Kaiser Frazer Owners Club Forum
General Category => Kaiser Forum => Topic started by: Kaiser man on February 05, 2013, 08:15:50 PM
-
I dont know where to connect the spark plug wires
I know the firing order is 1-5-3-6-2-4
I suppose 1 is closest to the front and 6 all the way back
but where do i connect each wire at the distributor because nothing is labled
Also what type of spark plugs should i use(preferably Champion)
Thanks for your help
-
Standing at the front of the car, looking back at the distributor, you will notice a clip that holds the cap in place. Plug wire #1 fastens to the LEFT of that clip. Then, following in a counter clockwise rotation, attach the rest of the wires in the 1-5-3-6-2-4 firing order. Use Champion J8C plugs.
-
Amplifying a point in Jim's response: The distributor rotates counter clockwise unlike most other engines. I ran into this fact when I rebuilt my 1st 226.
-
The number designation on a plug reflects its HEAT RANGE or spark temperature range. Auto-Lite was the official spark plug for the 226. 1947 into the 1951 model year used the type A-5 (which is actually the equivilent of the Champion J-9 according to the chart). During the 1951 model year, they switched to the A-7 plug which is a slightly hotter spark. This is close to the range for the Champion J8 and J8C; difference is design of the insullator which has changed to nothing like the original (the Champion plug is used in lawn mowers and other small gas engines).
When Kaiser-Frazer switched to the A-7 they put out a Service Bulletin indicating that cars equipped with the A-7 plugs could be more prone to vapor lock than the A-5 and that if a car had vapor lock or hard starting problems, the dealer should pull the 7's and go with the 5's. Something to keep in mind considering the state of gasoline today. I used A-5's in the 1952 Kaiser I had and had no problems even with today's fuel.
Henry J engines came from Willys-Overland with Champion J-8's in them, as well as the F-head for the Darrin.
The "switch" to J-8's came in the 1970's when Motorcraft/Autolite discontinued the old insullator design (there it talk of bring it back as a vintage type plug). The Champion J-8 still had the old insullator design (J-9's were no longer in production) and it was a brand that Fred Walker--our chief judge--could get for resale to club members.
I can scan and post an Auto-Lite chart that shows A-L. Champion and AC plugs by heat range if people are interested.
-
I would be interested. A few years ago I changed the spark plug wires on my '54 (supercharger is not installed) to the original solid types sold through the Bulletin, and ever since then, the temperature gauge on the dash reads 1/4 higher than it ever did. It used to hover about the halfway mark, now it's always 3/4 or so. It never overheats or boil over. I thought perhaps the car had hotter plugs with the old wires, and once I changed the wires, now it runs too hot!