What's the deal with champion?

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70DartSedan

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I went to the local Advance Auto Parts for some plugs. I was thinking I could try some E3s or Champions. I asked the lady at the counter if she had any plugs for a 1970 Dart "3.7" so I get a list, go through it and so on and so forth I say how about the Champions? and She tells me we don't stock them anymore. No one does anymore, if you want them it will have to be a factory order.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has heard of this or experienced this
 
thats strange........I just got some at NAPA not long ago, and they had them in stock for my 340.
 
Local O'Reilly didnt have the plugs in stock for my buddies 400.Had to have 'em shipped from another store in SLC.
 
The E3s and the like are nothing but snake oil. Don't waste your money.
 
StrokerScamp said:
The E3s and the like are nothing but snake oil. Don't waste your money.
Click to expand...

IMHO more so with a carbureted engine because it's recommened that they're changed every 12,000 miles or year (whichever comes first).

I've found they actually worsen gas mileage on a fuel injected car. Will probably go back to Champions on everything, plus Champion is made in the USA
 
We tried the E3 "Diamond Fire" plugs in the race Dakota and we slowed down .2. We put the used Champions back in it and gained it back. As stated above, E3's sales pitch is pure SNAKE OIL. Don't waste your hard earned money. JMO
 
E3 and all other "magic" spark plugs are a waste of money at best.
Champion quality has been going down fast for years; I long ago quit using them.
Autolites are now Chinese-made trash.

Go NGK all the way, and not the one in the book for your slant-6. See tune-up parts and technique suggestions, including spark plugs, in this thread. Remember to remove the metal ring washers before you install the plugs!
 
I found Champs @ Napa a few weeks ago for my 273. Autolites didn't work well because they were a heat range colder than originals were (which were already 2 ranges too cold for my rebuild. Dan, are the NGK's close to Champion's heat range? What's the best way to tell if the heat range is correct? Bonzai run and read the plugs? tmm
 
Heat range is one of my beefs with Champion. They have been consolidating and consolidating and consolidating but without putting any improved engineering into their plugs for an actual wider heat range such that the jumps are huge between their heat range offerings. The NGK "5" heat range is smack on where it needs to be for a stock or kinda-stockish \6, 273, 318, 2.2, 2.5, 3.0, pretty much anything that specs a Champion 12, 13, or 14. The NGK "6" heat range (bigger number = colder plug in NGK) works well with high compression or forced induction. The best plug for stock/kinda-stockish slant-6 with pre-'75 head (with plug tubes) is the ZFR5N; read about it at the linked thread.

And yes, run the plugs and then read 'em!
 
Yup. I knew when you saw a spark plug thread, you'd be right in the clean her up Dan. lol Thanks.
 
Well no more E3s lol. I got Autolites because that's the only one they had enough of in stock for me to change the plugs today. The Autolites are OK but the dumb thing is that the tip comes off and has threads :p I will remove the washers in the morning.
Autolites are American made... or at least they "say" they are...also owned by Honeywell (AKA Fram). Had I known I would've gone with BOSCH.

I had the Champion RN12YCs in the 6 before and each has a different gap, the electrodes were rusty brown, one was reddish, and I'm not sure but I think they showed signs of detonation.

I have no idea what the previous owners ran the 6 on but I use mid-grade (89) and "Gunk" lead-substitute.
 
For anyone running the Champion RN12YC plugs, try ordering the standard plug for a 97-00 minivan with a 3.3 or 3.8L. They put champion Platnum plugs in those and they will bolt right in to the RN12YC or RN14YC plug holes. They are rated to go 100, 000 miles. I just had my ex's 99 minivan tuned up with 220, 000 miles on it and IT STILL HAD THE FACTORY SPARK PLUGS. They are champion platnum. The factory used them because the rear bank plugs are hard to reach.

Let's just say that I "acquired" a bunch of them when they changed them in 01 to a tapered seat with no gasket and they ran great in all of my small blocks. Sadly, my supply is gone. But they do work well.
 
I use either NGK or Denso plugs.....prefer Denso over NGK.
 
Champion suck so be happy they don't have them. I've always run autolite wit success and have recently switched to ngk.
 
champion are rarely available down here any more.We use either NGK or Bosh!,Like slantsixdan said NGK are alot better with a better heat range.
 
Unless you are running a Briggs & Stratton forget Champion! NGK is the way to go. I wouldn't flush Bosch plugs down my enemy's toilet. They don't work well in anything made outside europe.
 
I've never had bad luck with any plug and I've used them all at one time or another.

I say that with exception to E3s. I tried some of them and they weren't worth a s%$t.
 
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