[AJD] sparkplugs- problem - moisture

[chester win]

Hi, Kraig and all.

That could very well work and would be pretty safe.  I have done the 
same basic thing, but the heat source was a propane torch.  Must heat 
gently, not too hot, and let cool slowly so insulator is not shocked.  
The oven would be more controlled, and a 20 or 30 minute soak may be 
enough.  My other method is to put the plug upside down and soak the 
inside with starting fluid for a couple of minutes, as has been 
mentioned earlier.  Next, blow up into the plug with compressed air to 
dry them.  If they are carboned (or a little rusted from standing), I 
just clamp an ordinary hand operated wire brush in the vise and rub the 
plug back and forth across the brush in various positions to get all 
surfaces clean.  With a fine wire brush, you can insert a few wires up 
in around the tip insulator and rotate the plug back and forth to clean 
crud which is lurking up in there, then another good air blast.  I had 
an old 350 CID Chevy. 4x4 that I only used to plow snow.  The beast 
would always drop 2 or 3 plugs after extended periods of standing.  The 
above methods extended the plugs 3 or 4 years before they had to be 
replaced.

Another little trick that I have used on everything from 2 cycle 
snowmobiles to my Farmall M and 560 requires the motor to be running.   
With good insulated pliers, pull the wire from the fouled plug and hold 
it 1/8 to 1/4 inch from the top of the plug so the spark jumps to the 
plug.  Somewhere, sometime I have been told that when a spark jumps a 
gap, it increases (makes it hotter).  Usually it does not take long for 
a fouled plug to clean off and start working O.K. again.       
 **     DISCLAIMER  ** I would repeat the word "INSULATED" FOR 
WHATEVER YOU HOLD THE PLUG WIRE WITH.

Being on this list, it seems the above method requires 1 plug running 
to clean the other in most cases......

Have fun,

Charlie V. 
  

----Original Message----
From: astroguy at nas.com
Date: 11/18/2006 14:07 
To: "Antique John Deere mailing list"<antique-johndeere at lists.antique-
tractor.com>
Subj: Re: [AJD] spark plugs- problem - moisture

It appears that some problems come from moisture in the unglazed 
ceramic 
insulators of spark plugs.

So, what would happen if we put the spark plugs in a low temperature 
oven 
for a few hours?  I am thinking around 200 degrees. Would this drive 
out the 
moisture and a make a "bad" plug good again?


Kreig