Western auto spark plug crossover.

[Chris142]

The last of the independant hardware stores in my area was a western auto. The lady that runs it does not replace things that sell. She has been selling off old stock for atleast 30 years.

I think the store is just her way of hanging out.

She has a bunch of western auto branded spark plugs but no book to tell what they fit. I was hoping to find some plugs for my tractor but with no referance book i don't know what fits what or what crosses over etc.

Any ideas?

 

[bdcardinal]

Can you take a picture or write down some of the numbers? I will see what I can try to come up with.

 

[Kira]

A tantalizing problem.
Maybe "Books 4 Cars.com" has a Western Auto look-up book.

Perhaps contact plug makers like Champion.
Maybe they have a cross reference?

 

[Kruse]

Back when everything was looked up in a "book", by genuine parts men and ladies, the major spark plug manufacturers had an excellent cross-reference section.
Perhaps some of the majors still have a competent cross-reference online.

 

[Snagglefoot]

www.sparkplug-crossreference.com

Type in your model number without the brand and it will try bring up all the matching plugs including Western Auto.

 

[Spktyr]

Originally Posted by Kruse
Back when everything was looked up in a "book", by genuine parts men and ladies, the major spark plug manufacturers had an excellent cross-reference section. Perhaps some of the majors still have a competent cross-reference online.


Back when everything was looked up in a "book" by "genuine parts men and ladies," they constantly managed to give me the wrong plugs for my imports because nobody ever bothered to fix the books. I'll take the modern computer-indexed era, where that can be fixed far more easily.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted by Spktyr
Originally Posted by Kruse
Back when everything was looked up in a "book", by genuine parts men and ladies, the major spark plug manufacturers had an excellent cross-reference section. Perhaps some of the majors still have a competent cross-reference online.


Back when everything was looked up in a "book" by "genuine parts men and ladies," they constantly managed to give me the wrong plugs for my imports because nobody ever bothered to fix the books. I'll take the modern computer-indexed era, where that can be fixed far more easily.

And where no one knows how to do or look up anything without the computer and if it is not listed, it must not exist...

 

[Spktyr]

Originally Posted by 2015_PSD
And where no one knows how to do or look up anything without the computer and if it is not listed, it must not exist...


Hey, guess what, usually *you* can go look things up on your own computer - especially in the smartphone era. What usually happens is that if you can find a part number from the manufacturer, you usually can get them to order it. Or you can, gasp, use a search engine and buy it online from someone else.

Back in the books-only era? Yeah, if it wasn't correct in the books, you were screwed. If it wasn't listed in the book, it didn't exist at all and nothing could change that. They couldn't order anything not in the book. The book was the ultimate arbiter. You were unlikely to be able to get a part number anyway - because it was all in the book. Which you couldn't buy. So you were stuck with the book at the counter.

Screw that.

 

[Chris142]

I spent way too much time researching spark plugs this week. A bunch of them they have cross over to a champion n11y. Don't fit anything i have. Found a couple more for my tractor.

They have boxes of ignition points but no way to tell what they fit.

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted by Chris142

They have boxes of ignition points but no way to tell what they fit.


Again, back before everything was computerized and the person working the counter had to know a little more than how to look it up on the computer, they had genuine books that had genuine pictures. I had an arrangement with the NAPA owner to get any excess books that they had. We are talking all excess books of everything, whether it was an outdated book or some that the factory had sent double. Ignition books not only had the cross reference numbers, but also photos of each each and every piece. They even had specs on the when oil pressure switches would close/open.
I can't imagine who would have any of those old books in your area. An old mechanic in the area who would let you borrow them, perhaps?
Of course, if the book is wrong, you are screwed, right?