Champion X plug differences

[Ruxstel24]

Why do some X plugs have a longer thread reach ?
Are the shorter ones for a low head or does it make a difference ?

[TWrenn]

Steve Jelf knows more, but something tells me the one on the right may be an original, the left one is
probably a repop that they often refer to as the "brass hat" style. Best guess I can give.

[Rich Eagle]

Champion made dozens of different styles, lengths and heat ranges as you may know. This shows a few of them. The highlighted ones look a bit like yours. One for Ford cars and a longer one for Fordson tractors. The longer one may be for a car also.

They also changed shapes over the years. Added ribs etcetera.
Steve and other know much more.
Rich

[TXGOAT2]

The long styles may have been intended for large gas engines such as were used in factories and oilfiled work.

[RajoRacer]

The one on the right is earlier - just after the smooth side X - notice it still has the small threaded shank.

[Rich Eagle]

This ad shows BOTH being for Model T.

It is a 1928 ad and the plugs closely resemble yours. I'm surprised the brass top was still available.
Rich

[Ruxstel24]

Thanks guys,
Nice ads Rich, I see the Fordson is an A-24 and is useable in cars, while the long reach in the other ad is an A-25.
It also appears the "brass hats" were used back when.
Interested to hear what the Geezer Guru Steve has to add

[Scott_Conger]

I am not the "Geezer Guru" but there are plenty of threads on the MTFCA forums past, which document the short base as the "X" (both straight-sided as well as ribbed) which were originally called for the Ford Car as standard equipment, and the "X-long" as standard equipment for the Fordson Tractor (which came later). Finally, and a bit later, both styles were approved for all Ford Cars (and likely used for new cars*).

* statement in parentheses is my opinion and not documented...all other information is documented in the forums and supported by vintage literature

[Wayne Sheldon]

As I recall (not absolutely certain?), the brass tops came out about 1920 or very shortly after.
As for the longer reach? There must have been nearly a dozen minor variations over many years. I know I once had six of the things laying side by side on a table, and the reach on all six were different. In other details, ribs etc, they were all alike.
There were even similar plugs with a deep reach nearly an inch longer than the longer one shown above. Those LONG reach plugs were used on several makes of cars (including Metz!), tractors, and stationary engines. (If anyone has some of those LONG reach plugs and wants to find them a home? I can help with that. I even saw a plug with a reach nearly four inches long! I don't know what that one fit.

[RajoRacer]

I have quite a bunch of NOS Champion X insulators in the boxes - notice in the ad above that the A-105 was the first double ribbed with the smaller shank & small brass nut & the A-205 was the double ribbed with the brass top. I also have a few A-105 smooth side insulators left. I'll get some additional photos later.

[dr1960]

Here is a great article from Royce Peterson

https://modeltfordfix.com/model-t-spark ... nthusiast/

[Steve Jelf]

I'm surprised the brass top was still available.

I don't believe the brass tops have ever been out of production. You can buy them new today, and they are ungodly expensive. I once bought one just to see what it was like, but I use originals which can often be found at swap meets for well under $10, sometimes for $2 or $3.

Here's my page on X plugs: http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG95.html.

[Ruxstel24]

Thanks fellas !
Nice articles from Steve and Royce.

[Ruxstel24]

Wayne I will check, seems like I saw a longer reach plug in my stash.

[Ruxstel24]

Wayne....
I found this, and I have another place to look.
I think I have something similar that’s complete.

[Terry_007]

It's always been interesting to me to see so many variations in the Champion and AC stories and in what is assumed about the spark plugs labeled as "Champion," particularly the X as used in our Model Ts.

I've collected spark plugs for over 40 years, and was a former editor of the Spark Plug Collectors of America publication "The Ignitor." It's been interesting to try and piece together the story of Albert Champion the man himself, and the companies he was associated with - Neiuport, Champion, and the Champion Ignition Company, and the AC spark plug, which of course represents his initials, Albert Champion. Much of the information is contained in a very thoroughly researched work on the life of Albert Champion, "The Fast Times of Albert Champion" by Peter Nye.
For info I've added a couple of photos I think you'll find interesting.

Champion was of course French, and worked for Neiuport, a maker of magnetos, spark plugs and other automotive electrical components. He later began producing a spark plug with his own name on it, still based on the design work he had done for Neiuport. The similarities between examples of these two rare spark plugs are uncanny as can be seen in the photographs.

Champions association with Robert and Frank Stranahan was a business partnership, with Champion providing the technical expertise, and the Stranahans providing the business skills to make the company successful. The Albert Champion Company was founded in 1905 in Boston.
By 1908, the relationship with the Stranahans began to sour and Albert Champion decided to leave and work with William Durant, producing spark plugs for his Buick automobiles, in Flint Michigan. It was the Stranahans that prevented him from using his own name on the spark plugs. Of course he used his initials instead. However, his new Flint based company was still known as "The Champion Ignition Company." A law suit ensured, that was finally settled in 1922. Champion was no longer permitted to use his name for the company, and it became the AC Spark Plug Company. Of course his initials had been used on "AC" spark plugs since long before then. By 1911, the Stranahan's Champion Spark Plug Company had moved to Toledo Ohio to be near the Overland automobile company, with whom they had a contract to supply spark plugs for their automobiles.

The Champion X was created about that time. As a matter of interest, the X plug itself was not patented. - it was trade marked (#71087552) on June 24, 1915 and was registered with the United States Patent and Trade Mark office. At that time, the statement "Reg. U.S Patent Office." first appeared on the spark plugs themselves. Contrary to what has been stated in numerous articles written about Champion X plugs, the words "Patent Pending" were never used, and no additional information including the name "Champion" ever appeared on the "side" of the plug. The name was only ever printed on the porcelain insulator itself. A true "patent" was granted to R.A. Stranahan on April 25th, 1916 for the method used to seal the insulator into the plug shell using their own design of gasketing. The illustration used in the patent itself resembles a Champion X spark plug, although it is not labeled as such.

There has been a lot of conversation amongst Model T enthusiasts, particularly brass era, about which plugs are "correct" for use in the earliest Ts. I've heard people even try to define the size, shape, and color shading of the red lettering and the size of the X. What is seen in early advertising is of course some degree of "artistic license." Brand standards specifying exact spacing and size of lettering and for the X itself seem not to exist. What is seen today as variations on surviving plugs represents the product of numerous stamping operations over the time of production of the plugs. There will be fluctuations in paint coloring mix to be expected, and also minute differences in the dies used to stamp that information before the plugs were glazed and received their final firing before assembly. As those dies began to wear and were eventually replaced with fresh new dies, there would also have been numerous variations in the quality of the finished product. Millions of the plugs were produced, and it's illogical to expect the first one to match the entire production precisely down to the last one made. The only certainties are - the straight sided porcelain Champion X without any reference to being trademarked first appeared in 1911 in the Model T. Plugs marked "Reg. U.S. Pat. Off." did not appear prior to the trademark being registered in 1915.

Occasionally, a Champion X plug will appear that is printed in a color other than red. One thing that Champion was very strict about, was that their name and the X did appear in red. A law suit they brought against Mosler in the teens was largely based on Mosler's unfair competition by creating a "similar" plug printed in look-alike red lettering.

It is a widely held belief among serious collectors that plugs printed with Champion X in colors other than red were counterfeit. It was a common problem then, as it is today. Many companies also produced replacement porcelain insulators and they may also be a product of an obscure auto accessory parts manufacturer.

The straight sided porcelain insulators continued in production for many years. In 1916, Champion added a variation to the mix. The Champion Spark Plug Company acquired the Jeffrey Dewitt company in order to obtain mineral rights to deposits of Sillimanite, which was used to produce an insulating ceramic far superior to anything on the market. Jeffrey Dewitt has successfully produced and sold the J-D and Reliance brand spark plugs. During the transition, for a brief time, Champion plugs jointly carried the "Reliance" name on them. At that time, Champion adopted their "brass hat" feature. So-it's safe to state that Champion did not manufacture spark plugs prior to 1916 that had a "brass hat" on top.
By 1920 the two ribbed insulator began to appear, and by 1923 some Champion spark plugs without the brass hat began to appear in their advertising, including the X.

One plug that continues to show up in articles written about the Model T and the Champion spark plugs, is a priming plug fitted with a champion X insulator. Wile it is true that Champion (along with many other companies) did manufacture a variety of priming type spark plugs that "could" have been used in a Model T, Champion never produced a Champion X in a priming plug configuration. The plug often shown has had its porcelain core replaced with that of a Champion X. Some would refer to it as a "period conversion" while some would simply call it a "fake."

In the photos, which for some reason appear in the opposite order I added them -

Bottom photo - you'll first find an example of three plugs - an early pre-Model T plug with the Champion name on it, a Neiuport spark plug produced by Albert Champion prior to his using the Champion, and another similar plug called an "anti-soot" that I included as an example of how similar plugs with different names existed in the early 1900s.

The next photo up shows an example of the earliest style of Champion spark plugs. This is the oldest Champion plug in my collection, and one of the earliest known to exist among collectors.

The next photo up shows a 1916 Champion plug produced briefly following the acquisition of the Jeffrey Dewitt company. It's unknown how long this type of plug remained in production, but it is one of the earliest Champion spark plugs to use the "brass hat" style.

The top photo is an early Mosler spark plug as supplied to the Ford Motor Company prior to the use of the Champion X plugs. Note it is marked "Ford Motor Company" stamped in the body of the plug itself. I do not know exactly when this plug was used but it may have been prior to the Model T.

So-from the eyes of a long-time collector with a thirst for knowledge - enjoy the additional information. If you have anything to add-especially documentation, early dated advertising, or examples from your own spark plug collections, feel free to chime in.
Terry

[Terry_007]

Oops forgot to address Ruxstel24's post about his long-bodied spark plug. I'm 99.9% sure its a plug called "Gets."
Terry

[Steve Jelf]

I think there are even more brands of plugs to fit a Model T than there are timers.

[Terry_007]

Right Steve - it's a kind of specialty for collectors. I know you've got a nice collection and were very kind to send one of your Hershey finds to me a couple of years ago. Hope to see you again this fall.
Terry