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Cleaning spark plugs

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Willie T

10-09-2004 19:47:21

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If you clean the sparkies will that be as good as replacing them? Or does the sparky just go bad? What is the best way to clean them? Sometimes they get fouled out with carbon and black sutt.

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Fessman

10-10-2004 15:39:13

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Re: Cleaning spark plugs in reply to Willie T, 10-09-2004 19:47:21

I don't know how others can have success cleaning plugs. I have been fouling plugs on the snowmobile, so I tried the specialized sand blaster / plug cleaner. I also tried brake cleaner, carb cleaner, a torch and a wire brush. Nothing comes close to new plugs. The snow mobile is very fussy with fouled plugs, and yet it will start on the first pull with new plugs. I am convinced, throw them away.

Fessman

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STUMP PULLER (TX)

10-10-2004 07:58:00

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Re: Cleaning spark plugs in reply to Willie T, 10-09-2004 19:47:21

I USE A SMALL JC WHITNEY SAND BLASTER THAT RUNS OFF OF MY AIR COMPRESSOR. I CAN MEASURE FOULED PLUGS WITH MY DIGITAL OHMMETER AND THEY WILL MEASURE ALMOST A SHORT. AFTER CLEANING THEY WILL MEASURE A HIGH IMPEDANCE-ABOUT AS HIGH AS THE DIG VOM WILL GO. OVER 30 MEGOHMS. SOMETIMES A PLUG WONT QUITE MEASURE 30 MEGS, BUT IT WILL STILL BE A HIGH MEASURE AND WILL WORK FINE. OLD N'S THAT ARE PUMPING OIL NEED THIS PLUG ATTENTION TILL YOU REALLY GET AROUND TO DOING AN OVERHAUL.

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ZANE

10-10-2004 05:58:50

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Re: Cleaning spark plugs in reply to Willie T, 10-09-2004 19:47:21

I bought a hand held sand blaster sorta like a paint sprayer except that you put sand or glass beads into it for sandblasting small things. I have been using it for years to clean spark plugs. I use sand in it but you should use glass beads on spark plugs to prevent any possibility of sand becoming trapped in the spark plug and then entering the engine where sand is not good to be.

I can't afford to buy a new spark plug every time one fouls around here. I will have to ask the wife to give me another vehicle count to be sure but there probably are at least one hundred spark plugs that get used around here from time to time. That little sand blaster has saved me big bucks over the years.

Unless the ceramic is cracked the spark plug is nearly as good as new as far as I have been able to determine. It works for me and that is all I need.

I bought it out of JC Whitney.

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cargocult

10-10-2004 06:20:52

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Re: Cleaning spark plugs in reply to ZANE, 10-10-2004 05:58:50

Right On! Zane!! Too much stuffs get thrown away in this modern economy! In the Old Days, we did not replace plugs that got fouled! I remember the large "sandblast" rigs in every gas station! Long time since I've seen one! (Long time since I've seen a full service station also, hehehe)

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ZANE

10-10-2004 17:06:51

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Re: Cleaning spark plugs in reply to cargocult , 10-10-2004 06:20:52

I have an old AC spark plug cleaner and test stand. it has a big sock for the sand and has a coil that puts power to the plugs and also has air pressure to test them at pressures up to about 150 PSI. It has a sight glass so you can observer the spark when testing under pressure after cleaning.

It is missing some thing about the sand blaster though and I have not been able to find the parts. This thing is probably at least 50 years old. If anybody knows where I might be able to find parts for this AC spark plug cleaner/test stand please email me.

Zane

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gahorn

10-10-2004 21:51:50

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Re: Cleaning spark plugs in reply to ZANE, 10-10-2004 17:06:51

Zane, it sounds like you have one of the AC aviation spark plug cleaners. I"ve not seen one for years, but the same mfr may make the look-a-like Champion model CT-475AV.
Champion Aviation Products Div., 864-843-5400
Aviall also distributes Champion and AC aviation products www.aviall.com or 800-284-2551

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Rob

10-10-2004 03:35:15

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I have plugs fouled. in reply to Willie T, 10-09-2004 19:47:21

Get them flooded in the winter and they just won't spark enough to run. You can foul brand new plugs.

I found that I could wash them with Dawn dish soap and they work fine. That Dawn is excellent stuff for cutting grease and oil and it does the trick on plugs too. I remove any carbon deposit with a wire brush.

I don't know if they will last as long as new but I figure they wont. They aren't new. They do last for years and years.

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Dell (WA)

10-09-2004 20:23:35

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Re: Cleaning spark plugs in reply to Willie T, 10-09-2004 19:47:21

Willie..... ...used to be, when minimum wage was 35c/hr and sparkplugs were $1ea, it paid to have fouled sparkplugs cleaned by a specialize sandblaster. Now-adaze with mechanics wages $17/hr and shoptime $50/hr and sparkplugs $2ea it don't pay to clean fouled sparkies, lettalone trying to find one of those mini-sandblasters.

And NO, there are no solvents or soap & water that will successfully clean fouled sparkplugs, mechanical abrasion is the only semi-successful methode for cleaning fouled sparkplug tips. Why is it only semi-successfull? Because you contaminate the ceramic insulator with the sand and the high-voltage sparkies will leak down the ceramic insulator instead of jumping the sparkplug gap. And when the sparkies don't jump the gap like they're supposed to, your engine starts to miss and loose power. This contamination is NOT visable to the naked eye.

Bottom line, yes you can clean sparkplugs but it is NOT a recommended procedure. New AutoLite AL-437 sparkies $2 (cheap)..... ...Dell

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Willy-N

10-09-2004 20:03:59

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Re: Cleaning spark plugs in reply to Willie T, 10-09-2004 19:47:21

Cleaning plugs is never as good as new ones. You can clean off the coating on the electrodes but can get up inside where it can short to the side of the plug in a fowled one. Plugs are cheap. Mark H.

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