I am very disapointed with todays spark plugs!!!!

[bassman]

I have a ford 8n and it has ran with no problems for the last 20 years but last fall I decided to give it a tune up and installed all the goodies like plugs wires points condenser and coil.
This last cold spell brought on minus 30c with 50c winds and alot of unstartable equipment so I thought a frozen fuel line or just plain cold was why my trusty 8n would not start...
well 2 weeks later and a burt out starter my 8n will still not start so I hauled it into the heated shop and I figured that a room temp tractor would fire right up.
still no go!!! so I start testing .
battery good
fuel drained and new filter
points flash the test light
spark tester flashes
plugs were new and clean last fall
still it would not go!!
then my cousin suggested plaugs and I said they were new last fall and the ones in there befor were 20 years ols so it can't be plugs.... can it??
well !!! yes it was!!!
new set and it started right up.
so why are new spark plugs so bad these days??
they fail in my chainsaw my tractor my quad my lawn mower .
why is this ??
is it the resistor or just the way they make them.
they were chapion this time and I have used ngk and had the same problem so am I the only one with plug problems??
I don't mind changing them on my little tractor but I have seen some equipment that bury the plugs under all kinds of stuff that are in the way of a speedy change.
what is a good plug??

shayne

 

[Frank Boyer]

Plugs in cars now go 30K to 100K miles without replacement. We used to change plugs every 8K to 10K miles. Unleaded gas and HEI ignitions have made the difference. Were the plugs fuel/oil fouled? Were the plugs worn out? Did you try and start it with old summer blend gas left in it? Try cleaning the plugs and see if it starts right up. Does the carb need work?

 

[bassman]

Were the plugs worn out? Did you try and start it with old summer blend gas left in it? Try cleaning the plugs and see if it starts right up. Does the carb need work?

I use this tractor every week to clean snow but it did sit for 3 weeks .
the gas is never over 2 months old.
plugs were cleaned.
carb is good.
It did start with new plugs and that is the reason for this post as the plugs were not even a year old.
the plugs I took out last fall were 20 years old and it ran good.

 

[joesawer]

What was wrong with the plugs? Why wouldn't the tractor start with them?

 

[bassman]

they make no spark???
I have no idea why they don't work ...
my post is asking why plugs that you buy these days seem to just stop working.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

I had a sitch with a tractor similar to yours where it wouldnt fire when cold. I replaced the plug and it fired right up. I still have the plug and if I put it in the freezer it will not fire untill it warms up.


I dont know why, but Maybe test them hot and frozen and see?


.

 

[joesawer]

A spark plug is a simple device, that has a lot of variables.
I have had less problem out of newer plugs than older ones.
Why wont they fire? Is it shorted out, lost continuity, or fouled, is the gap to big?
I wonder what failed so that I can try to figure out why they failed.
I suspect you put in a different heat range than it had for twenty years, and the fouled from being to cold or burned up from being to hot.

 

[gr8scott72]

How about some pictures of they plugs in question?