Best way to clean a spark plug

[OLY-JIM]

I don't clean them with any more than a wire brush, if it fires its good, if it fails its trash. I have used a propane torch to clean fuel fowled plugs for the kids dirt bikes at the track. But that is only an "emergency-race-starts-in-5-minutes-technique".

Absolutely 100% re: wire brush!

Yup, agree with you, a fine wire brush is all you need and make sure all the crud/debris is either blown out with air or washed with a bit o' fuel, check gap and plunk it back in if it looks good. Never have found a use for old ones except ta make your toolbox look fuller.

Once they're shot...they're excellent fishing / trott-line weights. Just ensure that they're well cleaned prior to initial use in order to avoid petroleum by product in the water while fishing...resulting in no bites! Really!

 

[huskydave]

You sure can clean up an old plug. I use emery cloth and just rub it on both electrodes blow it off and regap. I used to run a lot of old snowmobiles and the mixture is 20:1 evey 200 miles or so your plug will foul and all you needed was some emery cloth and some time to keep it firing good. I try not to spend money on things that are not needed but thats just me. Plugs can last a lot longer if you clean them up when they get fouled. I don't think you can fix a burnt plug though if it gets too hot or too lean they are cooked.

 

[buzz sawyer]

Absolutely 100% re: wire brush!



Once they're shot...they're excellent fishing / trott-line weights. Just ensure that they're well cleaned prior to initial use in order to avoid petroleum by product in the water while fishing...resulting in no bites! Really!

Careful with the wire brush. Don't leave a shiney metal coating on the ceramic insulator or it can lead to shorting/misfire. If you have to clean it, open the gap and use a thin file on the electrodes, then reset the gap. That eliminates any abrasive from emery cloth or sandblasting. Just make sure the metal filings are removed - maybe hold the firing tip down while filing.

 

[OLY-JIM]

Careful with the wire brush. Don't leave a shiney metal coating on the ceramic insulator or it can lead to shorting/misfire. If you have to clean it, open the gap and use a thin file on the electrodes, then reset the gap. That eliminates any abrasive from emery cloth or sandblasting. Just make sure the metal filings are removed - maybe hold the firing tip down while filing.

Thankya...Thankya kindly!

 

[Sprig]

Absolutely 100% re: wire brush!

Once they're shot...they're excellent fishing / trott-line weights. Just ensure that they're well cleaned prior to initial use in order to avoid petroleum by product in the water while fishing...resulting in no bites! Really!

Not sure what a 'trott-line' is but sounds kinda scary (jk), they're pretty heavy for spin casting but I do know people that use have used them for cod jigging, I much prefer a buzz-bomb on its own though for that. This does remind me that I haven't been fishing for a long time and have two 'new' rigs to try out, *sigh*, really do wish there was three of me sometimes



Serge

 

[OLY-JIM]

Not sure what a 'trott-line' is but sounds kinda scary (jk), they're pretty heavy for spin casting but I do know people that use have used them for cod jigging, I much prefer a buzz-bomb on its own though for that. This does remind me that I haven't been fishing for a long time and have two 'new' rigs to try out, *sigh*, really do wish there was three of me sometimes



Serge

It all depends on what kind of water your fishing and what equipment your using...? Trott line is just what we called them where I'm from...I'm sure you will figure it out?

 

[Kogafortwo]

I usually just replace the plugs if they get fouled. They are cheap. Rarely happens though. I use NGK plugs in all my engines.

Buy Bosch plugs. That goes for everybody!

You will instantly gain 1000 rpm and 2 horsepower, and your chain will stay sharp forever.

Also please replace your Walbro carbs with Bosch fuel injection, and your chain brakes with a Bosch ABS brake system.

Sorry, I cannot reveal my employer to you. It's top secret.

 

[JohnL]

Unless it is misfiring, why clean them? A light coat of carbon is pretty much normal, and doesn't effect performance. A heavy coat, too rich. Oil fouled, use a solvent, and dry it out.

 

[RadChad]

Just put them in your wife's self cleaning oven and set it to clean!

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

garbage....

 

[Amp4027]

Carb&Choke cleaner sprayed onto it usually does the trick. Stainless Steel Wirebrush lightly used seems to do good too, but never knew about what buzz sawyer said, so I guess be careful with that method.

 

[Marshy]

Just put them in your wife's self cleaning oven and set it to clean!

Welcome to the forum. Once in a while a member will revive an old thread out of the blue but this is impressive, nearly 10 yrs old! Enjoy.

 

[Lowhog]

The Wife's nail file and cook stove.

 

[Franny K]

Post #20 may be the most informative from what I have done.

I have a copper bar with a hole threaded to the 14mm that most of my plugs use. There are smaller ones perhaps 10mm and 12mm. It also has a copper piece to protect the grounding electrode. Put the plug in and use a flame and burn out the insides as best as you can. It is possible to get a crack in the ceramic, the cool down probably should be a bit gentle. I have a feeling oxy propane could be a bit better than oxy acetylene. Tiny flame. This seems to have a success rate somewhat better than 50%. It may not be all that repeatable, this plug in the picture was not saved but fortunately I had another that seemed sort of similar, a different brand so not sure if it was exact. I know there used to be cleaning little machines in mail order catalogs. Not sure how applicable that is to todays stuff, they used to de carbon engines blowing in oxygen.

 

[1Alpha1]

Many years ago, when I was much younger, a neighborhood gas station closed it's doors. I knew the owner well, as he let me and many of my friends use his equipment to work on our dirt bikes. At one point, I ended up working there part-time, off the books, for pocket money.

Anyways, when he closed up, he was getting rid of a lot of his equipment, one piece being a spark plug cleaner. It was about the size of a 4-slice toaster. It could clean just about any size plug on the market. It used some kind of glass silica media to blast the plugs. It did a fine job.

The plug cleaner was mounted on a shelf in our old one-car garage. It got used countless times. Back then, money was a concern, and spark plugs didn't get thrown away all that often.

Not really sure what happened to it. I went into the military in 1974, and when I got out, my parents had moved to a different home, and the plug cleaner didn't make the move apparently.

The coolest thing about that plug cleaner, is that it was made by The Champion Spark Plug Company.

 

[Guido Salvage]

Welcome to the forum. Once in a while a member will revive an old thread out of the blue but this is impressive, nearly 10 yrs old! Enjoy.

Necroposter...

I just use the wire wheel on my grinder.

 

[RiverRat2]

There is cheap plug blaster on the market that works great. They look practically new when cleaned in one of these. Don't use sand, its a special plug blast material. Works with air pressure. I've had one for yrs. Yes plugs are cheap but it will keep you going when the stores are closed or too far away to justify the trip.

LOL I have one !!!!! cannot think of the name,,, Works great uses glass bead media and compressed air to drive it,,,, cleans them great!!! I was always told never use a wire brush

Necroposter...

I just use the wire wheel on my grinder.

 

[CR888]

I won't sandblast spark plugs.... media can get stuck inside the plug and come out under operation. I just use a toothbrush & some gas or if it's really bad a wire brush.

 

[Little Al]

Back in my apprentice days 1950/55 most plug manufactures had a blast type spark plug cleaners, & when I did my military service (RAF)they had blast type cleaning machines for the piston engined aircraft still in service. 24 plugs in Rolls Royce Merlin/Griffon, 48 in Napier Sabres, & 28 in the 14 cyl,& 36 in the 18 cyl Radials.There were guys doing this job full time, I am not sure of the process or the blast agent but the cleaned plugs when fitted never gave any problems so they must have had a way to remove all the sand or abrasive post cleaning.

 

[RiverRat2]

Yep an air nozzle gun with a fine outlet followed with a stiff brush gets if any left over blast media,,,,, works fine when you don't have time to drive 16 miles to auto parts and back to go get a new plug,,, never had a problem