The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Sparking Plug Washers, where'd they all go??

Back in the good old days, bout a half century ago, when I worked in auto part as a counter man we had a big old box of spark plug washers. Back them it was commonplace to pull the plugs every three to five thousand miles, blast them clean and sometimes use new crush washers.
Well, I have an oil burnin' problem that taint showing smoke yet and the compassion rings are still holding at about 130 across the board but I'm pulling the plugs every thousand or so and cleaning them. I went looking for some new plug washers this week and none of the auto parts locally or on line has plug washers any more. Most common answer, "they come in the box of every new plug!" Now I can find washers for plug indexing up the ying yang but they cost more than a new set of plugs.
So does anybody know a source where I could buy a box of 14mm plug washers??
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Cleaning or sand blasting plugs is a thing of the past. Plugs last practically forever with HEI. HEI has been around for over 30 years. A mechanic in a small town that works on farm equipment might still have some around. I doubt that they have been sold seperately for 20 years.

Denny: Google "spark plug gaskets" and you should fine what your looking for. Have thought about a none fouler for that cylinder

Paul

I sand blast plugs all the time. If you have a overfueling problem or some of these vehicles that never leave the lot, carbon them up with this gas we get now. I generaly reuse the old washers. I think I have a box of them at the shop. I bought a bunch of old plugs & parts from an old timer. I'll look tomorrow. If I have some I can send some to you.
George

I have a friend that has a four engine pull tractor. When I'm around just before they leave for a pull I sometimes get roped into taking the gasket rings off the spark plugs. Each engine uses 16 plugs and he takes several sets for each engine so it is a lot of brand new gaskets that just get thrown in the trash. The reason for the discard is the engines are hemis and use the bottom of the spark plug tube for the seal. If there is anyone in your area that uses hemis for drag/boat/pulling etc. they would be more than glad to give you the unneeded rings. If not let me know.

I think you misunderstood my post. I was explaining why no one keeps spark plug crush gaskets on hand any more, and my suggestion was to try shops that have been around for a long time and don't throw anything away. We used to buy them by the handful. Volkswagen used a 14 mm plug and the last box of gaskets I remember seeing was at a shop that worked on beetles.

Yeah, if I had a nickel for every copper plug washer I had hanging on a coat hanger with a propane torch in my hand heating them one at a time & dropping them into a cup of water, I'd be rich.

You can still get the 14mm copper washers, last bunch I got was at a New Holland/Ford tractor dealer.
Fred

Sparking Plugs, Denny?

Have you reading an old British novel?

Tim

I gotta retire so I can build my own washers!

These are actually drain plug gaskets, but I have used them on spark plugs http://www.imperialsupplies.com/items.asp?item=0126450
We buy most of our shop supplies from these guys.

Try the link to Imperial again. I think their server was down Saturday night.

Call them at the 800 number listed. Although we have an account with them, they do take credit cards over the phone. As much as they have been calling me, I think they are pretty desperate to sell right now. If they won't talk to you, I will call them for you. Kenneth Crenwelge [email protected] 830 997 7661 cell; 210 849 1906