Hi all I am a consistent reader and rare poster on this fantastic forum. I know it has been covered somewhat and I have searched all over the forum but I am hoping for some feedback from 5.0L owners. I have a 2016 with, again, the 5.0L with 22k and change on it, the truck has been fantastic and gas mileage and performance have also exceeded my expectations but I am curious about the E3 spark plugs. I have read all sorts of reviews, seen tv shows, youtube videos, etc about these plugs and how they perform vs traditional plugs. Before I read into it more and consider them I was hoping for some feedback on those that have tried/installed them on our motor. Any help is much appreciated and I really can't thank you all enough for all the good things you all post/comment on/teach here. Thanks again!

 

Lots of feedback that E3s don't work well in GM 5.3 V8s. I know it's a lot different than the 5.0, but the only place I have seen good feedback for E3s is in small power equipment like lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and weed eaters.

 

With E3 you need a hotter spark than the stock coils can provide.They work best on high performance tuned engines that have ignition systems like MSD and other hot spark coils. They have 3 points for spark to leap across to, and that is where the hotter coils come into play, a good hot spark across those points give a tremendous boost to ignition, but not with stock coils. I would never use them in an Ecoboost since they are very sensitive to plug gaps, .030 and under work best, and from what I can tell, the E3 are fixed gap.

 

I would be asking: If they provide any measurable performance benefit, why are they not used in any OE application, even cars where cost is no object? If they provided any measurable performance benefit, why doesn't every race team use them and every race motor manufacture use them?

 

Exactly.

You see them used a lot on Power Nation, or whatever they call themselves now, but E3 is a sponsor of the show, so of course you will see them being used. Do they work? Yes they do, but if you notice, they are paired with performance ignition systems too. Are they any better than other performance plugs? Darned if I know.

 

Al great points, especially the hotter coil packs which I would also consider. Still curious if anyone has installed them and observed the results. Thanks again for the feedback

 

Anyone with the 5.0 tried the E3's on stock coil packs?

 

I know it is not the 5.0, but I had put in non OEM plugs in my 5.4 I had a few years ago and it ran like crap. Took them out and put in OEM motorcrafts... Not sure if the 5.0 will act the same...

 

I'd say a better choice is Denso Iridium plugs.

 

Couple of things. The E3 idea works ok on some older systems that don't have ignition feedback loops. So you might also notice you see them putting them on older cars with older ignitions systems.

Another thing is while pre-gapped to a set it makes the installers work easier since they don't bother checking them.

But the other thing is there resistance varies greatly with age which is why a modern computer control system doesn't really like them. Then the power thing - your newer F150 engine, regardless of which has the same basic power capability as the GM LS varieties. It can under the right conditions provide a greater than 60,000 Volt spark, If I recall correctly. The E3 however sinks to either prong that is nearest or cleanest.

The part that automakers test - it doesn't actually spread the spark across all the gaps, Most likely the bulk of the spark energy it painted on the one electrode that is a better ground at that moment. Think of it this way - you have 3 choices, and their resistance to ground varies by a few OHMS because one prong is further away (0.0001 inches away let's say) and another prong has more carbon on it - so you ping on prong 3.

rinse and repeat for a few hundred miles - then that prong is either dirtier or further away due to erosion - now you have another prong to pick. etc etc and magically by 50,000 miles the plugs look evenly worn.

It's almost like you replaced your spark plugs a few times during that span. I can get the same basic results by replacing the plugs with copper ones every 10K miles. Provided the copper plug has the same base resistance as the platinum/iridium that the rest of the system was designed for.

OH that's resistance again - see from the coil fire to the control logic timing, to the gage of wire running in, and the feedback loop behind the coil - it's all designed around the plug have a resistance to ground of _______ and it changes slightly over time to _____. and adjusts accordingly. start too far away from that spec and the engine will run a bit odd - especially at WOT.

Systems that don't have a feedback line - like most aftermarket hot ignition systems don't even care or notice that. Now I admit I'm assuming that Ford implements something like what the GM ecu do monitor spark quality.

I wouldn't bother using them and I wouldn't even put them in my lawn mower - I just trade out it's plugs every 2 years. On the cars I go out towards the 100K mark. Except for my modded Daily which I do at 50K.