Just realized half the guys I work with don't know how to read a spark plug anymore

Been doing this 20 years and last week I saw a kid throw out a set of plugs that were textbook lean, told him they looked fine, and I ended up spending 45 minutes showing him how to tune a carb on a 78 F150 in the shop parking lot because he didn't even know where to start, has anyone else noticed the younger guys skipping the basics or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

ross.lily9d ago

Is it possible we're being a little too hard on the younger crowd? I've seen plenty of older guys who only know how to do things one way and throw parts at a problem without actually diagnosing it first. The basics change over time, and while reading spark plugs is a useful skill, it's not the only way to tune a motor these days.

sagecooper9d ago

Thing is, not everyone has a laptop to plug in for diagnostics either.