The quality control really seems to be slipping. which brands do people have the least amount of trouble with? Champion has been bad in this area for a long time and now AC seems to have jointed them! mostly i'm speaking of being bad right out of the box. it seems if they run for awhile, they seem to last forever!
- Thread starter tomNE
- Start date
old
Well-known Member
- Location
- Camdenton Missouri
I have switched to auto lite plugs in most of my tractors. For instance in a ford the 437s seem to work best be it an 9N up to the 801 series
2badlybent
Member
All spark plugs I buy seem to work fine. If you are having ignition problems it most likely is not the plug. Either the engine is in need of a rebuild or the electical system is weak. Modern plugs seldom stop working because of defects in the plug.
Not sure what you're using the sparkplugs in but if you're using them in the old tractors you'll have to add some octane boost to the gas. I use the 104+ from Walmart. Make sure you have good points, cap, rotor & plug wires. Any resistance or corrosion in these items will starve your sparkplugs from the proper voltage. Sure will save you a lot of aggravation. Just my 2 cents from experience.
Hobo,NC
Well-known Member
- Location
- Sanford, NC
Bad out of the box,, I have 2 are 3 box's of autolites that are bad still in the box (don't get me started on Bosch) . I will not install them anymore it cost me and my customers allot of pain. I think everything I installed them in over a 1/2 year period I had to chase misfires on and even had some come apart in the cylinder. One a chevy astro 4.3 I got lucky and got it to blow out the broken part out after I ran it with the plug out, I used their top of the line plug.....
I use what the manufacture calls for 99.999% of the time you can not go wrong even it it list a champion. I do not use AUTOLITE any more they sold there sole to China... I do here thru the grape vine autolite has are is moving back to Mexico if that means anything. As much as they fought that their quality was the same they sure felt there lost from the professional side of sales...
The cost across the board is about the same for all if OEM cost more then I pay it and pass the cost along,,, that's the best I can do and I don't see how one could argue that...
I have ran both Champion and Autolites in my tractors and have no problems with either. I think most of the problems people are experiencing come from using resistor spark plugs where a no resistor should be used, cheap points and condensors, carbon graphite spark plug wires instead of copper cored. All of these things take away from the spark long before it gets to the spark plug.
Hobo,NC
Well-known Member
- Location
- Sanford, NC
I think Y'all are missing his and my point
"BAD OUT OF THE BOX"
This could mean it does not function once installed are as I have found the plug is defective once you remove it from the box and it see's its first light of day... It was shipped with a manufacturing cosmetic defect that will impede its performance...
Of course I would not expect a DIY'er to ever look at the plug before its installed but if you do this daily look you will see it and it will cost you....
Y'all can dream up stuff but remember "bad out of the box"
Did a "test" of sorts here; John Deere 1020 installed 3 new plugs, 1 Champion 2 AC 3 Autolite. Ran tractor until one plug failed and changed it, ran til second plug failed then changed all to the remaining brand. Now is running all Autolite. BTW the tractor is equipped with electronic ignition, aftermarket coil and steel core wires.
This time of year it runs for 1/2 hr every 3 days which I think is hard on everything, but these plugs etc are holding their own. Maybe if it was out running steady and hot I would have other issues. I would like to try it on higher octane fuel though.
This time of year it runs for 1/2 hr every 3 days which I think is hard on everything, but these plugs etc are holding their own. Maybe if it was out running steady and hot I would have other issues. I would like to try it on higher octane fuel though.
gene bender
Well-known Member
I use Champions 10% ethanol tractor rides mowing yard ect dont have any problems but i do have good wires and mags are in shape. They start and run here in the cold temps also dont see where the problems are. Its easy to blame plugs or gas when there are other problems. Tractors were made to work and run not just to start and show off.
Wheat Farmer
Well-known Member
Quality control is OUT of control with all parts. Can't count how many times NEW parts are no good. Once checked three starters out of the box AT the store before finding a good one.
Why would you assume the average DIY does not inspect his plugs first? If you ever saw how spark plugs are shipped to auto parts stores from the auto parts warehouse, not the supplier warehouse you would see why they be defective. I have seen many boxes of plugs hit the floor and then get put on the shelf to be sold. I would say that is where a lot of the bad out of the box spark plugs come from.
Doing a comparison test on same engine is a good idea, but let us make sure we are using same style spark plug. You cannot compare a extended tip plug to a standard tip, or a small electrode plug to a full sized electrode plug. Many plugs use different material and are available from several different mfgs. Then you throw in the heat range for good measure. Some plugs don't cross over real close so charts skip to closest match. Sure some are damaged out of the box, or made from poor material but a quick test will determine if they will work or not.
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
If your mechanical ability is the same as your English and spelling here no wonder your customers ane not satisfied.
Hobo,NC
Well-known Member
- Location
- Sanford, NC
Jellos I see... BTW you spilled "are" wrong :lol:
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
Way back in the bad old days. The tractors were not paraded and not used in short duty, short duty applications. Bubba filled the fuel tank of his newish tractor that wasn"t burning oil. Then worked the engine hard at full throttle, full power , full rpms and heated up to nearly boiling over. Stopping only to refuel or when fields were ploughed.
Different environment today for spark plugs to work under.
Different environment today for spark plugs to work under.
Geo-TH,In
Well-known Member
I have 2 champions in a 20 hp kohler command with about 1000 hours on them. I use the next plug hotter than OEM with no problem. I went a step hotter, seems to keep plug cleaner.
Many years ago I bought two new 3.5 briggs mowers. One mower would run about 5 minutes and then die. Come to find out it was a bad plug. Let plug cool off and it would start and run about another 5 minutes. Not 100% sure if it was a champion. Guess you could say it was out of the box. Mower came in a box.
I seem to have more issues with rotors and distributor than plugs. Thank God for distributor less ingitions. However, truck was missing. Computer showed it was a bad #1 OEM plug on 1995 GMC 1500. My problems are not out of the box issues.
Except for mower, I can't really say I've ever had a bad out of the box plug. I have bought new things that were bad out of the box, just not plugs.
Many years ago I bought two new 3.5 briggs mowers. One mower would run about 5 minutes and then die. Come to find out it was a bad plug. Let plug cool off and it would start and run about another 5 minutes. Not 100% sure if it was a champion. Guess you could say it was out of the box. Mower came in a box.
I seem to have more issues with rotors and distributor than plugs. Thank God for distributor less ingitions. However, truck was missing. Computer showed it was a bad #1 OEM plug on 1995 GMC 1500. My problems are not out of the box issues.
Except for mower, I can't really say I've ever had a bad out of the box plug. I have bought new things that were bad out of the box, just not plugs.
Texasmark1
Well-known Member
Now that we have clean fuel and good oil, I just don't change them any more. On my Chevy the owners manual says 100,000 miles. Works for me.
On my gas lawn mowers I check them but put em back in and keep going. On my diesel tractors, I just don't bother. Grin (Smart A$$ remark) I know it it was intended to be such. LOL
Mark
On my gas lawn mowers I check them but put em back in and keep going. On my diesel tractors, I just don't bother. Grin (Smart A$$ remark) I know it it was intended to be such. LOL
Mark
DENNIS MIN
Member
TexsMark,
Too bad for them gas-start IH diesels with plugs!
D. (smartypants)
Too bad for them gas-start IH diesels with plugs!
D. (smartypants)
Phil in Pa
Member
I realize there are sometimes problems with any brand of plug, but I had a weird one about 15 years ago. I decided it was time for new plugs in a 350 Chevy I was running as a daily driver, thought I'd try a set of A/C. I took out the old Bosch I had in and it actually ran worse with the brand new A/C.
I put the used Bosch back in it, threw the A/C's in the trash and regretted wasting a couple hours. Some of those plugs aren't real fun to do around headers.
I put the used Bosch back in it, threw the A/C's in the trash and regretted wasting a couple hours. Some of those plugs aren't real fun to do around headers.
I can say this. The fuel we get from our local Farm Service Supply would foul out the plugs on the older tractors. Putting Octane boost in tanks on the tractors kept this from happening. You can put too much boost in and the plugs will have a rusty color to them if you don't follow the directions.
Try to run low octane fuel in a street rod and see what happens...
Try to run low octane fuel in a street rod and see what happens...
Janicholson
Well-known Member
I went to the parts counter at Doan and Decker Ford in Terre Haute for tuneup parts. (I worked there) one of the autolite plug boxes rattled. I opened the boxes to set gap and brush on silver goo. The rattly box contained a complete plug that was totally disassembled. Actually never assembled. I still have it. (I do like NGK and Autolite Plugs). Jim
Texasmark1
Well-known Member
Never had one but my Ford 2000D 4 cyl uses 2 glow plugs in the intake manifold. I never removed them to see just what they are but look like a very large spark plug. Surely there is a coil of wire in each rather than a high voltage insulator and gap.
Mark
Mark
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