Did the '67 GT500's come with an Autolite BF42 spark plug with the star on them or did they come with something else ?
Thanks..Greg.
Quote from: Fast Fords on January 02, 2019, 10:14:05 PM
Did the '67 GT500's come with an Autolite BF42 spark plug with the star on them or did they come with something else ?
Thanks..Greg.
BF 42 is what is called out for in the 67 Shelby owners manual. The star plug is what was being manufactured at the time.
Thanks Bob.
What would a set of star plugs be worth ?
Quote from: Fast Fords on January 02, 2019, 10:29:40 PM
Thanks Bob.
What would a set of star plugs be worth ?
I hate pricing other peoples stuff.
As my Dad used to tell me . son you cant be both the buyer and the seller. You put the parts out at what you think they should go for and see if they sell. If they dont then you adjust accordingly.
the 42s are way more plentifull than the 32s
There was also a transitional Autolite plug that might have been used during this time. Did not have the star logo but also were not the more common Power Tip plugs that I believe started showing up in 1968. Basically same as the star logo plug without the star, same fonts, typically found in the star boxes.
We had a nice discussion about these on the old forum, IIRC it was thought these were used in the late 66-67 time frame. I've tried to find more info on these but haven't been very successful.
Quote from: acman63 on January 03, 2019, 10:31:08 AM
As my Dad used to tell me . son you cant be both the buyer and the seller. You put the parts out at what you think they should go for and see if they sell. If they dont then you adjust accordingly.
the 42s are way more plentifull than the 32s
If the owners manual says 42's, that's Ford data and I can't argue with that but every "high-performance" Ford engine that I know of uses 32's.
About 5 years ago Motorcraft discontinued 32's and modified the listings to show that the 42 was the same as the 32. It is not. I wonder if they re-printed the owners manual to reflect that? (joke here, don't have a hissy fit!) ;)
Often when running Webers on the street, 42's will work a little cleaner but they are a kind of an rpm limiter.
With an FE I'm not sure how significant that is simply because they largely are 6,000 to 6,500 rpm engines and a 42 would limit the rpm anyway with a 10.5:1 ACTUAL compression ratio to that range (5,000 to 6,000 or so).
DO NOT RUN BF32's. They're too cold and they'll foul quickly. Ask me how I know. My dual quad 428 makes a mess of them, as do most. Bob Gaines will tell you the same. The owner's manual calls for BF42. Autolites supersede to a 45.
If you are not competing in a judged class I would run the NGK V-Power WR5 plugs. They are 2.99 a plug from Summit.
Here is the link. -Keith
https://www.summitracing.com/tx/search?SortBy=BestKeywordMatch&SortOrder=Ascending&keyword=NGK%20wr5
Can the judges even see what plugs are in there? :o
Doug, I often wonder how they "inspect" many things that are supposed to be OEM. I have 16 BF32s here. I saw the BF32 in the Ford performance handbook and bought them based on that recommendation. They just do not run well. Perhaps they would be fine if I beat the snot out of it somewhere, but it's got too expensive to flog an FE these days. Parts don't fall off trees anymore.
-Keith
Quote from: shelbydoug on January 03, 2019, 06:30:56 PM
Can the judges even see what plugs are in there? :o
You would be surprised. It depends on how the plug ends up being oriented in the head and how the boot fits. Many times you can see the heat range number and other times the star. Just last season I judged a 65 that instead of BF32 Star plugs had at least one of the plugs some off color heat range . It was most likely a break in plug that the owner forgot to exchange. I could see just enough of the printing peeking out from under the boot to determine what it was.
Well perhaps I'm an anomaly, I've used nothing but BF 32's all my life, that's what came on my KR, new off of the lot. I used 32's on my 427 2 X 4 1966 Cobra, ran her up to 165 MPH, AND plenty of city driving, 32's in my 68 427 GT-E, runs like a scalded dog. As far as I'm concerned, the parts book says 32's for all HP for engines, and I couldn't agree more. I have several sets that I'll, probably never use, as they don't fail.
It is not much of a issue now but I can remember back in the day when we were driving the big block cars more on a daily basis that it was common to switch to the BF 42 plug because it was slightly hotter and did not foul out so quickly like the BF 32's did. Don't get me wrong the BF32's were a better performance plug but you only had to do a few of those mandatory pain in the behind plug changes on a car you depended on for transportation to school and or work before you decided to compromise to the BF42's in a CJ Mustang or Shelby.
Quote from: Bob Gaines on January 03, 2019, 07:36:26 PM
It is not much of a issue now but I can remember back in the day when we were driving the big block cars more on a daily basis that it was common to switch to the BF 42 plug because it was slightly hotter and did not foul out so quickly like the BF 32's did. Don't get me wrong the BF32's were a better performance plug but you only had to do a few of those mandatory pain in the behind plug changes on a car you depended on for transportation to school and or work before you decided to compromise to the BF42's in a CJ Mustang or Shelby.
You are both correct but it depends on perspective. I would lean to the 42 with a 67 GT500 with an automatic trans. That's something that you need to be concerned with being in stop and go traffic with the "original transportation" scenario.
I honestly also think that the pcv set up effects the plugs fouling a lot. In that the original '67 pcv set up for some reason is bogus. It doesn't work. Not connected to the air cleaner, it doesn't, but hold on.
I have been using oil scrapers lately installed in line with the pcv connected to the intake manifold and have found that it reduces the oil dumped into the intake manifold. That helps keeping the plugs from fouling sooner.
So MAYBE SA is/was RIGHT in NOT connecting the pcv directly into the intake manifold on the '67s? Hum? And I thought that was a screw up? Great big silly me. ;D
If you are using period NOS Autolites, you might be just fine, but as much as it pains me to admit this, being a Ford die-hard, modern Autolite plugs just aren't the same as they used to be.
Same can be said for Champion.....and Goodyear tires.
For anything actually being used, and that includes my nearly 900 horse big blocks, I now use nothing but NGK. 😳 Blasphemy, I know.
One of my favorite vintage performance logos -
- Phillip
(http://www.saacforum.com/gallery/134-030119210119.jpeg)
Quote from: 2112 on January 03, 2019, 08:56:46 PM
If you are using period NOS Autolites, you might be just fine, but as much as it pains me to admit this, being a Ford die-hard, modern Autolite plugs just aren't the same as they used to be.
Same can be said for Champion.....and Goodyear tires.
For anything actually being used, and that includes my nearly 900 horse big blocks, I now use nothing but NGK. 😳 Blasphemy, I know.
Interesting observation! Here's my experience. I have NGK's in my Pantera. Their heat range is expanded and is in between a 32 and a 42.
The most accurate plugs made now conforming to the original heat ranges of plugs, you're gonna hate me, get ready...are Champions. They are the only ones that have the originial heat ranges.
I use them to determine the best plug to run, then switch them to the NGK's. I have those in my 68 GT350 w/347 and AFR heads.
I'm very impressed with their quaility BUT f9y's are right on it. Sorry!
Can they work? Sure, if I am willing to chase down failing plugs and swap them out hoping the replacement will continue to function as promised.
If I want to put in 8 plugs and have them work right out of the boxes, for the effective life span of the plugs, I use NGK. I just don't like fighting defective plugs if I don't have to. And these are in boat engines with all the access in the world (albeit 16 plugs).
#7 & #8 in an FE in a Mustang? I would rather do it once & put in plugs that I can count on.
Just my 2 cents.
Doug:
I wish I had a dollar for every champion plug that was replaced under warranty when I worked for Chrysler as the Wholesale Export parts director for about six months waiting for my slot at the academy. Why they chose to use them I'll never know, but the crazy failures I saw I have never seen with another manufacturer. It must have cost Chrysler/Jeep millions of dollars in labor.
I steer clear of Champion plugs. I'd rather have ran AC plugs than Champions!
I didn't speak of their quality, just of their temperature range accuracy in the Fords. I'm not saying that you are wrong and I am right. I'm just sharing my experiences in that others may use it to find their own path.
When I actually relied on them, the main issue I had was that they had accelerated tip wear.
I do not have any experience with the original Autolite 's but do with the Motorcrafts and some with the AC's.
To me, the Motorcraft and the AC's are the same plug and I originally had issues all along compounded with weak stock ignition systems.
Then, all I could do was deal with it wrongly as a plug temperature range issue. Now I know better.
That just manifested itself when I started with Webers in about '78. That needed to be resolved and now is. Once the spark strength was there, the temperature ranges of the Motorcrafts became effective for me and the 32's worked and became the plug of choice.
If you run a stock ignition system, issues will/could emerge and look like the plugs.
It is important to acknowledge that there are multiple factors running concurrently here and it isn't just the plugs. For instance, if you change the cam from stock, that's another factor.
A BF42 is an adequate solution, albeit a factory band-aid but don't blame plugs for other issues/considerations. It actually is not simple and gets complicated including what spark plug wires you are using.
Remember the factory's concern over 7-8 cross fire? :o
What year did the autolite BF 32's come out with the GT 40 on the box ?
The red and black Motorcraft with the GT 40 box is 70's.
Autolite and the GT40 logo
Saw this used set of star logo BF-42's this morning if anyone is interested. Not mine, just passing it on...
https://www.ebay.com/itm//362625080270 (https://www.ebay.com/itm//362625080270)