Champion vs Tempest Sparkplugs

[jpusser]

Just wandering if anyone is using the tempest sparkplugs.  I have a 62C and wanted to know, is everyone using the rem38e.  Is anyone using the rem40e.  The tempest plugs are cheaper and I really like there oil filters.

[jetdriven]

The Tempest plugs used to be called Autolite and the production line were bought by Tempest.  That said I think we are going with Tempest fine wires in the future, as the Champion massive-electrode plugs are low tech and foul, and the Champion fine-wires are 85$ vs 50$ for the Tempest.

[N1282X]

I would go with Tempest in a heartbeat. Here is the reason...The next time you clean your Champion plugs, do as the Champion Service manual requires and measure the resistance of the center conductor. You will be surprised how many of your plugs will be high resistance but still seem to work fine. I have found that some plugs will measure more than 100k ohms when a new Tempest is very steady at 1 k ohm, even after 500 hours. I think Champion has been sitting on their laurals for far too long without competition. I will never buy another Champion plug until they reengineer it. For what its worth..

[alex]

I have never had any problems with the Champion fine wire plugs. You can definately feel the difference, although not as much as I did with the twin. I thought about buying the tempest but I was told that they were garbage because many were having problems with the thread consistently fitting correctly in Lycomings. Rather than worry about potential problems I went with Champion. Not throwing poop at tempest, just sayin'

[thinwing]

you were told the tempest plugs threading is somehow different or substandard ...Alex that makes no sense what so ever.They are cnc machined to std threading ....lycoming/continental makes no difference.They are basically an upgraded autolite design as stated....one thing I do like over the champion is that rather than being painted they are nikel plated...an obvious improvement over the champions.I only have about 100 hrs on my set installed in a Lycoming tio540 and they threaded and torqued down normally.I guess time will tell but these plugs were designed to last 500 hrs...I have removed plenty of rusted lycoming plugs lately...the main advantage is that the fine wires are supposed to be kinder to the Magnetos....especially at high alitude...my 2 cents..kpc

[Will.iam]

Not to beat up a dead horse but Mike Bush just did a webinar over this very topic and has also confirmed that Champion spark plugs are going up in resistance with use.  He recommends replacing any spark plug with a resistance greater than 5k.  Since a new plug should be between 1k and 2k.  Also stated the champion fine wire plugs are cracking their ceramic insulators from going too slowly through the red zone while trying to find rich of peak.  Mike suggested to either goto lean very quickly or switch out to tempest plugs if you are going to fly LOP.  My plugs were in the 10k and greater range! so I'm switching out to tempest fine wire with a small mortgage.  Mike also stated the tempest massive plugs also do not rise in resistance and that is what he uses in his twin as the plugs are a 1/3 cheaper and with his LOP flying doesn't see the advantage of fine wire for fouling in his aircraft.  FYI.

 

[Prior owner]

I have been using the Tempest UREM37BY plugs with great success. No more fouling.

[47U]

2 minutes ago, nosky2high said:

Two words...Fine Wire.

I would agree that fine wires are optimum for performance and longevity (cheaper in the long run), but the comptroller gets a say, too.  

I’ve got a BY on the shelf going in my lower #4 next time I’ve got the cowling off.  All those pesky screws.  Happy to hear Pilot Coyote has provided an endorsement.

[M20F]

Gil and Champion suck 

[Jim Peace]

Temepst customer service is great.....they sent me a whole new set of finewire plugs after I lost an electrode,,,but this is when they were not making them in house....not sure they would or have to do that anymore......so far so good....1964C

[PT20J]

Champion plugs used to have a removable resistor that would go bad. At the museum, where we have hundreds of plugs, we'd often swap resistors if we found a plug with high resistance. A few years ago Champion changed to a sealed design similar to the Autolite (Tempest). I don't think the new ones are likely to be an issue but I don't have any data other than I've got 200 hrs on the set that came with my rebuilt IO-360 and they all measure under 2K ohms.

LOP mixtures are harder to ignite than richer mixtures. The supposed advantage of fine wires is due to the spark occurring deeper into the combustion chamber. In theory, BY plugs (which were created to help with fouling issues) should do the same thing at lower initial cost, but I haven't tried it.

Skip 

[Guest]

I replace all 16 fine wires in my 400 with Tempest fine wire plugs, it was a memorable invoice.  Most of my ChamPion fine wires hard tiny cracks and splits in the electrodes.

Clarence

[Hector]

I have been using the Tempest UREM37BY plugs with great success. No more fouling.

Agree, over 6 years without a fouled plug


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