Don’t forget those spark plugs.

   / Don’t forget those spark plugs. #1  

dodge man

Super Star Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2008
Messages
11,066
Location
West central Illinois
Tractor
JD 2025R
You always see that, my engine isn’t running right or it won’t start. Everyone asks did you try a new spark plug? Problem is it’s almost never a spark plug problem, except when it is. I’ve had it happen exactly twice now. Once on a Stihl MS250 and today on a Lawn Boy 2 stroke push mower. The Lawn Boy had been starting hard for a couple years now but I only use it a couple times a month for a little trimming. Today it just wouldn’t start, not even with starting fluid. So I got a new plug today thinking this was a waste of time. It actually started on the first pull.

Ignore the impact wrench, it was from when I sharpened tge blade.
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   / Don’t forget those spark plugs. #2  
A customer at the greenhouse was complaining about the money he’d paid the garage to not fix his car. Father had him pop the hood, then held his hand over the engine and stood there like an oracle. Without touching anything he said “You need new plug wires.” Sure enough that fixed his problem.

There was nothing mystic about it though, father said he could feel the electricity with his hand.
 
   / Don’t forget those spark plugs. #3  
I gave the 292 in my 55 ford it's late fall tune-up. But it was idling kinda ruff. I forgot to plug in all the spark plug wires on the right bank.

Is 16 years old a good enough defense for that smooth move?
 
   / Don’t forget those spark plugs. #4  
Is 16 years old a good enough defense for that smooth move?
Sounds like a lesson learned to me. And I've seen worse... I had the top end of my Dakota rebuilt. Just as they finished it I had my Celebrity towed in after losing a CV shaft. The mechanic met me with an embarrassed look and said that I could take the truck but the engine was about toast.
I jumped into it and took off; and before I got out of the parking lot knew what was wrong. When I got home I grabbed a book and switched the two plug wires which were wrong.
 
   / Don’t forget those spark plugs. #5  
I gave the 292 in my 55 ford it's late fall tune-up. But it was idling kinda ruff. I forgot to plug in all the spark plug wires on the right bank.

Is 16 years old a good enough defense for that smooth move?
I did something similar once, swapping two wires, at about the same age. Kinda sticks with you...I haven't done it since.;)

All the best,

Peter
 
   / Don’t forget those spark plugs. #6  
And then we have these new "digital" vehicles. Service schedule on my 2018 2500 Power Wagon - change spark plugs @ 100,000 miles.
 
   / Don’t forget those spark plugs. #7  
Yep!

Had a pressure washer that would run a while and shut off. I figured the coil was heating up and failing. It also had some carb issues so I ordered a cheap carb and coil. Got everything done and ran it 5 minutes and it shut off. Went to the store and bought a plug. ALL FIXED!

I had a pressure washing task that needed doing so I bought a new pressure washer while I waited for the first parts to arrive. Sold the old washer for a hundred bucks so wasn't a complete loss.
 
   / Don’t forget those spark plugs. #8  
I learned my spark plug lesson with the DW'S car years ago. A high mileage (250k) engine running rough and stumbling. I replaced all kinds of stuff before looking at the plugs, which were worn down to where the ground electrode bends.

This year my (2) Yamaha generators were getting hard to start... New plugs and they're back to one pull!
 
   / Don’t forget those spark plugs. #9  
My company Silverado has 130K miles on the original plugs. They generally get traded every 3 years, so I don't worry about things which aren't giving problems.
 
 
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