Re: Spark Plug Query
 

Thanks for the tip. Clearly the can of compressed air that I'm using isn't up to the job...... sounds like as good an excuse as any to by a compressor LOL.

The more I dig into stuff like this, the more I'm thinking that the previous owner had a pretty slack attitude about things..... Which doesn't speak well for being able to have a reliable daily driver that can do long trips anytime soon. I mean it runs and does all the things that it's supposed to do. But, it's little things like this that keep cropping up.

Re: Spark Plug Query
 

Buying a small pancake compressor should be all you need, it will be light weight and easy to carry around. Then you can air up your tires (if you are not using Nitrogen in your tires) and blow things off when cleaning them.

Re: Spark Plug Query
 

I used a shop vacuum with a small piece of hose taped the vac hose. necking it down to 1/4-5/16 ID hose about 6" long. Reaches into areas like around the spark plug. Sucks out stuff as you dig and scrape.

Re: Spark Plug Query
 

That works too. Good thinking.

Re: Spark Plug Query
 

I like that idea a bit better actually. One of the things I found the other night is I was just chasing crap around from one cylinder to the next. It was funny until it wasn't.

With the shop vac that wouldn't be an issue.

Re: Spark Plug Query
 

You will end up making sort of a cone shape when necking down from vac hose size to small tube. If your vac motor sounds like it is being "starved"/held back, poke a few small holes in the tape at cone to allow some relief for vac motor. Don't want to burn it up.

Re: Spark Plug Query
 

AZKen has already brought up the fact that 73-74 379, 432 and 478M V6 engines use a short tapered plug which was originally the AC R43T plug superseded by the AC 10 plug which I have a set of and will probably never use. Other factors to consider is the newer big cubic inch head has larger valves than the stock 305D head. 379's share the same intake valves with later 305E engines(305D have smaller valves) and have the larger Magnum Sodium filled exhaust valves, while the 432 and 478 heads have the larger Magnum intake valves over the 379. To find out which later model head you have a look at the intake and exhaust port sizes will determine that. 379 heads have the smaller ports like the 305. 432 & 478 are the big port Magnum heads, I think your best bet is to find a matching set of heads. I would also like to mention that not all 73-74 478M engines used the short tapered plugs. A replacement crate engine built in 73-74 could have the 3/4 long reach plugs for older applications. I have a late 73 478 that came out of tilt cab TM7500 series with the short tapered plug while the 74 478M in my 68 was a new replacement crate engine that came out of a 63 6500 series tilt cab and came with the 3/4 long reach plugs.:ok:

Re: Spark Plug Query
 

Having two different heads/plugs, and who knows what else, does not feel right. If you were here in U.S. you could find some matching heads, as said. Over there, it is probably going to be difficult, but send out feelers on the wanted here and maybe contact the guy mentioned by Bobdylan. Shipping from here would be really high but if you want to pay for it, let us know. Someone will have heads. If you can get into a container being shipped over, it could be free if you know a guy who knows a guy.

Re: Spark Plug Query
 

I've a set of 68 305E heads that were freshened up shortly before I started the 478 conversion:upyes:

Re: Spark Plug Query
 

Thanks for the tip. I've sent out a feeler. He's going to get back to me. [emoji106]

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