Keep Your Sparkplugs Dry....

[maineSS]

One of the irritating things about butterfly hoods and flathead engines is the pool of water that collects in each sparkplug well after a rain. The water can rust plugs into the head badly enough to cause major removal problems.

I looked at a "solution" that enclosed each plug in a stainless cup covered by a rubber boot, but it still didn't solve the problem of water dripping on the head and running into the wells. After studying the hinge area of the hood, I decided to try making a gutter to channel water to the front of the engine.

I went to Lowe's, and found the "Ceiling Max Surface Mount Grid System"- and a most useful piece, the "Wall Bracket" Mod # 150-000, Item # 67597. It's a 10 ft length of white plastic channel, 1 1/4"x 1 1/8"x 3/4", selling for $3.45.

The 1 1/4" side of the bracket fits up against the hood, with just enough room to enclose the rear hinge bracket. You have to cut out reliefs on both sides for the spring wires (pic #1). I cut a piece 27" long, and held it up against the spring wire to mark width & angle. A dremel tool burr is the best way to cut the reliefs (pic #2). Once you have these done, hold the piece up against the hinge area to locate the cutouts for the hinge nuts (pic #3). Continue...

[maineSS]

After you cut out the nut reliefs, cut the 3/4" side of the bracket down to 3/8" high for its full length. Next, pop the bracket over the spring wire (with one hood closed), and clamp it with the 1 1/4" side up against the underside of the hood. Drill a hole at each end for a #10x 3/8" bolt. Getting the bolts in is a bit of a challenge in the confined bracket area, I found that sticking a pointed tool thru the bolt hole helped me locate it for the bolt on the backside. When you're done, it should look like pic #4.

Does it work? Last night was a good test- it rained heavily, and plugs 1-4 were bone dry (pic #5). Plug #6 was full, and plug # 5 had a little overflow from #6. The water was directed over the fan housing of the rad. Plug #6 appears to get runoff from the firewall lip, space is too tight to run the gutter in that area. I'll probably attach a small upward lip the width of the engine to divert water to both sides. No more submarine plugs here!

[maineSS]

I tested another gutter mod to keep #6 plug dry (pics #6, 7). Went thru the remnants of Irene dry as a bone. The major leak area seems to be between the hood weatherstripping (center section indicated by pen in pic #8). Now to fab up something more sano.....