Geary, back in the early sixties, I met a couple guys that were starting to make a mark in drag racing. One could flat shift like no tomorrow, and the other squeezed HP from the engine. They were Dave Strickler and Bill Jenkins. Around that time I remember watching Jenkins indexing the plugs in their A.R. Smith Chevy in the pits at York US30 dragway. We talked about how much advantage it made...... he admitted that maybe a one or two percent increase, but together with other tweaks he was making to the motor, the tiny increases of each added up to something that made a difference in ET's. The guy was a genus, as we know now from his years of racing. He shared a lot of his knowledge with me that I used on my G gas 6 cylinder 55 chevy. You had to listen closely too, as he wouldn't repeat much if you missed something. No wonder he picked up the nickname Grump. I have to admit though, I wasn't as anal as him. :-)
Oh, the way he showed me how to index the plugs..... position the ground electrode 180 degrees from the point between the two valves. Reach and heat range are other areas to explore, but you have to master how to "read" a plug to know which direction to go. Today, I just throw a set in right out of the box. I just need the thing to fire and not miss.....and get me down the road.
Jim Harding
#4279512 - SA452 - TKO600
#3004 - 302 - 4 speed
La Plata, Maryland