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Re: Spark Plugs

To: Michael G Hering <MGHering@world.std.com>
Subject: Re: Spark Plugs
From: Chip Old <feold@umd5.umd.edu>
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 1994 06:42:41 -0400 (EDT)
On Tue, 26 Jul 1994, Michael G Hering wrote:

>       After putting in a new engine this winter, I had trouble with the 
> engine misfiring at low idle on no.s 1 and 3.  When it was dark one night 
> I noticed that the spark was jumping ffom the bent plastic insulator at 
> the end of the wire over to the heater pipe.  If I twirled the plasic 
> elbow away from the pipe, it jumped about 1/2-3/4 of an inch to the 
> head.  I couldn't figure out why the spark should want to jump that gap 
> rather than the one inside the chamber, and I couldn't fathom why it 
> should only happen at low idle.  The plugs in question were champions 
> that were from my old engine, but had very little miles on them.  I 
> replaced them with new NGK's and everything works great.  I still don't 
> know what was wrong.  Perhaps they were too oil fouled from my last 
> engine and not getting a good ground.  Maybe they were bad plugs.  I just 
> know I'll be using NGKs from now on.
 
I don't mean to sound critical, but this whole spark plug thread is
beginning to take on almost religious undertones.  There's no special
voodoo about spark plugs.  There's no single "best" brand.  You probably
could have solved the problem just as successfully with a new set of
Champions (or Lodge, or Autolite, or any other well-known brand).  There
are any number of possible reasons for the arcing you saw, but using the
"wrong" brand of plugs isn't one of them. 
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chip Old              1948 M.G. TC  TC6710  NEMGTR #2271
feold@umd5.umd.edu    1962 Triumph TR4  CT3154LO (daily transportation)


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