Spark plug thumb nuts: Let the controversy rage

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: Spark plug thumb nuts: Let the controversy rage
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 12:45 pm:

Install them like this...



...or this?



After we settle this we'll move on to what kind of oil to use in a doctor's coupe.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mattthew G California on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 12:51 pm:

Steve,
Well the point is it doesn't matter until you put the wire in there:-)

But with the wire installed you have to get it right!

BTW you always use anointing oil in the preachers coupe.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 12:53 pm:

I do it like the first picture. Makes it easier to get a grip on them. Doing it like the second picture gets the knurled area too close to the flat terminal of the spark plug wire. I can't get as good a grip on it like that.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Henry Petrino in Modesto, CA on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 01:02 pm:

So Mattthew, does that mean Caster Oil should be used in a Doctor's Coup?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mattthew G California on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 01:06 pm:

Henry,
Wow! I love it!

I think we should come up with a list for: pastors, doctors, farmers, bankers, etc.

;)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bill Severn - SE Texas on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 01:14 pm:

OK, mine are set up like photo one for the number one and three cylinders, and like photo two for cylinders two and four.

Bill


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 01:17 pm:

I think when the second ad picture was being taken, the photographer, not being familiar with spark plugs, did not notice that the nut was on upside down and it was not caught until the ad was going to print. When it was discovered by the ad executives at Champion, and they were contemplating on retaking the picture, at considerable cost in missing the deadline for the ad to run, they weighed the pros and cons and decided the public did not know the difference and therefore probably would not notice and if they did notice, would not care. A good decision. Jim Patrick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Henry Petrino in Modesto, CA on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 01:33 pm:

So Bill, are you afraid to make a commitment?


Sorry, I don't know what's gotten into me today.... :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dale L Myers on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 01:46 pm:

And Snake Oil in a Politician's Coupe.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By George_Cherry Hill NJ on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 01:57 pm:

I don't have a clue...I've always done knurled side up!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harold Schwendeman - Sumner,WA on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 02:11 pm:

Here I go again,...."nit-picking" again. But my depot hack spark plugs have little brass wing nuts that I'm sure are not original, but I particularly like them whether they're "original" or not! I like to make sure the plug wires are tight, and I never did think that you can get the little round brass knurled nuts tight enough by hand, and the only alternative (pliers) eventually screws up the knurling anyway! So I'm gonna' stick to the little brass wing nuts,.....so THERE! Ha,ha,....harold


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Cascisa - Poulsbo, Washington on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 02:20 pm:

I believe the follow-on topic should be "Correct Oil For a Doctor's Coupe Water Pump Distributor"

Be_Zero_Be


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Seth from NC on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 02:37 pm:

Linseed oil for a Soldier's Coupe ?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harold Schwendeman - Sumner,WA on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 02:39 pm:

Bob - Anybody knows that the proper oil for a doctor's coupe is cod liver oil!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard Eagle Ida Fls on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 02:45 pm:

I think caster oil is what you use in the front axle. :o)
Rich


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 03:45 pm:

Harold,

I have found that if I rotate the terminal on the wire a little CCW just before doing the final tightening, I can turn it CW the last little bit with the nut. Kinda acts as a 'wrench' to help tighten the thumb nut. Same when loosening. While I can't loosen the nut by hand, if I use the sparkplug wire as a 'wrench' and turn the terminal and nut together, it will loosen up and I can finish removing it by hand.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harold Schwendeman - Sumner,WA on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 04:00 pm:

Good tip Hal; I'll bet that's one that Ted Ashmann missed in his two volumes of "Tinker'n Tips",....thanks,.....harold


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Strange on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 04:14 pm:

Great minds through the ages think alike, here is a quote from the Ford Service Bulletin dated April, 1922:

"It is not necessary to use pliers on the knurl nut to make a tight connection; the nut can be screwed down with the fingers and then the cable moved with the nut slightly and it will be sufficiently tight to carry the current."


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dick Pakeman on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 05:18 pm:

Peanut or Canola oil in farmers trucks?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kerry van Ekeren (Australia) on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 05:25 pm:

These are better, you can check if tight while engine is running without using any tools!!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Herb Iffrig on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 06:06 pm:

Olive Oyl for Popeye's motorcycle.
Anyone got a picture of it?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Noel D. Chicoine, MD, Pierre, SD on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 06:22 pm:

Sorry folks, I use K-Y jelly for lubing the zerks on my doctor's Coupe and castor oil (I get it from the furniture movers) in the engine. Why do they call it "Canola" oil? because nobody would buy it if you called it "Rape oil", since it comes from rape seed.
Noel


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Jablonski on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 06:31 pm:

OK Steve, terminal solder side up ??..... or down ????

I prefer knurled side up.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 07:19 pm:

Those look like bronze to me, Kerry. YOU check 'em with it running. I'll watch.:-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chuck Hoffman - Gold Country of Calif. on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 08:31 pm:

Like this.....

nut1


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chuck Hoffman - Gold Country of Calif. on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 08:33 pm:

Just stumbled upon this, kind of interesting...
http://www.marxparts.com/spark_plug_wire_and_fittings.htm


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 09:57 pm:

Those are 8-32 thread for the 1923 & later Champion X with the crimped brass top. They won't fit the earlier plugs, which have a 5-40 thread.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chuck Hoffman - Gold Country of Calif. on Thursday, August 29, 2013 - 10:30 pm:

Simple, just get one of those reducing drills and retap........


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Friday, August 30, 2013 - 12:19 am:

It would be nice to have a drill that would make bigger holes smaller.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Henrichs on Friday, August 30, 2013 - 12:24 am:

Nuts: just solder the spark plug wire to the sparkplug. No more misfires. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Garnet on Friday, August 30, 2013 - 12:27 am:

Just set the drill in reverse Steve ... just like playing movies backwards !!

Garnet


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Page on Friday, August 30, 2013 - 01:29 am:




Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Page on Friday, August 30, 2013 - 02:05 am:

I have always put the knurled side up as per the Ford Service book, and do as Hal does, use the plug wire terminal as a means to tightening that last little bit. It works well. I have only owned Non Brass T's the knurled nut may have been attached differently on the earlier T's. Regards, John


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By michael grady on Friday, August 30, 2013 - 08:08 am:

obstetricians should use baby oil.

My .02

Michael


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By ROBERT J STEINER on Friday, August 30, 2013 - 09:10 am:

www.rjlautofasteners.com

RJ&L Vintage Wiring has wire thumb nuts terminals battery cable etc.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Henry Petrino in Modesto, CA on Friday, August 30, 2013 - 09:50 am:

All you Italian T owners out there should consider using olive oil. Of course, there is the problem of deciding who is entitled to use extra virgin olive oil.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Friday, August 30, 2013 - 10:11 am:

Surprisingly, RJ&L has the 5-40 nuts, and they're only $1 each. Even if the shipping doubles the price, it's not outrageous. But I see the diameter is .440". I happen to have some brass stock, so I'm going to copy one I have that's .500". That will be a machine shop class project.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Husted on Friday, August 30, 2013 - 10:15 am:

I had thought by now that some one would have looked at an early champion spark plug knurled nut under a
magnifying glass! When I asked my friend a tool and die maker to make some he asked me the same question and I said no, he said you will learn something. I ask the same question here, you will learn something. All the re-pops can be spotted a mile away and if you think you are going to just make them think again.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard Gould on Friday, August 30, 2013 - 10:43 am:

Here is one example of some early ones I made.



Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Friday, August 30, 2013 - 10:47 am:

If you have a show car, or are just a stickler for authenticity, you can get exact reproductions from RV Anderson. They're pricey, but my experience has been that all his stuff is scrupulously authentic and top quality.

Mike, I expect most of us haven't seen an original and wouldn't recognize it if we did. How about a picture?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Friday, August 30, 2013 - 11:42 am:

Looks like Richard posted the picture while I was typing. Those appear to be something I could make.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Keith Townsend ; ^ ) Gresham, Orygun on Friday, August 30, 2013 - 11:57 am:

Although 5-40 are hard to find, 4-40 are available. I bought some4-40 thumbnuts, re-drilled them with a #38 or 93 drill and threaded them with a 5-40 tap.

It is close enough except for the purists.

: ^ )

Keith


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