What spark plugs are you currently using?

[DannL]

Yeah, consider this a poll. Give the brand and part number of your plugs. Are you happy with them?

[160B]

Champion 429 Spark Plug AKA Champion 3X

Very happy with the 3X

[F.M.]

Ditto, Originals and Reproductions

[AL in NY]

Running original 1930's vintage Champion 3X plugs. They run great. Wouldn't consider anything else!!!

[30 Closed Cab PU]

W18s, happy with them, 3076 were too cold.

[DannL]

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Champion W16Y. The car runs good, but do have some fouling. We're working on it.

[rfitzpatrick]

What does it mean when you said they're to hot/cold plz. I really don't understand.
Thanks

[Conaway2]

Just installed Champion 3X’s last week - very happy so far with them.

[160B]

Originally Posted by rfitzpatrick

What does it mean when you said they're to hot/cold plz. I really don't understand.
Thanks

Spark plug heat range is the measure of how fast the spark plug tip dissipates combustion heat. It must do this in a precise and controlled manner so the spark plug will:
Stay cool enough to avoid pre-ignition and/or electrode destruction due to detonation.
Run hot enough to burn off combustion deposits that would otherwise collect on the sparkplug insulator tip and cause fouling, that leads to misfire.
Adapt to specific engine characteristics and widely varying driving/load conditions.

"Hot" spark plugs remove heat from the combustion area relatively slowly. They have a longer insulator tip and they achieve a temperature higher than the deposition zone relatively fast.
"Cold" spark plugs feature a relatively short insulator tip and they remove heat from the combustion area quite fast, in order to avoid advanced ignitions.
The choice of a proper heat range is very important. But even a spark plug featuring a properly selected heat range, is influenced by the processes of fouling and self-cleaning of the insulator tip. The setting of combustion deposits on the insulator tip is caused by an imperfect combustion due to a "rich" air/fuel mixture. On the other hand, the combustion deposits previously set will burn if the insulator tip temperature rises above 475 °C.
Zones of spark plug fouling and self-cleaning zone depending on the air/fuel ratio and on the spark plug insulator tip temperature.

https://www.briskusa.com/spark_plug_...at_range_chart

[Werner]

Originally Posted by rfitzpatrick

What does it mean when you said they're to hot/cold plz. I really don't understand.
Thanks

Internal combustion engines run at different temperatures. If more specific power, the combustion chamber gets hoter temperature. (Very simplified explanation.)

Simply explained: The hotter engine burns needs the colder the ignition plugs must be. (This interpretation is unfortunately not uniform; in Japan, the standard designation, for example, vice versa. I do not know USA.

Rule of thumb: Hot engine need 'cold' plug. Cold engine 'hot' plug.

For me, the global standardization of of the interpretatin "a plug is hot or cold" is difficult to explain.


If the spark plug does not get hot enough, it will become sooty. If it overheats, there is dangerous high speed knocking!

[Bob-A]

Champion W18's with a Pertronix FlameThrower coil!



Bob-A

[Patrick L.]

3077 Autolite. Been using them for probably 30 years, wish I could still find them.

There was a recent similar thread.

[The Master Cylinder]

Originally Posted by Patrick L.

There was a recent similar thread.

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...ght=spark+plug

[supergnat]

The current 3X’s I’ve seen have dual grounds (I think that is what they are called). Is that an improvement/. Are they good for our Model A’s?

[F.M.]

Originally Posted by supergnat

The current 3X’s I’ve seen have dual grounds (I think that is what they are called). Is that an improvement/. Are they good for our Model A’s?

Pictures of them, both styles can be seen in the Restoration Guidelines..

[The Master Cylinder]

Originally Posted by supergnat

The current 3X’s I’ve seen have dual grounds (I think that is what they are called). Is that an improvement/. Are they good for our Model A’s?

Interesting, I have not seen a dual ground 3X.

[F.M.]

Originally Posted by The Master Cylinder

Interesting, I have not seen a dual ground 3X.

That is because their is none....

[jw hash]

I have been running original champion 3X`s in my Victoria for over 25 years. and I also run repro, 3X`s in the 160A. with unleaded fuel the plugs last a lot longer, the 16Y`s are to cold for me.

[Boston Bruce]

Champion 3X

[supergnat]

Boy, Am I red faced. 😱. I was mistaken. The online photos have a shadow which makes it appear as though there is a second ground. I apologize for the oversight.

[Y-Blockhead]

I have run 3Xs in the past but now run W-18s. The W-18s run a little cooler than the 3Xs with my set up.

[Gary Karr]

I run original Champion 3X plugs in all of my Model A's and have never had problems with them.

[RandyinUtah]

Same set of 3X for 35 years see no need to change

[ryanheacox]

Motorcraft TT10 for me. They run well but sure don’t look like the 3x’s.

[chap52]

Champion W18 set at .035 with a Snyder's 6:1 head. Just pulled them after the first 2000 miles, looked great... Chap

[Bob Bidonde]

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Motorcraft TT10

[Purdy Swoft]

Originally Posted by Bob-A

Champion W18's with a Pertronix FlameThrower coil!



Bob-A

I hear ya Bob , Same here !!!

[JD 1931]

W-18 champion, they perform well for my original model A...

[1929]

Autolite 3076

[grudicil]

Ac 77l com

[Jeff P. / MN]

Always 3X in my Model A’s.......

[DD931]

Is anyone using Champion C-4's?

[Purdy Swoft]

I have used Champion C-4 with good results . The Champion C-4 plugs haven't been offered in many years . I like the look of the two piece Champion spark plugs. Most comment on the two piece plugs and think that they are original . There is a huge difference in the price of of The Champion 3- X and C-4 spark plugs . The C-4 plugs don't seem to be too cold and run clean in the model A's that I use them in. I sometimes buy new old stock C-4 spark plugs when I can find them . Champion W-18 spark plugs are readily available and are thought to be the same heat range as the original 3X but aren't two piece spark plugs like the 3-X .

[DD931]

Back in the day (50's-60's), C-4's were considered the standard plug. How times change!! I had never heard of a 3-X until last year when I got back into the Model A world.

[Purdy Swoft]

The first set of spark plugs that I bought for my model A was Champion C-4 . This purchase was over the counter at Thomasville Auto Parts in 1960 . The metal part of these spark plugs was zinc or some such silver colored plating like modern Champion spark plugs . These spark plugs cost maybe sixty something cents or less each . I decided to try these old used spark plugs again after all of these years . I cleaned and gapped the plugs and installed them in the same model A that I got them for 59 years ago . The model A cranked right up and seemed to run pretty good . I decided to remove and replace the C-4s with Champion W-18s . I think I'll try the C-4s again if I need Them . I think that most of us change the spark plugs way too soon in our model A's .

[DannL]

If you all make any big changes to your spark plug choice please let us know why. I think this thread has given me a little insight into spark plug selection.

[30 Closed Cab PU]

This is like many Model A subjects. Since it is not fuel injected, no sensors, not electronically controlled, what works best for one car is not what is needed for another Car. So you tune/adjust the best you can, and choose a plug that works best for you.

[Werner]

That's a very sharp statement from 30 CCP!


The low compression and the coarse carburetor as well as the rarely optimal ignition point result in never optimum stoichiometric combustion.

Even the unregulated huge cooling water system and oil volume can not run the engine in the favorable operating temperature. Therefore, sooty spark plugs, once brighter, sometimes darker, are just as normal as a clutch that jerks something, a gear that sometimes scrapes and a wobbly steering.

This is normal for a 90-year-old car, so it pardons many of the mistakes, that modern engines would kill if they did not have 1000 electronic guards.

You have to drive with it, you have to be generous and tolerant like with your beloved old frail dog who does not hear well anymore and sees and hobbles.

That's life with our old iron car "Model A"!

[The Master Cylinder]

Your light switch is upside down...

[F.M.]

Originally Posted by The Master Cylinder

Your light switch is upside down...

YUP !! The Dog Did It !!

[DannL]

This particular post is no longer relevant.

[F.M.]

Originally Posted by DannL

Uh oh. I can see this thread has gone to the dogs. Inevitable I suppose. ;-)

Well, What more can be said ??..

[walkerlakeprinter]

I never paid any attention until I saw this thread. I have Autolite 3076 and they seem to work just fine. I checked two of them just now and they look just right....not black or burned clean. I see no need to change at this point.

[DannL]

I think folks may be getting this thread mixed up with the other thread that I posted regarding fouled plugs. That's okay. I'm finding out what preferences there are for spark plugs.

[F.M.]

Originally Posted by DannL

I think folks may be getting this thread mixed up with the other thread that I posted regarding fouled plugs. That's okay. I'm finding out what preferences there are for spark plugs.

And HOW do you figure that ??

[DannL]

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F.M. is such a hoot.

Received some W18's today and took them for a short drive. We need more quality time together before I can form an opinion.

[barkleydave]

W18 pertonix ignition runs great and plugs clean

[50B]

I have used W18 with modern points for more then 40 years.


50B

[TerryO]

My Tudor has Motorcraft TT10 and my Sport Coupe has Champion C16C in a B engine. Both have been in several years and no issues with either.


TerryO

[DD931]

Which is hotter? W16 or W18?

[Purdy Swoft]

Champion W-18 is hotter than W-16-Y

[DD931]

Thanks!!

[Kinsley]

Champion C - 16C What should the gap be?

[Aretino]

W18

[katy]

Originally Posted by Kinsley

Champion C - 16C What should the gap be?

Try .035"

[Steves46]

Champion W18.

[G Baese]

W18's, Pertronix coil and non-ethanol 91 octane at 5000' altitude. Much better than the 3076's they replaced.

[ndnchf]

I had been using Autolite 3076s. But found they were significantly shorter than the original Champion 3Xs. The brass connectors were barely able to reach them, a couple of them were laying on the dustributor body. #3 was so close to the timing rod that it would short to it occasionally. I changed to Champion W18s, which are about the same height as 3Xs - problem solved.

[Patrick L.]

Autolite 3076s for the 30 years. Hard to find today.

[Flathead]

I've had good luck with the Autolite 3076 plugs but I currently run the take a part style Champion C-4 plugs. I consider the C-4 as sort of a poor man's 3-X. Car runs fine with the C-4 plugs.

[The Master Cylinder]

Originally Posted by ndnchf

I had been using Autolite 3076s. But found they were significantly shorter than the original Champion 3Xs. The brass connectors were barely able to reach them, a couple of them were laying on the dustributor body. #3 was so close to the timing rod that it would short to it occasionally. I changed to Champion W18s, which are about the same height as 3Xs - problem solved.

The Champion W18 is quite a bit taller than the 3X. On the left is a Wards plug that is about the same as a 3X. You could use the brass connectors for a B engine, which are longer than the ones for the A engine.

[katy]

I like the C-4s, I have 2 NOS, but no luck finding more.

Rock auto has MOTORCRAFT SP465A, AUTOLITE 3076, CHAMPION 561 {#W16Y} and CHAMPION 429 {#3X}.

Methinks I'll order a couple of the 3Xs from them, probably as close as I'll get to finding C-4s

[ndnchf]

Originally Posted by The Master Cylinder

The Champion W18 is quite a bit taller than the 3X. On the left is a Wards plug that is about the same as a 3X. You could use the brass connectors for a B engine, which are longer than the ones for the A engine.

Thanks, I had not seen them side by side. I thought about ordering model B connectors, but my local O'Reillys had the W18s on the shelf. They run just fine. BTW, O'Reillys also stocks the Autolite 3076s.

[Tosti36]

The Champion 3x is a great plug!