Spark plug cleaning...

[softdown]

I used to just buy new plugs when the previous set showed significant fouling. Sometimes just because the engine would not start. New plugs often made a very large difference.

So I bought this Sunex 3912 spark plug cleaner availabe on Ebay/Amazon for about $40. The spark plug looked brand new in a very short amount of time.

I am posting this thread to warn others that there exists a good chance that the threads will need to be wiped of remnants picked up inside of the cleaner. My plug would not thread back in until the threads were cleaned...which is extremely easy to do.

A spark plug cleaner does require an air compressor, a pancake compressor works fine. May also need a male air connector, most air tools do.

While the Sunex 3912 is very affordable and is made in Korea instead of a Chinese sweat shop, my recommendation is a little more than luke warm. The option to use A for air or B for blast is a bit confusing so I used both. It came with a large rubber band to secure the cloth bag but it also came with a steel clamp that clearly works better....though more work to use. The instructions said to use the rubber band.

The manufacturing quality seems fine. It is the set up and directions that need work. Still....if you work with engines I think a spark plug cleaner is likely to be easily worth more than this costs.

[model 10]

We would always clean aircraft spark plugs because they cost $30 each and there are 2 in each cylinder. I buy new plugs for the dink.

[softdown]

Originally Posted by Guy

We would always clean aircraft spark plugs because they cost $30 each and there are 2 in each cylinder. I buy new plugs for the dink.

Good rationale. Sometimes it is hard to find replacement plugs. Some people live a long way from the auto parts store. Some are on a budget. Some like to "do it themselves".

In high school, I had an oil burner that needed eight new plugs every few weeks. Wish I had done this much sooner.

[hellosailor]

$30 each? Cheap plugs.(G)
Before platinum-tipped plugs (intentionally mis-called platinum plugs) came on the consumer market in the 80's, real platinum electrode plugs were used in combat aircraft and those puppies could set you back a thousand bucks apiece.
Now even platinum tipped plugs from OEMs can be under $5 each, making cleaning more of a philosophical thing, not a cost saver.
I used to clean my plugs the simple old fashioned way, no abrasive grains, no machines needed. Just take a steel wool or scrubber to the porcelain body, and an ignition point file to the plug tip and electrode. Or, a bit of sheet metal with some 400-grit sandpaper doubled over both sides, so they could both the filed parallel while cleaned.
Machine? Not unless I was doing fleet maintenance and had dozens of 'em stacked up.
I just had the new set and the old set, cleaned the old set when I had a chance, left 'em on the shelf till they were need again. Not worth the time--but I just prefer to make less trash.

[rognvald]

100 grit sandpaper/PB Blaster.
Good luck and safe sailing.