[AT] stuck plugs

[CEE VILL]

Hi John,

On a 1979 Chev. CK 20 I had a little bit similar problem.  Purchased the truck second hand in 1981 from a private owner and tried to change plugs shortly after.  The truck had 21k miles.  On the OEM AC plugs, the hex on three of them simply crumbled when I tried to turn them with a plug socked.  They were rusted nearly through from salt exposure.  The other five came out with WD 40, gentle heat and a lot of babying.  Ended up buying a #18 easy out to get into the three plug bases that were left in the heads.  It cost about $15.00 for the easy out, but it saved pulling the heads off a 350 cid engine.

Getting back to yesterday, I took a DTLX 46 carb off a tractor because the float was clearly not floating.  When I got to the float, it was coated half way around with some partly peeled resin of some type.  I finished peeling the resin and found a hole in the float as big as my thumb.  Awsome.  It appears some one at some time tried to flame solder the brass float and melted part of it away so they tried a goop rebuild.   I soon found out a new float from JD is an outrareous  $39.95 for that model carb, but it is hardly an issue to junk the tractor over.  You never know what may lurk in the dark corners of an antique tractor.

Charlie V. in WNY with a trace of new snow on the ground

> From: jthall at worldnet.att.net
> To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
> Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:51:41 -0400
> Subject: [AT] stuck plugs
> 
> Just when you thing you have seen everything...
> 
> We had a Farmall Super A in the shop doing some various repairs for the 
> owner. It was skipping so we decided to change plugs. Should have taken 10 
> minutes except none of them would move. One of them was gotten out with an 
> air wrench, another was twisted into just below the hex and the others had 
> the hex rounded off. To make a long story short we had to pull the head and 
> heat them to get them out. One of which I had to use a 3/4 drive impact 
> wrench on even after heating it twice with the torch. The plugs were a 
> mismatched set and I think a couple of them used tapered seats instead of 
> metal washers. We also think the tractor had been leaking water into the 
> combustion chambers and causing rust. It also appears this head came from a 
> different tractor since its paint job didn't match the rest of the 
> tractor--so no telling what its story is. This is one of those jobs where 
> you are glad are paid by the hour, not by the job!
> 
> John Hall 
> 
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