How to clean spark plugs: practical tips

Today, almost every third car enthusiast is trying to revive the spark plugs that have outlived their own. This is done for the purpose of economy, and also because of the sudden breakdown of the machine on the way. There are several ways to clean the spark plugs. Despite the fact that it's easy to do, you need to follow some rules.

Than you can clean the spark plugs

There are a lot of tools that are used for cleaning. The most popular of these is ordinary sandpaper, as well as a metal brush. But such an instrument can only help when the amount of carbon and residual gasoline mixture is insignificant. Also, this does not help if the candles are flooded, since they must first be dried and then cleaned.

You can try to heat the products to a high temperature. It is recommended to do this until the metal is red. However, during such manipulations the ceramic insulation is broken, therefore such a candle will not serve for a long time, but it should be enough for 5 000-7 000 km. After heating, the carbon deposit and the residue of the mixture are easily removed with a metal brush.

There is also another very interesting and effective way of cleaning the spark plugs with the help of improvised tools. To do this, it is necessary to pour the detergent into the vessel, and then lower the damaged product into the vessel by about half the contact surface downwards (the place where the spark is generated). Hold for about 8-10 minutes, after that the deposit becomes soft, it can be removed even with a toothbrush.

How to clean spark plugs

So, we have already figured out what can be used for cleaning. And now I would like to say a few words directly about the process. It should be understood that often after cleaning, 100% efficiency is not restored, but the engine can still be efficiently serviced.

Using household chemicals allows you to effectively clean the candle from carbon deposits, and also to restore the spark gap in such a way that the motor works stably. To do this, the candle is kept in a special solution for a day, after which the electrodes are mechanically cleaned, then the mezhirskoy gap is restored and everything is put in place.

But the most effective method of cleaning, which we have not yet mentioned, is the use of a device called a sandblast. In this case, sand is used, but here you need to know how to properly clean the spark plugs. To do this, it is desirable to unbend the side electrodes of the candle, which guarantees complete cleaning of the deposit.

Clean iridium candles

At the present time, not everyone has heard of this type of spark plugs, let alone how they should be cleaned. It is worth noting that iridium products have a cost of about 2,000 rubles per set. However, when using high-quality fuel, they ensure efficient ignition of the working mixture even at -30 degrees Celsius.

And now a little about how to clean iridium spark plugs. Since it is easy to damage them, sandpaper should be completely ruled out. The same applies to detergents, as well as other "chemistry". It is recommended to use compressed air under pressure of 6 atmospheres. Also, a sandblast will do, but you have to be extremely careful. During the sand cleaning, the spark plug must be periodically turned for better removal of the abrasive.

A few more good ways

There are a huge number of ways to clean the spark plugs, but not all of them are appropriate. Therefore, almost half of the methods completely disable the candles, which we do not need. Today, ultrasound is used to disintegrate the deposit, but the performance drops by about 30%, and this is fraught with a poor ignition of the working mixture at sub-zero temperatures.

In most cases, use special drugs that contain in their composition, reactive substances. Most often they are used for cleaning injectors. The candle is placed about a day into a special liquid, then it is cleaned with a brush and blown with air. The result is not bad. There is also a place for soaking in gasoline or a solvent, followed by cleaning with a brush. A good way, but it is effective only as long as the deposit is not clearly expressed.

Instead of concluding

So we looked at how to clean the spark plugs in various ways, each of which is used today. But it is worth noting that not all of them provide the desired result. Some do not allow the spark plug to work as effectively as before, while others are so expensive that it's easier to buy a new kit.

The best option has been sandblasting for many years. The results after such cleaning are optimal. The candle is almost completely cleared of various kinds of pollution and restores its previous characteristics, which we actually need. You can use household chemicals, but you do not need to rely on long-term operation, the maximum is 10,000 kilometers. As for iridium candles, then, according to the manufacturers, they can serve very, very long, but only with high-quality fuel.