E3 Spark Plugs News

People collect the zaniest things from Pez dispensers to vintage Zippo lighters to toilet seats. And Joe Cook just might be king among spark plug collectors. His New Jersey basement museum collection boasts more than 2,400 spark plugs plus an exhausting amount of spark plug-related items including copies of more than 5,000 early patents, letterheads and envelopes from various spark plug companies, and marketing and promotional items. Over the century and a half that spark plugs have been around, they’ve been packaged in lead, wax and wax paper, wooden containers and decorative tins and accompanied by promotional items such as decals, matchbook covers, glassware and posters depicting Old Hollywood starlets. Cook has many of them.

Spark plug collector Joe Cook holds promotional photos of Old Hollywood starlets once used to help market sparkplugs.

“I originally started restoring antique tractors and Hit & Miss (open flywheel) engines,” says Joe when asked what inspired his spark plug collection. “As I was restoring them, I noticed some interesting spark plugs in them. I was intrigued by them so I removed them, cleaned them up and put them on the shelf. Pretty soon I had about a dozen or so and I thought I must have all the different types that there were.”

Feeling proud of his dozen-strong collection, Joe attended an antique tractor and engine show where fate stepped in – in the form of a fellow antique spark plug collector displaying 50 of them on a table. He informed Joe that there were more than 6,500 manufacturers of early spark plugs and told him of the Spark Plug Collectors of America. Joe joined and quickly climbed the leadership ranks while continuing to build his collection. Many of his spark plugs came into the collection in interesting, even amazing ways.

“My son, Peter, and I were scuba diving in the Bahamas. As we were swimming along the coral reef, I spotted something and stopped and picked it up and put it in my dive pouch,” Joe says. “When we surfaced, my son asked me, ‘What did you stop and pick up?’ I opened my pouch and showed him a spark plug all encrusted in coral. He said, ‘Only you could find a spark plug 80 feet underwater amongst all the sea shells. That’s a one in a million chance!’  Well, on the very next dive I found a second one!”

If you’re feeling inspired to start your own spark plug collection, you’re in luck. Turns out, your collection starter might be only as far away as your granddad’s garage.

A coral-encrusted spark plug plucked from the bottom of the ocean on Bahamas diving trip. Seriously - could you have spotted the plug?

Back in the day, “Every corner gas station made and sold plugs, usually in their local area as they did not have the network to distribute them nationwide, let alone worldwide,” Joe explains. “And everyone had an idea on how to make a plug that would not foul. This is what makes collecting so interesting. Another point to remember is the early spark plugs were re-buildable. When the plug wore out, you could take the plug apart and replace the core and have a ‘good as new’ plug for a fraction of what a complete new plug cost. This is also why there are so many antique plugs still around. No one threw them out. When they were removed, they usually got put on the shelf to be rebuilt. Many plugs are found in old garages and barns just sitting on a shelf waiting to be rebuilt or reused.”

Joe takes portions of his collection on the road to antiques, tractor and auto shows, schools, retirement homes and annual SPCOA meetings. He remains a member of the organization’s Board of Directors and is a former co-editor and vice president. And while he loves his collection, it’s the collecting that’s the most meaningful.

“I have been a mechanic all my life. A spark plug to me used to be the final point of ignition in an engine,” he says. “But now that I have retired and collect them, a spark plug to me is a thing of mechanical beauty, pure joy and fascination and most importantly, a means to an end – The end being the camaraderie of my fellow club members as we share the joys of finding a new addition to our beloved hobby!”

Got a spark plug or related item you’d like to share with Joe? Reach him at joe.ignitor@gmail.com. Tell him E3 Spark Plugs sent you.

The best spark plugs in the world won’t deliver if the sparkplug wires connecting them to your distributor cap aren’t up to par. Good spark plug wires are essential for reliable ignition performance. Bad ones will cause spark plug misfiring, hard starting (especially during rainy, cold or snowy weather), rough idle, hesitation when accelerating, poor fuel economy and increased hydrocarbon (HC) emissions. On 1995 and newer vehicles with OBD II Onboard Diagnostics, a bad wire-prompted misfiring may set a fault code and light up your “Check Engine” signal.

Good spark plug wires are just as essential to ignition performance as your spark plugs themselves.

If you’ve got any of these problems going on with your ride, inspect the sparkplug wires and look for burns, cracked insulation, chaffing, visible arching and loose plugs or terminals. If you see any of those, it’s time for new wiring. Luckily, replacing your spark plug wires is fairly easy and typically requires no tools. But get it wrong and your hot rod won’t leave your garage until you fix it. To make sure you get it right the first time, E3 Spark Plugs offers step-by-step instructions on replacing your spark plug wires.

• First, lay out your new spark plug wires according to length if they’re not numbered (most will be numbered and most come in black, though you’ll also find them in blue, red, orange or yellow.
• Start at one end of the engine and remove only the first spark plug wire by pulling on the boot at the end of the wire until it pops off.
• Follow the wire with your hand to the other end and remove it from the distributor cap. Note that in some vehicles, this end of the spark plug wire is permanently attached to the distributor cap. You know what that means – You’ll have to replace the entire distributor cap. Sorry ’bout your luck.
• Check your spark plugs to ensure they’re still in good condition. Hopefully, you’ll see spark plugs lightly coated with grayish brown deposits. If they’re covered in black or if the electrode or core nose is worn, cracked or otherwise damaged, replace them with new spark plugs. Keep in mind that spark plugs typically foul long before they wear out and that a single fouled spark plug can ransack up to a quarter of a four cylinder engine’s power.
• Replace the old spark plug wire with one numbered the same or of the same length. Listen for a quiet “pop” that lets you know the wire is securely connected to the spark plug. Most cars have small plastic pieces with slots designed to hold the wires in place and keep them from rubbing together or resting on engine parts. If your vehicle has one of these, use it! It will help them last longer.

DO NOT be tempted to pop off all the wires at once. Even if your spark plug wires are numbered, it’s too easy to get them mixed up and connect your spark plugs to the distributor cap in the wrong order. Do this and you’ll have changed the firing order. Your car will run like a racehorse with a bum leg or might not run at all.

Also, don’t assume that new spark plug wires will be part of your 30,000-mile tune-up. Most shops don’t include this service because it bumps up the cost of your tune up. A new set of wires can cost anywhere from $20 to more than $100 depending on the type of vehicle and the quality of the wires. Don’t skimp here. Cheap spark plug wires won’t save you a dime in the long run.

Speedway Sparkplugs mascot from the School Town of Speedway in Indianapolis.

Any time you conduct an Internet search on “spark plugs,” you get a lot of … well, spark plugs, of course. But sometimes, the search results turn up something a little different. This time, we were pleasantly surprised to discover Speedway Schools, home of the Speedway Sparkplugs. This urban school district is located on the west side of Indianapolis, famous for the 101-year-old Indianapolis Motor Speedway (co-founder Carl Fisher’s first step toward his then-ambitious goal of a “horseless city”) and the annual Indy 500, considered one of the three most significant motorsports events in the world.

The “School Town of Speedway” is an independent public school corporation that serves more than 1,500 students in four elementary schools, a junior high school and a high school. Each of the Speedway schools routinely ranks among the highest in Indiana in various areas including standardized and college prep testing, graduation rates and continuation to higher education. Speedway schools also boast award-winning performing arts, extracurricular and athletic programs.

Speaking of athletics, what better mascot for a school called “Speedway” than a spark plug? After all, it’s the ever trusty spark plug that gets the engine fired up in the first place. Speedway High School has teams for baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, cheerleading, men’s and women’s cross country, football, golf, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and  women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field, volleyball and wrestling. That’s whole a lotta Sparkplugs action!

E3 Spark Plugs salutes the Speedway Spark Plugs and wishes them a great 2010-2011 school year! Of course, we invite all you seniors, coaches and staff to try E3 car spark plugs, E3 truck spark plugs and E3 motorcycle spark plugs to get you to class and the games. And if you’re in the racing biz, be sure to check visit the E3 Spark Plugs Racing website to see how to get the competitive edge on the tracks.

Got an automotive-inspired tattoo? E3 Spark Plugs wants to hear from you.

It’s been said that a tattoo is a window to one’s soul. It’s also been said that a tattoo is a permanent symbol of temporary insanity. Who knew your love for that cute brunette you met during that weekend bender in Vegas last year wouldn’t outlast her name inked across your chest after all? Or that the hair band you got tattooed up and down your forearm back in 1987 wouldn’t get another record deal? In the moment that the tattoo gun fires up, it all makes timeless sense.

Whether your ink proves an enduring testament or a regrettable moment, they’re all interesting sights, particularly those with great stories behind them. A quick Internet search turned up dozens of images of spark plug tattoos sported by men and women who are car, truck and motorcycle enthusiasts – or who loved one. They range from the simple to the elaborate, sweet to sexy. But alas, no E3 spark plug tattoos. Want to be the first? If you have or plan to get a great spark plug tattoo – especially an E3 spark plug tattoo, we want to hear from you! Leave a comment on our blog sharing your story and your image. In the meantime, check out a few of E3′s favorite spark plug tattoos.

If you’re just not ready to commit to permanent ink, but still want a fast, strong, clean ride be sure to check our website for E3 car spark plugs, E3 truck spark plugs and E3 motorcycle spark plugs. We promise you’ll have no regrets.

In Round 6 of the 2010 Lucas Oil 250cc AMA Pro MX Championship, E3 Spark Plugs Racing fans watched as Trey Canard attacked the rough Red Bud track to earn his first ever series win with 4-1 moto finishes. To no one’s surprise, Frenchman Christophe Pourcel controlled the pace in Moto One (the Pro Circuit Kawasaki ace has won four first motos in 2010) followed closely by his teammate and former World MX champion, Tyla Rattray. Scottish motocrosser Dean Wilson was again the tail gunner for Mitch Peyton’s trio finishing a solid third ahead of a pair of Honda riders Canard and Justin Barcia.

Geico Powersports Honda rider Trey Canard claimed his first 250cc AMA MX Pro outdoor win at the tough Red Bud MX track in Buchanan, Michigan, over the July 4th holiday weekend. Photo courtesy of www.treycanard.com.

Wilson would rebound in Moto Two taking the lead early on lap one ahead of Rattray and Honda’s Blake Wharton. Former AMA MX star Sebastian Tortelli has been assigned to work with Wharton who had his best performance of the season aboard his 250cc Honda. At mid-point in the second moto, Kawasaki teammates Wilson and Rattray appeared to have everything under control ahead of Honda teammates Canard and Wharton. But, Canard picked up his pace and passed Rattray to move into second. With his sights set on winning, Canard would bump Wilson over the berm leading to LaRocco’s Leap causing the Kawasaki rider to forfeit the lead.

The Mike LaRocco-coached Canard would pull away leaving Wilson to battle with Rattray for the runner’s up spot. Rattray needed the position for the overall win at Red Bud and passed his teammate with two laps to go before he did a huge endo that ended the South African’s hopes for an overall victory. A hard-charging Justin Barcia would challenge Wilson several times on the final lap but Wilson would lead Barcia to the finish ahead of Wharton, Pourcel and Broc Tickle. After entering the 250cc outdoor MX season as one of the favorites, Canard claimed his first win of the 2010 series and closed to within 55 points of series leader Pourcel.

The Lites riders have two weeks off before the teams head to Millville, Minnesota, for the July 18th Spring Creek MX national. If you’re following the 2010 AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro Championship, check our E3 Spark Plugs Blog for full results from Round 7 of the championship series. Remember to ask for E3 Spark Plugs the next time you change plugs in your car, truck, motorcycle or lawn & garden equipment. Let our patented DiamondFire technology deliver Energy, Efficiency and Ecology for all of your engines.

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Car spark plug designs have come a long way over the past 150 years since Belgian engineer Jean Joseph Étienne Lenoir used a Ruhmkorff induction coil to jump the spark that ignited distilled coal gas in his Lenoir 2-Stroke engine. In those earliest days of automotive development, a wealthy Frenchman could expect to get 10 kilometers or more before the disruptive discharge system needed routine maintenance. Today, a standing joke among auto mechanics is that you need to change your car’s spark plugs when you have your muffler bearings greased . . . meaning never. However, all jokes aside, there are a number of reasons to have your car spark plugs checked more often than every 10 years or 100,000 miles.

Although most cars and trucks use a 12-volt DC battery as an initial source of energy, the ignition system’s coil increases the low voltage input to a high voltage discharge by one to two thousand times. This high energy flow of electrical current sparks across the gap between the plug’s central and ground electrodes. The increase in the temperature of the compressed gas/air mixture results in a small explosion in each combustion chamber for every firing cycle of the engine. So, the actual road mileage for any spark plugs lifecycle is based on numerous variables such as the weather conditions, how the engine is used, the additives in the fuel, etc. In other words, it’s probably a good idea to check your car or truck spark plugs more often than every 100K miles.

Since most of today’s automotive engines use electronic ignition systems, the modern day tune-up is basically limited to changing the car spark plugs and replacing the motor’s air filter, or servicing the P.C.V. (positive crankcase ventilation) valve. Most experienced auto mechanics recommend that these items be inspected every 30,000 miles. Anytime that you notice a loss of engine power or reduction in fuel mileage, then an unscheduled tune-up should be considered to prevent more permanent damage to your motor. When your engine is misfiring or not running properly, excessive heat can leave the plugs worn or galling of the plug’s threads can occur in the motor’s cylinder head. This could potentially cost the owner much more in repair charges than the costs of routine engine maintenance.

E3 car spark plugs come with a 5-Year or 100,000 Mile Warranty from the date of purchase, as long as your vehicle is used for personal or family purposes. Our goal is to always provide you a positive driving experience with more power on less fuel, quicker starts and less fouling than our competitor’s standard spark plugs. This way, your car or truck spark plugs are guaranteed to be free of defects in material or workmanship and you’ll have a good reason to service vital engine components in a timely manner. For additional information about E3′s patented DiamondFire Technology or Combustion Cycle Analysis, visit any of our E3 portal websites for car spark plugs, truck spark plugs, motorcycle spark plugs, snowmobile spark plugs or lawn & garden plugs.

Basically, indexing a car spark plug faces the open gap of the plug’s ground electrode toward the direction for the optimal burn of the fuel mix in an engine’s combustion chamber. Although technical experts often disagree as to the actual performance enhancement attained by indexing a car’s spark plugs, it can’t hurt. In fact, with the price of gasoline skyrocketing in today’s economy, do everything possible to reduce the amount of raw fuel that escapes from your car’s engine is probably worth the effort.

Before you begin, you will need a spark plug wrench, a permanent marker and a pack of indexing shims. Almost any auto parts store that sells E3 car spark plugs should carry shim washers of differing thickness. It is also a good idea to check your car’s fuel mileage before you replace your car spark plugs for future comparisons. If you’re ready, let’s get started.

Step One – Use the spark plug wrench to remove the old plugs and purchase the correct E3 replacement plugs (see the Cross Reference Guide in the automotive section of the E3 Spark Plugs Catalog page on the company’s main website).

Step Two - This can require some detailed research but it is something you only have to do once (unless you change your engine’s head). To determine the location of the intake valves and exhaust valves in relationship to your car spark plugs will require a technical manual or a quick call to the service department of your local dealership. If all else fails, stop by any high performance speed shop and ask a professional.

Step Three – Scribe a vertical line with your felt marker from top to bottom on the outside of the ceramic insulator to denote the direction of the open end of the ground electrode. The idea is to orient the spark so the back side of the extending electrode does not block any part of the flame kernel from entering the combustion area. Some high performance engine builders prefer to orient the plug’s gap to face toward the exhaust valves while others recommend directing the spark at the opening for the intake valves. For your personal vehicle, just split the difference with the scribed line on your spark plugs and you should be fine. (more…)