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350/350 Spark Plugs

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Old Sep 23, 2025 | 06:44 PM
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Default 350/350 Spark Plugs

I am having difficulty finding OEM, AC Delco R44S spark plugs. It looks like Champion RJ12YC are a substitute. Any recommendations?
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Old Sep 23, 2025 | 07:24 PM
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I like NGK brand. They manufacture their own products and are considered a top-tier plug.

The XR5 is the equivalent to the AC-D R44S. NGK has a "reverse" heat scale where the lower the number the hotter the plug. The XR4 is hotter than the XR5 and would be roughly equivalent to the AC-D 45/46.

Is the R44S something you are pulling out of the engine or you saw listed on a specs sheet? The reason I ask is that the R45S would be more appropriate for today's gas. Have you examined the current plugs for deposits and coloration of the center porcelain?
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Old Sep 23, 2025 | 09:15 PM
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Thank you. Yes, the R44S in from what the original plugs were in 1969. Installed were the Champion plugs from last year that my local auto-parts dealer said are very similar the the R44S. I looked at the plugs I removed. Some were black but not oily. I have been having carburetor issues so I did not put a lot of confidence in reading the plugs. I will be installing the new carb in a few days. I was looking to put a hotter set of plugs in but wanted to establish a base line first.
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Old Sep 23, 2025 | 09:48 PM
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Originally Posted by barkingrats
I like NGK brand. They manufacture their own products and are considered a top-tier plug.
NGK plugs gave me the smoothest idle I've ever had. I'll never use anything else...
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Old Sep 23, 2025 | 10:42 PM
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Originally Posted by benito
Thank you. Yes, the R44S in from what the original plugs were in 1969. Installed were the Champion plugs from last year that my local auto-parts dealer said are very similar the the R44S. I looked at the plugs I removed. Some were black but not oily. I have been having carburetor issues so I did not put a lot of confidence in reading the plugs. I will be installing the new carb in a few days. I was looking to put a hotter set of plugs in but wanted to establish a base line first.
Black without being oily would seem to indicate it's running a little rich. Whatever spark plug you choose, it won't hurt to step it up one heat range, especially if the engine tends to idle a lot or run mostly below 50mph.
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Old Sep 24, 2025 | 07:20 AM
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Maybe time to send the carb to Lars - treat the cause, not the symptoms.
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Old Sep 24, 2025 | 10:33 AM
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Originally Posted by SEVNT6
NGK plugs gave me the smoothest idle I've ever had. I'll never use anything else...
Thank you.
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Old Sep 24, 2025 | 10:35 AM
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Originally Posted by 69L88
Maybe time to send the carb to Lars - treat the cause, not the symptoms.
Too late for me to do that. I didn't realize that anything or real consequence could be done to the carburetor without the car.
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Old Sep 24, 2025 | 11:29 AM
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Originally Posted by benito
Too late for me to do that. I didn't realize that anything or real consequence could be done to the carburetor without the car.
Lars runs the carbs he works on on an engine he has. Never too late to pursue that avenue.
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Old Sep 24, 2025 | 01:46 PM
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Originally Posted by 69L88
Lars runs the carbs he works on on an engine he has. Never too late to pursue that avenue.
I guess I'm too much of a novice to truly understand that. My engine still has points (I like tinkering), the vacuum in my engine will be at least slightly different. The spring tension on my mechanical advance will not be the same, I have tuned headers and side pipes and an intake manifold for a LT1 engine. Am I making a big deal out of nothing?
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Old Sep 24, 2025 | 02:16 PM
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I have ZERO doubt that a Lar's repaired carburetor would not start right up and be very close to perfect in the settings when he is finished with it. There are small differences that some of us can fix but if you are a novice then the suggestion to have somebody set up your carburetor makes sense.
Lar's is a well-known expert and I would trust him in a Nano-second to set up any carburetor or engine properly.

IF you want to learn and do this yourself then I might suggest that you invest in a Air/Fuel Gauge to show you the immediate air-fuel ratio that your engine is seeing.

I have one that I use when setting up a carburetor and it helps me a lot. I have it portable so I can switch it from car to car using the O2 sensor for the system. Having one of these will make setting up a carburetor much easier even for a novice. Being able to watch the air fuel ratio is very handy as the carburetor goes through the motions. Today the air fuel ratio gauges are less than $200 and are an extremely useful tool to have.

I had a custom Holley carburetor made about 20 years ago and it was pre-set for "my" engine. The fuel pump filled the bowls and the engine started right up and ran great. I didn't have to change anything other than idle screws.

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Old Sep 24, 2025 | 08:54 PM
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If I wanted to contact Lars, how would I do that?
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Old Sep 24, 2025 | 10:00 PM
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Email him at V8FASTCARS@MSN.COM
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Old Sep 25, 2025 | 08:34 AM
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Thank you!
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