Model A spark plugs...

[hardtimes]

Any plug collectors among us ?
I'm amazed at the amount of different plugs made for the Model A engine !
I just got a truck load of A and V8 parts ...'junk' the guy said that he was going to put in trash !! Anyway, on one of the Model A heads that I got, were four different plugs. Here's two that I thot that you guys might like to see/comment on. I've not seen these two priorly.
The 'blue crown' is a cool plug with racing flags on one side that says....3 times Indianapolis 500 winner ! Anyone collect and know of how many various brands existed for Model A ?

[SeaSlugs]

well to be honest - they made these plugs to fit a very wide variety of engines. i have a 1926 evenrude outboard with the same plugs as a model a.

But to answer your question: probably well over 500 id say. anyone got any cool display boards/shadow box ideas for spark plugs?

[Purdy Swoft]

I agree and that includes all the plugs sold by the model A venders except the 3X

[JOES31]

I have 4 new in the box Edison plugs that say on them Edison Albanite United States of America. Box says 35 7/8". 15/16" Hex. Would these be Model A plugs?

[Willie Krash]

My last name is Stitt. You think I'll find a set of Stitt spark plugs for Model A?
Here is a chart.
http://pvmac.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3
Willie Krash is my handle....Mike

[hardtimes]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by JOES31

I have 4 new in the box Edison plugs that say on them Edison Albanite United States of America. Box says 35 7/8". 15/16" Hex. Would these be Model A plugs?

Hey Joe,
Yup, that's the Edison pictured. I realize that spark plugs fit different engine applications with same size plugs, but thought that that was obvious.
Now does anyone own and/or have input knowledge relative to the pictured Blue Crown plug ?

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by hardtimes

Hey Joe,
Yup, that's the Edison pictured. I realize that spark plugs fit different engine applications with same size plugs, but thought that that was obvious.
Now does anyone own and/or have input knowledge relative to the pictured Blue Crown plug ?

I don't know if a google search would turn up anything usefull, but you might also try to find an old repair garage or auto parts store that's been in business for a long time, and see if they have any old spark plug books that show applications.

[Clydes 31 P/U]

SeaSlugs, Years ago my Dad had a bunch of different plugs mounted on perches in a big bird cage and had an old Champion spark plug ad that said " Don't let these dirty birds steal your gas".

[JOES31]

Willie's chart doesn't list the Edison plugs.

[Purdy Swoft]

Originally Posted by Willie Krash

My last name is Stitt. You think I'll find a set of Stitt spark plugs for Model A?
Here is a chart.
http://pvmac.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3
Willie Krash is my handle....Mike

Can you show me where champion says that the W16 Y spark plug is hotter than the Champion W18 ??? They tell me that the W16 Y gets hotter at 5500 RPM but is colder than the W18 at lower speed . Mike, I'm not trying to make you out a lie but i find the comparison of the above mentioned two spark plugs to be completely backwards . Many people here that have used these two Champion spark plugs know that the W16Y runs black and sooty at low to mid range speeds , while the Champion W18 runs clean. The actual Champion heat range chart shows the Champion W16Y has a heat range of 6 and the Champion W18 has a heat range of 7 . It looks like somebody copied incorrect information from Larry Brumfield. I only say this in an attempt to save the unknowing from wasting time and money on a spark plug that is TOO cold for low and mid range speed . I've been there , I once bought a gross of Champion W16Y spark plugs , thinking that because they had a long tip that they would be hotter. The W16 Y is only hotter at an RPM range that most model A's will never reach.

[jkeesey]

Originally Posted by hardtimes

Hey Joe,
Yup, that's the Edison pictured. I realize that spark plugs fit different engine applications with same size plugs, but thought that that was obvious.
Now does anyone own and/or have input knowledge relative to the pictured Blue Crown plug ?

I know my shop hand picked up a NOS box of 8 blue crowns and I put one set into my car and another into my buddies. Seems to run just as nice as my 3xs that were in there. I cant find the paper but in the box were the blue crown instructions for installing in a Model A.

[Willie Krash]

Originally Posted by Purdy Swoft

Can you show me where champion says that the W16 Y spark plug is hotter than the Champion W18 ??? They tell me that the W16 Y gets hotter at 5500 RPM but is colder than the W18 at lower speed .
Mike, I'm not trying to make you out a lie but i find the comparison of the above mentioned two spark plugs to be completely backwards . .

Not my chart, just an old bookmark. Thanks for the update. BTW I enjoy your very informative posts.

[rniez]

Blue Crown sponsored Lou moore's team which won Indy 3 times in the late 1940's with drivers Maauri rose and Bill Holland. They used that in much of thier advertising. The box of 10 plugs shows the indy cars on it and is quite collectable.
Many companies made plugs that will fit a Model A.

Someone wanted to know how collectors display plugs. I mount mine in boxes with glass front doors that I build. I have aroud 1,000 plugs; there are some folks in our club (Spark Plug Collectors of America) that have 5,000+.

[Purdy Swoft]

Originally Posted by Willie Krash

Not my chart, just an old bookmark. Thanks for the update. BTW I enjoy your very informative posts.

Thanks Mike, I also read and enjoy your posts here as well.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by rniez

Blue Crown sponsored Lou moore's team which won Indy 3 times in the late 1940's with drivers Maauri rose and Bill Holland. They used that in much of thier advertising. The box of 10 plugs shows the indy cars on it and is quite collectable.
Many companies made plugs that will fit a Model A.

Someone wanted to know how collectors display plugs. I mount mine in boxes with glass front doors that I build. I have aroud 1,000 plugs; there are some folks in our club (Spark Plug Collectors of America) that have 5,000+.

Very interesting, thanks ! Wow, 1K and 5K plug collections would be a sight,eh ! Can you share a picture and what is rarest you collected ?
As you probably know, the Blue Crown that I pictured, has a DOUBLE ground electrodes ! Do you know if this plug can still be obtained, if desired , to run ?

Amazing what is still out there, as a few years ago a guy clearing out the stuff in his garage gave me a box of Model A size plugs. In among which were four NOS original 3X in original boxes. Some barner owns them now.

[J and M Machine]

After reading Swoft’s post above I decided to e-mail Larry Brumfield to see what he had to say about his previous spark plug info concerning the Champion W-16Y. As a rebuilder of Model A engines to precise standards we are always interested in info from more than one source that we can pass along to our customers and also make comparisons to our own experiences.

Here’s what Larry said in his e-mail:

Hello Mr. Gulbankian, long time no hear:

Thanks for sending me a copy of the Ford Barn thread for my review.

The info that I provided in the past on message boards about the heat range of the W-16Y came DIRECTLY from the Champion Spark Plug catalog/manual provided to our local auto supply. I also went to 3 other auto supply stores and they all had the exact same book. This was Auto Zone, O’Reillys and Advanced Auto; 3 national big chains. Afterwards, even though I have had considerable experience in the past during my flat track days and also with Model A/B with projected nose plugs, I decided to see what the present day Champion people had to say about it concerning Model A’s. So I called the Champion Spark Plug company and finally got to speak with one of their spark plug engineers and he explained how a projected nose spark plug works.

According to the Champion engineer, whom I’m sure would have more insight than myself or Swoft, the W-16Y does not get hotter at 5500 RPM but gets cooler! ... which is the opposite of what Swoft is saying in his post.

According to the Champion engineer, a spark plug with a projected nose (like the W16Y, the Y stands for standard projected nose) has a broader heat range. The core nose is longer and projected into the chamber with open exposure which provides a "hotter" plug at low speed, as compared to an exact same plug with no projected nose, and helps to prevent fouling. As the engine speed increases, the incoming air/fuel mix flows across the exposed tip of the core nose, providing charge cooling which effectively reduces heat range at higher speeds.”

So I asked the Champion engineer at what higher speed? He replied, “Much higher, at say 5500 RPM or so.” So I said 5500 RPM is not foreign to my past with race engines, both auto and motorcycles, but that really does not apply to most Model A ers. He said, sorry, but that is the nature of a projected nose plug.

Apparently, Swoft does not realize that some Model A’s run leaner than others and people get different results with the same spark plugs and also some drive them faster, as a routine, than others which also affects the plugs. Moreover, some allow long periods of idle and others will turn their engines off to avoid it. Collectively, and as a result, some W-16Y’s will run cooler, a little too cool, while other W-16Y’s on other engines appear to be a normal heat range and a good color. Personally, I’m not a fan of the W-16Y but for Swoft to make a blanket statement and imply that a W-16Y is automatically going to foul out for everyone is just bogus and uninformed.

Best regards

Larry Brumfield

[Patrick L.]

Auburn spark plugs ?

The company was first started in the very early 1900's as the Auburn Igniter Company located in Auburn NY.

The name was changed to the Auburn Spark Plug Company, but, I'm not sure when.
The company was doing well until about 1990. I wish I could remember just when they either moved from Auburn or went OOB. It was a pretty good sized business and employed quite a few people. I thought they made a good quality spark plug.

When turbine engines became popular they started making turbine igniters also and other things for the Aerospace industry.

[bikejunk]

I found 24 NOS Auburn spark plugs at the madison boukville antique show last year now running real nice in my A- dont have to worry about new plugs for a while i guess