Has anyone heard or done this.... I run NGK #7 plugs and I’ve got a few racer friends that take that same plug new out of the box and they take the ground strap off and screw them in and go race.just wondering if anybody out there does this

Had a friend years ago that ran comp eliminator who did the same thing.

You have to be talking strap cut back, not off.
old trick

They take the strap completely off

That would prove the worth of one's ignition system!

quote:

Originally posted by R.BOLDEN:
I’ve got a few racer friends that take the plug new out of the box and they take the ground strap off and screw them in and go race

Did you ask your friends what the performance benefit from doing this is?

Wow! No, I am not cutting off the ground strap. I would have to see definitive proof on dyno and track to even consider it.

And if it worked they would come like that from the factory.

I know a comp racer running plugs with no strap... but they were made that way

quote:

Did you ask your friends what the performance benefit from doing this is?

I can only imagine it's to unshroud the spark (one hellofva spark I might add). Much like indexing the ground strap or Autolite's cutback ground strap.

if i did that i would have nothing to burn off

quote:

Originally posted by rusty:
if i did that i would have nothing to burn off

LOL yes this!

My friend claimed 8 to 15 hp on the dyno.

Surface gap plugs have been around since mid 90's, that I know of. The are not cheap ! your gap is created by the threaded base of plug is made at .035, or whatever.
Ive seen a few folks that cut the strap back to similate that same thing, for clearance issues, like very small chambers.

quote:

Surface gap plugs have been around...

You will note he said: "I run NGK #7 plugs and I’ve got a few racer friends that take that same plug new out of the box and they take the ground strap off and screw them in and go race."

So it's not a surface gap plug per se. It is a projected tip plug that has to gap back to the plug base. That's one hell of a spark!

quote:

Surface gap plugs have been around since mid 90's, that I know of.

Actually earlier than that. We had a 1988 Mazda RX7 Turbo that used surface gap plugs, and 2 different types depending on position in engine. Leading and trailing. Besides being expensive at that time, they were only good for 12k miles and the center tips were burnt completely out of them.

You can cut the ground and bend it to be a side gap....

quote:

Originally posted by rusty:
if i did that i would have nothing to burn off

best quote on DRR this year!

Brisk spark plugs. Remember the video?. I would venture to try these first instead of wack and hack. (Meltdown) lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnsUAqC3ON0&t=2s

For years I've run cut back ground straps. Also careful of making sure the plugs are clocked so the opening is facing the piston face.

Just the way I've always done it. No adverse effects.

Back when I was after every bit of ET it made a slight difference. Could also see it in af ratio with slight better burn with cut back vs standard.

For bracket racing. Prob not worth the time.

Other tid bit of info.. Knock on wood. I've never experienced fouled plug in 20 years of racing like some complain about. Anything to it??? Don't know.

quote:

Originally posted by Cashflow:
My friend claimed 8 to 15 hp on the dyno.

IF that is true it is very significant but still IF it was true they would probably come like that from factory. And like someone else already said this is not a surface gap plug they are talking taking ground strap off of NGK plugs.