Ignition: Spark Plug confirmation in July Hot Rod

[BobPalma]

We all love it when we see confirmation in print of something we've long felt to be true.

In the July 2015 Hot Rod magazine, there is an article about how they helped a guy get his 1966 Fairlane 390 running better. Therein, they discuss his gas-fouled spark plugs.

I've always felt that once spark plugs are gas-fouled, even brand new ones, they will never be "right." You can clean them and run them hot all you want, but they'll never be good. Well, in this new Hot Rod, that's exactly what the tuner expert said; quote, "Once spark plugs get washed down from an over-rich fuel mixture, even if you dry them out and let the deposits burn off in use, they'll never burn right. Their full efficiency will never come back."

That's been my opinion, based on experience, for some time. I remember throwing out a whole set of new AC spark plugs trying to get a 1969 Camaro Pace / Festival Car started one day; the new plugs were just too fouled and refused to fire to start the car, even after they were cleaned and aired out, due to the engine having been flooded. Another new set of plugs and it fired immediately.

Another revelation in that article was that there are still $1 spark plugs out there ; I thought everything started around $2 now. But they mentioned Rock Auto and sure enough; basic AC or Autolite plugs start around $1.05. Of course, you must add shipping. BP

[63t-cab]

Why is this ?

[karterfred88]

Although I would never argue the point, I have cleaned fuel fouled plugs, and proceeded to drive over 30,000 miles on them without difficulty. Of course they were fairly new, the fouling was sooty black and I "washed" them with brake cleaner. This was after fixing the problem that caused the fouling in the first place. When lazy, and with $1.00 plugs I would just replace, but on a 2005 PT cruiser with $10.00 each plugs, I resorted to the "cheapo" method. I often cleaned two cycle racing plugs that fouled from overly rich mixture on my Karting engines, seemed to work fine at 15,000 RPMs, and still able to win races with them, so I'm not sure why the article came up with that conclusion-unless they were really referring to baked on wrong temp plug fouling deposits and incomplete cleaning of the plug tips. Abrasive cleaning will damage the ceramic, so maybe that was what they were referring to.

[christophe]

I wanted to see if Autolite spark plugs were any better than the current Champion, which are now far from their past quality. I ordered a set of 437 at Rockauto's. There was a huge difference! The car never start! I use NGK now with good results. Ted Harbit said he got better performance with Autolite so I think it was just bad luck. Maybe I'll try an other set later but this one cured me for a while.

[BobPalma]

IMHO, being sooty black presents a different scenario than having been saturated with raw gasoline that never burned.

Sooty black deposits are the result of poorly-combusted fuel, whereas the washing of which the article (and me) are speaking are of spark plugs that were, in essence, saturated with fuel that never burned, even poorly.

I'm not sure how to account for what might be the difference, but I've found it to be true...and, apparently, so has the author of the piece in Hot Rod. BP

[Chicken Hawk]

Ted Harbit said he got better performance with Autolite so I think it was just bad luck. Maybe I'll try an other set later but this one cured me for a while.

????? I don't recall ever saying this as I've always used Champions but have tried several other makes but found no difference as far as performance. Have Champions in the Tomato and the Wrapper and also in my truck hauler.

Ted

[christophe]

????? I don't recall ever saying this as I've always used Champions but have tried several other makes but found no difference as far as performance. Have Champions in the Tomato and the Wrapper and also in my truck hauler.

Ted

I'm really sorry about this Ted. I must have misread you or it's my bloody dyslexia again.
Nice to get a reply from the great Ted, Though.
By the way, happy 80th birthday, even if I'm a little late.

[Mike Van Veghten]

Agree with Ted, I've tried most of the "normal" spark plugs and found no difference in power or how long they last.
This is in a good running engine..!

The iridium and other precious metal plugs will last longer, but won't make any more power.
The V-Power (v-cut in the ground electrode) plugs, help longevity a bit.
The E-3 and other simillar spark plugs...snake oil...(unless you can get them for "normal" plug prices, then they "may" last a little longer.

There's really no magic in spark plugs, unless you are running a Nitromethane or Nitrous Oxide powered engine, (sorry, or aircraft engine).

Mike

P.s. - Yes, read the same artical, and agree 100%.

[Chicken Hawk]

I'm really sorry about this Ted. I must have misread you or it's my bloody dyslexia again.
Nice to get a reply from the great Ted, Though.
By the way, happy 80th birthday, even if I'm a little late.

No need to be sorry. I figure I've made more mistakes than you ever will. Thanks.

Ted

[Dan Timberlake]

Small point. I think the author of the story was quoting the owner of the shop that fixed that poor mistreated Fairlane

[Xcalibur]

In the mid-60's in a Chrysler dealership we cleaned plugs and reused them all the time... in both customer cars and our own. I never bought a plug during the 5 years I worked there. Certainly gas was different, but still...

[lark55]

I guess my question is, why are the plugs no longer use able after being saturated with gas? Does the gas leave a deposit on the electrode or the ceramic that affects the formation of a spark?

[Skybolt]

I guess my question is, why are the plugs no longer use able after being saturated with gas? Does the gas leave a deposit on the electrode or the ceramic that affects the formation of a spark?

You may have answered your own question. The only thing I could come up with, not sure as I have not been able to read about it, is that in some way it would permanently damage the ceramic insulator and therefore would change the heat range of the plug. This then would cause the plug to behave differently from the specifications you desired.

That said, I have no reason to believe this fact but it is just an opinion.

I'm also waiting for someone to find a manufacturer's write up on the subject with testing and results.

Len

[raprice]

????? I don't recall ever saying this as I've always used Champions but have tried several other makes but found no difference as far as performance. Have Champions in the Tomato and the Wrapper and also in my truck hauler.

Ted

I totally agree with Ted. I've used Champion plugs in all my cars over the years and have never been disappointed with their service.
This is over a period of over 60 years.
Rog

[Gunslinger]

Unless specified as original equipment for modern engines, I think the exotic and expensive spark plugs are only good for lightening your wallet and enriching the manufacturer and their ad agency. The proper application and heat range are what makes the difference, not the manufacturer...at least in my experience. I'm also meaning for a stock engine...not modified or with excessive wear.

This was back in the '70s, and I'm sure the technology and manufacturing methods have changed, but when I worked in a JC Penney auto center, we sold both Champion and Penney brand spark plugs. I tried both in my '63 R1 Avanti, '64 Pontiac Bonneville and '67 Mustang and saw absolutely no difference in performance or durability. The Penney brand spark plug was made for them by Prestolite, as was all Penney brand ignitions parts. It's always made me wonder why Studebaker purchased Champion when they were buying so many other items from Prestolite such as alternators, starters and voltage regulators. Why not spark plugs as well? I guess like everything else it must have come down to cost...maybe Champion gave Studebaker a better price or could guarantee a consistent supply better than Prestolite...it the issue ever came up at all. It could also have been a long-term contract with Champion that precluded buying elsewhere.

A mechanic who worked there was also a racer and liked Chebbies. He swore by Champions for small block Chebbies and AC spark plugs for big block. To each his own.

All that being said, the owner of a speed shop near me will only install NGK spark plugs which is what he installed in the 350 HO crate engine reinstalled in my '70 Avanti.