Old Spark Plugs

[MoonlightVFR]

Cessna 170B 145hp/O300 Continental engine

I am starting a plan to have Re annual the plane this spring.
I downloaded the Champion Factory tome . AV6-R

Question to the forum. My Plugs are old, probably 400 hrs plus. Engine runs smooth - last annual cleaned gapped, painted. They are mostly champion massive electrode style.

Would a visual check of barrels , electrode s cleaned , gapped and new copper alloy gaskets suffice with smooth engine run up? Should they be sent out for pressure testing?

What is the current Favored new spark plug for my engine 1954 B ?.

Regards

[GAHorn]

If they work and pass inspection and the center electrodes aren't shaped like a football...I'd reuse them.
I prefer the Tempest/Unison UREM44E's as a personal choice (in the massive electrode style.)

[johneeb]

Does anyone know of a source of replacement carbon resistors for Champion spark plugs?

[johneeb]

They're not available separately...you have to just scrounge good ones from discarded plugs.

That is what I have been doing and I have run out of good used resistors. When my neighbors learned they could improve the way their engines ran by replacing worn out resistors all the old plugs that used be just sitting around their hangars disappeared.

[Metal Master]

Champion has re-designed their spark plugs, the removable resistor is no more. Re-sellers such as National Aviation here at Boeing field in Seattle will still have the old removable resistor type plugs until stock runs out. There is no change in part number. But I am told by the Champion tech rep that Aviall and Aircraft Spruce should have the new style plugs in stock. The sales people will not know what you are talking about if you ask to know if you are getting the old or new style plug.
Do they not look like the Tempest Plug now? Champion still claims there is no problem with the old resistors. So they spent I am told 2 million Dollars to redesign the plug for a problem they did not have? Curious. The tempest Plugs should still be less expensive.
Here is link to Champions new spark plug.
http://www.championaerospace.com/assets ... -Final.png

[johneeb]

Mike Bush article about Champion spark plug resistors.

http://blog.aopa.org/opinionleaders/201 ... _sect=blog

[Joe Moilanen]

Champion finally fixed their problem in 2014. The new improved plugs can be verified by looking into the barrel that the leads go into. If the contact has a straight slot in it they are the old ones, the new ones are flat.

Joe