That was an intresting story. This is what I know.
In 1969 I owned a Harly Davison 125 rapido motor
cycle. It was a Barnellie (spelling could be wrong)
knock off with the Harley label on the tank. This
thing would foul a spark plug at the drop of a hat.
Champion was the factory plug at the time. It had the
old oil mix system in the gas cap, so many oz. to the
gallon of fuel. The first two years I has it it would
make me walk of push it more than ride it. I went to
the local gas station and looked at the spark plug
chart on the wall and installed hotter plugs in it.
It started lossing the top of the piston due to burn
out or it would foul out the plug. After three
rebuilds I tried an Autolite plug in the engine. I
went back to factory specks and it run twice as long
before a foul out. Does this prove any thing. I dont'
know. I still use the Autolite in all my cars and
lawn movers. They seem to still work a long time. RC
--- Don Nonnweiler <dnonnwei@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > I
believe it was in the late 50's that they stopped
> using Autolite
> Don
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rollin Bard" <Rollin.Bard@xxxxxxxx>
> To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2003 12:36 PM
> Subject: RE: IML: Champion vs. Autolite -- "inside"
> info
>
>
> > Does anyone remember when Chrysler quit using
> Autolites as OEM and started
> > using Champions? Was it when Ford bought Autolite
> (US Gov't made them
> sell
> > it later)
> >
> > I remember as a Chrysler Plymouth Imperial dealer,
> that after smog control
> > was made standard in the 70's, everyday I used to
> move our new cars off
> the
> > display lot and move them inside the building.
> After about a week of
> this,
> > the Champions would foul up and the car would
> start to miss. We would have
> > to remove and clean them. This also happened to
> customers and we would
> > complain to the Champion salesman. Once he took
> 16 of them to send back
> to
> > the factory. We never heard, in fact he stopped
> coming around. Champions
> > were indeed junk and MoPars were no better since
> they were probably made
> by
> > Champion. Now I wonder if we had tried AutoLites,
> our problems would have
> > been over.
> >
> > Rollin Bard
> > '66 LeBaron
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Don Nonnweiler [mailto:dnonnwei@xxxxxxxxx]
> > Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2003 11:50 AM
> > To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: Re: IML: Champion vs. Autolite --
> "inside" info
> >
> > I humbly disagree on the quality of AC plugs as I
> have had nothing but
> > problems with them even in GM products, I know a
> few mechanics that will
> > only use Autolites, maybe Champions if they have
> no choice but never AC as
> > they don't last. I agree the Autolites are the
> best but can not in good
> > conscience ever reccommend or use AC's. I do have
> 32 years in the auto
> > industry
> > Don
> > 59 Crown
> > 55 C300
> > 55 NY
> > 49 NY
> > 40 P10
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Peter Engel" <peter.engel@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2003 10:42 AM
> > Subject: IML: Champion vs. Autolite -- "inside"
> info
> >
> >
> > > So I'm reading posts from another list I'm on
> and I see the following
> > > write-up. I'm convinced. Well actually I was
> convinced before reading
> > > this.
> > >
> > > Ron Fenelon wrote:
> > >
> > > When I first started working at Ford in 1965, I
> was a "dyed in the wool"
> > > Champion Spark Plug guy. A couple of years
> later, I had the opportunity
> > > to visit the Fostoria, OH plant where we made
> Autolite spark plugs.
> > > Once I saw the difference in the manufacturing
> process and the sealing
> > > method vs. what Champion does, never again did I
> use anything but a
> > > Autolite/Motorcraft spark plugs. On the GM cars
> that I have owned in
> > > the past, I always used AC spark Plugs, because
> they were made the same
> > > way as the Autolite/Motorcraft's were made.
> > >
> > > The principal difference is how the center
> electrode/porcelain insulator
> > > is sealed to the steel outer body. In Champion
> plugs, the outer body is
> > > zinc plated, and they stuff a powdered form of
> the center insulator
> > > between the body and the fired center insulator,
> and then roll
> > > over/crimp the upper portion of the steel body.
> Very easy to allow
> > > combustion pressures/gases to make a leakage
> path in this powder
> > > material. In fact, I asked TV Tommy Ivo, at the
> Milan, Mi Drag Way, why
> > > he had changed from Champions to Autolites, in
> the early 70"s, and he
> > > replied too many center electrode/porcelain
> bodies blowing right out of
> > > the threaded bodies on his AA Fuel Hemi powered
> Dragster.
> > >
> > > The Autolite/Motorcrafts and AC plugs have two
> copper o-rings installed
> > > between the center electrode/porcelain bodies,
> top and bottom, and then
> > > the top of the body is rolled over/crimped, and
> then the plug passes
> > > into an Induction Heater where the center
> portion of the plug is heated
> > > up by a ring in the center of the steel body
> until it glows red, about
> > > 1600 degress F, all while the crimp is held
> under 2500 psi pressure, and
>
> > > then the Induction heater coil is turned off,
> and plug cools under this
> > > 2500 psi pressure. So the center electrode
> assembly is firmly gripped
> > > by the outer body, and I don't remember anyone
> saying they ever had any
> > > leakage problems with plugs made that way. That
> heating process is the
> > > reason Autolite/Motorcraft and AC plug metal
> bodies are not plated.
> > > They may be painted, like the marine plugs are,
> but never plated. It
> > > would boil off in the Induction Heating/Crimping
> process.
> > >
> > > Make better way to seal the center electrode
> assemblies, and make long
> > > life spark plugs.
> > >
> > >
> > >
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