Technical Favorite Spark Plug?

For what it's worth, Champions up here used to be made in Canada, so perhaps were different from the US ones.

And of course we all have different experiences.

 

ngk quick readings and when satisfied run 4 races with them. not a hickup and no change in et. could run all season on one set. 12 to 1 on 100 octane avgas

 

Third time at BMW school in Culver City, CA. I was excused from class second day, as I was already certed in Engine Dynamics. (BMW 'Big 6')
There were 2 BMW senior techs out in the shop running the dyno, had a (then) new 1974 2002 (2 liter 2 door) with 4 speed manual transmission.
We talked briefly, and a young gent walked in the 'man door', (from across the wide alley, he was a 'trouble shooter' at NGK.)
They talked it up about a new Bosch plug the seniors were using, and the NGK guy (Brian) stepped across the alley and returned with some boxes of NGK plugs.
3 plug changes later, they 'found' 6 BHP improvement with the proper range NGKs!
The seniors (and I) were surprised...I made a crack about WWll: 'If the Germans and Japanese had collaborated' which was NOT taken well...

 

Sparkplugs.com. Big brown truck brings them from Menafee Ca. Good prices.

 

This has been good for me to read. I have a number of kick start motorcycles, and I wouldn't put NGK plugs in any of them if they were free. Been using Champions mostly. Autolite in my Flathead ford engines, I think AC in my nailhead Buick.

So, since I can't even remember what all exactly I dislike about NGK, maybe I should revisit the issue.

 

Maybe NGK cut threads being rougher on the aluminum heads than Champion rolled threads back in the day?

I usually start with OEM spec'd then keep an eye on everything as changes are made and my experiences vary. Took awhile to learn but I've found that blind brand loyalty can lead to slippery slopes. Far too many factors in the big equation are constantly changing, it's the total combination that yields the best results at any given time.

Ed

 

I buy the vintage Made in USA plugs on e-Bay.. I have a plie of Atlas plugs now. I bought them for my old Pontiac 455 (462) but as luck would have it, they fit the 454 I have now..

 

"I bought them for my old Pontiac 455 (462) but as luck would have it, they fit the 454 I have now.."

Well of course they fit, there's only one cubic inch difference!

 

I did mechanic work as a kid at a gulf service station, GM.s got AC , Fords got Autolite or Motorcraft and Champions for everything else. I stuck with whatever the OEM used if it was available. In later years all the sparkplug issues I had were usually because of heat range or carburetor issues. I worked in a shop where we installed Mighty brand plugs, never had a problem with them but some customers didn't want them in there car. I asked the Mighty rep once about who made their plugs but never got an actual answer.

 

How does one determine the proper heat range of a plug for your application?
And is it marked on the box it comes in?

 

If it is a Chevy = AC
If it a Ford = Autolite
Never had any luck with Champion. They would not last or perform as well. JMO

 

You determine the heat range on a plug , first by what the book says , then by reading the plug and adjusting accordingly. For performance applications you want to run the coldest plug you can with out fouling, usually. For passenger cars, usually one step hotter, that the coldest. Again this is just a rule of thumb.
There are charts that you can use to determine how your plug is doing. Plugs also tell you other things that are going on in the engine.
Sometimes if the engine has a lot of miles on it..wore out... you can use a step or two hotter plug to squeeze a few more miles out of it.



Bones

 

The part number itself indicate the heat range. Plugs of the same type, thread size, reach, etc can be interchanged, but different heat ranges will have a different part number.

For instance:

 

The heat range itself is a function of the insulator and how quickly the plug transfer's heat to the cylinder head. A "hotter" plug transfers heat more slowly, so the plug tip runs at a hotter temp; and a colder plug transfers heat more quickly, so that the tip stays cooler. If you have problems with the plugs loading up with carbon, try the next hotter plug and it may work better. But a too hot plug can lead to detonation, as the red hot plug can ignite the air/fuel charge before it sparks.

 

Thing is, carburetor has to be setup right, an important step the novice usually skips. They see coal black spark plugs and figure a hotter plug will fix that, when the problem is float height, jetting, power valve etc.

 

Thanks for the info. That helps a lot.

 

used autolites on the fords and NGK on the rest

the lawn mower gets the champion

 

Welp, I've never run NGKs but after looking at the poll results I went out and bought a set for my coupe today. Was pleasantly surprised by the low price.

 

Man, this is so true!! I remember the first time I saw the E-3s, I pulled them out of a 235 Chevy I was working on (still bone stock, with points) and the first thing I thought was "why the hell would they design a plug that you can't adjust the gap?" and immediately after that I thought "why the hell did someone put these in a clapped out old 235?" I worked at a NAPA store for a winter while I was across the country from my tools, and I flat out would not sell people junk like that. I just hate to see people waste their money, especially if they really think they are doing a good thing but aren't.

 

Did you notice any difference when you started your vehicle with the NGK plugs?

 

NGK Racing

 

I haven't installed them yet...will do before spring.

 

I have used A LOT of NGK's in OT cars. They seem to run well and last a long time.
I put a set of Autolite's (China) in my 327 when I first built it and they didn't last. It now has AC's in it for quite a while.

 

Years back I worked in a couple of 'bike dealerships where we stocked three brands of plug. Always able to give the customer the brand they wanted. Often, the customers friend would query the choice made, sometimes heated discussions would follow.. I think I have heard just about every argument re the pros and cons of brand X versus brand Y.
Fifty years of selling plugs, and attending a few plug seminars, I have come to the conclusion that there are no bad brands. There are bad mechanics, and bad choices. Remember the plug is often the symptom, not the cause.
I suspect some will find these comments heresy.
Garpo.

 

Hello,

Growing up as the second kid during the teenage years called for being bossed around by my older brother. If I wanted to go somewhere (no driver’s license yet) then I had to work for the privilege. So, I was the rear axle, third member exchange mechanic under the car. I was also the spark plug changer from street plugs to some fancy platinum cold plugs for the Friday night/Saturday day drags. I made sure the air cleaner was spotless for the three carbs. Finally, I was the tire changer to the Bruce slicks for those racing/street night and days.

It was a good time to get experience as I was able to do things. Most of the time, I did not see my brother working daily, on the motor or doing maintenance. He said to do something and I liked doing it for him (us), if anything, it was just to get more experience. Actually, when I saw him under the hood or under the car, bolting on some pipes or checking something I learned from that moment.


But, changing those spark plugs became the thing that was left up to me. First it was easier to change them over at home and drive 1.5 miles to Lions Dragstrip. Then if the plugs were not changed at home and the stock plugs were used all week and Friday nights, then a frantic change was done in the pits prior to the first elimination race. The stock plugs were used first to see the fluctuation in speeds and E.T. seconds.

Once the call was made for the class eliminations, we had to have the correct plugs in place. No breakage here as we only had 8 “racing” plugs in the tool box. Checking all 8 gaps, making sure they were clean and new washers in place, they were ready to go into the 348. (later the same scenario in the 671 SBC) so, the experience paid off as we had good speeds, e.t. times and trophies for the win columns. My brother always had a box of platinum plugs for racing and the everyday normal plugs for the street. It was just what was necessary to give the extra oomph for the wins.

Jnaki

Jump up a few years and now we are racing 250cc two stroke Greeves Motorcycles out in the desert. 90 mile Hare and Hound races, 10 mile European Scrambles made up most of the activities. The two stroke motor was usually in the middle of the pack over the dusty terrain from the start. So, fouling plugs was a common thing. Being out 50 miles from nowhere in the hot sun, with some water, a dead 250cc two stroke and one plug was not the most favorable thing, despite cleaning that one spark plug.

We had our Greeves finned head reworked with a second spark plug hole. This allowed a compression release to be installed and also a switch to select either plug for smooth running. Following a group of racers on a portion of El Mirage created a lot of dust. If the bike started to sputter from all of the dust, a quick switch to the other plug was the next step. That was good for getting clear of the dusty riders ahead. If that plug started fouling, then a switch back to the original plug cleaned out that one for more, smooth running. Thanks, Nicholson Motors...

Finally, the compression release had two functions: one was a quick stop in an emergency. The other was used to clean out both spark plugs or anything inside the cylinder that was messing up the smooth running motor. But, selecting the right spark plug for the 250cc was a hit and miss. The hot rod, speed shops always had their own likes/dislikes on plugs. We followed our friendly mechanic's advice at Reath Automotive and Joe Mailliard's Speed Shop for their expert knowledge of our 348 motor and later, the 671 292 SBC motor.

 

All through the years, 55 years now, I have used the factory recommended brand and heat range on my drivers, on race engines I used engine builders recommendation as they spend the dyno time and never had any problems. IMO if you are having spark plug problems, it's not the plugs, look elsewhere. Around racing when someone developed a miss we would always say "Needs some new Splitfires" I never tried any of the new "Trick" spark plugs, but with the magic of advertising they have their place in the market.

 

Depends on what it's being used in. AC in GM's, Champion in Mopar's, and Autolite/Motorcraft in Ford's. Was told by a Champion Rep years ago that this was the best course of action. That being said, I have had good luck with Autolite racing plugs in a Chevy drag car.

 

By now lots have chagned,I started working on engines in the 1950s,and Champion was the first that seemed to have great info at the time.

 

One of our problems is that the world has changed. Take a popular model from the mid fifties. By now the engine is either completely worn out; or maybe has been rebuilt a time or two. Heads and deck may have been shaved, bore may be a bit bigger, or cam may have been changed. Don't even think about speed equipment.
These days we drive our cars a bit quicker on the highway, and do not overlook the changes in our fuel. Unleaded was unheard of in 1955. Higher octane, and gasohol are with us. A lot happens in 60 years.
Even the spark plug has changed. Same make - same parts number, but it now has a copper core.
So if the original listed plug works, it is more good luck than anything. It really does pay to have a really good look at the business end of your plugs and try to understand what it is telling you.
Garpo