Farm Equipment - D17 IV spark plug

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D17 IV spark plug

Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=181426
Printed Date: 18 Dec 2025 at 7:00pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: D17 IV spark plug

Posted By: Ryan Renko
Subject: D17 IV spark plug
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2021 at 6:32pm

What is the most favorable spark plug to use? I know some brands are junk compared to others. Thank you.

Replies:

Posted By: PaulB
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2021 at 7:07pm

In the last few years I've been using NGK plugs exclusively. I've had some in a tractor for over 10 years and with the EI conversion they look almost new. Where as some of the AC plugs I've been taking out are fouled. Don't waste you money on Champions as 40 years ago in a box of 10 you had at least 2 dead ones.

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If it was fun to pull in LOW gear, I could have a John Deere.
Real pullers don't have speed limits.
If you can't make it GO... make it SHINY

Posted By: Steve in NJ
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2021 at 7:24pm

Autolites or NGK's I would recommend.....

Steve@B&B

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39'RC, 43'WC, 48'B, 49'G, 50'WF, 65 Big 10, 67'B-110, 75'716H, 2-620's, & a Motorhead wife

Posted By: Alex09(WI)
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2021 at 7:58pm

I use autolites

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www.awtractor.com
A&W TRACTOR 920-598-1287
KEEPING ALLIS-CHALMERS IN THE FIELDS THROUGH THE 21ST CENTURY

Posted By: Ryan Renko
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2021 at 8:10pm

Do any of you have the Autolite or NGK part number? I guess that's what the man behind the parts counter gets paid to do!! Thanks!

Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2021 at 9:09pm

Autolite 295

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Like them all, but love the "B"s.

Posted By: Ryan Renko
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2021 at 9:10pm

Thanks Steve.

Posted By: PaulB
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2021 at 7:46am

Long reach resister NGK BR6ES. Non resistor B6ES

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If it was fun to pull in LOW gear, I could have a John Deere.
Real pullers don't have speed limits.
If you can't make it GO... make it SHINY

Posted By: Alex09(WI)
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2021 at 8:46am

Most D17's need the long 3/4" reach plug, Autolite 405. The autolite 295 is the short 3/8" reach plug. Both are non-resistor plugs, I beleive.

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www.awtractor.com
A&W TRACTOR 920-598-1287
KEEPING ALLIS-CHALMERS IN THE FIELDS THROUGH THE 21ST CENTURY

Posted By: JC-WI
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2021 at 11:51pm

I try to buy the old NOS green stripe A-C R45XLS spark plugs off of Ebay when I can find them for the D17 IV and the 170.

Don't bother with the new ones, they all seem to come from the same factory with different names on them.

Couple stories from the past on champion / AC plugs.

On a spring day in 1974, Dad came in from plowing and had dinner, while he was eating, I gassed the D17 up, checked the fluids, put new points and condenser in and new Champion plugs, and timed it. Dad went back to the field and about twenty minutes later he came back kinda mad and he asked what the hedoublehockeysticks I had done to the tractor and I told him and he said, "Put the old plugs back in." I cleaned them some and gapped them and put them back in and he took off. He got back from plowing while I was busy doing the night chores and I asked him how it went, He said it ran real good... and told me to not put another champion in anything again, except for the lawn mower. LOL

In 1975, my uncle had his car serviced at his local dealership and told the fellows to put only AC plugs into his car when doing the tune-up. He came back later and paid his bill and went home. It just didn't run right and looked, yup, champion plugs. Next day took the car back and told them to take the champions plugs out and the dealership was arguing with him and finally my uncle told them to check those plugs in their tester... Like Paul B. said 2 out of 10 were dead... it was 2 out of 8 that missfired when the pressure got up into operating range. Dealer told the mechanic to go get the proper A-C plugs for the Chevrolet. They checked those before putting them in, all were good and the car ran like it should, and were still in it 60,000 miles later when he traded it off.

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He who says there is no evil has already deceived himself
The truth is the truth, sugar coated or not. Trawler II says, "Remember that."

Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 28 Jun 2021 at 7:05am

I have had guys laugh at me when I tell them to stay away from Champion spark plugs in an Allis Chalmers tractor (one just last week on the Facebook AC Tractor group).

When someone tells me that their Allis Chalmers tractor is running poorly, the first thing I check is to see if it has Champion plugs.

Way back when we had snow sleds (late 60's to early 70's) Bosch plugs were way better than Champions.

Posted By: Steve in NJ
Date Posted: 28 Jun 2021 at 8:33am

My first bad experience with Champion's was back in the late 60's when I ran my 66' Nova Drag car. I made a warm up pass with it, and it ran its usual ET, I then came back in the pits, and changed the plugs. I had stopped at the auto parts store on the way to the track that morning to get a new set of Autolites and they didn't carry Autolites so they fixed me up with a Champion equivalent. I screwed those Champions in and made another pass. As soon as I put it in forth gear, the engine started breaking up at about 800 foot mark. WTH? I changed jetting, timing, anything you could think of and couldn't figure out why the engine was breaking up in high gear. Sat down and thought, what did I do before all this started? Hmmm.... plugs. Nah, can't be. They're brand new! I took the old Autolites out of the tool tray that I had taken out, re-gapped them, tossed em' back in, and made a pass in first round of eliminations with my fingers crossed, and it ran like the very first pass again! After that, had a few more issues with my small air cooled engines, and just said that's it. No more Champions! I then became an Autolite dealer later on when I opened my business.... And that's my Champion story.. Some people never have any problems with them. I don't know. They don't work for me.....

Steve@B&B

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39'RC, 43'WC, 48'B, 49'G, 50'WF, 65 Big 10, 67'B-110, 75'716H, 2-620's, & a Motorhead wife