well, to address the original question...you got beat by a 350 in a regular cab. ok...that's borderline expected. i'll get romped by a turbodeisel, even before the lift and tires. also, whether or not you can beat another truck isn't really a measure of anything, but it is really satisfying
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read
this article bloodypulp posted regarding spark plugs.
i might be about to make a statement from inside my rectal cavity, but four electrodes does not allow four sparks...the ignition system that invid has may cause sparking four times in a cycle, but that's four separate sparks in time, not four sparks at once on the same plug--the plug will fire once and only once to release the potential. having two or four ground straps doesnt increase the number of sparks, just the likelihood of a spark occuring since there are more knife-edges in the configuration. having a tine for an electrode (like the iridiums) does the same thing but ya only need one electrode and one grounding strap (basic explanation is "potential due to a continuous charge distribution", section 26-8, halliday & resnick fundamentals of physics). if you wanted four sparks at the same time, youd have to have four plugs in the same chamber, isolated electrically as well or you'd still only have one spark (four plugs on the same wire is the same as four ground straps on the same plug, see...). in addition, the upper limit of more ground straps is a flat surface (or continuous charge ditribution), not a point source which is better for building up potential to allow a spark--that's why the double platinum plugs have a tine on the ground strap as well as the electrode.
i'll second what invid mentioned about iridium plugs...i just pulled mine yesterday at 40k, and the electrodes and ground straps are fine, ceramic is bone-white with a slight brown tinge. there's a little carbon built up on the end of the threaded body, but none on the ground strap, electrode, or electrode standoff, nor black spotting or anything else. my stock platinum electrodes looked like unsharped pencils at 38k when i got around to changing them--not that they didnt work, but when i put in the iridiums, the idle went silky smooth. doubt there was any measureable hp gain other than the usual when going from old, shot plugs to new ones...honest, measureable gains cost $$$...headers probably being the #1 improvement. don't know of any problems regarding metal conductivity...air isn't a good conductor either, but that spark still jumps.
also, tremo is selling a ram-air kit that people are saying they like...might be an option for you.
-sean
splitfire plugs
hupasec
Linear Mode
