Topic: Pneumatic spark plug cleaners

[Prospect]

I used to work at a place that did work on old airplane radial engines.  Each engine had 9 cylinders with two spark plugs per engine.  With two engines per airplane there were 36 spark plugs to clean every 100 hours.  They had a great little pneumatic spark plug cleaner.  I looked to buy one about 10 years ago but found none for sale.

Today I looked again and it seems  that manufacturers are making them again.  Has anyone bought one and what are your thoughts on these?

They are super cheap.



https://www.amazon.ca/Cleaner-Efficiency-Pneumatic-Cleaning-Abrasive/dp/B07P8YB4YC/ref=asc_df_B07P8YB4YC/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=338542413810&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15495449703384705879&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9061009&hvtargid=pla-828019874761&psc=1

[robvangulik]

All my Honda's get new plugs every 20k km (12k miles?) , and in the mean time I don't even look at those plugs, why would I clean them?
I better spend that money on the next set of sparkplugs

[bryanj]

Great for 2 strokes, which seem to be mostly banned in US but just change them on 4 strokes UNLESS you are planning induction/exhaust changes and will need to do multiple plug chops

[Alan F.]

I was always told that using these could leave bits of grit up inside the insulator which would eventually cause engine damage.
This fear mongering has probably made quite a bit of profit for spark plug manufacturers and just imagine how many thousands of tons of spark plugs are in landfills.

With the correct grit of abrasive material these should be safe to use. One of the Harbor Freight reviews stated that the black abrasive media leaves the plug's insulator with a dark sheen, the review recommends a white abrasive media to leave a cleaner insulator appearance, this seems desirable for motorcycle tuning.

https://www.harborfreight.com/pneumatic-spark-plug-cleaner-32860.html

[PeWe]

I have a bunch of dirty plugs after carb jetting adventures where plugs have been too sooty very soon.
I hope to clean and give them a better life with correct fuel mix next time.

This is a reason that could have use of a cleaning device that can clean the plug and its insulator all the way in.

I guess that oil consuming engines need to clean plugs rather often, like at each oil change or sooner.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

I got mine at Harbor Freight. Same one as pictured. And, YES, I highly recommend flushing out the plug with brake cleaner before installing.

[Prospect]

I got mine at Harbor Freight. Same one as pictured. And, YES, I highly recommend flushing out the plug with brake cleaner before installing.

Wouldn't it be enough to just blow compressed air onto the plug to get rid of the blast media?

[Bodi]

As a child my next door neighbor ran a gas station and back then gas stations had repair shops, not variety stores.
This one had several machines rarely seen now... brake shoe radius grinder, drum lathe, and a spark plug cleaning machine, and a plug tester that increased the air pressure in a chamber with a window while something insidd buzzed and made a high voltage that arced across the plug.
Plus they had the pneumatic bell that called the mechanic out when a car pulled up to the gas pump!
Hand Tool Rescue restored a plug cleaner on youtube that looks just like the one in that shop.
The old aircraft radial engines have spark plugs designed for regular cleaning, they are rarely replaced. A restored B-17 crashed (fatal) last year because of shoddy ignition system maintenance.
Our plugs have long tapered centre insulators that can trap grit down inside but I have't heard of it causing damage... washing them out with air blast and solvent seems wise though. Pals with 2 stroke bikes did take their coked up plugs for cleaning, and I did it occasionally for my CB77 plugs. I think they charged a few cents to clean a plug, when regular (leaded) gasoline was around 60 cents per Imperial gallon. 10 cents bought a few hours worth of gas for my lawnmower engine "go kart".

[seanbarney41]

A buddy of mine gave me one of these years ago...I stuck it on a shelf and forgot about it for all the above reasons.  Hell, it is at least worth using when you are dieing to resurrect that old cruster and the parts store is already closed...gonna have to dig it out.

[BenelliSEI]

The shop I pumped gas in as a kid had a “Champion Spark Plug” cleaning machine, mounted on the wall. You pushed the plug down through a rubber boot and pushed the foot pedal. We changed the media once a year! I’ve been looking for one for years.

Next to it was a “Bosch” machine that you clamped a distributor into. It check it’s performance (while spinning it up). It told you if points were “GOOD/BAD”.  I think it included a “plug tester” feature too....

[Prospect]

The shop I pumped gas in as a kid had a “Champion Spark Plug” cleaning machine, mounted on the wall. You pushed the plug down through a rubber boot and pushed the foot pedal. We changed the media once a year! I’ve been looking for one for years.

Next to it was a “Bosch” machine that you clamped a distributor into. It check it’s performance (while spinning it up). It told you if points were “GOOD/BAD”.  I think it included a “plug tester” feature too....

Was it like this one?


https://www.kijiji.ca/v-art-collectibles/st-catharines/vintage-spark-plug-cleaner-champion/1531309984?undefined

[BenelliSEI]

That’s it! The one I used was wall mounted, but identical. Not far from you, Laird and McCrae. It was a small corner gas station, Gyro Motors. Datsun/ Alfa Romeo Dealership, owned by a fellow named Mike Doyle. I woke there, all through high school. Now a huge dealership, down the road......

[Flyin900]

In Canada Princess Auto carries the same small hand held plug cleaner. I have used it mostly for old plugs when getting a new prospect checked out and running, or cleaning plugs as needed.
I do use both brake cleaner and compressed air into the tip and threaded area to ensure the clean plug is media free too.

[JoeCooley]

In Canada Princess Auto carries the same small hand held plug cleaner. I have used it mostly for old plugs when getting a new prospect checked out and running, or cleaning plugs as needed.
I do use both brake cleaner and compressed air into the tip and threaded area to ensure the clean plug is media free too.

I use one and do the same process of cleaning with brake-clean and compressed air. I have the Harbor Freight plug cleaner. I use it all the time for my cb750, Wife's Honda Accord, lawnmower, weed-eater, and anything else running standard copper plugs. If they are just fouled from oil or fuel, clean em up and stick them back it. Plugs only need to be replaced if the insulator is broken or electrode is worn down.

[bryanj]

To use personally its fine but in a business with labour costs its hard to justify the cleaning costs against a new replacement to a customer

[HondaMan]

In Canada Princess Auto carries the same small hand held plug cleaner. I have used it mostly for old plugs when getting a new prospect checked out and running, or cleaning plugs as needed.
I do use both brake cleaner and compressed air into the tip and threaded area to ensure the clean plug is media free too.

I use one and do the same process of cleaning with brake-clean and compressed air. I have the Harbor Freight plug cleaner. I use it all the time for my cb750, Wife's Honda Accord, lawnmower, weed-eater, and anything else running standard copper plugs. If they are just fouled from oil or fuel, clean em up and stick them back it. Plugs only need to be replaced if the insulator is broken or electrode is worn down.

How do you make yours work? I have one and have tried it many times, with different grits, in different orientations, etc., and it never cleans as well as a simple sandblaster: often it doesn't clean at all.

[PeWe]

To use personally its fine but in a business with labour costs its hard to justify the cleaning costs against a new replacement to a customer

Plugs are very cheap in UK.
Here in Sweden CB750 plugs cost 2-3 times more.

Denso X24ES-U is almost for free on this site.
https://www.gsparkplug.com/1x-denso-standard-spark-plugs-x24es-u-x24esu-067800-1700-0678004130-4099.html

Around here £4-5 for Denso and NGK plugs. (Saw a sale on Denso once, £3.5)

NGK D8EA cost more but still much cheaper.

In last order a set of plugs for my car too. Replacement interval 60.000km so 1 set enough. Double price here.

I have plugs for many years since I made sure to order before Brexit when VAT will increase + customs fee.

I still want to clean my not much used but very sooty plugs.

[bryanj]

Pewe, i can always send in a plain brown jiffy bag as a gift

[Terry in Australia]

I've got an old KLG or Champion spark plug cleaner and tester in my garage that came from my cuz's shop, along with my boring bar. Great old tool, filled it up with glass bead and it works fine, and the plug tester is really cool. I rarely clean plugs though, and if I do it's usually from one of my little 2 stroke Chinese garden tools, like a weed wacker or hedger, due to my inaccurate fuel/oil calculations. Funnily enough the spark plug in my Stihl blower hasn't been cleaned or changed in at least 20 years.

I changed the plugs (standard Yamaha branded, no idea who makes them) in my 2001 Yamaha FJR1300 a couple of years ago, they'd done 40,000 miles and looked good enough to put back in and keep using, but the previous owner gave me a set when I bought the bike, along with some other new parts that he hadn't gotten around to install. Likewise, I recently replaced the standard plugs in my wife's old Hyundai that had done 130,000 Km (80,000 miles) on the one set of plugs, and I only changed them out of curiosity. 

My point is that modern bikes and cars running EFI and electronic ignition systems run so efficiently that they don't foul plugs unless something bad happens, so by the time they stop working, they're worn out. Not so good for 50 year old motorcycles running carbs and points, but (apart from Sweden) plugs are cheap.

[PeWe]

Pewe, i can always send in a plain brown jiffy bag as a gift

Thanks for the thought.
I have around 80 new plugs or even more.
Plus 30-40 dirty in need of cleaning!

[bryanj]

Got a used Lexus 450H, or rather the wife has after nobody would diagnose the 2003 Peugeot 406 2.2hdi that insisted on being in limp mode( hand held scanner only gives generic faults and tinterweb had buggerall ideas!!) and service interval for plugs is 120,000 miles and then it only says check. Dirt cheap to sevice tho'

[Prospect]

Plugs are cheap but there have been many instances of fake or poor quality plugs on the market. I rather clean the old ones because I know they're not defective.  Also, I prefer to reuse than throw away and buy new.

[Terry in Australia]

Pewe, i can always send in a plain brown jiffy bag as a gift

Thanks for the thought.
I have around 80 new plugs or even more.
Plus 30-40 dirty in need of cleaning!

Did you smuggle those spark plugs into Sweden "internally" Per? I watch those "Border Security" shows where drug mules swallow condoms full of heroin then poop them out when they arrive, I'd reckon that swallowing, and then pooping out a box of D8EA's would be pretty painful?

[Alan F.]

Did you smuggle those spark plugs into Sweden "internally" Per? I watch those "Border Security" shows where drug mules swallow condoms full of heroin then poop them out when they arrive, I'd reckon that swallowing, and then pooping out a box of D8EA's would be pretty painful?

South Side Dive Bar material that.

[HondaMan]

My point is that modern bikes and cars running EFI and electronic ignition systems run so efficiently that they don't foul plugs unless something bad happens, so by the time they stop working, they're worn out. Not so good for 50 year old motorcycles running carbs and points, but (apart from Sweden) plugs are cheap.

An observation: when I bought my JEEP 6 years ago, it was from the original owner (and not in great shape!). It started a little hard, but ran OK at 178,000 miles. I pulled out the sparkplugs one day to see how they looked: the gap was more than 0.150" (!). The electrodes where burned all th eway down inside the ceramic tips. I installed new plugs (gap 0.035" per the manual) and 4 weeks later the coil died. The distributor rotor was burned to a crisp: the carbon traces on the rotor and the inside of the cap appeared to be how the spark was getting to the plugs!

With new plugs...and a new coil...and rotor and cap...and radiator...it started a lot better.