ehennen

I didn't let my SE 800 triple warm up, and tried to drive it almost immediately. I fouled one or two plugs. They were almost new, so I tried solvent washing, and wire brushing, and checking the gap. When I reinstalled them, they ran for a few minutes, then fouled, or quit. Two different dealers have told me that when a plug fouls, it can't be reused, even if it looks great. Is this true?

brandcole73

I don't know how dealers or manufacturers would feel about it, but I sandblast my plugs and reuse them quite a few times. My buddy told me they do that for their airplanes. I figure if they trust flying with sandblasted plugs, I can use em in a snowmobile. My mxz fouls plugs any time I just put around on it and the blasted plugs work great in it! Be sure to blow any loose sand out of them before you put them in!

clodev

i used blasted plugs in my older cars a few times they work fine. My issue is findiing someone with a sand blaster to do it.

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Clode Vaillancourt Muskegon Mi

Ditch hopper

I use sand paper and a wire brush takes a while but you save your self $6

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Real men Hijack threads

-1995 zr580- aaen pipe, epi clutch kit, camoplast ripsaw/120studs, 3inch riser, flybars, upgraded foxshocks, weisco pistons, lightly ported, 19tooth top 32thooth bottom soon to come bored carbs, plastic skis, new helix and ramps BRAAAP

-1994 indy trail 500- all stock, great on gas

clodev

how many plugs will they do for $6 is the question i have a bunch.

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Clode Vaillancourt Muskegon Mi

Ditch hopper

depends how much sandpaper you buy seems to work for me

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Real men Hijack threads

-1995 zr580- aaen pipe, epi clutch kit, camoplast ripsaw/120studs, 3inch riser, flybars, upgraded foxshocks, weisco pistons, lightly ported, 19tooth top 32thooth bottom soon to come bored carbs, plastic skis, new helix and ramps BRAAAP

-1994 indy trail 500- all stock, great on gas

IndianRvrShiver

Why bother & NOT be sure the plug is good?? Buy a box of them.....comes out to about $2.50/plug.

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2003 AC F5 (Jr's Dec 07 SOTM & 2008 SOTY)
2003 AC F7 EFI SP (April 06 SOTM)
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Ditch hopper

For booten aroung the lake works fine

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Real men Hijack threads

-1995 zr580- aaen pipe, epi clutch kit, camoplast ripsaw/120studs, 3inch riser, flybars, upgraded foxshocks, weisco pistons, lightly ported, 19tooth top 32thooth bottom soon to come bored carbs, plastic skis, new helix and ramps BRAAAP

-1994 indy trail 500- all stock, great on gas

brandcole73

Maybe I'll go into the sandblast buisiness. I'll do it for ... oh ... maybe ... $2.49 each (plus shipping) HA HA. I just have a little hand held sand blaster. It loks like a paint gun made out of plastic. I guess you decide, $30 or so for the blaster and who knows for the sand, verses a box of plugs.

clodev

i need an excuse to buy a sand blasting gun, i will need one when i restore the ss this summer, i just need to list all the benefits so the great pooobaaa does not popo the idea. remember its all about the presentation. i have learned this over time its not what i want but what i will need to make the job easier and better

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Clode Vaillancourt Muskegon Mi

lowbudget

You can get a little spark plug blaster from Northern Tool cheap. They don't work as good as the old Champion cleaner/tester we had in high school auto mechanics class but they do OK. I clean all my old plugs. They even come with the blasting media. But I always carry some new ones with me as I had an old biker tell me a long time a go that when you blast a plug there's always the possibilty of damaging/cracking the insulator.

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As Red Green says "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." Mike

gman82001

just my opinion but every plug i have used that has fouled once always does it again and aalot quicker the next. I dont want to be 35 miles back it the mountains on a wednesday when nobodys around and be S.O.L NGK 1.99 @checkers here pretty good price for a little piece of mind

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1997 Summit 670

brandcole73

I agree with that, the ones I clean do foul faster. My mxz seams to foul them a lot if I don't ride it fast so I keep re-using them. I do keep a set of new ones with me too, just in case the blasted ones don't work. As long as I don't just putz around on it the blasted ones work pretty good.

RoadkillSTX

I always cook them on a natural gas stove, burn all that old junk off.

Then some sandpaper.

I use the 'fouled' plugs as my back-ups. At any time I'll have 2 good plugs in the motor, 2 good plugs in rear storage (wrapped in bubble wrap) and 4 'fouled' plugs in my spark plug caddy.
Can never be too careful!
(I also keep a spare coil, CDI, oil, wind-up flashlight, tow rope and 3.5" fold-up hunting knife in my storage [had twine wrap around a track once.... ugh... had barbwire do it before too but I don't carry side cutters for some reason... maybe I will now that i think of it])

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1996 Formula STX 583

2000 Polaris Indy XC 600 Deluxe 45th Anniversary

I feel no shame I'm proud of where I came from, I was born and raised in the boondocks
one thing I know no matter where I go I keep my heart and soul in the boondocks

crazy 1

there only $6 just get new ones to save you the hassal

clodev

ya but i'm cheap There i said it (step2 complete) step 3 express how you feel after admitting to your cheapness. I feel cheap and shallow (wife agrees to the shallow part ) why do i let her read over my shoulder
Its like throwing the last 10 fries away because your full or finishing the coke before you leave Mcd's although your not thirsty. Washing the cake mix bowl before you actually scraped it.

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Clode Vaillancourt Muskegon Mi

cvanmarter

I use a propain torch. Put the plug in a vise heat it till the threads are cherried hot glowing red. burn out the inside keep it on the heat for about fifteen min. Check the gap after it cools and they always work like new for me.

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Don't Eat Yellow Snow

BC_Dan

Ditto on the propane torch. Works great, especially on fairly new plugs that foul because you have been starting the sled once a month and letting it get to operating temp to keep the bearings safe during the summer. That's pretty hard on plugs, the engine never has a chance to clean out. I still keep new plugs as backups, but seldom foul plugs, now that I don't ride that pesky 650 as much any more. That thing thinks plugs are like potato chips; nobody can foul just one!

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Rebuilding the fleet!
2008 RMK 600 155", 2006 RMK 600 144", 98 Indy 440, 95 Prowler 550 2-up, 1990 Indy 650

RIP, destroyed by fire 1-22-2008
04 RMK 800, 05 RMK 600, 02 RMK 800, 97 RMK 700

PoisonJello

well you can actually buy a machine for cleaning plugs but really its just a sandblaster built into a cabinet with a hole that you stick the plug into clean then a second hole that has air to blow the plug off, works great and the plug will work like new...
the part all you guys seems to be missing is a plug can foul for many reasons. if the plug is old and getting fouled it probably just needs to be replaced but if it is fairly new and fouling it is probably your carbs need adjusting but a newer plug that gets fouled should clean up and work perfectly unless you just got a bad plug..it happens

cvanmarter

I keep about 5 reused plugs with me on the trail just incase I run into someone in need or if someone riding with me doesn't have an extra.

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Don't Eat Yellow Snow