Hello.. about thirty years ago when i started working on cars a
journeymen mechanic said "remember your A,B,C 's " ...... ( ANYTHING
BUT CHAMPION'S )
On Thursday, March 20, 2003, at 01:01 PM, Don Nonnweiler 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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>>
>>
>>
>>
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