440 plugs

[ironyetty]

What size plugs shoud my 440 ic have in it?

[JD440ICD2006]

I assume spark plugs?
The factory specified Champion H-10, AC Delco 45L, or Prestolite 14L7B.
That means an Autolite 996 will work. It depends on what brand of spark plug you like. Just stay within the heat range.

[Gil]

My preference would be for an AutoLite 216 plug. Next choice would be an ACDelco C45L. If you must use a Champion, I would recommend an H12 which is a hotter plug than the H10 originally recommended. In the 1960's the gasoline had higher octane than you get today. A slightly hotter plug retains more heat in the plug and will start easier and prevent fouling.

On my JD440 gas engines I only change plugs every three years or so and the engines only make one revolution before they fire up and run. Maybe two in the winter. And that is with an original 6 volt battery system.

[Tigerhaze]

My 8N tractor apparently uses the same types of plugs as the 440IC. I too have used the Autolite 216 plugs- they seem to run a little better in my engine and foul less than Champion H10 or even H12 plugs.

[Ray III]

My preference would be for an AutoLite 216 plug. Next choice would be an ACDelco C45L. If you must use a Champion, I would recommend an H12 which is a hotter plug than the H10 originally recommended. In the 1960's the gasoline had higher octane than you get today. A slightly hotter plug retains more heat in the plug and will start easier and prevent fouling.

On my JD440 gas engines I only change plugs every three years or so and the engines only make one revolution before they fire up and run. Maybe two in the winter. And that is with an original 6 volt battery system.

Did you mean the engine used to run on LOWER octane gasoline? There was high octane leaded gasoline, but they also had cheap gas for tractor engines.

[Gil]

Back in the sixties there was not as much consumer information about gasoline specifications and requirements as there was a decade later, starting with the oil crisis. The John Deere 440 manual does not even mention required octane rating for the spark plugs specified. I assume this data was available to the dealer and with different fuel types, like the cheaper tractor fuel you mentioned, different spark plug recommendations were probably suggested. Maybe someone here knows. I had a 1963 Rolls Royce and a metal tag on the gas tank filler said "use minimum 107 octane fuel". Good luck with that today.