Spark Plug Cleaning

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Onder

Onder

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Watching Alan Millyard's youtube vids, in one he shows himself cleaning spark plugs by burning with a gas torch. Is this a good idea or not?
 
Workshops used to has shot blaster machines for spark plugs...
I wouldn't, want to argue with AM on his method of cleaning, but what's wrong with a simple wire brush.
I wouldn't use a gas torch on mine
 
Yes on aircraft we had a purpose built sand blaster. But I've read where this is deleterious to the surface of the plug metal.
Wire brush abrades the surface as well.
 
But steer clear of those soft brass brushes, not unknown for them to shed little bits just where you don't need/can't see them :-(
Mind you, they ARE: 'consumables', no?
 
A gas cooker flame is hot enough, which is handy and cheap!

Once the oily stuff is off or dried into ash, I poke around it with a wire brush.
 
Starting out fetling many moons ago on a Atco lawnmower with a villiers engine with almost a nonexistent spark, I can remember rubbing a pencil lead around the electrode & earth arm...
I would start eventually but not sure if it was this that made the difference
 
EstuaryBoy said:
Isn't that the graphite giving it a new (albeit temporary) path?
Click to expand...
That was the theory... the mag was so old it barely had a spark, the graphite made it track easier, just enough to get it started...it did work, but as you say only till the next cold start
 
I have often seen.....'don't go near a spark plug with a wire brush!' Apparently it scores the ceramic insulator and promotes tracking......

But this one has been going on for decades with no resolution....normally I use a brake parts spray to get rid of oil and wipe clean with 'shop towel'.

But really...where did the oil come from? Better fix the real problem!

And plugs are consumable, carry spares.
 
i agree, first and utmost, get your mixture right. however, and I might get some negative feedback on this, but, Champion N7YC copper cores on my 74 Mk2 - $1.46 each at Rockauto - IMO, not sure it even worth the cleaning effort. for what they cost, throw in a fresh set every year or two or at the beginning of the riding season. i agree, consumables and (I) carry spares.

years ago, i used to clean plugs for a co-worker's son. had a 2-cycle dirtbike, several sets of plugs, and not much money. i used to clean his plugs in my blasting cabinet - glass beads @ reduced pressure. seemed to clean them OK. he used them that way for years without issues.
 
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Media blasting will remove crud, that you can see, but the real fouling is between the center electrode and the insulator; a session with a butane torch can reduce this fouling, but won't clear it completely. This 2 part process, IMO, should be considered as a "last resort". If you get too aggressive with the torch you may give the grounding arm a good reason to become intimate with a number of parts that will be hugely expensive to replace...

If your motorcycle is doing this, it shouldn't be a secret, so carry spare plugs if you must ride, fix the problem as soon as you can afford it.

Best.
 
Thinking about picking this up

www.harborfreight.com

Air Spark Plug Cleaner

Amazing deals on this Air Spark Plug Cleaner at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
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I sand blast mine with baking soda. Not for my Norton, but for small powered tools.
Jaydee
 
I like the comment about getting the mixture right. I regularly get 60+ mpg out of mine. Is the mixture about right. I regularly have to clean my plugs as well because they foul up and I have been caught on the long rally runs where my bike got harder to start because of it. In the good old days we used to clean our customer plugs with the Champion plug cleaner [ sand blaster ] . I use a smaller hand held sand blaster now. [ I pay attention to making sure there is no sand residue inside the plugs ]
Because I am not a hard rider, I tend to use N9Y or BP6ES/Y plugs. [ we live in a temperate climate ] I used to use them years ago on my 750 and had no troubles. 3 years ago I bought a pair of Iridium NGK plugs equiv of BP7EY. They fouled up even quicker than the Champion N7Y. That was a waste of a lot of money.
Nothing wrong with fitting new plugs every time you need to and nothing wrong with cleaning the old ones either.

As for wire brushing. Metal gets burnished into porcelain, so can form a track for the spark to follow. Has any experienced rubbing metal chair legs on ceramic floor tiles. You often cant get those marks off.

Dereck
 
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