Cleaning Fouled Plugs

[echrisconnor]

1. Can it be done?

2. How to do it?

It seems like such a silly question. Since rebuilding my engine, I've been working on tuning and getting the mixture and timing, etc. in order. It was running like crap for a while, since I was running rich and only starting it and running it for very short periods of time. Anyways, I pulled the plugs the other day and they were all wet and black. Fouled.

So, I wire brushed them and sprayed them down with carb cleaner. They look much better, but I haven't run the car since. Is this a good approach to cleaning them, or should they be replaced? I've seen the little plug sandblaster sold by JC Whitney, but I'm curious if my wire brush and solvent approach is fine.

[john walker's workshop]

if you get them clean enough to fire, and the problem fixed, they will clean up ok with some spirited driving.

[juanbenae]

you can buy a plug cleaner deal from harbor frieght. its air and an abrasive grit sand sort of deal. just used mine yesterday to get my mower to sing.

[Superman]

Might be smarter (or "smartass" I guess I should say) to just send them to Champion and have them rebuilt. Yep, I'm kidding.

I just buy new plugs.

[echrisconnor]

So one vote for the special HF cleaner, one vote for "clean them and drive em," and one vote for replacement. I think I like John's approach. I'm confident they'll fire up now, and I take it that with a good Italian tune up they'll be good to go again. There's no long term detrimental effect to fouling them is there? If they fire, they fire, and if they're in the right heat range, they'll get hot enough to burn any remaining crap on them that I didn't clean off.

Sup, I know it's only $12 to replace them, but they only have about 3 hours of run time on them and I hate to trash 'em if they can be cleaned. If I rebuild them though, I bet I can have special unobtainium electrodes put in to get another 20 hp, right?

[RoninLB]

sand media is ng for cleaning plugs.. You should use proper glass media.. meanwhile, our plugs are relatively clean compared to the 60's leaded fouling. I use carb cleaner and an old toothbrush instead of a wire brush.

[Superman]

If you have them rebuilt, I do recommend the unobtanium electrodes. At least 20 hp.

The plugs on my Datsun foul occasionally, from oil. That poor truck should not even be still running. I top off the oil occasionally, when the oil pressure gauge suggests that the oil level is not coming up high enough to get into the oil pump's input venturi!

While I expect the Datsun to run poorly and am not willing to do anything about that, I think JW is pointing out that if oil is not getting into the combustion chamber, and if the fuel mixture is correct and ignition system is working, then the engine should keep the plugs clean.

[scottb]

Originally posted by Superman
I just buy new plugs.

When I was a kid, my dad told me not to bother with cleaning old sparkplugs, and to just replace them. To this day, I heed that advice.

I'd put a new set in. If you want to have a couple of spares laying around, you can always clean a few of the ones you removed and keep them on the shelf.

[klaucke]

I have been a full advocate of the wire brush spark plug tune up on all my engines for years. Dirt bike, snowmobile, mower, outboard, VW, and yes, even the Porsche. Hell I did 1/2 a top end, and only bothered to brush the plugs. She runs like a champ.

[TFowler]

This is going to sound strange, but I am a mechanic for a over night shipping company and have about 200 pieces of ground support equipment for the planes that come in. The belt loaders and tugs never get really ran as you would on a highway and the plugs foul with fuel weekly. I have tried many things to cure the problem and have found you can remove the plugs, heat the electrode with a torch untill it is red and they are as good as new. It just takes a second or two to get them red so be careful.