms, i.e., 22,300 ohms,and 139,000 ohms! Those figures are way above the actual resistance of 4700-5000 ohms which is typical of spark plug internal resistance. Technique counts.

After you converted to a "non-resistor" configuration, you should have used the 200 ohm scale to more properly gauge the result of your efforts.

lsmalley · #7 01-26-2014, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank Reiner

ismalley:

Re: meter readings

Inasmuch as you were using scales for Kohms (thousands of ohms), the numbers displayed on the meter represent that number of thousands of ohms, i.e., 22,300 ohms,and 139,000 ohms! Those figures are way above the actual resistance of 4700-5000 ohms which is typical of spark plug internal resistance. Technique counts.

After you converted to a "non-resistor" configuration, you should have used the 200 ohm scale to more properly gauge the result of your efforts.

I didn't really look into the measurements of the plugs prior, I was just concerned that there was some resistance in then and that after the modification that resistance would be gone. I did toggle between 200 & 2000, but the overall goal was to get zero resistance in the spark plug itself. The showed zero resistance after the modification. I don't know whether 200 or 2000 matter, but I'm assuming since the plug is now a non-resistor plug, it should not matter what the dial is set to as the values should still show zero. I still have some Bosch HRDC0 plugs, I can test those with the different scale values of my multimeter. What should the values be of the resistance of those plugs?

RBYCC · #8 01-27-2014, 06:59 AM

Not sure why you would go through this effort as the non resistor plugs are still available. May cost a few dollars but you are assured of quality.

The fallacy in your modification is that you may read 0 ohms using the less then 9VDC provided by the multimeter.
you can use any type of metal, but all metals are not equally conductive.
Copper is the most common in non resistor plugs as the NGK BP5EFS, but the best conductor would be silver as in the hard to find Beru/Nology S1K Silverstone plugs

Impress a service voltage of 35KV + and you may find even the slightest gap between conductors can create an internal arc which will degrade the plug.

You can't compare a solid top to bottom electrode with the pieced together electrode you are creating.

Ed A.

pawoSD · #9 01-27-2014, 11:50 AM

When I last needed plugs I too was able to source NGK non resistor's for my 420sel without a problem, only a few dollars each at O'reilley's.

lsmalley · #10 01-27-2014, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RBYCC

Not sure why you would go through this effort as the non resistor plugs are still available. May cost a few dollars but you are assured of quality.

The fallacy in your modification is that you may read 0 ohms using the less then 9VDC provided by the multimeter.
you can use any type of metal, but all metals are not equally conductive.
Copper is the most common in non resistor plugs as the NGK BP5EFS, but the best conductor would be silver as in the hard to find Beru/Nology S1K Silverstone plugs

Impress a service voltage of 35KV + and you may find even the slightest gap between conductors can create an internal arc which will degrade the plug.

You can't compare a solid top to bottom electrode with the pieced together electrode you are creating.

Ed A.

This is a good point, I did not think about the degrading of the plug internally, but wouldn't also apply to the resistor as well? It is not a solid conductor and it too would be able to have a gap in between. On another note, the plug does have an internal spring which would make sure that there remains a solid connection between the conductors. I will pull the plugs in a few months to check the integrity of the components. Also, I do not understand what you mean about the fallacy in the modification using < 9VDC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

When I last needed plugs I too was able to source NGK non resistor's for my 420sel without a problem, only a few dollars each at O'reilley's.

I have tried oreilly's, as a matter of fact I was on the phone with them today and they said they do not stock them, nor does pep boys, nor does autozone. They all cross referenced to a resistor. My location is Palm Springs and there are plenty of older and newer model MBs on the road. When I go to the junk yard I usually make it a habit to go and pull one of the plugs in the MBs there and I have yet to pull one where there was a non-resistor plug in it.

JamesDean · #11 01-27-2014, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lsmalley

This is a good point, I did not think about the degrading of the plug internally, but wouldn't also apply to the resistor as well? It is not a solid conductor and it too would be able to have a gap in between. On another note, the plug does have an internal spring which would make sure that there remains a solid connection between the conductors. I will pull the plugs in a few months to check the integrity of the components. Also, I do not understand what you mean about the fallacy in the modification using < 9VDC.

You would be surprised at the effect of contact area. Your copper replacement slugs might not be as smooth as the resistor's contact area. or maybe it its better, I'm not sure.

The voltage that passes through that area, normally, is between 20 and 30 kV, with a 5K resistor that's about 4+ amps of current. With the 9V that the volt meter can supply you only get 0.18mA. A fraction of how much current will actually flow through there. That will have an effect on your measurement to some degree.

Quote:

I have tried oreilly's, as a matter of fact I was on the phone with them today and they said they do not stock them, nor does pep boys, nor does autozone. They all cross referenced to a resistor. My location is Palm Springs and there are plenty of older and newer model MBs on the road. When I go to the junk yard I usually make it a habit to go and pull one of the plugs in the MBs there and I have yet to pull one where there was a non-resistor plug in it.

To be honest, I've not been able to buy the plugs for my m103's locally. I have been able to buy the plugs for the m116/m117 locally.

pmckechnie · #12 01-27-2014, 06:09 PM

I was just checking around and found NGK BP5ES-11 plugs at Advance Auto. It says they are nickel and no resistor. Nickel is a good conductor. Would they be a good replacment for the copper core plugs?

Paul

JamesDean · #13 01-27-2014, 06:13 PM

Some useful info from NGK:
http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/docs/tech/design_symbols_plugs.pdf

I see no mention of nickel core. All the websites I looked at said copper core.
NGK 7732 BP5ES-11 Nickel Spark Plug

Quote:

A standard spark plug traditionally uses a nickel-alloy outer material fused to the copper core. Some plugs include a coating or pad of precious metals such as iridium or platinum to extend plug life. But as a general rule of thumb, all spark plugs utilize a copper core.

Quote:

Copper
Nickel is a hard, inexpensive metal used in most all spark plug designs. Nickel is not a good conductor and has a high level of resistance, so most center electrodes feature a copper core, covered in a nickel-alloy. This creates a balanced, team effort where the copper core conducts electricity and promotes heat dissipation, and the nickel-alloy outer material prolongs the life and durability of the Center Electrode.

Quote:

Nickel
While nickel is a choice material used in the majority of spark plug designs, it has its limitations. Tungsten and Iridium, for example are 2x harder and 3x stronger. Gold and Silver have minimal electrical resistance in comparison to nickel. And Iridium, Platinum, Rhodium, Titanium, Tungsten and Zirconium all have a higher melting point. Some of these precious metals are used to enhance nickel electrodes to prolong a plugs life in high performance designs.

pmckechnie · #14 01-27-2014, 07:13 PM

Ok, the -11 means it is designed for a wider gap. I just sent the question to NGK to find out about the nickel core vs the copper core. I'll let you know what I find out.

Paul

liquiddog · #15 01-29-2014, 06:42 PM

Thanks much for this resarch/write up. I've found the denso plugs for cheap at one place online, but in general availability seems low and prices high.