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Pick the Right Plug For Power

Plug For Power Autolite Race Plug
Note the shallow ceramic insulator... 
   
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Plug For Power Autolite Race Plug
Note the shallow ceramic insulator on the plug on the left. This is a very cold Autolite race plug. The greater length of ceramic with the plug on the right creates a longer heat path, which makes this a much hotter plug.
Plug For Power Spark Plugs
The spark-plug companies don't... 
   
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Plug For Power Spark Plugs
The spark-plug companies don't make heat ranges easy to remember. Companies like AC, ACCEL, Autolite, Bosch, and Champion use lower numbers for colder plugs, while NGK and Denso use higher numbers for colder heat ranges.
Plug For Power Reading A Spark Plug
Learning to read spark plugs... 
   
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Plug For Power Reading A Spark Plug
Learning to read spark plugs can start with looking at the three tiers of engine operation as indicated on the plugs' porcelain insulators.
Plug For Power Black Specles On Ceramic Insulator
Too much ignition timing can... 
   
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Plug For Power Black Specles On Ceramic Insulator
Too much ignition timing can cause detonation. This is most easily read on a spark plug's ceramic insulator as black speckles.
Plug For Power Over Advanced Ignition Timing
The ground strap is a great... 
   
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Plug For Power Over Advanced Ignition Timing
The ground strap is a great heat indicator. Over-advanced ignition timing can cause the ground strap to discolor and in extreme cases can cause the strap to melt.
Plug For Power Af Ratio W Unleaded Fuel
A light tan ring near the... 
   
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Plug For Power Af Ratio W Unleaded Fuel
A light tan ring near the bottom of the porcelain is an indication of A/F ratio with unleaded fuel. This is a very subtle trend, so you should also use other measuring devices, like a wide-band oxygen sensor and/or quarter-mile trap speed numbers as reinforcing evidence.

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