spark plug cleaning?

[alke46]

I have new plugs in my bike but with trying to lean out the carbs, the plugs are looking rather sooty. Can I just clean these on the old wire brush wheel since they are new?
I have dipped the carbs and am in the process of getting it back on the road but seems like I am having too much trouble getting them to lean out properly.
BTW, the air pilots are set to 3/4 out and the fuel pilots are currently less than 1 turn out.
Thanks guys

[chef1366]

What type of bike do you have?

[alke46]

'79 gs 1000.

[GQROD]

If the plugs are new you can just clean them while you are tuning the carbs. Then when you have the mix correct you can put in fresh ones.

I used my old ones gapped properly and cleaned to tune the bike then put new ones when i had my jets sized corrrectly and did colortune adjustments with the new ones in.

Hope this helps.

[alke46]

Yes it does help. Thank you GQROD

[SqDancerLynn1]

Fuel Screw on bottom 3/4 turn out.. Side air screw 1 1/2 turns out
did you bench sync them ??

[Houdini]

Flame on

I have seen a propane soldering torch used to clean plugs that were fouled.

[alke46]

Fuel Screw on bottom 3/4 turn out.. Side air screw 1 1/2 turns out
did you bench sync them ??

Yes, they were bench synched.

[Steve]

Can I just clean these on the old wire brush wheel since they are new?

I would be leery about cleaning them with a wire wheel. I have tried that before and I might have had an improper technique, but I found that I left a lot of metal deposits on the porcelain insulator that shorted the spark before it could light the mixture. A hand wire brush might not leave the deposits.

Mu suggestion would be to use new plugs for the rest of your tuning and when the bike is running right, stick these 'fouled' plugs in for a bit, they should clear up nicely.

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[trippivot]

harbor freight has a small sand blaster- 10-20 bucks

sand blast them and remember to clean the sand out very well and wire wheel the threads to make them smooth.

[Billy Ricks]

Too bad you can't still get carbon tetracloride. It's nasty stuff if not handled and disposed of properly, but all you had to do was soak plugs in it and they came out looking like new. For a while even after it was outlawed for sale to the general public Energine spot remover was a very similar compound. They just changed the molecule a bit to skirt the law. Now Energine is just naptha. I still have a can of carbon tet I'm saving in case I ever have a need for it.

[GSJim69]

Spark Plug Cleaning

I am not a motorcycle expert. But, I am an aircraft mechanic and have cleaned hundreds of spark plugs. Sand or bead blasting is the way to go.
As far as replacing spark plugs, wear of the electrodes is the determining factor. Wear happens over time. Until they are really worn bad cleaning and re-gapping is all that is needed.

[alke46]

harbor freight has a small sand blaster- 10-20 bucks

sand blast them and remember to clean the sand out very well and wire wheel the threads to make them smooth.

Thanks trippivot --- this was just what I had in mind.

[alke46]

I am not a motorcycle expert. But, I am an aircraft mechanic and have cleaned hundreds of spark plugs. Sand or bead blasting is the way to go.
As far as replacing spark plugs, wear of the electrodes is the determining factor. Wear happens over time. Until they are really worn bad cleaning and re-gapping is all that is needed.

good to be informed. thanks a bunch........

[Steve]

... I am an aircraft mechanic and have cleaned hundreds of spark plugs. ...

Even with all the restrictions on A&P mechanics, you are allowed to clean and re-use plugs? Cool. Thanks.

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