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Bohdan
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Joined: November 21, 2007
Posts: 74
Location: Venice, Florida
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 Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 5:14 am Post subject: Fouled Plugs -Dumb Question |
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| Okay, okay this is probably a stupid question, but are fouled plugs cleanable and reusable? and if so, how? Mighty obliged |
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Semper_Dad
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Joined: May 14, 2005
Posts: 2612
Location: HELL Paso, TX
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| Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 7:11 am Post subject: |
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Depends on how fouled they are. I've cleaned a set or two with just a wire brush. They do make special cleaners. Essentially a mini sandblaster. Cracked insulators and worn electrodes are the real death of a plug.
I tend to replace my plugs yearly regardless of mileage. I rotate the old set go into my field replacement parts bag.
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rsorak
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Joined: March 07, 2005
Posts: 2002
Location: Memphis
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| Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 8:13 am Post subject: |
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Much easier and cheaper than that device above is a propane torch....just heat the working end of the plug till it turns white again.
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Bohdan
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Joined: November 21, 2007
Posts: 74
Location: Venice, Florida
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 5:18 am Post subject: |
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| Interesting subjects. Wonderful. Propane torch? Bascially, just burn off the carbon. Thx |
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Mal evolent
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Joined: March 31, 2009
Posts: 1832
Location: Socorro, Nuevo Mexico
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 9:01 am Post subject: |
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you can never get all of the sand out of a sandblasted plug. I will try the torch thing, but I won't waste my time and my cylinders with sand blasting
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Wildthings
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Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 19979
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 12:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Mal evolent wrote: | | you can never get all of the sand out of a sandblasted plug. I will try the torch thing, but I won't waste my time and my cylinders with sand blasting |
If the plugs are really fouled sand blasting will only buy you a little time. Prolonged sandblasting will round the edges of the electrodes and wear at the insulator. Shouldn't be that hard to blow the sand out of there though if you have shop air and a good nozzle.
You can chip the dry crud that sometimes builds up around the electrode off with a knife blade or a dental pick, but you don't want to scratch the insulator as scratches make good conductors for high voltage electricity. |
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