Saving Old Seagulls

I just brought home a 1975 40 Minus to add to my collection of Brit Birds. I have been under their spell for about a decade. If you are new to the subject, just wait... it happen to you.

Anyway, I found the ground electrode on the plug to unusual (at least to me). It is bent to one side, and pushed down to the side of the center electrode. I put a gap tool on it, and oddly enough it is still .20 .... but a strange configuration to me.

The plug is a Champion 8 COM. Also a strange number to see.

Nothing strange about that, the 8 com is fairly hard to find nowadays though.

I took a quick pic and though it is fuzzy, it may help others know what that plug looks like.

let's try that again:

Apparently a fairly common spark plug back in its day.

A lot of my older 102's have this same type of spark plug, along with the pink coloured Lodge equivalent.

Jon

Yup, left click to expand.
Nice knurled top. The Fisher Body manual Captain Dave you may feel more at home with. 472ci of iron

No No No!
It has to be a new one with it's box!

Captain Dave wrote:let's try that again:

A common thang back then for that style.

Mostly two stroke applications.

There used to be some advertising regarding what was termed "Whiskering" which was a common problem of carbon build up between electrodes. Said in that the "Whisker" would short the plug so no go out it comes on the briny clean try not to lose overboard and continue.

Two strokes running Kero during war years were a real problem as well.

The concept did indeed work as....well.....the gap is sideways.

Clever aye?

Finding old plugs NOS is very easy but they seldom actually work under load......bit like NOS coils actually. The very reason that they (plugs) are new in box is because they are basically Duff returns.

For display you need the correct year/model plug of course...................display is the main thing.

Add the plug to your collection and well done in finding such in an original motor!

BnC

I have a new one in a box, also have 2 lodge C3's i also have one of those knurled tops in the spares bag for my SD.

I have a good collection of original unused spark plugs, I use original plugs that would have been in the motor at the time, I have never used a modern equivalent, I mostly use Lodge and champion, plus I have others like KLG Lissen and I have only ever had a problem with one and it was a more modern Lodge one piece 14mm spark plug.
None of my plugs are crap returns, they are original unused stock, saying NOS plugs are rubbish, maybe your experience, but definitely not mine.
Whiskering was caused by the oil used at the time, that's why decokeing was also so common in the past, you don't see that now using modern oils.

Plug books,
1935 Seagull marston KLG K.M.1
1955 British seagull 1.5hp, 2.5hp and 3.5hp Lodge C1
1959 British seagull, all models Lodge C1
1960 wall chart, British seagull, all models except 120 plus Champion 8Com, 120 plus 7Com.

Same with a lot of my old flock.
For absolute peace of mind a new plug is sometimes (not always) the way to go, although i've never had any trouble with using older "period" plugs in many of my 102's.They work a treat, and being able to take the plug apart for cleaning only adds to the pleasure of using of them.


Jon