Cleaning plugs

A car question, actually, but I'm sure someone in this FOAK knows.

Assuming you had a problem with your car engine, such that one plug
gets regularly fouled: say once a month or so. Is there a way of
cleaning the plug, besides wet'n dry? If not, I'll stick to replacing
them.


--
John (jsp)

SV 650
Black it is
And Naked

 

If that were happening to me, I'd have fixed the cause already. Would
something like soaking it in Oven cleaner work I wonder? Buy another
plug and keep a spare clean one in the glove box.... sort of thing.

 

Whaa-aat?

Brass wire brush & petrol, mate.

 

Hooligan scribbled on the back of a napkin:

.... I'd simply try to get that fixed.

 

The Older Gentleman explained :

I've done that, but conventional wisdom suggests that brass deposits
will be left on the insulator causing it to short. The correct method
is to use a grit blasting machine for plugs, which every garage used to
have - though no more.

Perhaps that one cylinder needs a hotter grade of plug?

 

Harry Bloomfield says...

Have you ever thought that something may not be right with the one
cylinder that keeps oiling the plug.

Just a thought like

 

Andy Bonwick formulated on Sunday :

Every garage used to be equiped with a Champion combined grit blaster
and plug tester, in the days when plugs used to foul up regularly. In
the top was a rubber sealed hole, through which you pushed the plug
tip, then compressed air then blew fine grit at the tip leaving the
plug like new. The tester tested the plug under high pressure/voltage,
to check for high voltage break down.

I would suspect that many of the longer established garages will still
have these relics providing good service.

 

Andy Bonwick emerged from their own little world to say

I remember the Ford dealer in Monmouth having one of those machines. It
would have been around 1968 when my dad was their tractor salesman.

Exactly

 

Harry Bloomfield says...

These aren't the "good old days"

Things have moved on, and so has technology

HTH

 

My local dealer had one for sale in his shop for *ages*. Might still be
there.

 

Lozzo brought next idea :

The question asked was how to clean a plug properly. These machines
cleaned the plugs properly.

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, The Older Gentleman amazed us all with this pearl
of wisdom:

Actually, I had one (not a big garage one, obviously) bought from
Halfords when I was a baby faced 16 year old. I think they sold it on
the gimmickry of it because, although 12v and it deed indeed blast grit,
it was utter shite.

I'm not saying a big garage one that worked off compressed air would be
less effective but the one I had I used off my TS50X battery

Hahaha! You live and learn, eh?

 

Go up a grade hotter for that plug. Assuming that all the other causes
are fixed (bad carburettion, duff ignition, valves, etc) and it's
burning oil in that cylinder.

 

Harry Bloomfield says...

Plug technology has moved on, with new materials being used. These old
machines may not be suitable for modern plugs

 

Andy Bonwick pretended :

Because engines run much cleaner internally. We no longer need to
decoke them or grind the valves in regularly.

 

After serious thinking Hooligan wrote :

Just to add to the other answers, there will be two possible
problems...

1. The plug gap being shorted by carbon debris, thus preventing the
plug firing.

2. Carbon build up on the insulator nose, which can produce a similar
effect of shorting the plug.

1 can be cleared simply by passing something through the gap perhaps
combined with cleaning/reseting the gap, but the only way to clear 2
properly is with the use of a grit blaster.

 

The trouble some worn ring in the cyclinder which, I am told, would be
inordinately expensive to fix ( > £1000) which is not worth it.
Admittedly, most of the cost is labour, as to get inside an espace
engine you seem to have to dismantle most of the front end of the car.
I'm prepared to have a go at most things, but getting inside the engine
itself would be a step further than I've ever been prepared to go
before.

Spare plugs are aplenty, adn I recyle the ones from the good cylinders,
but if I could clean them up and reuse them, I would elevate myself to
another echelon of pikeyhood.


--
John (jsp)

SV 650
Black it is
And Naked

 

I know something's wrong, but the cost of repair v the value of the car
doesn't make it worthwhile. I've live with it for a bit, whilst I
finish paying a loan off, then it's a gonner and I'll buy a new one.

--
John (jsp)

SV 650
Black it is
And Naked

 

OK, might try that.

How do I find out what hotter plug will work? atm I use Champion S9YCC

--
John (jsp)

SV 650
Black it is
And Naked

 

One word: cost. Relative cost, at least.

--
John (jsp)

SV 650
Black it is
And Naked