This past summer Rob Fisher of E3 Spark Plugs and Ron Piasecki of Kunzman and Associates came to visit West Bend Dyno with the intent to expose them to “a better spark plug” that being E3. After some Ignition Tech talk and design benefits of the E3 plug West Bend Dyno decided that the best way to see if these spark plugs truly work is to put them to the test on the Chassis Dyno. Better yet let’s have the West Bend High School Automotive students perform the side by side test. Rob Fisher was excited about the idea and the opportunity to work with these students.
The early October morning came and we loaded up the big yellow school bus with students and shipped them off to West Bend Dyno Tuning. When we got there the students were amazed to see the variety of vehicles having work done. Everything from new LS based vehicles to a radical Supercharged Small Block Chevy powered red hot roadster. Most importantly, waiting on the dyno like a prized gem was our test vehicle for the day. The vehicle was going to be Brad’s (West Bend Dyno’s Owner) very own High School car. A 1981 Firebird proudly named “The Bird” powered by a Lyshom Supercharged LS3 416 built by Wegner Motorsports running on E85 this should be a fun test bed for the students to work with.
Don Ward (E3 Spark Plugs engineer and spark plug guru) came to educate the students on the technology and engineering that all goes into an E3 spark plug along with how technicians need to properly install and work with them. After a couple of basics on spark plugs and combustion, we dove into establishing a baseline dyno run to use as a foundation for the tests to follow. As the vehicle was being tested on the dyno it was great to see the student’s expressions. They were amazed at the power and noise the vehicle made. One student said, “I could feel it in my chest”. After the first baseline runs our average horsepower and torque were 752hp and 744ft lbs.
We took some time to allow the vehicle to cool while we changed the spark plugs over to E3. Also, this was a great time for Don and Rob to talk to the students about what makes the E3 plugs better and the go-to choice for NHRA and other race teams. After the E3 plugs were installed we double checked all the fluid levels and temps to make sure we kept all in the same to eliminate variables in our test. It was go time! “The Bird” revved up and belted out an astounding 756 hp and 759ft lbs torque to the wheels! That’s 4 hp and 15 ft lbs torque increase to the wheels. See Dyno graph below for full details on the pulls.
After the tests were complete we sat down and evaluated the results. Mr. Sorce (WBHS instructor) plainly said “I honestly did not think this was going to be the result. I thought a spark plug was just a spark plug and the minor differences would not be measurable enough to pick up on the chassis dyno.” I guess even teachers can be proven wrong at times.
WOW! Let me just say we never knew there was so much that goes into a spark plug. A spark plug is not just a spark plug. The kids learned how to properly read a plug for fuel and timing, along with many other factors in choosing a spark plug. I can honestly say that after this field trip the students gained a new found respect and understanding for spark plugs.
We would like to give a big thank you to our wonderful partners Don Ward and Rob Fisher from E3 for the knowledge and spark plugs, Ron Piasecki from Kunzman and Associates for connecting us with E3, and the guys at West Bend Dyno for offering up not only their facility for the day, but also their vehicle.