Champion spark plug problem

[Oldav8tor]

I was checking my T before taking a trip and found the wire loose on the spark plug in #3. When I tried to tighten it I found the top post was actually loose (see photo). I applied a little JB weld and it seems to be holding. I let it set overnight and put it in my T before taking a 50 mile jaunt today. So far so good

Tomorrow I'm joining a tour in mid-Michigan so I'll give it a good test. I have a few spares in my toolbox just in case.

[Henry K. Lee]

Those production ones I quit using due to that. Autolites worked for me Tim.

Hank

[Tmooreheadf]

I had similar issues with auto lite. They leaked compression where the ceramic comes out of the metal. Also had a couple come apart as the pictured ones did.

[Henry K. Lee]

Probably same manufacturer!

[Norman Kling]

It's a good idea to always have a few extra spark plugs along on a tour. You don't get them at the usual Napa or Auto Zone or even a Ford dealer unless you order and wait. So carry along a few extras just in case. When you tighten the contact, tighten just enough to hold it. Even if the wire terminal should come loose, it is unlikely to cause your engine to miss, but if the terminal pulls out like your picture. Muy Mal.
Norm

[Steve Jelf]

The modern ones are notorious for that. Autolite 3095 is cheap and works OK for awhile, but you're lucky if they're good for a year. I've used modern plugs, but have gone back to old timers. New Champion X plugs are ungodly expensive, but you can get originals at swap meets or on eBay much cheaper. At swap meets I buy plugs for $2 - $5. I might go as high as $10 for a nice early plug. I think the Splitdorf plugs I've been using are from the thirties.

[DanTreace]

Tim

Have experience that before with the Champion 25, but still like this plug, run them fine. Seems to work well with the Prus high compression head, gapped at .025"-.028", hot spark from strong magneto too.

That upper post is only ceramic glued, so take care in plug wire attachment. Even Ford realized that use of pliers or tools on the terminal nut is bad for the electrode.

Tightening plug wire copy.jpg (35.6 KiB) Viewed 2817 times

So, I always do what Ford suggested, that is to twist the knurl nut with finger and thumb firmly on the brass terminal.

Then push on the spark plug wire to rotate the brass terminal on the wire clockwise, that will 'lock' the brass plug terminal under the knurl nut for solid contact.

[jiminbartow]

Has anyone used vintage #14 Edison’s? I have several mint condition ones in my display case, but use Champions I bought in 1970. Jim Patrick

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[Mark Gregush]

When I had the same problem, it was because the nut sold with them(the normal spark plug wire type) would not go down and hold and kept coming loose. This was way back pre internet and didn't have a people to ask base at the time. The threaded in part unscrews when you take the nut off. You could just screw the end back in, it would make contact but more then likely with just unscrew again. Maybe two part epoxy on the thread part in the plug.

[CudaMan]

Those are great looking Splidorf plugs, Steve!

I run Edison 14s in my car, they burn hot and run great. I haven't had to touch them since I installed them in 2014.

[Oldav8tor]

Dan,
You may not remember but you spent an hour or so during the Michigan Jamboree in the casino parking lot in Sault Ste Marie trying to diagnose a miss in my newly restored '17 touring. You swapped me four Champions for my four Autolites to see if they'd help and it was one of those plugs that came apart. You showed me then how to attach the wires and that's the way I have done it ever since. Those plugs have about 2800 miles on them.

Note: The miss was traced to a weak spring on the brush of my New Day timer

[DanTreace]

Tim

Yes do remember. Well those Champion 25s do suffer
from poor ceramic glue, your JB Weld might be the cure!


Have only had one do that in a dozen used, but good to check them from time to time.

Your T was great handling during test drive, nice tight steering and great looking too. The missing at speed was trouble for finding as it was getting late, we did the carb check, the plugs and wires, and since the New Day was there, didn’t think to check as those are most times trouble free.... go figure! Old moral, a miss while running , with good starting ...time to address the Timer

[Piewagon]

I share with others the respect they have for New Day timers but I reserve my praise for ORIGINAL timers only because some of the repro versions are really bad and some originals that have been crudely resurfaced with things like sandpaper discs don't realize that it is very important that the face of the NEW DAY timer must not only be perfectly flat and smooth but it must remain perfectly parallel with its outer perimeter which rides in the slot in the motor timer cover cast iron. If you introduce any tilt in the timer face then the timer brush will be going in and out while going round and round. Adding more pressure to the spring might make the motor run better but that can radically shorten the life of the timer. The resurface must be done with great care to make sure the surface is flat and then that the face everywhere on its surface is exactly parallel with the outer perimeter of the timer. Free hand sanding with a spinning sandpaper disc is not going to produce a parallel surface and may or may not even produce a uniformly flat surface' You can also reduce the total life of the new day timer by removing a lot more surface than is necessary and leaving a surface that seems smooth but is not flat and not parallel with the outer perimeter that rides in the precision machined slot in the cast iron timer motor cover plate. That small spring is only to provide a small amount of pressure to hold the contact lightly against the timer surface. It is not there to make the timer contact go in and out under heavy pressure so as to prevent bouncing of the contact as it rides over hill and dale imperfections in the timer surface. I get a fair number in my shop to resurface that have been screwed up in that way. I do it in a way that is quick and accurate and removes the least amount of contact surface possible yet gets proper smoothness and parallelism. Generally you only have to remove about 10 thousandths to achieve all 3 goals of flat surface, smoothness, parallelism to outer perimeter.

Hope this helps.