Vintage Minor Register

I hear on the grapevine that the Green Spark Plug Company has commissioned the manufacture of 10,000, (yes, 10,000!!!), long-reach, 18mm spark-plugs. These ¾ inch reach plugs have been virtually unobtainable for many years, other than from the occasional hoard of ex-W.D. stock, and then at prices of up to £20 per plug!

Many owners have been forced to settle for short-reach plugs, and consequently inefficient combustion, but the advantages of having the ignition spark occurring where it was intended, rather than half-an-inch back inside the cylinder head, are inestimable.

These long-reach plugs are essential equipment for our Minors and M Types. The good news is that the price of these plugs is expected to be £5 or £6 each.

Paul will be crying into his hot milk!!! 5/- was the price for many, many years. I never throw a plug away and have hundreds. I like Lodge 3 point. Highlander.

This is great news. As Ian says, with the 1/2" plugs the tip is buried deep in the head. However, if anyone wants to see what difference it makes before forking out £20/30 then I can recommend 'modern' long reach 14mm plugs with 18/14mm adapters. I'm using Champion N9YC which bring the tip to where it should be. I wasn't expecting too much when I fitted them but the improvement is quite surprising. The adapters are quite cheap as are the N9YCs.
Lets hope the new plugs come in more than one grade.
Cheers,
Ian
The adapters were £3.05 each from Tim Hodgekiss

Yes, there will be a variety of heat ranges. I'll find out what is best for our cars.

I may have thrown my plug out of the pram too soon!!. I thought 1/2" was correct for my s/v. I will look for some 3/4" in my box and see if I can make 50mph!!!! Highlander.

From Tim Green:

"Yes we have had some KLG ML50 made with the vintage Morris Minors in mind. For the last 30 or 40 years nobody seems to have manufactured a long reach 18mm plug and these plugs we have had manufactured are the equivalent to the Champion 7COML and the Lodge CB3. It's a big venture for us so any promotion for this would be fantastic and much appreciated."

So get your orders in!

http://www.gsparkplug.com/products/spark_plug/klg/ml50

(This link is only good for this week as Tim is rebuilding his website next week.)

http://www.gsparkplug.com/shop/klg-ml50.html
This is the new link that is now working.

Have just read on the PWMN site that the new plugs overheat!

Ian

And how, the car was undrivable.
Have now tried the car on a set of Lodge CB3 plugs (The equivalent of ML50)and it is perfect, it would appear that they are not the same!

I had just ordered a set of ML50's before I saw Trevor's post. Not sure whether to send them straight back or give them a try in a cammy engine as Trevor was using his in a 34 side valve Minor which according to Harry Edwards Book should have 1/2" reach Champion 7, which may well be a typographical error.

OK - here's the story on these plugs from Tim Green.

"Hi Ian,

We have this issue with all sorts of spark plugs and we have to explain the following to our customers about 5 times a day. It's all to do with new fuels and how you start your engines when putting new plugs in.

If the engine hasn't started straight away you will probably have wet the spark plugs. Once the spark plugs have been coated on the inside there is a possibility that an additive which has already been added by the fuel manufacturer to unleaded petrol causes the spark to track down to earth. Even with wire brushing and trying to burn it off it will carry on doing so. The procedure when replacing new plugs is to have your engine already started and warm first on the old plugs, then put your new plugs in. The highest resistance with the spark is when the plug is new and unused.

Tim"

I will be ordering several sets.

Well he would say that would't he!!!!Highlander.

I'll stay with the NGK plugs, no problems with modern fuels

Reagrds,
Halbe

I have just ordered some of these plugs.
I will try anything to get a decent time at Prescott