Spring service and spark plugs

[Spider2]

I agree about the balancing. I do mine before I go on a rally/track day so at least twice a year. They are never completely in balance when I check.

[lancialulu]

Re plugs traditionally spark plugs were manufactured with glazed ceramic central electrodes. This has been cost sut out of recent production with a few decades of lean burn otto cycle engines. This is a problem if plugs get wet from flooding on cold start, which is an occupational hazard with our cars (especially 1600s). It kills the plug and it is never the same again. Regular plug changes mitigates against this....

[Richard Fridd]

That's interesting. Does the fuel impregnate the central electrode making it impossible to remove? I assume not after one flooding (or rinsing in solvent following an abrasive clean).
 
  Richard

[lancialulu]

That's interesting. Does the fuel impregnate the central electrode making it impossible to remove? I assume not after one flooding (or rinsing in solvent following an abrasive clean).
 
  Richard

I believe so.

[chriswgawne]

Re plugs traditionally spark plugs were manufactured with glazed ceramic central electrodes. This has been cost sut out of recent production with a few decades of lean burn otto cycle engines. This is a problem if plugs get wet from flooding on cold start, which is an occupational hazard with our cars (especially 1600s). It kills the plug and it is never the same again. Regular plug changes mitigates against this....

As it happens, I believe I have had just this experience starting up my Aurelia B20 S1 for the first time this year. It refused to fire on all 6 but having changed the relevant plugs ( which were almost new) for other barely used plugs the problem was solved. I thought I had a couple of faulty NGK plugs but I realise now that they had almost certainly been wetted from flooding using the choke.
Chris

[Richard Fridd]

To clarify,  the flooded plugs can now be cleaned and used again?

  Richard

[lancialulu]

Not realistically

[Wangler]

Not realistically

Back in the day there used to be a device that was common in garages which cleaned spark plugs. I seem to remember that it gave the end a quick blast of an abrasive using compressed air.

Wouldn’t that (or a similar process) do the job these days, assuming they’re still around?

[LCR1967]

Correct. The garage where I did my apprenticeship had such a device. I purchased a mini version a few years ago and use it to occasionally clean my plugs.