The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Spark Plug Cleaner?

Now, I know that these were found in just about every garage. I see that AirCraft Spruce, and other aircraft supply places, and some tractor places still carry them. Does anyone here have any experiences they can share? I know, plugs are cheap, but so am I. I don't want to run the same plugs for the next twenty years or anything, but I would like to clean them when I change oil and check points etc.
Christopher

Christopher,

I had a CAT gasoline forklift at work that had a bum cylinder. It fouled that plug daily. A small wire brush and some carburetor cleaner allowed me to clean the plug suffeciently to run it again for another day.

When lead was an additive in gas, I have fouled plugs and come hell or high water, have not been able to clean them well enough to fire again.

If you happen to have a small blast cabinet set up with glass beads, you could use it to clean the plugs, otherwise, light oil and soot can easily be taken care of with a wire brush and some type of carburetor or brake cleaner.

Stuart

That's interesting. The aircraft guys go on and on about lead fouling. I think though, there consequences are somewhat more severe than mine. I have been brushing them when I replace the plugs, then keep the old set as spares- I don't know why, but I always do.
Christopher

I had a cheap auto store one years ago did not work worth a %^&#$.
Much better luck with a wire wheel on the bench grinder. Dont get agressive, just kinda roll the plug on the very tip of the spinning wire.
Brad

I used to have one in my shop. It worked very well.I cant remember what happened to it,I probably gave it away.It was very useful especially with a lawn mower,a garden tractor,a snowblower,and the kids trail bikes around.It was a lot easier to take the plug out clean it and gap it than it was to run to WalMart for a new one.Now the kids are all growed and gone,and my lawn tractor is a newer one,I probably wouldnt use one.

Plug cleaner's only clean the visible part of the plug,If carbon or oil/fuel creep's up along side of the electrode,it will short and no longer spark.In a pinch I've heated the electrode end red hot with a propane torch,let cool, and it burnes out the crud along the electrode.Plug will work again for quite awhile.I know,redneck fix but it work's Tom

Redneck fix or not, it works. I like AC C44 and they are hard to come by, so I clean them with a torch. I would like to say I learned that from Jeff Foxworthy, but I've been doing it for 50 years and I don't think he's that old.

I do a bunch of work with antique hit and miss engines. I will never again use a blast type cleaner on an antique plug! Champion 34s are a good example. They were originally made specifically for Maytag single cylinder 3/4hp engines. They are 1/2" npt, take apart, dual ground electrode, and no longer available. Years ago, I used a blast type cleaner on several. They ran fine for 15 to 30 minutes and quit firing. when I checked them, they were carbon tracked all the way down the center electrode to ground. On further examination, I found the center insulator to be "rough" from blasting. It had originally been very slick and smooth. I believe that blasting gave the ceramic a texture that made carbon tracking inevitable.

From then on, I clean plugs with carb cleaner and compressed air or a propane torch. Some of these old plugs get pretty pricey, and you do what works and drop what doesn't.

For my money, if I want a spare set of plugs for a car or truck, I'll just buy 'em.

Just my two cents worth.

Best wishes,

Les

when my old Vincent motorcycles http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h298/1951otter/?action=view&current=3196190-R2-050-23A.jpg &&
http://lsvoc.vincent-hrd.co.uk/images/1950TouringRapide.jpg
ran in double valve guides and had specialoid pistons running a .006+ cylinder wall clearance and NO valve guide seals, the ignition was 50 degrees and ran on a Lucas magneto, http://www.jampot.co.nz/images_trade_ads/doug_banks.jpg the plugs would always wisker. that fine line arc covered by a film of oil would short the plug out. so i always carried a spare set. mostly it was the rear plug because the 50 defree V and the Lucas mag had the rear as a weaker arc to fire that cylinder. my plugs were newish as i could not get but a couple hundred miles out of them. i cleaned them every week it seamed.
they now make very nice pistons and viton valve guide seals. i now run a heavily modified kabota tractor perminate magnet alternator , made one at a time by a machinists/ pipefitter in canada, http://www.iowamotorparts.com/images/KUB-A1-TO.gif to a 60 years old distributer and she fires just fine now.

I just buy new ones because they never get clean enough with a cleaner.