The Ford Barn - View Single Post

Greg Jones · 09-05-2010, 06:49 PM

I have heard of this but never had it happen to me, shorting of plugs. After not driving my A for a month or so, I fired it up and heard a snapping noise occaisonally, and the engine would stumble a bit and then pick back up. Then snap, snap, snap. I opened the hood and saw that one of the 3X plugs was shorting and sending the arc down the outside of the plug, a couple inches away from the plug. I know it is not uncommone, but what causes a plug to short like that? Dirty electrode? Cracked insulator?I pulled it and it looked fairly clean, nothing unusual, and could not see a crack or pit. I replaced the plug, but at $28 a copy I want to take good care of these.

09-05-2010, 06:49 PM	#1
Greg Jones Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Aiken, South Carolina Posts: 695	3x Plugs Shorting Out I have heard of this but never had it happen to me, shorting of plugs. After not driving my A for a month or so, I fired it up and heard a snapping noise occaisonally, and the engine would stumble a bit and then pick back up. Then snap, snap, snap. I opened the hood and saw that one of the 3X plugs was shorting and sending the arc down the outside of the plug, a couple inches away from the plug. I know it is not uncommone, but what causes a plug to short like that? Dirty electrode? Cracked insulator?I pulled it and it looked fairly clean, nothing unusual, and could not see a crack or pit. I replaced the plug, but at $28 a copy I want to take good care of these.