Cleaning fouled plugs

[Olivera]

Cleaning up fouled plugs - what's the best way to do this?

Various guides online with different methods such as heat gun + wire brush, air line cleaner etc.

Cheers.

[Hammer67]

Unless the plugs are either unobtainable or f. expensive you`d just buy new ones, No?

If you have to clean them then remove the worst of what ever is fouling them with some fineish abrasive paper and then get them f. hot with a blow torch or gas ring. Then regap them.

[Boosted LS1]

On the hob of a gas oven and then find out why they're being fouled be that fuel or a weak spark etc.

[VanDiesel99]

I always used to use a Wire Brush, soft Brass wire type rather than the hard Steel type, often available at your local pound store

Open gap with a screwdriver, close it by pressing against whatever hard surface is handy, likely a bit of bodywork in the engine bay

If you're being tight and not replacing them (as I've been, many times), at least know what a New electrode looks like in comparison to your current plugs, the curved bit that you'll adjust for gap if need be .

I don't deal with Plugs any more tho, I went Diesel nearly 20 years ago

[Chris32345]

Note to the above if you have irridium type plugs with the fine electrode do not try to regap them

[Mighty Flex]

Having fouled up some plugs running rich with a vacuum leak, the two worst were not working properly and presumably shorting through the soot. Made up some 15:1 degreaser solution (alkaline type), chuck in a ultrasonic bath for 30 mins, rinse off and dry. 1 minute effort to get rid of all the carbon. If the rest of the plug is fine, and you have access to an ultrasonic bath, it's worthwhile and there is no need to worry about damaging electrodes.

[rigga]

Used to have fouled plugs on my Griffith, never really had any success cleaning them to work properly afterwards, always found replacement the better option

[Mighty Flex]

rigga said:

Used to have fouled plugs on my Griffith, never really had any success cleaning them to work properly afterwards, always found replacement the better option

I was going to add to my post that the best solution is to stop whatever is causing the fouling and get a new set of plugs. Race tuned stuff pootling around: drive harder! Carbon or oil build up should in theory clear off with good, healthy running anyway. If the plugs worn out or overheated, then it just new plug time. Especially on older ignition systems, you want to give it the best chance you can of working well. Everything running marginally certainly isnt going to help.

[66mpg]

If you have a compressed air supply Gunson make a spark plug cleaner that uses abrasive material to clean them.