spark plugs! what is the best way to clean them? i've spent so much damn money on plugs, there's gotta be a way to revive a little life outta them!

 

Have the engine hot, swap out the good ones for bad ones and start it. Probably won't fix them for long if they have been fowled out before though.

 

umm to clean spark plugs lol, an old pattime of mine. Learned it from having a POS dirt bike. Take a torch, not a cutting one, but one to jsut heat stuff up. grab a pair of plastic covered pliers and use the torch on the plugs. Then use a wirebrush on it. Works for me

 

I just use a wirebrush on a drill.

 

i just use one of those bench mounted wire brush/grinder combo things

 

hmmm, awesome. i'll try these tactics. wacky, i thought it was bad to pull the plugs when the motor is warm. guess not huh?

 

Don't pull the plugs out when the motor is warm.

 

Oh yeah, I used to clean my old Honda Big Red 4 wheeler's NGK's with that jewelry cleaner crap. They came out looking brand new. But that was when I was young and dumb. Now I'm just older and dumber.

 

Sandblasting.

 

Wirewheel on one of those 6" bench grinders. Also, maybe a little carb or brake cleaner or gas if necessary beforehand to remove most or all of the oily residue. It keeps the wirewheel cleaner and nets better results.

 

u can use acitone and a soft wire brush..

so go a pitch ur mums/wifes/sistes/ (or ur ) nail polish remover and clean them things..

 

I don't know about a wire brush or wheel.... sanding or a wire wheel will cause "pitting" on the centre electrode and they will foul / carbon up even worse and much quicker. Sandblasting with dry compound is the best way (IMO) - and this is based on experince.
Read what NGK has to say on this:


Can old spark plugs be cleaned?

Yes, you can clean spark plugs. However, it is good to remember that spark plugs are a wearable item, so it's important to make sure you check to see if it's worth cleaning before you go through the following steps.

If the firing end is wet, make sure you clean the spark plug with a quick drying cleaner. (Examples: contact cleaner or brake cleaner).

Sand blast the spark plug using low air pressure and use a dry compound.

Completely blow all the sand from the spark plug.

Using a wire brush clean the threads and re-gap.

NOTE: Insufficient cleaning of the spark plug may lead to spark plug failure in a very short period of time. Clean the spark plug thoroughly to avoid problems later. Remember, if a spark plug is fouling it's usually a result of engine side factors or incorrect heat range selection.

 

my roomate has a sandblaster. when he gets off work i'll ask him about this. hopefully we can do it. i've gone thru 3 sets of plugs from all these engine problems flooding or fouling them out within a week or so each. :-( haha now that it's back and running, i dont have any good ones and i cant afford to dish out another 30 bucks. arrrg. lol

 

J.C. Whitney used to sell a little abrasive spark plug cleaner that worked pretty well.
I usually just hose out fouled plugs with a little carb cleaner, and wire brush them by hand with a brass brush.

 

Hahahhaha

 

Thats what I use. For like $10 you can save many sets of plugs. They come out looking like new. I have the one that clips to the battery. You just gotta spray carb cleaner in them afterwards to get out the grit. You dont want that **** in your engine!