Small V8

[kcmillin]

Steve, I recently made a set of plugs using the same materials. I used locktite sleve retainer on a few to hold them together, it definitely holds tight, but two of them have a short somewhere, and won't spark. The epoxy'd ones works fine.

Can you ask the locktite guy what the electrical properties of their product is? Maybe I did something wrong.

Kel

 

[jpeter]

Hey Steve, if you can gather me up some locktite stuff. I'm gonna have to miss the meeting. I spent a night in the hospital and the doc won't let me drive for a day or two.

Thanks,

 

[stevehuckss396]

Do you want me to pick you up on the way?

 

[stevehuckss396]

For my next problem, the solder wont stick to my wire that i'm using for the electrode. I think its nichrome. What should I try. I think I can get .020 spring wire. Or should I look at crimping the cap on?

Here is the failed prototype #1 with the cap super glued on.

 

[Lakc]

For solder to stick, you may have to tin or copper plate it first. You can copper plate with drain root killer, but thats another topic.

You could always crimp it.

That looks awesome!

 

[jpeter]

Do you want me to pick you up on the way?

Why not, it'd only be a couple hundred miles extra for you. I get my privileges back in the morning.

Say, fine looking sparkplugs. Fastening the cap on is gonna be fun. You outta try spot welding it. If the wire went all the way through the cap you could attach a power source of some sort to it. Touch the other polarity to the cap and you might get a weld that would be good enough. Think too about silver solder, then press the element in after the attachment is made. You'll find a way.

 

[stevehuckss396]

Why not, it'd only be a couple hundred miles extra for you. I get my privileges back in the morning.

His Eminence won't be there either. His broken thumb is worse than they thought and they are in there right now putting in some plates and screws. Rick sure has had a bad start to the summer.

I'll see if I can double up on the goodie bags!!

 

[GailInNM]

Steve,
If you really want to use the nichrome wire for the center electrode, how about making it only go up halfway in the insulator and follow it with some music wire of the same diameter up to the terminal. As long as they are touching there should not be any problem. Even if they are near touching it should work OK except that you will read open if you measure with an ohm meter. Think spark intensifier. You will already have a much bigger gap in the system in your distributor.
Gail in NM

 

[stevehuckss396]

Steve,
If you really want to use the nichrome wire for the center electrode, how about making it only go up halfway in the insulator and follow it with some music wire of the same diameter up to the terminal. As long as they are touching there should not be any problem. Even if they are near touching it should work OK except that you will read open if you measure with an ohm meter. Think spark intensifier. You will already have a much bigger gap in the system in your distributor.
Gail in NM

Thanks Mr. Graham but I would prefer to put a single electrode in there. I am not firm on the nichrome. McMaster Carr has music wire the size I need. If it will work Ill order it right now. I just need a material that will solder to brass and i'll get it. They have 15 types of flux to so i am not sure what i need. AAHHH!!! I got a head ache!!

 

[GailInNM]

That's good by me Steve. Just offering a possible option.

I am using music wire (1/32 dia) on my plugs. As I recall it eroded about 0.010 inch in 300 hours of operation at 2000 rpm. The ground electrode probably wore away 1/2 that amount also.

Music wire to brass solders easy. Just clean the music wire up well as most of it has oil and other crud from the drawing process on the surface. I use standard electronic flux.

FWIW, 0.020 music wire is a stock K&S item at most hobby shops that deal with RC cars or airplanes.
Gail in NM

 

[Lakc]

Why not, it'd only be a couple hundred miles extra for you. I get my privileges back in the morning.

Say, fine looking sparkplugs. Fastening the cap on is gonna be fun. You outta try spot welding it. If the wire went all the way through the cap you could attach a power source of some sort to it. Touch the other polarity to the cap and you might get a weld that would be good enough. Think too about silver solder, then press the element in after the attachment is made. You'll find a way.

I have an almost complete spot welder, but that is yet another project I started for battery tabs. Half a dozen huge capacitors and an SCR. In terms of ease, I think plating would be a little easier, but not as much fun without the sparks flying.

 

[stevehuckss396]

Can you ask the locktite guy what the electrical properties of their product is? Maybe I did something wrong.

Sorry Kel but the guy never showed up.

 

[kcmillin]

Thanks anyway Steve. I think something else may be wrong with my plugs now. I can't quite figure it out.

Kel

 

[mu38&Bg#]

Music wire solders with regular solder well, just be sure to sand the area you want to solder to. Tinning the wire first to makes sure you've gotten it hot enough helps ensure you'll get a good joint.

 

[Lakc]

Full size plugs use a sillment seal between the insulator and shell.
http://www.trademarkia.com/sillment-71378877.html
From what I understand its just a finely ground insulator material. I recall being able to recover some of it from old spark plugs, so it shouldnt be too hard to use the "right stuff".
High voltages can be extremely intolerant to poor insulators, so this might not be a good use for loctite.

 

[stevehuckss396]

Full size plugs use a sillment seal between the insulator and shell.
http://www.trademarkia.com/sillment-71378877.html
From what I understand its just a finely ground insulator material. I recall being able to recover some of it from old spark plugs, so it shouldnt be too hard to use the "right stuff".
High voltages can be extremely intolerant to poor insulators, so this might not be a good use for loctite.

I think epoxy will be just fine. It's been used by many on the forum and works well.

 

[gbritnell]

Steve,
I have been following along on your spark plug build. The only issue you have is trying to join the cap to the center electrode wire? Why not silver solder them together and then press the whole thing into the insulator?
George

 

[stevehuckss396]

Steve,
I have been following along on your spark plug build. The only issue you have is trying to join the cap to the center electrode wire? Why not silver solder them together and then press the whole thing into the insulator?
George

I tried to solder the cap on but I had Nichrome wire in there. I ordered 1018 (music wire) from McMaster Carr and some flux that better suits the job. I think the wire may have been the problem along with the wrong flux. Should have the problem solved tomorrow.

 

[stevehuckss396]

It's been a while but I wanted to report that I recieved my misic wire and brazing flux and the cap bonded without any trouble at all.

I was making insulators and found that the corian snapped off with the slightest wrong move. My friend ron offered his sherline CNC lathe for the production. I made the prototype by hand to make sure the piece fit well and fit the bill. The last few days have been writing and testing Gcode and holy cow did we learn. We have never done anything CNC on the lathe. What a blast. With some increadibly light cutting we managed to get 100% good parts with no snap offs. We actually cut some corian down to .074 diameters with success.

After the code was written we made pieces from corian in white, black, and blue. I am going to use the black in one of the V8's. We even cut them in wood (did'nt work well) and clear acrylic. What a blast!

I have to give the lathe back so I will start making the brass caps and start soldering. Should have some plugs ready by the end of the weekend.

 

[metalmad]

Wow I love that clear plug. At the time I was happy with the plug, I made for The "Sow" but u have taken it to a whole new level.
Truly Inspiring.
Pete