Cleaning spark plugs

[DJ54]

I've got a couple of the hand held/wall mounted similar to the HF cleaners. Even have a couple A-C old timers like picture below, with different inserts for different sized plugs. Like Soundguy, I have 7 tractors that use the same plug. Usually have 3-4 sets in the tune-up cabinet, cleaned, re-set & ready to install.

As for the Black Beauty. If you look it up, they call it coal slag. What it actually is, is screened & washed coal cinders. The material left over from coal burning electric generating plants. It's washed and screened into a few sizes. I used to haul hundreds of tons of the larger size, to be used on secondary roads, mixed with salt for traction grit for ODOT. Great for when the temps get below 20º, and salt doesn't work so well, like we had here this week. Other sizes were loaded on hopper cars, and transported to the east coast to be used in shipyards for sandblasting, and some went to companies that manufacture roofing shingles. Yep, that's what the small grit is on roofing shingles. At least in this area of the country.

 

[ETpilot]

ET, is "bomb testing" the 80psi part?

Yes. It is referred to as bomb testing. Using the tester I put plug in a holder that holds it at an angle. Then press a button and cleaning material is sprayed on the plug while it rotates 360*. Another button air cleans the plug while it rotates. Inspect plug and manually remove any build up it may have. After cleaning I screw it into the tester, add the electrode wire. Press the electric button, no air pressure and look at spark in mirror. Spark is usually of low intensity or you may not see a spark. Add air pressure and watch spark. Spark can remain low intensity, break down, go out, or spark with great intensity. Once cleaned and checked you check the gap. Adapters let you clean and test different size plugs.

Just for info aircraft engines have 2 plugs per cylinder top and bottom. They are rotated in a particular order for even wear of plug.

 

[Code54]

i see you don't change plugs in engines that use more than 1 at a time.

PS. that's the whole point of 'cleaning' them. you actually. CLEAN them.. you don't stick em in the hole dirty.

Most of my bigger Eqpt is diesel so the spark plug thing is not a concern. The wife's car will go 100K on the four plugs so if I make it that far on a set don't care about spending $20 on new plugs for the reliability. The mowers go 2-3 years without a change and run perfect. Change the plug in the chainsaws now and then but again just one so no concern about the 3 bucks - to me it is the cost of doing business.
Black beauty is a sand blasting sand that is made to have sharp edges and be highly abrasive - I use it all the time restoring tractors and eqpt - it is HIGHLY abrasive. one missed grain can start trashing the rings /cylinder wall and cost me far far more than than I save cleaning plugs. Years ago I went to a engine rebuilding/repair school in Detroit and the one thing I do recall is them preaching NOT to clean plugs. They showed us tear downs of the damage it can cause and harped on us to just replace them so I guess that stuck with me. Also never really know without additional testing if it is firing correctly and really are just prolonging the inevitable replacing of the plug. I rather spend the money and know it is new than take any chances.
Just a different thought process is all....

 

[daugen]

all good to know. Yeah, aren't going to run out of coal slag in this part of the world any time soon. So at least it ought to be cheap...
Is there anything better though, like baking soda, which I know is seriously expensive?
I guess the biggest concern to me is how to get the tiny bits of stuck stuff out. Dental pic?
I'd think air blasting might drive it further in, wedging it into tight spots.

too bad they don't make a miniature paint can shaker style gizmo for plugs, where the final cleaning fluid
is really applied aggressively. Just wondering, wouldn't using a vacuum before compressed air make more sense to
get the grit out?

 

[daugen]

Code 54, your water ok? I'd sure want that cleaner than my spark plugs...
I can't imagine the state capital having no water to drink, bathe in or cook.
and speaking of slag, wasn't that chemical that spilled used in cleaning coal?

 

[DJ54]

I use either carb., or brake cleaner, and use the little plastic tube taped to the side. Direct away from you, & some goggles too. Blow out with air, and visually check.

I do turn them slow when blasting, and even rock them back & forth. Can't ever remember needing to pick anything out. With 80-120 psi of air, they clean up nice.

On my IH BN years ago, she was due for a major OH, but wanted to get that winter's wood split before doing that as a winter project. Plugs were oily, so sprayed them with carb. cleaner before blasting, otherwise, the media would stick. A good spritz to clear the oil & blast & clean. Got me through until I was done.

 

[daugen]

I've got tons of carb and brake cleaner, the latter for non residue cleaning, and this looks like a good application.
Yeah, don't get an eyeful of that stuff coming back at you, that would not be good at all, or the crud blasted loose getting in one's eye either.

 

[Code54]

Code 54, your water ok? I'd sure want that cleaner than my spark plugs...
I can't imagine the state capital having no water to drink, bathe in or cook.
and speaking of slag, wasn't that chemical that spilled used in cleaning coal?

Yep in the affected area - could just stick my spark plugs in the sink and fill it with our water and they may come out cleaner than new! The chemical is used for cleaning coal and they still are not sure how much was released and when they will have it all flushed from the pipes and such. Down in Charleston there is a strong chemical odor still, luckily we are fairly far out so we don't have that. Like I tell my wife, it is sort of like going camping, only at home..... Thanks for asking

 

[Soundguy]

Again.. clean is clean. If you have bad hygene practices.. I don't reccomend cleaning plugs. or rebuilding engines.. or anything with bearings.

If I only had a pack of plugs in an auto to change every 3-4 years I wouldn't clean either. I change 66 plugs a year on average. thus I clean em.

no catastrophic engine failures because i CLEAN them.

Most of my bigger Eqpt is diesel so the spark plug thing is not a concern. The wife's car will go 100K on the four plugs so if I make it that far on a set don't care about spending $20 on new plugs for the reliability. The mowers go 2-3 years without a change and run perfect. Change the plug in the chainsaws now and then but again just one so no concern about the 3 bucks - to me it is the cost of doing business.
Black beauty is a sand blasting sand that is made to have sharp edges and be highly abrasive - I use it all the time restoring tractors and eqpt - it is HIGHLY abrasive. one missed grain can start trashing the rings /cylinder wall and cost me far far more than than I save cleaning plugs. Years ago I went to a engine rebuilding/repair school in Detroit and the one thing I do recall is them preaching NOT to clean plugs. They showed us tear downs of the damage it can cause and harped on us to just replace them so I guess that stuck with me. Also never really know without additional testing if it is firing correctly and really are just prolonging the inevitable replacing of the plug. I rather spend the money and know it is new than take any chances.
Just a different thought process is all....

 

[daugen]

now tell us Soundguy, are you sure you really get them clean?
I bet those Fords run fine with a little grit in them.
A nice gumbo of grit, antifreeze foam from your cracked block and floating bits of
JB Weld, well, that engine is just going to purr. :shocked:

 

[Soundguy]

now tell us Soundguy, are you sure you really get them clean?
I bet those Fords run fine with a little grit in them.
A nice gumbo of grit, antifreeze foam from your cracked block and floating bits of
JB Weld, well, that engine is just going to purr. :shocked:

no jb weld on my engines!

considering some of the carbs and air cleaners I've seen .. i'd have to agree.. a lil grit won't hurt!

At a club i'm a mamber of.. a guy has a MM and it has NEVER had an air cleaner on it. ont he front of the carb he has a small metal funnel. I've known the guy 20 ys and he runs it on his farm.. .. the darndest thing. it actually bothers me to see it.

then again.. at work we have an old littleford liquid asphalt distribuiotor truck ( similar to etnyre ) and it has a continental / red seal gas engine on it with a tranny and manual hand clutch and tranny hooekd to a mixer and distribuitor pump, spray bar and wand.

it's antique for sure. it didn't get an air cleaner on it for decades... it's old carb was gummed up from asphalt overspray. I made a ms repop carb fit and stuck on a K&N breather... engine still fires right up even int he cold and goes. back when i replace dthe carb i have to drill out the ears on the manifold to mount the carb. i put a new manifold gasket on it and comp tested it at the time. 90 psi dry across the board. near 120 wet... that's quite a testament for that old girl!

 

[ruffdog]

Making sure the tractors are tuned up and fresh gas in them will sure help the plug fouling problem.

 

[daugen]

I read somewhere that using premium gas for stuff that sits a lot can be helpful, so I've tried that recently. I use Stabil and Sea Foam on most everything and I haven't had any spark plug issues at all. It's interesting, several of my neighbors take the approach on their three hundred dollar small mowers that they will run them until they won't start or die, and then either get them fixed or buy another cheap mower. I suppose if they can get five years out of a 400 dollar mower, with full dealer service running over a hundred bucks a year, the math may work for them. They don't change the oil either.

I enjoy doing small engine maintenance. It's not hard, I usually can't screw it up, and while I'm sure it's in my head, it seems to run better afterwards.
I think I might take some before and after pictures if I do start cleaning the plugs.

anything different to do with a platinum plug, like solvent only, or??
sure seems to make sense to clean them first.

 

[Soundguy]

none of my oldies run latnium.. so can't help ya!

I got over 15ys out of my last rider mower. a cheap 700$ murray. In fact it still runs and cuts. deck is worn out and I have fixed the dek in my shop 2x now.. so it was time to retire it from mowing.. and now let it pull a cart.

got another cheap mower... will run it as long as it goes.

I do yearly tune ups. plugs, filters.. etc.

on my small engines.. especially air cooled ones i now use syn oil for heat properties.. new mower even has an oil filter.

onthe premium gas? higher octane means harder to start.. so I avoid it for my old tractors. .. they are usedto 70's octane gas....

I read somewhere that using premium gas for stuff that sits a lot can be helpful, so I've tried that recently. I use Stabil and Sea Foam on most everything and I haven't had any spark plug issues at all. It's interesting, several of my neighbors take the approach on their three hundred dollar small mowers that they will run them until they won't start or die, and then either get them fixed or buy another cheap mower. I suppose if they can get five years out of a 400 dollar mower, with full dealer service running over a hundred bucks a year, the math may work for them. They don't change the oil either.

I enjoy doing small engine maintenance. It's not hard, I usually can't screw it up, and while I'm sure it's in my head, it seems to run better afterwards.
I think I might take some before and after pictures if I do start cleaning the plugs.

anything different to do with a platinum plug, like solvent only, or??
sure seems to make sense to clean them first.

 

[DJ54]

Had to chuckle on the "little grit" comment. Reminds me of the story a guy I worked with told about when he was going to mechanics school. A dealer would donate a couple old tractors to them a year to rebuild, repaint, and resell. Can't remember the brand, but it smoked bad. The instructor showed them a 60 second overhaul. With the tractor running about 1/2 - 3/4 throttle, and air filter hose removed, he introduced about 3 pinches of scouring powder into the throat of the carb. And sure enough, it quit smoking in abut a minute.

A little trick he learned of, that some folks selling older tractors in need of bad repair use. NOT the thing to do, but what some people do to move badly worn tractors. Because they know the first thing most people look for is smoke, on start up.

 

[daugen]

A little trick he learned of, that some folks selling older tractors in need of bad repair use. NOT the thing to do, but what some people do to move badly worn tractors. Because they know the first thing most people look for is smoke, on start up.[/QUOTE]


nice, didn't folk use to put sawdust in the rear diff to quiet it down?
I sure hope that instructor followed up his sixty second special with a full overhaul.

ok, now I'm curious....what did the grit do? rough up the rings so they sealed better?

it's way off topic, but as many people who love K&N filters also refuse to use them because their higher air flow
allegedly comes at the cost of more grit getting through. I'm sure the K&N folk might object to that , but I've read it time and time again.
maybe like Soundguy says, it doesn't matter. Hey, think of all those snowblower engines out there with zero filtration.

Just wondering if over the years I have been brainwashed to replace too many spark plugs. It sure seems like I have been.
But I'm a preventative maintenance guy, I hate to have things break. I've had some training in predictive maintenance, and perhaps I'm treating
my mowers too well...

so what will a dirty plug accomplish? probably a little down on power but???, probably less fuel efficient, and might not start too easily.
I have one neighbor that rides around on a junk rider that is constantly missing, burns oil, and just sounds awful. I would not sit on a mower like that...it has to work right or I'm going to fix it...because that's what I was taught to do growing up. This stuff was expensive and you had to take care of it.

I think we can all agree that grit is for lapidary tumblers. But how long to leave that plug in there? How many times can I clean it?
And of course, am I fussing over piddly nonsense. that wouldn't be the first time.

 

[ETpilot]

Years ago I went to a engine rebuilding/repair school in Detroit and the one thing I do recall is them preaching NOT to clean plugs. They showed us tear downs of the damage it can cause and harped on us to just replace them so I guess that stuck with me. Also never really know without additional testing if it is firing correctly and really are just prolonging the inevitable replacing of the plug. I rather spend the money and know it is new than take any chances.
Just a different thought process is all....

You would not use this maintenance suggestion if you were buying aircraft spark plugs. There are the cheaper aircraft plugs and the more expensive aircraft plugs. I run the more expensive times 12 each. I clean and rotate every oil change.

 

[Clint S]

Had to chuckle on the "little grit" comment. Reminds me of the story a guy I worked with told about when he was going to mechanics school. A dealer would donate a couple old tractors to them a year to rebuild, repaint, and resell. Can't remember the brand, but it smoked bad. The instructor showed them a 60 second overhaul. With the tractor running about 1/2 - 3/4 throttle, and air filter hose removed, he introduced about 3 pinches of scouring powder into the throat of the carb. And sure enough, it quit smoking in abut a minute.

A little trick he learned of, that some folks selling older tractors in need of bad repair use. NOT the thing to do, but what some people do to move badly worn tractors. Because they know the first thing most people look for is smoke, on start up.

The old Bon Ami re ring been around for a while . Supposedly breaks up glaze .
Bon Ami fix - Yesterday's Tractor Co. (#476178)

 

[rsallen]

Cleaning plugs/filing plugs ain't worth the hassle unless the piece just needs to get working for the short term.
A well running piece of machinery does not foul plugs. They run fine until the electrode is a waste.