Plug cleaning

[old guys rule]

Has anyone tried to run something like seafoam through their motor to clean oil found plugs until you have time to change them?

 

[dadsbee]

NO, seafoam is for small engine carbs and not much more.

 

[lewtot184]

i have. if the chambers are really dirty a couple of doses of seafoam will clean them but it'll turn the plugs blacker than pitch and you'll never be able to read them again.

 

[pnora]

Has anyone tried to run something like seafoam through their motor to clean oil found plugs until you have time to change them?

If the plugs are oil fouled seafoam will do nothing. Replace the plugs. Whats it take an hour or less.

 

[493 Mike]

If the plugs are oil fouled seafoam will do nothing. Replace the plugs. Whats it take an hour or less.

Those of us with blast cabinets can easily clean spark plugs. For over 30 years I used a pneumatic plug cleaner but switched to my blast cabinet 20 years ago. It does a great job. I currently use crushed glass but, used glass beads previously. Both media worked the same. After blasting I wheel the threads to shine them up, blow them out well, and closely inspect for any media lodged down in the recess. Regap if necessary and reinstall.
Mike

 

[AR67GTX]

On another forum we were debating the process of cleaning plugs, both pneumatically and chemically with something like carb spray. One of the guys in Belgium of all places with a 67 Corvette with a 540 Merlin engine had a bunch of fouled plugs from it and tried a few ideas on cleaning them. He reported back a finding, or at least trend that I hadn’t thought about. He started measuring the resistance in the cleaned plugs versus new ones out of the box. He said every cleaned plug (Accells) tested 8k to 8.5k resistance while new ones tested 5k resistance.

Not sure how representative this is - maybe it’s just typical of the life and performance of plugs from the moment they are first put in use. But it could strengthen the argument to just install new plugs. At the least I thought it was interesting.

 

[threewood]

Agree. Plugs are very inexpensive for what you gain out of them. Buy new ones and be done. Similar to oil and filters. The price is minimal, don't cheap out.

 

[gdrill]

Unless you are talking two stroke plugs for a bike! Those are not all "Cheap". Many plugs are cleanable for the most part. Very seldom do they "wear out" in daily driver situations.

 

[Frank Mopar]

I use a MAPP gas torch to clean plugs. Works great.

 

[slepr1]

 

[AR67GTX]

Interesting. Probably worth trying on a high mileage engine.

 

[Bird 426]

Blasted the plugs on my airplane every year at annual, with regap, for about 17 years and 400 hours. New owner wanted new plugs because they went with the airplane when I sold it. So I installed them, didn't run or have any power change that I could notice. If I still owned it, probably would still have those plugs in it.
Aircraft plugs are much more expensive, but automotive plugs aren't cheap anymore either, guess it depends on your point of view. Will agree, at some point, they do need replacing.

 

[493 Mike]

I'm paying over $15.00 a piece for some of my offroad toys plugs.
Mike

 

[dadsbee]

REM37BY's for my Lycoming are currently $80 each, why we clean'm and put'm back in! LOL

 

[Bird 426]

Yes, expensive. I'm off track, but this was the airplane that I built. 4 cyl 360 cu in, 8 spark plugs, yes, 2 per cyl.

 

[33 IMP]

I bought every autolite 85 summit had, as part of a larger order. $2.50 ea, as opposed to $4.25 up locally. Sure glad I don't have to use $80 plugs, or even $15!

 

[WileERobby]

You can wire wheel plugs clean.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

Yes, spark plugs can be cheap, but cheaper is clean them if still are in working order…

I have used wire brushes and even sandpaper on electrodes and they get bran new again.

a fried of mine got to use his gas stove flame to burn the wet oil when present on electrodes then clean them with the wire brush

 

[WileERobby]

I've seen plugs fire with gaps worn as wide as the grand canyon. We'd pull and clean plugs routinely back in the garage. If worn, replace. A clean and properly gapped plug will work and function just fine.

 

[dspur]

Blasted the plugs on my airplane every year at annual, with regap, for about 17 years and 400 hours. New owner wanted new plugs because they went with the airplane when I sold it. So I installed them, didn't run or have any power change that I could notice. If I still owned it, probably would still have those plugs in it.
Aircraft plugs are much more expensive, but automotive plugs aren't cheap anymore either, guess it depends on your point of view. Will agree, at some point, they do need replacing.

Ever had a cracked plug in an airplane? I did once about 25 years ago. Cruising along and engine started running rough, a bit intermittently. Almost like a surge. Landed at nearest airport, lucky me was an old strip about 30’ wide (it seemed). No one around. Next nearest was 9 miles away and I did not want to chance that. Anyway had cell service so mechanic from home airport flew down. Could not diagnose much there. He had someone fly it home anyway and there they found the plug cracked. Simple fix but a real pucker factor. Makes a huge difference in how it runs even with 2 plugs per cylinder. If that ever happens again I’ll try turning off each mag one at a time.