[AT] Having battery problems--so how to fix?

ken knierim wild1 at cpe-66-1-196-61.az.sprintbbd.net
Tue Mar 28 11:53:35 PST 2006


Not sure what I'm doing differently but I heat them up as hot as I can
get them. I started with plugs that were trash and was able to heat them
up past red, almost to a nice yellow. Then I take my airhose and blast
them down to cool them while they are still as hot as I can get them.
The thermal shock blasts loose most of the crud. On really bad ones
(like #4 on my 8N that smokes real bad) it might take this treatment
twice before they come out looking like new. I've been doing it several
times a year on the 8N for something like 7-8 years and haven't had to
replace one yet (knock on wood). I figure it'll get a new set of plugs
when I overhaul it. :)

The ceramic and metal are designed for a combustion chamber. I don't use
a cutting torch on the tips and I don't just put the hottest part of the
flame right on it immediately. I also put the plug in a vice as they get
waaay tooo hot to hold onto but they come out looking like a new plug;
the ceramic is white and clean and the carbon on everything goes away.

Also, wear safety glasses as the carbon comes out like sand from a
sandblaster when you hit it with the airhose.

I've done this for some small engine plugs as well but I haven't tried
it as a starting aide... might be something to try. When I've had a
badly fouled plug it might have an orange flame on it for a while as the
oil, fuel and carbon burn but it seems to work for me.

Ken in AZ


On Tue, 2006-03-28 at 10:30, Mike Sloane wrote:
> When I have heated spark plugs, I just wave a propane torch on them long 
> enough to burn off the accumulated oil, gas, moisture, and other crud. I 
> don't try to get the whole thing red hot.
> 
> Mike
> 
> Wayne Snelling wrote:
> > How does anyone heat a plug red hot without ruining the ceramic tips? 
> > They will crack when hit with a hot tourch unless you spend a long-long 
> > trime gradually heating them? Inquiring minds want to know.
> > 
> > Wayne
> > 
> > Ralph Goff wrote:
> > 
> >> Howard
> >> Yes that works too. A friend of mine used that technique to start his 
> >> snowmobile years ago. This was a twin cylinder Curtis Wright recoil 
> >> start and it could be stubborn at times. He would heat those plugs 
> >> good and hot, turn them back in and it did seem to help starting.
> >>
> 
> 
> -- 
> Mike Sloane
> Allamuchy NJ
> <mikesloane at verizon.net>
> Website: <www.geocities.com/mikesloane>
> Images: <www.fotki.com/mikesloane>
> 
> "Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible,
> but man´s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary."
> Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971), US theologian.
> 





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