The one universal part all gasoline engines have in common. Here's a rundown on their basic functions, common terms and procedures, and How-To read and prepare them for your engine.
Tony: Great fundamental stuff. Been doing this my whole life (I'm 73) and I still learn something from all your videos. I also make sure my son watches them so he can carry on!I Thank you.
@@davenhla I made that comment mostly in fun.... I don't have much use for Champion plugs - Autolites either. Autolites were a good plug until Fram bought them out, Champion makes good lawnmower and racing plugs, that's about it. As far as cats - I've known a few that were cool as could be, some pure assholes, and the ferrell cats that kill off the birds, squirrels, rabbits etc. and didn't eat anything from their kills I simply call targets...
@@upnorth5465 That's how I got rid of them when there got to be too many of them. Any little bastards that kill other small animals just to rip their heads off and play with it get the gun. The food chain is one thing, those little pricks were quite another.
Anti seize is a good tip for guys starting out to make life easier, what i do myself on every car cast or alloy heads is bring the engine up to running temp, then shut it down by the time of collected my tools, iv found plugs to come out easy and using the heat cycle between the very large head to the tiny plug, the plug cools quicker so treads loosen up that little bit plus helps to break any rust or corrosion that may have happened during change intervals but this is not for everyone as everything loves to burn your hands lol anyways just wanted to say I enjoy your vids alot you supply alot of helpful tips and tricks and you don't come across biast just straight up real with whats good and not. Keep the great videos coming.
Hi..Hope you see this..I just want to say I love watching your channel..Brings back great memories of my father and I (rip) back in the day fixing my cars mostly Camaros.. he would agree with you on many topics are especially back pressure.. fuel ,fire, timing and Air.. just want to say thanks Tony..Butch Dix...
I ONLY use NGK. I tried some of those fancy Bosch plugs, a week later I was back at the parts store getting some NGK's. Champion, well never in my cars. Although, we used to have a single cylinder tractor that had the original plug from 1947. It still ran. However they don't make them that way now. (I could not get that plug out to change it anyway)
What make of cars/trucks are you driving? Because I learned something very interesting about 10 yrs ago, concerning my 2000 Tacoma 4x4 with 3RZ engine ( 2.7 liter 4 cyl ).......I met a Toyota "guru" ( close friends now ) who has worked for Toyota for over 25 yrs now ( mechanic/tech ). He told me never run an American made plug in a Toyota, only use ND or NGK (both are made in Japan ). He stated that for some reason, the Japanese engines just don't like an American plug. You can use them, but your mpg will suffer slightly and it WILL foul those plugs soon. However, most American engines CAN run a Japanese plug just fine. Go figure. As he was telling me this, my other buddy suddenly replied: "No damn wonder my wife's Camry keeps fouling plugs, I've been using American plugs"......and Dave said: "There ya go, I told ya so". Perhaps this also pertains to other makes as well. ?????
@@howabouthetruth2157 so far, that's been my experience, no matter what brand of vehicle. NGK just works. Nothing fancy just does the job, and they last a hell of a lot longer than any other plug I've tried.
UT is the Professor of Old School Mechanics. All new technicians/and us oldies should listen to him. He has a NO NONSENSE way of explaining how it is. No BS and straight up, unless you are a Slant 6 nut like me. This channel is an absolute must to watch. Keep em coming. Regards, Lesmond of New Zealand.
I always thought when indexing plugs, you pointed the open end (opposite side of the ground strap) towards the intake valve. Never knew it was just the opposite to shield the spark. Learn something new from almost all of your videos. Thanks Tony!
I really appreciate all your videos. I've got two medium duty trucks from the mid 70's and a chipper from '71 and have had to become a bit of a mechanic lately. Thank you!
Nice! I've been faithfull to Autolite Plugs for 30 years. Even been told by guys trying to push the latest and greatest $5 Gold, Platnum, Irridium, Super conducting Lightning Storm plug that the inexpensive autolites were trash. I quit arguing with those guys years ago. I just throw Champions away, cant even count how many times Champion plugs have been at fault when someone brings me somthing they cant get running. NGK's have always been my 2nd choice. Especially for old Japanese Motorcycles. Good Share.
Sadly, others use ambiguity when talking about engine building, tuning and componentry, similarly flaunting what they know as if its a trade secrecy and on a need to know basis. This is interesting and Great information, Cheers for the video Uncle Tony :-)
45 years ago a buddy and I compared the different manufacturers spark plugs. Most of them had the electrode off center within the ceramic to one degree or another. Motorcraft/Autolite plugs always seemed to have a higher quality of manufacture than the rest and seemed to last better long term after a tuneup. Champion seemed to have the issue you referred to, don't flood them out or they're shot. Only thing I'd like to mention was: Show how you fixed the vacuum pull off so it worked properly. I know, you just bend the linkage, but everyone else doesn't. Nice job Tony!!
First for the WIN! ACdelco or NGK plugs for me! Well I actually have a set of Accel shorty header plugs at the moment lol! Thanks for the wisdom Uncle Tony!!
Yea I'm a fan of the ngk , they've never let me down. Chumpion, I've been let down. Never had much of a problem with oem plugs either (Delco etc) . Whizz bang miracle plugs don't matter , only thing an e3 does is has more sharp edges for spark to jump from. Then you can't gap them anyways so you better have some energy to begin with. Enough about spark plugs , I gotta go fuel up my 91 Jetta diesel🤣
@@ericjswindle heard the same thing from one of my old timer customers actually, but he has a LOT of rebranding theories haha! Wouldn't be surprised though. Seems high end tools are the same story.
808 Tait yeah I was told that by the commercial accounts guy at my local O’reillys, and he usually knows his stuff. Also it’s just been my experience that there aren’t nearly as many manufacturers of a product as there are brands of that product.
Good video; I've generally had good luck with Autolite plugs as well. Big believer in a light coating of dielectric grease on each terminal nut and marking the plug wires by cylinder number with painter's tape if I'm not changing them one at a time (both are the result of lessons learned the hard way).
Geez... I think the only thing I already knew in this video was which brands were best, how to gap and how to read a plug. All the rest was all new to me. Great stuff.
Gee when the gap gets too large the spark goes from the center electrode to the inside of the outer electrode causing weird misfires. When you see it on a scop the firing voltage is real low with eratic pulses.
You’re a terrific teacher…I usually work on fuel injected stuff but I find the carbureted cars look simpler and it’s fascinating thank u for taking the time…I work on My 92 ls400 all the time but love the look of early 70s late 60s models…thanks again!!
Do you index the plugs when you put them in? Autolite were the best plugs back in the day. Vic Edelbrock took a 350 hp 327, broke it in and then pulled the engine and dyno tested. It made 313 hp Stock. The first thing he changed Parts wise was to go from AC to Champion to Autolite. The Champion didn't help but the Autolite plugs gave him 5 hp for a total of 318 hp. The rest of the article details pulling the engine down and blueprinting it, so that it had an actual 10.5-1 compression instead of 9.9-1 or something near that. He ran it again and picked up a few hp. Then he changed mainifolds, cam and distributed and he finally got it to 350 hp. Later on Crane cams took a Stock 350 hp 350 and dyno tested it and got 323 hp. Their cam brought it up to 350 hp. By comparison, the 275 hp 340 Chrysler motor actually made 325 hp bone Stock. So, both manufacturers cheated, but Mopar cheated in order to give the racer of Super Stock an edge. NHRA caught on quickly and refactored the car according to its ET and weight. Spark plug tube can be used on any engine that has the clearance for them. They help keep the spark plug wires from getting damaged from the heat of the headers if you're running them on the car. Since then plug wire manufacturers have come out with better boots that handle the heat where the older wires didn't. I'd still be tempted to run them if I had room for them. Always check the cap and rotor when changing plugs. Excessive pitting, scorching and wear will make the engine run rough and cost you power. Do the same with the plug wires. For them you can use a multimeter to measure the resistance in the wire and make sure it's within the specifications of the plug wire manufacturer. If you have to change the cap and rotor, buy the ones with bronze contacts. For wires try to find a set with Monell steel wire wrapped around a cabin impregnated core. They resistance is much much lower, and the carbon impregnated core will keep them Street legal. If you run wire wires and you pass a Cop, expect to be pulled over as your wires will cause static on his radio. Not fun!
Good advice for both beginners and even seasoned folks. I would add one other comment for stock engines. Stick if possible with the OEM manufacturer. So for a GM car, stick with AC Delco plugs (although the later AC Delco Iridium plugs are actually made by NGK for AC Delco, so if you find the exact NGK part # that's being reboxed, that's OEM in my book). Sometimes let's say for example, Champion will "consolidate" heat ranges (they have one part number that on GM applications, where GM had two specific part # plugs for a given engine/emission calibration/etc. Even on small engines, if it came with a Champion plug, that's what I put back into it. I recently picked up a yard blower off the curb and even though it ran as-is, upon inspection, the plug was really dirty. A new air filter and plug made all the difference in the world, even on something that small. Gap gauges are a plenty in brands, and I like the "ramp" gauge that Champion, A&E/Kastar (who also made the units for Sears Craftsman) and others offered over the years. Many a person has them on their key chain and they cover a lot of engines and gap ranges that you need. Cheap and easy to pick up just about anywhere.
It's like milk. We think we're smart because we know it's from a cow. But, most of us have never spent time from utter to table. LOL. "Hey! It's a spark plug. It makes sparks." Uncle Tony is a spark!☺
Thank you Tony. One thing I like to do when changing the plugs is do a quick compression check. Especially since you got all the plugs out anyways. Love your videos. Your the best.
I work at a motorsports shop, dirtbikes, snowmobiles, I've built a turbo sled for a guy once! Anyway you index sled plugs so they dont wash from the direct injection, learned the hard way after spending a good hour diagnosing how me doing a plug change ended with a sled that wont start lol
You are getting the response from the MSD box. MSD puts a "double" spark signal at lower RPM, combines with a higher power aftermarket coil = a very nice hot big spark at idle.
Magneto would ignite the ancient scrolls during the iceage and thaw out jesus and all the apostles and tell the uncool people to get stuffed and create the new world
Tony you made it to over 100k subs! Nice! Goes to show people enjoy no-BS informative content. This doesn't need a huge production budget or fancy camera work. I think you prove some solid charisma and a well spoken delivery can get you very far. If you score any sponsorship offers, I say go for it. You deserve it. Also I really still need a Cadillac garage t-shirt haha.
I'm glad to see your burn is healing nicely. I do hope you let the moter cool off on this project before going after "those" plugs"! Thanks for this video! I knew about some of the things,but learned alot!
I didn’t know that anti seize trick. I have a 2005 volvo t5 and it was misfiring in multiple cylinders so I decided to change the coils and plugs. I coated the threads on the plugs in anti seize before I put them into my Volvo’s aluminum head, and they started misfiring again after about 10k miles. Replaced the plugs again and coated them with anti seize and they started misfiring again after about 10k miles. When I pulled the plugs they had a lot of ash deposits on them. I changed to different types of motor oils, used different brands of gas but I could never figure out why they kept misfiring. The last time I changed the plugs I was very tired of doing this job again so I rushed through it and never used any anti seize and I’ve been driving about 20k miles on this set of plugs, no misfires yet.
Back in the early 70's, my Father and Uncle had a garage. Dad talked about plugs that would spark just fine out in the open but would fail under compression. I had a plug where I'm 90% sure it was doing that and it was beating the hell out of me until I remembered that and swapped the plug. They had a glass pressure tester in the garage where they could pressurize it and watch the plug sparking. I didn't have that so I can't be 100% but I was ready to break out the dynamite.
This reminded me how much I need to get new spark plugs and work on my tuning! Anytime you’re in Denver Tony feel free to give me a holler, if love to show you my 68 mustang
marine plug with only the center electrode no ground its fun to watch the spark run all around the plug. seen a few top alky guys use those in recent years if you have a hemi they seem to work really well. its good you let ppl know higher compression lower heat range. older motors that loose compression should run a bit better with a slightly hotter plug.a lot of guys shim index the plug to direct spark to exhaust side to promote a more complete burn. Love your info classes they bring back a lot of memories and get me thinking again. wish you would put a newer hemi in that dart swinger
I remember the Spitfire spark plug craze of the 90's. I tried a set in my 5.0 back in 1994 and I noticed 0 improvement over the Autolite Copper plus plugs I was using. On the flip side their dual core plug wires were excellent compared to everything else. I verified half the resistance using the same length Splitfire dual core plug wires compared to the same length "performance" single core plug wires. I ran a set of them on that car for 15 years and never had a problem with them. In my opinion they were better than all of the other brands of wires that I tried over the years. I also tried platinum plugs in it and it did not like them compared to the copper plus plugs. There's just nothing better than copper as a conductor.
Just found your channel as a result of a recent purchase of a 1966 Dodge C500 2-ton farm/grain dump truck. I am now the 3rd owner, 53k original miles. It has a sticker on the left side valve cover that says “Premium” 318 202HP... Had to chuckle at the noted “2” hp. Anyways, it runs like a top... Did some digging and discovered that is kinda unique (semi-hemi), and found you channel, now binge watching all the videos referring to it. I purchased a set of “Autolite” plugs, and noted that they did not have the crush washers. Just figured it was the style for the “poly”... Have not installed them, now wondering if they should have the crush washers...? I guess further investigation is warranted on my part. Book says 30in/lbs of torque for them, not sure 30in/lbs is enough to keep them in...? Great video. Thank you sir.
This really is pure gold you are putting out. I am getting ready to start the adventure of building a rat rod with my son (2yo) and I plan on using your info to help me along the way! Subbed!
ASE Certified NAPA Parts guy here, always used Autolite in MoPaR's. If you need 2 steps HOTTER plug in AC's !!! AC's automatically HOTTER by 2 steps. But WONT perform as long!! When customer's got fuel fouled plugs... Sell em AC cross. Clears it up till nxt tune up!
"What oil should I use"?..."What did it come with from the factory"? What spark plugs should I use? What did the car come with from the factory? What ______________ should I use? WHAT DID IT COME WITH FROM THE FACTORY!!!!!!!???? Common theme that I seem to always blurt out at our engine/speed shop when dealing with OEM rebuilds of all makes/models and phone calls. Yes...if it's stock. Engineers who know a LOT more about the inner workings, metallurgy, design and possible issues don't just randomly choose a plug, oil etc.... As Tony said; Unless it's modded pretty significantly, stick with stock and you'll likely have very, very few of the "gremlin" type issues.
Excellent video. Thank you. I've always replaced plugs one at a time but I also laid them out in order as well. I also learned that I'm am using too much anti seize. I may be missing it but have you done an in-depth video on reading plugs?
NGK Plugs are better when dealing with modified engines, high rpm and adjusting for heat range, Autolites are the best OEM replacement (Carbie) plugs absolutely true.
As for the trick spark plugs i can honestly report that i’ve had surprisingly good luck w/the e3’s on older air cooled lawn mower engines. Smoothed them out noticeably.
Another great video. I get so board of the crazy performance type videos. Don't get me wrong they are cool but man I love just regular Grease Monkey type videos. The term "Grease Monkey" is a term of endearment for me not an insult. Keep up the great work.
I'd love to see some more videos on that 70 Coronet you're working on. I had the identical car for my first car, same color 318 with the 727 torqueflight. I got it in 97 when I turned 16, I got a lot of attention with it, unfortunately for a 16 year old kid it wasn't cooler enough and I got rid of it. I kept track of it for 4 or 5 years after, seeing it at car shows, I haven't seen it in years now, too bad. If only I had been a bit smarter as to what cool was back then.
Back in HS, was this girl that put ATF in her motor and topped off her tranny with motor oil. Put gas in her car, brought to a shop. Charged poor girl and parents almost $1000 back in '00. 1990 Jetta diesel. Charged her for sparkplugs too. Well, such a great girl. She didn't know. Us auto kids helped her for the last 2 years.
One thing to add. If you’re gapping an iridium plug with a very thin electrode, use needle nose pliers to pull the ground strap back so you don’t scrape the iridium off with a gapping tool.
Anti-seize dripping into the combustion chamber. Hmmmm - I never would have thought of that. Been doing that for years - no wonder my cars run like sh**. Guilty as charged. Thanks for the heads up, Unky.
champions do not forgive. 1970 charger 383 mag 2-3k on champs 10k on accell yellows that dates me. or ngk.!! autolites not too bad either. electronic ignition was a real help on longevity too!! tony love the vids
Good video uncle Tony can I suggest next time you Do a spark plug or tuneup video most blokes don’t know how to check whether or not the high tension leads are any good just by using a multimeter and also even today I still put a film of dielectric grease on the external white ceramic portion of the plug just to prevent the rubber insulator from welding to it so it’s easier to get off next time....... but I avoid putting it on the electrode connector Because dielectric grease is a non-conductor and it can theoretically add to the resistance..... but I do sometimes like to get some Needle nose pliers down the end of the spark plug lead and give that split clip a tiny bit of a squeeze to make sure it’s nice and tight But all that depends how it felt when it came off that connection has caused me afew problems over the years and it takes a bit of practice to get the feel on that and I think you would appreciate a lot about this tuning up old school stuff is about feel and having a good year and a good eye
Installed some Bosch plugs a customer brought in once for his Mustang.. came back a week later... bad plug........ came back week after that ... different cylinder. Bad plug.... suggested then to put in Motorcraft spark plugs.. naw.... next week back again... “ put Motorcraft plugs”.... yes sir.
Bosch platinum is used to be really good back in the day just like ACDelco unfortunately they're not worth a shit anymore..like Uncle Tony says Autolites are great all around applications you can get them ordered because they're made by same as FRAM just similar to air filters and oil filters. there have so many applications and they could be specially made the list is endless.. now they're all owned by the same family you have autolite Bendix and Fram that were also prestone antifreeze.. all now on by Trico the people who make windshield wipers believe it or not
Bosch plugs like to take out ignition parts,had this one happen a few times.Most of the European makes come with NGK from the factory,seen this with a VW Jetta once.
Real good. I use Autolites for American, Ngk for Japanese and Bosch for European. Forget the antisieze .It is aluminum filings in grease. It can cause thread pullout. Decades of proof I Use Lithium White grease on the threads, wiped with a finger, and your plugs will never get stuck .Use a torque wrench if you are a ham fisted type. Champions on Japanese engines are an exception. The thread angle is 59 on japanese and 60 on Champions causing some problems no matter what you do.So don't do it.
I’ve primarily ran Delco and Autolite plugs in everything, never had a problem. I have a set of those E3 plugs in an engine right now because they were given to me, engine runs like it should but no earth shattering difference. 😄
As a GM guy used AC only for decades, partially rebuilt a 301 Pontiac, was bucks down and bought Autolites, while I was sorting out the carb after advancing the stock smogger cam, I had carb flooding, to running lean, to phase separation with E85, while twisting the distributor to get more timing than the law allows. ACs would have never made it.
I know how you feel when you "teach", a lot of information is running through your head and you want to get it out fast! You do a wonderful job of pulling back,regrouping in milliseconds and continuing on. It's a gift my friend and I'm glad you are sharing it. Great videos, I just subscribed. Do you ever mention old triumph motorcycles? A lot of the information is applicable to bikes.
Haven't had an "older" car in quite a while, man I miss working on the simple mechanical systems of pre 80's vehicles. One of my beaters is now an '04 Sentra with 1.8 DOHC. Platinum plugs from the factory and coil on plug so no real spark plug wires. Hands down the best system for ignition when it comes to working on it. Though I would not mind a "normal" spark plug in this thing, them stupid platinum plugs are pricey. Now I have a blown head gasket and I'm trying to decide if I should go get a junk yard head and rebuild it before I tear this thing apart. Part of the problem is my lack of a proper place to work on the car. So I have to rely on a friends garage, sure he has room for it but I don't want to take up one of his bays for days on end while I fix the damn thing after work. We all know how this is going to work, if I buy a head I wont need it, if don't buy a head my current one will be cracked. DOHC is just a pain in the ass when it comes to removing the head, standard old V6 or V8 I can do that in less than half a day. sigh...
Great video, I like to look at the spark plug charts to help me figure things out too. The plugs I am using now are the ACCEL Header plugs seems decent. Looking forward to the performance side of spark plug gap video in the future.
I bought a set of e3s 7 years ago for our sbc vortec stroker. Ive pulled 3 times to check. Dont even gotta clean em up. Have never fumbled stumbled stalled or fouled. Even when fuel leaked dwn in intake. It still ran smooth. Just ran rich. As for ngk. . . i had the WORST luck with them fouling. On alll of our atvs, atcs. I changed a few to the e3. Total wakeup. Autolites. The og go to for anything carbed or tbi. Its all with a grain of salt and many things affect. But i can without doubt stand firm for e3 as a copper core replacement. And 5 yr warranty. . . if its needed
@@MegaRomans01It is an original 340 car and I have 340 for it. It ran a best of 7.20 in the 1/8th and shouldn't be hard to get back there. I want to restore it to it's former condition as it was raced in the 80s. I have old and current photos of the car here: princetondragway.com
@@johnwilburn checked out the photos, very cool man I like when these old cars have some history. Best of luck in your build dude. if you are ever around in Oregon maybe I will see ya at an event with my car 😁
Another thing I like to do while doing my spark plugs, is to ohm test them. A truck I learned from my days of working on nitro cars! When plugs are made, some are not necessarily pressed all together. Now it's close enough for the plug to work, but it's not correct, and could cause a problem. When I do find one that's open, a good Tap to the wire end on the bench usually fixes the plug.
This man just talked about spark plugs for 14 minutes I love this channel
Anybody else I wouldn't of got five mins in lol
Hahaha, and we watched...
Loved it...!
Like I said before: Best teacher on youtube, right here. You deserve 1M subs Tony.
I new a lot of this, but it's sure good to renew my knowledge, thanks.
Amen!!!
Thanks Uncle Tony. This subject takes me back. I haven't heard someone mention "indexing plugs" in many years.
Where was Uncle Tony 30 years ago when I indexed the plugs on my off road Datto,, and did it %100 wrong,, aparently? :)
Listening to Uncle Tony humbles me. 1) He knows. 2) He makes me realize I don't. ☺ 👍 I'm happy to learn from him!
Your plug comparison in the beginning of this is spot on. I've had the same outcome.
Tony: Great fundamental stuff. Been doing this my whole life (I'm 73) and I still learn something from all your videos. I also make sure my son watches them so he can carry on!I
Thank you.
I've been working on cars for around 25 years. And it still surprises me how much I learn from this channel.
Shooting Champion plugs at ferrell cats with my wrist-rocket is a favorite pastime - although they do make good plugs for lawn tractors!
@@davenhla
I made that comment mostly in fun....
I don't have much use for Champion plugs - Autolites either.
Autolites were a good plug until Fram bought them out, Champion makes good lawnmower and racing plugs, that's about it.
As far as cats - I've known a few that were cool as could be, some pure assholes, and the ferrell cats that kill off the birds, squirrels, rabbits etc. and didn't eat anything from their kills I simply call targets...
@@Motor-City-Mike oh I know it, no worries. I think everyone with a shop has had a run in with "asshole cat" at least once haha
I usually just stick to throwing lead at them.
@@upnorth5465
That's how I got rid of them when there got to be too many of them.
Any little bastards that kill other small animals just to rip their heads off and play with it get the gun.
The food chain is one thing, those little pricks were quite another.
@@davenhla you know it!
As always, thanks for sharing your wisdom with us Tony. Much appreciated.
Anti seize is a good tip for guys starting out to make life easier, what i do myself on every car cast or alloy heads is bring the engine up to running temp, then shut it down by the time of collected my tools, iv found plugs to come out easy and using the heat cycle between the very large head to the tiny plug, the plug cools quicker so treads loosen up that little bit plus helps to break any rust or corrosion that may have happened during change intervals but this is not for everyone as everything loves to burn your hands lol anyways just wanted to say I enjoy your vids alot you supply alot of helpful tips and tricks and you don't come across biast just straight up real with whats good and not.
Keep the great videos coming.
Hi..Hope you see this..I just want to say I love watching your channel..Brings back great memories of my father and I (rip) back in the day fixing my cars mostly Camaros.. he would agree with you on many topics are especially back pressure.. fuel ,fire, timing and Air.. just want to say thanks Tony..Butch Dix...
I ONLY use NGK. I tried some of those fancy Bosch plugs, a week later I was back at the parts store getting some NGK's. Champion, well never in my cars. Although, we used to have a single cylinder tractor that had the original plug from 1947. It still ran. However they don't make them that way now. (I could not get that plug out to change it anyway)
toot tall I agree I like NGK’s lot 👌
Copy that, I run ngks in my euro cars , bosch is meh
@@MrTheHillfolk I started using NGK in Japanese cars, but it turns out they're just plain good plugs.
What make of cars/trucks are you driving? Because I learned something very interesting about 10 yrs ago, concerning my 2000 Tacoma 4x4 with 3RZ engine ( 2.7 liter 4 cyl ).......I met a Toyota "guru" ( close friends now ) who has worked for Toyota for over 25 yrs now ( mechanic/tech ). He told me never run an American made plug in a Toyota, only use ND or NGK (both are made in Japan ). He stated that for some reason, the Japanese engines just don't like an American plug. You can use them, but your mpg will suffer slightly and it WILL foul those plugs soon. However, most American engines CAN run a Japanese plug just fine. Go figure. As he was telling me this, my other buddy suddenly replied: "No damn wonder my wife's Camry keeps fouling plugs, I've been using American plugs"......and Dave said: "There ya go, I told ya so". Perhaps this also pertains to other makes as well. ?????
@@howabouthetruth2157 so far, that's been my experience, no matter what brand of vehicle. NGK just works. Nothing fancy just does the job, and they last a hell of a lot longer than any other plug I've tried.
UT is the Professor of Old School Mechanics. All new technicians/and us oldies should listen to him. He has a NO NONSENSE way of explaining how it is. No BS and straight up, unless you are a Slant 6 nut like me. This channel is an absolute must to watch. Keep em coming. Regards, Lesmond of New Zealand.
I always thought when indexing plugs, you pointed the open end (opposite side of the ground strap) towards the intake valve. Never knew it was just the opposite to shield the spark. Learn something new from almost all of your videos. Thanks Tony!
Bought a set of autolites before watching, feeling pretty happy with myself after achieving the UTG stamp of approval
I really appreciate all your videos. I've got two medium duty trucks from the mid 70's and a chipper from '71 and have had to become a bit of a mechanic lately. Thank you!
Accel U groove and split fire plugs.. Yeah I have always been skeptical about that garbage. Great video as always
Another great video. I hope you write a book on your life. I think your right up there with Shelby and all the greats man. God bless
Nice! I've been faithfull to Autolite Plugs for 30 years. Even been told by guys trying to push the latest and greatest $5 Gold, Platnum, Irridium, Super conducting Lightning Storm plug that the inexpensive autolites were trash. I quit arguing with those guys years ago. I just throw Champions away, cant even count how many times Champion plugs have been at fault when someone brings me somthing they cant get running. NGK's have always been my 2nd choice. Especially for old Japanese Motorcycles. Good Share.
as a person who is a car enthusiast but occasionally works on my vehicles i found this informative! Never heard of indexing before!! Neat!
You're videos are the most informative thing on the web!
Years of experience broke down in minutes. Great work Uncle Tony Thanks !
Sadly, others use ambiguity when talking about engine building, tuning and componentry, similarly flaunting what they know as if its a trade secrecy and on a need to know basis. This is interesting and Great information, Cheers for the video Uncle Tony :-)
45 years ago a buddy and I compared the different manufacturers spark plugs. Most of them had the electrode off center within the ceramic to one degree or another. Motorcraft/Autolite plugs always seemed to have a higher quality of manufacture than the rest and seemed to last better long term after a tuneup. Champion seemed to have the issue you referred to, don't flood them out or they're shot. Only thing I'd like to mention was: Show how you fixed the vacuum pull off so it worked properly. I know, you just bend the linkage, but everyone else doesn't. Nice job Tony!!
Tony, you are the man. Thanks for the insight and in-depth knowledge. Please keep it coming !
As a teenager i had alot of trouble with champion plugs in my smallblock Chevys.
First for the WIN! ACdelco or NGK plugs for me! Well I actually have a set of Accel shorty header plugs at the moment lol! Thanks for the wisdom Uncle Tony!!
Yea I'm a fan of the ngk , they've never let me down.
Chumpion, I've been let down.
Never had much of a problem with oem plugs either (Delco etc) .
Whizz bang miracle plugs don't matter , only thing an e3 does is has more sharp edges for spark to jump from.
Then you can't gap them anyways so you better have some energy to begin with.
Enough about spark plugs , I gotta go fuel up my 91 Jetta diesel🤣
I was told recently that ac delco plugs are just rebranded ngk’s
@@ericjswindle heard the same thing from one of my old timer customers actually, but he has a LOT of rebranding theories haha! Wouldn't be surprised though. Seems high end tools are the same story.
808 Tait yeah I was told that by the commercial accounts guy at my local O’reillys, and he usually knows his stuff. Also it’s just been my experience that there aren’t nearly as many manufacturers of a product as there are brands of that product.
Good video; I've generally had good luck with Autolite plugs as well. Big believer in a light coating of dielectric grease on each terminal nut and marking the plug wires by cylinder number with painter's tape if I'm not changing them one at a time (both are the result of lessons learned the hard way).
👍👍
I always liked Autolite plugs
Now I know why
I only liked them after I bought a set because the parts guy said that's what was recommended, and they went a long way just fine.
Awesome video yes I’ve seen anti seize cause a misfire on a Porsche 911
Geez... I think the only thing I already knew in this video was which brands were best, how to gap and how to read a plug. All the rest was all new to me. Great stuff.
Love these videos! Thank you Uncle Tony! You always explain everything very well!
Those are some really good tips Tony. Give yourself a pat on the back, you're a really good teacher !! 👍👍
Damn I didn’t know about the fuel-spark jump with Side gaping 👍
Gee when the gap gets too large the spark goes from the center electrode to the inside of the outer electrode causing weird misfires. When you see it on a scop the firing voltage is real low with eratic pulses.
dielauwen talking about the fuel closing the Circuit.
I've been using too much anti seize.
I was putting it on with an acid brush,
a thin even coat.
Thanks for the correction.
All you need is enough to change the color of the threads.
Put WD40 on the threads.
@@danielboone72 WD-40 will gum up very badly and becomes a sticky mess as it evaporates off, especially when exposed to high heat.
You’re a terrific teacher…I usually work on fuel injected stuff but I find the carbureted cars look simpler and it’s fascinating thank u for taking the time…I work on My 92 ls400 all the time but love the look of early 70s late 60s models…thanks again!!
Do you index the plugs when you put them in? Autolite were the best plugs back in the day. Vic Edelbrock took a 350 hp 327, broke it in and then pulled the engine and dyno tested. It made 313 hp Stock. The first thing he changed Parts wise was to go from AC to Champion to Autolite. The Champion didn't help but the Autolite plugs gave him 5 hp for a total of 318 hp. The rest of the article details pulling the engine down and blueprinting it, so that it had an actual 10.5-1 compression instead of 9.9-1 or something near that. He ran it again and picked up a few hp. Then he changed mainifolds, cam and distributed and he finally got it to 350 hp. Later on Crane cams took a Stock 350 hp 350 and dyno tested it and got 323 hp. Their cam brought it up to 350 hp. By comparison, the 275 hp 340 Chrysler motor actually made 325 hp bone Stock. So, both manufacturers cheated, but Mopar cheated in order to give the racer of Super Stock an edge. NHRA caught on quickly and refactored the car according to its ET and weight.
Spark plug tube can be used on any engine that has the clearance for them. They help keep the spark plug wires from getting damaged from the heat of the headers if you're running them on the car. Since then plug wire manufacturers have come out with better boots that handle the heat where the older wires didn't. I'd still be tempted to run them if I had room for them.
Always check the cap and rotor when changing plugs. Excessive pitting, scorching and wear will make the engine run rough and cost you power. Do the same with the plug wires. For them you can use a multimeter to measure the resistance in the wire and make sure it's within the specifications of the plug wire manufacturer. If you have to change the cap and rotor, buy the ones with bronze contacts. For wires try to find a set with Monell steel wire wrapped around a cabin impregnated core. They resistance is much much lower, and the carbon impregnated core will keep them Street legal. If you run wire wires and you pass a Cop, expect to be pulled over as your wires will cause static on his radio. Not fun!
I wish i could come learn from you, you would be a cool uncle.
Always Welcome advice.. Thanks Uncle Tony ...
Thanks Uncle Tony!!!! I always learn something no matter how simple the topic!!! Take Care Guys!!! Much Love!!!!🌞
This is some very great, real world useful knowledge. Highly informative. Some people charge money for this kind of education.
Good advice for both beginners and even seasoned folks. I would add one other comment for stock engines. Stick if possible with the OEM manufacturer. So for a GM car, stick with AC Delco plugs (although the later AC Delco Iridium plugs are actually made by NGK for AC Delco, so if you find the exact NGK part # that's being reboxed, that's OEM in my book). Sometimes let's say for example, Champion will "consolidate" heat ranges (they have one part number that on GM applications, where GM had two specific part # plugs for a given engine/emission calibration/etc. Even on small engines, if it came with a Champion plug, that's what I put back into it. I recently picked up a yard blower off the curb and even though it ran as-is, upon inspection, the plug was really dirty. A new air filter and plug made all the difference in the world, even on something that small.
Gap gauges are a plenty in brands, and I like the "ramp" gauge that Champion, A&E/Kastar (who also made the units for Sears Craftsman) and others offered over the years. Many a person has them on their key chain and they cover a lot of engines and gap ranges that you need. Cheap and easy to pick up just about anywhere.
Why are the simple things so hard to explain? Nice job. Now I have a good video to send folks to, to explain spark plugs.
It's like milk. We think we're smart because we know it's from a cow. But, most of us have never spent time from utter to table. LOL. "Hey! It's a spark plug. It makes sparks." Uncle Tony is a spark!☺
Thank you Tony. One thing I like to do when changing the plugs is do a quick compression check. Especially since you got all the plugs out anyways. Love your videos. Your the best.
I'm glad to see you used a wire gauge i see too many people using flat gauge which adjusts the gap to the tang
I work at a motorsports shop, dirtbikes, snowmobiles, I've built a turbo sled for a guy once! Anyway you index sled plugs so they dont wash from the direct injection, learned the hard way after spending a good hour diagnosing how me doing a plug change ended with a sled that wont start lol
Talking about brands you basically voiced my exact findings. Ngk is forgiving usually reliable, champions are finiky, and autolites are durable.
I’m an NGK guy but, I gotta say, Split Fires with an MSD box gives a great idle with increases in low end response.
splits are a marketing gimmick. I thought they went bust anyhow?
You are getting the response from the MSD box. MSD puts a "double" spark signal at lower RPM, combines with a higher power aftermarket coil = a very nice hot big spark at idle.
An MSD box can ignite piss at an idle
Magneto would ignite the ancient scrolls during the iceage and thaw out jesus and all the apostles and tell the uncool people to get stuffed and create the new world
@@shoominati23 they did, they got bought by e3 I think
Tony you made it to over 100k subs! Nice!
Goes to show people enjoy no-BS informative content.
This doesn't need a huge production budget or fancy camera work.
I think you prove some solid charisma and a well spoken delivery can get you very far.
If you score any sponsorship offers, I say go for it. You deserve it.
Also I really still need a Cadillac garage t-shirt haha.
I'm glad to see your burn is healing nicely. I do hope you let the moter cool off on this project before going after "those" plugs"! Thanks for this video! I knew about some of the things,but learned alot!
Love the toss unc.
Good tutorial on plugs.
Thanks.
I didn’t know that anti seize trick. I have a 2005 volvo t5 and it was misfiring in multiple cylinders so I decided to change the coils and plugs. I coated the threads on the plugs in anti seize before I put them into my Volvo’s aluminum head, and they started misfiring again after about 10k miles. Replaced the plugs again and coated them with anti seize and they started misfiring again after about 10k miles. When I pulled the plugs they had a lot of ash deposits on them. I changed to different types of motor oils, used different brands of gas but I could never figure out why they kept misfiring. The last time I changed the plugs I was very tired of doing this job again so I rushed through it and never used any anti seize and I’ve been driving about 20k miles on this set of plugs, no misfires yet.
Back in the early 70's, my Father and Uncle had a garage. Dad talked about plugs that would spark just fine out in the open but would fail under compression. I had a plug where I'm 90% sure it was doing that and it was beating the hell out of me until I remembered that and swapped the plug. They had a glass pressure tester in the garage where they could pressurize it and watch the plug sparking. I didn't have that so I can't be 100% but I was ready to break out the dynamite.
This reminded me how much I need to get new spark plugs and work on my tuning!
Anytime you’re in Denver Tony feel free to give me a holler, if love to show you my 68 mustang
marine plug with only the center electrode no ground its fun to watch the spark run all around the plug. seen a few top alky guys use those in recent years if you have a hemi they seem to work really well. its good you let ppl know higher compression lower heat range. older motors that loose compression should run a bit better with a slightly hotter plug.a lot of guys shim index the plug to direct spark to exhaust side to promote a more complete burn. Love your info classes they bring back a lot of memories and get me thinking again. wish you would put a newer hemi in that dart swinger
I remember the Spitfire spark plug craze of the 90's. I tried a set in my 5.0 back in 1994 and I noticed 0 improvement over the Autolite Copper plus plugs I was using. On the flip side their dual core plug wires were excellent compared to everything else. I verified half the resistance using the same length Splitfire dual core plug wires compared to the same length "performance" single core plug wires. I ran a set of them on that car for 15 years and never had a problem with them. In my opinion they were better than all of the other brands of wires that I tried over the years. I also tried platinum plugs in it and it did not like them compared to the copper plus plugs. There's just nothing better than copper as a conductor.
Just found your channel as a result of a recent purchase of a 1966 Dodge C500 2-ton farm/grain dump truck.
I am now the 3rd owner, 53k original miles.
It has a sticker on the left side valve cover that says “Premium” 318 202HP...
Had to chuckle at the noted “2” hp.
Anyways, it runs like a top... Did some digging and discovered that is kinda unique (semi-hemi), and found you channel, now binge watching all the videos referring to it.
I purchased a set of “Autolite” plugs, and noted that they did not have the crush washers.
Just figured it was the style for the “poly”...
Have not installed them, now wondering if they should have the crush washers...?
I guess further investigation is warranted on my part.
Book says 30in/lbs of torque for them, not sure 30in/lbs is enough to keep them in...?
Great video.
Thank you sir.
I've always found Mopars love Champion Copper plus, GM run best on Delco, Ford Autolite, NGK I guess on imports.
I thought the same exact thing too!
AC Delco plugs are NGKs rebranded.Yes,NGK makes AC Delco's spark plugs
Me too
This really is pure gold you are putting out. I am getting ready to start the adventure of building a rat rod with my son (2yo) and I plan on using your info to help me along the way! Subbed!
ASE Certified NAPA Parts guy here, always used Autolite in MoPaR's. If you need 2 steps HOTTER plug in AC's !!!
AC's automatically HOTTER by 2 steps. But WONT perform as long!!
When customer's got fuel fouled plugs... Sell em AC cross. Clears it up till nxt tune up!
Thanx Uncle Tony....I always learn something new. Never considered concept of INDEXING.
I've had good luck with Denso plugs. Their Iridium plugs are top shelf. Also like Autolite copper Tony using here. Cool video
"What oil should I use"?..."What did it come with from the factory"? What spark plugs should I use? What did the car come with from the factory? What ______________ should I use? WHAT DID IT COME WITH FROM THE FACTORY!!!!!!!???? Common theme that I seem to always blurt out at our engine/speed shop when dealing with OEM rebuilds of all makes/models and phone calls. Yes...if it's stock. Engineers who know a LOT more about the inner workings, metallurgy, design and possible issues don't just randomly choose a plug, oil etc.... As Tony said; Unless it's modded pretty significantly, stick with stock and you'll likely have very, very few of the "gremlin" type issues.
Excellent video. Thank you. I've always replaced plugs one at a time but I also laid them out in order as well. I also learned that I'm am using too much anti seize. I may be missing it but have you done an in-depth video on reading plugs?
I'm running autolite 104 coppers cut and filed electrode ground gapped at .035" nice hot spark. Great vid Tony.
NGK Plugs are better when dealing with modified engines, high rpm and adjusting for heat range, Autolites are the best OEM replacement (Carbie) plugs absolutely true.
As for the trick spark plugs i can honestly report that i’ve had surprisingly good luck w/the e3’s on older air cooled lawn mower engines. Smoothed them out noticeably.
my 69 Bonneville 428 (rebuilt with 11.5 to 1 cr) didn't like ac delco or champion spark plugs. always had plug problems. thanks for the video.
Love all your videos hope you are well thanks brother
Another great video. I get so board of the crazy performance type videos. Don't get me wrong they are cool but man I love just regular Grease Monkey type videos. The term "Grease Monkey" is a term of endearment for me not an insult. Keep up the great work.
Thanks Tony for all of your teachings! I’ve learned A LOT!
I'd love to see some more videos on that 70 Coronet you're working on. I had the identical car for my first car, same color 318 with the 727 torqueflight. I got it in 97 when I turned 16, I got a lot of attention with it, unfortunately for a 16 year old kid it wasn't cooler enough and I got rid of it. I kept track of it for 4 or 5 years after, seeing it at car shows, I haven't seen it in years now, too bad. If only I had been a bit smarter as to what cool was back then.
Perfect timing for this video, I have do do a tune up on my old 1977 dodge plow truck. Great info as always Tony!
Back in HS, was this girl that put ATF in her motor and topped off her tranny with motor oil. Put gas in her car, brought to a shop. Charged poor girl and parents almost $1000 back in '00. 1990 Jetta diesel. Charged her for sparkplugs too. Well, such a great girl. She didn't know. Us auto kids helped her for the last 2 years.
After tune up, keep the old distributor cap and old unburned plug wires/cleaned plugs in the vehicle! Saved me a couple headaches
Great video! As always I learned something new. Thanks Uncle Tony and Uncle Cathy!
One thing to add. If you’re gapping an iridium plug with a very thin electrode, use needle nose pliers to pull the ground strap back so you don’t scrape the iridium off with a gapping tool.
Anti-seize dripping into the combustion chamber. Hmmmm - I never would have thought of that. Been doing that for years - no wonder my cars run like sh**. Guilty as charged. Thanks for the heads up, Unky.
champions do not forgive. 1970 charger 383 mag 2-3k on champs 10k on accell yellows that dates me. or ngk.!! autolites not too bad either. electronic ignition was a real help on longevity too!! tony love the vids
Good video uncle Tony
can I suggest next time you Do a spark plug or tuneup video most blokes don’t know how to check whether or not the high tension leads are any good just by using a multimeter
and also even today I still put a film of dielectric grease on the external white ceramic portion of the plug just to prevent the rubber insulator from welding to it so it’s easier to get off next time....... but I avoid putting it on the electrode connector Because dielectric grease is a non-conductor and it can theoretically add to the resistance.....
but I do sometimes like to get some Needle nose pliers down the end of the spark plug lead and give that split clip a tiny bit of a squeeze to make sure it’s nice and tight
But all that depends how it felt when it came off
that connection has caused me afew problems over the years and it takes a bit of practice to get the feel on that and I think you would appreciate a lot about this tuning up old school stuff is about feel and having a good year and a good eye
Thanks Unc didn't know my Ram had a drool tube. I'll be on the lookout for those when I do my HEMI plugs.
Another fantastic video, thanks Tony!
I always used a colder plug with a high output coil and the best fuel I could find.
Thanks Tony
Badass! I use Autolites in the truck. I don't see why I wouldn't run them in the Dart as well. Excited for the plug wire video.
Installed some Bosch plugs a customer brought in once for his Mustang.. came back a week later... bad plug........ came back week after that ... different cylinder. Bad plug.... suggested then to put in Motorcraft spark plugs.. naw.... next week back again... “ put Motorcraft plugs”.... yes sir.
Bosch works OK in Eurotrash. Stick with the OEM plug and you can't go wrong. Fixed too many cars over the years that way.
So NGK's ;) motorcraft doesn't have bad brands behind a lot of there parts and comparable in price.
I’ve also had quite a bit of trouble with Bosch plugs in Hyundai’s. Quite a few comebacks for bad plugs.
Bosch platinum is used to be really good back in the day just like ACDelco unfortunately they're not worth a shit anymore..like Uncle Tony says Autolites are great all around applications you can get them ordered because they're made by same as FRAM just similar to air filters and oil filters. there have so many applications and they could be specially made the list is endless..
now they're all owned by the same family you have autolite Bendix and Fram that were also prestone antifreeze.. all now on by Trico the people who make windshield wipers believe it or not
Bosch plugs like to take out ignition parts,had this one happen a few times.Most of the European makes come with NGK from the factory,seen this with a VW Jetta once.
Real good. I use Autolites for American, Ngk for Japanese and Bosch for European. Forget the antisieze .It is aluminum filings in grease. It can cause thread pullout. Decades of proof I Use Lithium White grease on the threads, wiped with a finger, and your plugs will never get stuck .Use a torque wrench if you are a ham fisted type. Champions on Japanese engines are an exception. The thread angle is 59 on japanese and 60 on Champions causing some problems no matter what you do.So don't do it.
I’ve primarily ran Delco and Autolite plugs in everything, never had a problem. I have a set of those E3 plugs in an engine right now because they were given to me, engine runs like it should but no earth shattering difference. 😄
Simple yet effective info Uncle Tony.
Keep up the good work guys
Cheers😊
As a GM guy used AC only for decades, partially rebuilt a 301 Pontiac, was bucks down and bought Autolites, while I was sorting out the carb after advancing the stock smogger cam, I had carb flooding, to running lean, to phase separation with E85, while twisting the distributor to get more timing than the law allows. ACs would have never made it.
Good, solid advice. Many thanks.
I know how you feel when you "teach", a lot of information is running through your head and you want to get it out fast! You do a wonderful job of pulling back,regrouping in milliseconds and continuing on. It's a gift my friend and I'm glad you are sharing it. Great videos, I just subscribed. Do you ever mention old triumph motorcycles? A lot of the information is applicable to bikes.
Thanks for explaining that!! I was wondering what the difference was between hot n cold plugs the other day.
excellant advise . thanks for posting this series. love the old cars.
My exact experience with Autolite and Champion, too.
Haven't had an "older" car in quite a while, man I miss working on the simple mechanical systems of pre 80's vehicles. One of my beaters is now an '04 Sentra with 1.8 DOHC. Platinum plugs from the factory and coil on plug so no real spark plug wires. Hands down the best system for ignition when it comes to working on it. Though I would not mind a "normal" spark plug in this thing, them stupid platinum plugs are pricey. Now I have a blown head gasket and I'm trying to decide if I should go get a junk yard head and rebuild it before I tear this thing apart. Part of the problem is my lack of a proper place to work on the car. So I have to rely on a friends garage, sure he has room for it but I don't want to take up one of his bays for days on end while I fix the damn thing after work. We all know how this is going to work, if I buy a head I wont need it, if don't buy a head my current one will be cracked. DOHC is just a pain in the ass when it comes to removing the head, standard old V6 or V8 I can do that in less than half a day.
sigh...
Great video, I like to look at the spark plug charts to help me figure things out too. The plugs I am using now are the ACCEL Header plugs seems decent. Looking forward to the performance side of spark plug gap video in the future.
I bought a set of e3s 7 years ago for our sbc vortec stroker. Ive pulled 3 times to check. Dont even gotta clean em up. Have never fumbled stumbled stalled or fouled. Even when fuel leaked dwn in intake. It still ran smooth. Just ran rich. As for ngk. . . i had the WORST luck with them fouling. On alll of our atvs, atcs. I changed a few to the e3. Total wakeup. Autolites. The og go to for anything carbed or tbi. Its all with a grain of salt and many things affect. But i can without doubt stand firm for e3 as a copper core replacement. And 5 yr warranty. . . if its needed
Just got today a 73 Dodge dart for making a drag car. Thx for making videos Tony you say alot of helpful things
Congratulations. I'm currently resurrecting a 73 Dart Sport drag car myself.
@@johnwilburn awesome man, our car is a sport model as well. What power plant are you going to run/ are your goals for the car?
@@MegaRomans01It is an original 340 car and I have 340 for it. It ran a best of 7.20 in the 1/8th and shouldn't be hard to get back there. I want to restore it to it's former condition as it was raced in the 80s. I have old and current photos of the car here: princetondragway.com
@@johnwilburn checked out the photos, very cool man I like when these old cars have some history. Best of luck in your build dude. if you are ever around in Oregon maybe I will see ya at an event with my car 😁
That’s 2,500 miles of trailering or driving with 4.90 gears..... never say never!
Another thing I like to do while doing my spark plugs, is to ohm test them. A truck I learned from my days of working on nitro cars! When plugs are made, some are not necessarily pressed all together. Now it's close enough for the plug to work, but it's not correct, and could cause a problem. When I do find one that's open, a good Tap to the wire end on the bench usually fixes the plug.
Very details...very good advice...learned something on indexed plugs.