Not trying to start something here, but if it does, well, so be it, but I was sort of surprised at the box panel when I looked closely at my new 386 plugs. It reads: Made in China, Designed in USA. See, my wife and kids were born and raised in Fostoria, Ohio, where the big Autolite plant was cranking out plugs for many, many years. We have lots of friends and relatives who retired from there, worked some time there, and some of the testing of the 386 type plugs took place in my '48 "A" and '41 "H". In the past 7 or so years, "Autolite", "Ford". "Bendix", "Honeywell" as it was known over time, has gradually wound down operations. I hear that they have the engineering staff and some R&D stuff still going on in Fostoria, but certainly under 1% of their hayday staffing. I knew that they had built a new facility in the Greenville-Spartansburg area of SC, but had no idea that they had significant operations in China. Maybe it is only for the low volume plugs like these 386's. Anyway, thought that it was interesting. I sort of had to pause and think a bout how lots of folks bash the quality of Chinese products, yet all over the boards you read that Autolite 386's are the best you can run in old tractors. Apparently they got this level of manufacturing figured out.

Frank, I used Autolites in model B, and they worked lousey. I had maybe twenty hours on them and it started skipping and the fouled out and when I pulled them off, they fell apart. So I went back to using Champion D21.

frank, i thought the plug no was 3116 that most people used. thats wierd the the plug fell apart. been nice if parts of it fell down in the cylinder while it was running. i've found that keeping my carb turned down as low as it will go will help with the fouling. any comments on why once a plug is fouled you can't burn it out or other wise clen it and reuse it?

WE have pretty much beat this horse to death over many years even. While I prefer Autolite, as far as reducing premature plug fouling, its NOT so much the brand of plug versus the other measures such as keeping the temp up to 180 and over and not running the carbs richer then necessary and keeping the engine in general well tuned. From what Ive observed n experienced and listening to some of Duanes research its the quality and hardness and porosity of the insulator ceramic/porcelain that makes the difference, i.e. the harder n smoother n slicker n less porous the less tendency for fouling deposits to accumulate if its hard n smooth n slick THAT JUST MAKES COMMON SENSE.......

So regardless if a plug is made in China or US or TimBukTu OR REGARDLESS OF BRAND the manufacturing "process" regarding the insulator and again its hardness n smoothmess n lack of porosity that makes a plug less prone to premature fouling in my opinion

A reason Id opt for the 3116 versus say the 386 or better yet hotter 388 IS IF ITS NON RESISTIVE..... Especially in limited energy magneto ignitions, Id prefer the available spark gap energy get discharged across the plugs gap versus it be "wasted" in the form of heat losses in a resistor as in a resistor spark plug.n I see resistor plugs as more for suppression of radio frequency interference and arent needed in our antique tractors versus a late model auto with all its sophisticated sensitive electronics and radios etc.....

If a lab could accurately measure the smoothness n hardness etc of a plugs insulator, the one that measures the best is the one Id recommend REGARDLESS if made in USA or China BUTTTTTTTTT, dont get me wrong, Im still pro buy American as much as possible sooooooo maybe I will get off the Autolite band wagon ifffffffff say Champions are still made in teh good ol US of A ?????????? Its just been my personal experience over the years Autolites dont seem to accumulate the fouling deposists quite so bad which relates to the insulator quality of course........

Best wishes yall n have a fun safe trip Frank

John T

The 386's came in the tune-up kit that the neighbor bought for his Super "A" that I am bringing back to life, so that's what it is getting. For me, I have never had excessive fouling if I get them hot and keep them hot, and have top notch ignition and timing. Most people over richen the carbs, run them too cool, and never set the timing where it needs to be, and all of that leads to the excessive lubricant wash down, carbon fouling on plugs, lower compression, etc. Actually the only real problem that I have had with a particular brand of plug was a set of NGK's in my pony motor, and so I run the old standard Champions in that. My VAC Case has Champs in it right now, just because that's what I had available at the time. This Super "A" is showing 120 psi on cold compression, over 150 with oil, so I think it will fire up just fine, as soon as the carburetor kit comes in, but it is a thermo-syphon, and if he doesn't run it hard and hot, she will foul eventually. When they get snoozy, I put 'em on the dyno for a half-hour and you can just watch the hp come up over time as the carbon burns out. I like to ruin the guys prized "you can't burn it off" muffler paint. My contention is that if you have nice paint on a muffler, don't try to tell me that you have ever had it at operating temperature. Even my 70 Diesel will scorch a spot about midway up the muffler and take the shine right off of the manifold.

I've been in the Autolite lab, John, and believe me, they could tell what the porosity and microfinish of an insulator was, which what they call "ware" as in ceramic ware, down to the difference in electron micrographs. They used to claim that their ware was better because they dug the clay down by Carey, Ohio, at the Dolomite pit. I doubt that they ship that clay to China.

i'm lost. hello whats new? why does the density of the ware have anything to do with a plug fouling? does it allow gas to pentrate it where the gas creats a short from the the metal part of the plug to the threads in the plug hole on the tractor. i've never considered why that once a plug is fouled it want work right agin. i guess that there is a short like i'm refering to. you'll feel free to punch me full of holes on this one because i'm for sure lost on this subject. i enjoy these discussions so much. i feel like every day i don't learn something is a wasted day. sorry if you'll get tired of keeping me straight.

If the ceraminc is smoother, it will shed carbon particles. If it is filled with tiny pockets to catch the stuff, they build on one another and fouling can be accelerated. Just like eggs in a sticky skillet.

But you can clean fouled plugs. They grit blast airplane plugs all the time, at every tune up and sometimes in between. I blast old ones in my cabinet with high grit (240) aluminum oxide, and I can run them for years.

Guys, the point of my post was not to promote the merits of Autolite sprakplugs. I just thought that it was interesting that a brand and type that lots of people brag up is acutally assembled in China. That's all.

John,

Something like that, if theres an accumulation of carbon/oil/soot or other "stuff" built up on the ceramic/porcelain (whatever it is) between it and the portion of the plug that gets to the thread ground caused by the Franksters description of how it happens easier if the insulator isnt smooth n hard n has an overabundance of "holes" n "pits" IT FOULS i.e. allows current to flow n bleed off the energy instead of an arc of current across the gap......If the plug operates hotter the deposits burn off better and dont accumulate and similar if the engines not running too rich theres less unburned fuel n carbon left over to build up on the plug

Frankster,

Yep I understood your messge and intent, I thought even if made in China the manufacturing "process" (however the insulator gets its good quality) ought to still be the same if done in China or USA or our basement lol but I hear ya about the clay or whatever raw material is used n see how it could make a hugeeeeeeeeee difference. I kind of see the China thing as mostly for the cheap labor rates versus the manufacturing processes which I would think the US companies would still have pretty good control over but heck if I know

UNFORTUNATELY more n more of anything we buy is made in China and Im NOT a fan of such but thats for another discussion board. I kinda liked how Pat Buchannan was more of a protectionist but the open market free traders have pretty much won that political argument.......

Yall take care

John T

john t, thanks for the explaination. makes sense to me. i've never stopped to think about why a plug fouled. i always just knew i had to go get a new one some place and was more concerned about getting the thing up and going that taking time to figure out why it fouled in the first place. on my jd i know that if i open the needle valves up to much that the plugs would foul real quick, but on lawn mowers and other things i just need it to run and just never took time to "contimplate my navel" as they use to say years ago. i too, am concerned with jobs going over seas and other products being made and shipped to america. to me i've never been able to understand how somethng can be shipped that far and the manufacture still make a profit. from land to ship, ship to land, from port to ware house, from warehouse to distrbution center, to truck delivering it to my auto parts dealer. how do they make a profit and how can it be cheaper made in china, even with low wages paid to workers. at some time you'd think that it would be cheaper to make it here in the usa and not pay for all the shipping. i saw at the bottom of some other guys post somethng to the effect that ignorance is bliss. maybe it is after all.

Unless you are operating an AM broadcast radio, aircraft radio or Ham Radio. There is no need for resistor plugs or wires on the machine.
Resistor plugs and wire are just a point of gradual and mysterious ignition system failure.

John, I have a neighbor that had his old D running rich but he pulled a 4-14 plow packer and pony drill and it did not foul plugs cause it was warmed up good. He got stuck and left it run cause it was a hand cranker. Came and got me to pull him out and when we got back there the tractor had fouled a plug. Just pull the spark plug wire and jump the spark for 20 or 30 seconds and the plug cleaned up and started hitting. I pulled him out and he was back to plowing. I have done the same to cars when I use to work in garages. In the winter they would be towed in and some sat overnigh in the shop and would fire them up in the morning and jump the spark on a few plugs that were missing till they started firing again.

On the topic of Autlolite plugs, I just ran across this old plant open house give away alarm clock from the 60's I think. Even has a little sparkplug as the sweep second hand. My wife's aunt worked at the plant in Fostoria, and likely brought it home. Locals used to refer to the plugs disrepectfully as "Ought-to-Lights". Probably got radium on the hands, too. :0

Autolite is no different than other US industries that have decided to re-locate to China. The reputation they have earned were with quality product's made here in the states. The Chinese arm is recent & not all of the lines have moved there yet. I think they still have a plant in Mexico as well. I don't think it will take all that long for the reputation Autolite has earned to vanish once the Chinese start substituting inferior material's as they alway's seem to do, but that's just my opinion. My guess is that Autolite will go under within the next decade along with most of the other long standing US company's that have moved to China and forgotten who brought them to the dance. The worse our economy get's, the more backlash these company's will face. JMO
M-MAN