What was the price of new plugs?
spark plug recommendation for a 70 440 TNT
- Thread starter marko
- Start date
What was the price of new plugs?
68 4spd Fury
Senior Member
Personally, in any application I've had, NGK's. I don't mean to offend, they just work, IMO.
Apparently they still do. I was dropping off used oil at O'reilly once and a customer asked me if he could have it!
73Coupe
Senior Member
Dust control on his driveway maybe? haha...
polara71
Old Man with a Hat
Usually they burn it in the furnace.
The old J-13Y and J14Y plugs I had replaced in our '66 and '72 Newports also work well in my lawnmowers (B&S 4-5hp engines). Heat range is just fine. Worked well after a cleaning, filing, and gap to.035". As long as my stash lasted.
Never had any issues with Champion plugs back then. The ACs in our '69 Chevy pickup were another deal! Would have to clean and gap them about every 6 months.
Motorcrafts seemed to last the longest, though, so I went to their equivalent heat ranges (in my Chevys and Chryslers both).
As noted, as long as they make a spark, that's all that is needed. But it became apparent later that the flame kernal propogation was equally important. Which is why I started getting Ngk V-Power plugs, then the fine-wire Iridiums. Which is also affected by combustion chamber type/shape, by observation. The LA chamber seems more responsive than the B/RB chambers, from my experiences.
Just my experiences,
CBODY67
Last edited:
Probably don't have waste oil furnaces in Arizona, but yea, dust control or maybe spraying it on metal for rust prevention.
Used oil is re-refined though. My oldest son was a wholesale oil rep for a few years and he told me that most of the oil sold has used oil in it, but that was actually good because it took less refining to get a better product. In other words, rather than starting with the black crude oil and boiling it at high temperatures, they could filter and start boiling at lower temperatures. End result was better oil because you were starting with something already refined once, even though it had been used, and it was cheaper to make.
Gerald Morris
Senior Member
I still score Champion J13Ys and J14Ys when I see them for $2 ea or less. I have several years worth horded up now. The J14Y is the ideal plug for my 2 barrel 383, runs it well without any pre-detonation, unlike the modern J12YCs sold by Rock Auto as suited for 2 barrel fed engines. I've run Autolite 85s and Bosch platinum plugs in that engine too, but find the old spec Champions do best with it. Just started side-gapping them too. Seems to make her run a little more smartly on take-off. Will see how well this does over the next month.
69 300 vert
Well-Known Member
Not that I ever knew of. I only worked there from mid '73 to fall '74. What I remember most was $4.97 oil change specials. Every pre '69 Chevy in town showed up with four gaskets wedged under the adapter.
And "people" who bought a side post battery to install at home who brought it back claiming is was "crossthreaded" when they got it. I NEVER saw a badly threaded battery I EVER installed.
Side posts, one of GM's "better ideas" 
69 300 vert
Well-Known Member
And FWIW, Kmart also had "Fisk" stores, I have NO experience with them, mebbe they sold reconditioned plugs?
69 300 vert
Well-Known Member
Not in my experience, unless it was an oil burner.
In 1970, Dad bought two 1970 Pontiacs, one 455 4 bbl, one 400 2 bbl. The 455 needed tune ups pretty much as scheduled, every 12,000 miles and acted like it needed one. The 400 on the other hand would happily go 30,000 miles, running great, and I'd tune it anyway because I couldn't stand it anymore. It seemed to want ~ 5,000 miles to "break in" the tune up to where it seemed to be "happy" again. Really nice engine, Dad still has it.
Mike66Chryslers
Senior Member
A couple people have mentioned burning used motor oil in their furnace, but some people would throw it in the fuel tank of their diesels too. You can't do that with newer diesels, but if they have an old one...
Most likely this was earlier. I don't think they were big sellers.
It was pretty common practice to swap plugs more often. You were dealing with a lot of different factors. People complain about today's gas... The leaded gas we had back then didn't make for long plug life. Point ignition often meant a weaker spark (when everything wasn't 100% new and adjusted) so it was always best to have nice clean plugs with crisp electrodes so there was less chance of hard starting. 10-12K mile interval plug changes were the norm.
If you went back a few years earlier, the oils weren't as good and high mileage cars would burn a lot of oil. Oil would foul the plugs and again, weaker ignition wouldn't fire a fouled plug.
rapidtrans
Senior Member
No joke. I dumped my old oil on the cottage driveway before I broke down and paved it. About the same time I quit changing it myself.
Old man Utah
Member
I'd been using Autolite 86's for a while in my 75 440 wagon and had problems so I changed to Champion RJ14YC and its been perfect.
live4theking
Old Man with a Hat
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2014
- Messages
- 12,687
- Reaction score
- 8,890
In the early 90's with my first 68 NYer I did a tune up and put an expensive set of Bosch plugs in it. For about a month it ran fine. While driving from TX to PA, outside of Pittsburgh it started pinging and gave my fits the rest of the way home. My father being a retired mechanic graciously said he'd look at it in the morning. He pulled my expensive plugs and threw them in the trash. He put a set of Champions in it. Done, ran perfectly.
My current NYer has the Champions in it that were there when I bought it. I've put 10k on it almost. If I had to guess I would say those plugs have been in there since 1980.
My current NYer has the Champions in it that were there when I bought it. I've put 10k on it almost. If I had to guess I would say those plugs have been in there since 1980.
thanks for all the advice, i couldnt get Champions so i got NGK, they will go in this weekend
Gerald Morris
Senior Member
Good to know the *J14YCs do well. The *J12YCs ran a little too hot for mine. The NOS J14Ys do really nice though!
Similar threads
