Reuse fouled plugs?

[bpreynolds]

Set the floats way too rich on my '99 Thunderbird Sport.  Pulled plugs and they make coal look like an ivory tower.  Can I clean and reuse them; and if so, what is the best method?  Online it seems split between torching them off (I'd have to use my gas stove) or spraying with carb cleaner?  Any advice appreciated.  Even with a fantastic garage I am still such a shade tree mechanic, so slow.  This was supposed to be a Winter project, then it became a Spring project, now possibly becoming a Summer project.  

[Cam3512]

They're cheap, buy new ones.  ???

[bpreynolds]

They're cheap, buy new ones.  ???

Cam.  Ducati has some great boards.  There is Ducati.ms and then there's lots of specialty ones like multistrada.net and then a monster one too.  You should check them out.  This is the Guzzi board.  I would type more but I've got to adjust my suspenders. 
 ;D :D :)

[dilligaf]

They're cheap, buy new ones.  ???

I agree with Dusty, they can be cleaned.  Don't use a wire brush or wire wheel. Use a bristle brush, emery cloth, a good solvent and compresses air.   :BEER:
Matt  

[Mike Tashjian]

Not being a fan of reusing a fouled plug. I have used the bernzomatic torch and heated the electrode and ceramic to burn off excess gas and oil.  I hesitate to use any abrasives that can scratch the ceramic and soften the sharp edges of the electrodes.  Do not excessively heat the plug body as the seal can be damaged and the plug could leak compression gases.  Mike

[bpreynolds]

Oh , one question . Why did you adjust the floats to begin with ?

  Dusty

One of those cases where you think you're being proactive but actually do more harm than good.  Like say you think you're doing your wife a favor by stopping to get milk on the way home only to find out you bought the milk from the wrong store, wrong brand, and wrong size.  But even then, that's not a good analogy with the relationship I am having with the Sport.  Maybe if yr wife then threw a pan at your head, called her relatives, left the house for a week, and began divorce proceedings.  Yup, fixed it.  Good analogy now.   :D

[sib]

Back in the "good old days", when I was a teenager (pre-Elvis era), every gas station (they were called service stations in those days) had a spark plug cleaning device, which was a small box that was connected to the station's compressed air supply.  There was a hole into which one inserted a spark plug, then it first sand blasted the plug and then gave it a high velocity air cleaning.  Took about 10 seconds.  In those days, you didn't throw away a spark plug until there was nothing left of the electrode.

[Mike Craven]

....an additional trick/suggestion:  Punch a hole in the lid of a plastic lid from a disposable food container and stick the plugs threads upward.  Spray with oven cleaner, let set, clean with old toothbrush, water, compressed air.

No grit, no heat shock which could crack insulator, not metal contamination of the insulator ceramic...

Mike

[dilligaf]

Back in the "good old days", when I was a teenager (pre-Elvis era), every gas station (they were called service stations in those days) had a spark plug cleaning device, which was a small box that was connected to the station's compressed air supply.  There was a hole into which one inserted a spark plug, then it first sand blasted the plug and then gave it a high velocity air cleaning.  Took about 10 seconds.  In those days, you didn't throw away a spark plug until there was nothing left of the electrode.

Yep.  :BEER:
Matt

[Wayne Orwig]

In the old days when they had the sand blasting boxes, they didn't realize that occasionally bit of sand would stay in the plug and damage the motor. Don't use sand.
In my dirt bike days, I would have a number of spare plugs around that I would take a propane torch to. Heat up JUST the ceramic. Avoid heating the metal. But, the heat would cook off the lubricant that the factory puts on the threads, so make sure you put same anti-seize or such on the threads.

[Triple Jim]

You can buy a small spark plug sandblaster cheaply, and I've had great luck with them.  After the plugs are clean, you need to use a magnifier and tiny pick to get out all the stray grains of sand that get stuck between the porcelain and the steel body.  Then file the center electrode square so the edge is sharp, like it was when it was new.  Then blast it with air all over, including the threads.  Then put a drop of oil on the threads, or anti-seize if you prefer.

Based on the price of plugs, it might not be worth the effort, but when I need clean plugs, I usually need them right away, and cleaning two old ones is quicker and easier than driving an hour to town and back.

[bpreynolds]

I will buy new plugs after I get the mix correct to stop fouling them  ;-T

[LaMojo]

I almost never buy a new spark plug unless the ground electrode has started to eroded away (almost never anymore with high voltage ignition systems) or the center electrode ceramic insulation has baked on carbon that can't be cleaned.  Haven't tried oven cleaner though.  Plug in the plugs, lay them on the fins and give the engine a twirl.  If they spark:OK. If not, get new ones.

[Cam3512]

Cam.  Ducati has some great boards.  There is Ducati.ms and then there's lots of specialty ones like multistrada.net and then a monster one too.  You should check them out.  This is the Guzzi board.  I would type more but I've got to adjust my suspenders.  
 ;D :D :)

Yea, tried those boards when I had my Duc scrambler - not impressed.  Silly me, I thought strong spark was important.  You did say "greatly fouled".  A set of NGK plugs runs about $5.00.  Then again, I don't own suspenders...yet.

Man, you guys ARE cheap!

 ;D

[old as dirt 2]

trying to save $5 for a couple thousand dollar machine doesn't make much sense to me.

[davedel44]

Gun cleaning solvent and soft toothbrush.

Dave
Galveston

[bpreynolds]

trying to save $5 for a couple thousand dollar machine doesn't make much sense to me.

Hey buddy!  I'll have you know that it's not some fiver.  It''s $15, okay!  Thunderbird Sports are triples.    ;-T

[RinkRat II]

 :+1 on the gun solvent or if you have any Benzene layin'around a quick rinse will do ya.

     Paul :BEER:

[Cam3512]

Hey buddy!  I'll have you know that it's not some fiver.  It''s $15, okay!  Thunderbird Sports are triples.    ;-T

Oh yea, now I have cylinder envy!  What would the guys on the Triumph board say to do?

[bpreynolds]

Oh yea, now I have cylinder envy!  What would the guys on the Triumph board say to do?

Well.  It is their fault I'm in this mess to begin with per se.   :)  I quickly solved the problem I had initially with the bke right after purchase - totally clogged fuel line filter.  But then, based on their advice, I thought it would be "fun" to go ahead and pull the carbs for cleaning, rejetting, modifying airbox, changing cams, flushing orange mud from cooling system, and changing ignitor.  In their defense, all of these are proven setups with other t-birds and I'm sure they assumed the person trying them, quite unlike me, would have an inkling as to what he is doing  :BEER:

[bpreynolds]

Bipper , the T Birds are great bikes , but our feelings are hurt that you found it a good idea to cheat on us by turning to another forum for advice  :o ;D

  Dusty

No, listen, let me explain.  It was a mistake.  These Triumphs, they mean nothing to me.  Mere flings.  Weekend playthings.  Won't happen again.  Promise.

[CalVin2007]

  :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

 I know a couple of guys that would haul it off ... for a small fee  ;D Seriously , those are great bikes .

  Dusty

   ME!   

   Terry   (and I have my own vintage plug blaster too!)

[JeffOlson]

My grandfather, a frugal Norwegian, would re-use everything: wood, nails, string, foil, tin, spark plugs... No plug was too fouled!

[Arizona Wayne]

Get a spark plug cleaner from Harbor Freight.  Then blow the sand out w/your air compressor afterwords.  ;-T  Spark plugs are supposed to last for 50K miles.  :BEER:   I'm not cheap, I'm thrifty.  :)

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Man, you guys ARE cheap!

 ;D

 :+1 "False economy" in my book...

[rodekyll]

I still have my little spark plug sandblaster attached to the side of my rollaround from when I worked the line.  I don't use it much for spark plugs anymore because my plugs don't get dirty, but it's real handy for cleaning small parts like bolt threads, contacts and such.  I have no hesitiation about cleaning plugs with it -- neighbors come by and scrub up their boat engine spark plugs -- and if you take a half second to blow them out  with compressed air there's no sand left.

[Chuck in Indiana]

In my experience, a plug that is *really* fouled is never the same. Yes, I have a spark plug cleaner/tester for aircraft and automotive plugs. Even at $42 each for cheap  ::) aircraft plugs, I throw them away if they're really oil fouled, etc. The tester tells the tale..

[Perazzimx14]

Dab some Aircraft paint remover on them and watch the carbon turn to ooze. If you have to buy the Aircraft remover your better off spending the money on new plugs.

[dan_s]

Till you get your new plugs, you can dip the electrodes of the old ones in some toilet cleaning liquid, any type with hydrochloric acid will remove most of the deposits in a couple of minutes.

[bpreynolds]

Hit them with some carb cleaner and they seemed to clean right up.  Mostly.  I should have stated in my initial post that these actually "are" new plugs and the rich running was only about a total of 10 minutes or so tops.  So we are not talking about caked on, baked on blackness here.  So perhaps I should not have said "greatly" fouled plugs in my post and should rather have said "newly" fouled plugs.  Maybe that contributed to why they were relatively easy to clean up.