Spark Plugs

[Dannie Zimmerman]

How often to ya'll change your spark plugs?

[JB]

before they end up looking like this one link

acutally, check them out before the season, look for black carbon buildup on the bottom, or the gap may really be opened up, change em.
If ya own a boat, ya need to carry a spare set on ya and a wrench to change them.

[zooker]

3 times a year i run year round.. a always do a shock treatment prior to replacing them..

zooker

[HOG Ranger]

Usually once or maybe twice a season. One of the lakes I fish is a no wake and the 125 doesn't like to idle for hours at a time so the plugs sometimes foul. Most of the time once I crank it up it clears out but once in a while I have to change the plugs.

[Rebbasser]

Dannie-saw your post on Seafoam and Deep Creep. After using it changing the plugs is a good idea. That is the shock treatment Zooker refers to.

[Dannie Zimmerman]

Thanks Rebbasser, that is good advice. I'm sure glad I joined this forum.
Being a member saves you alot of TLC. (Thats TIME, LABOR, AND CASH)

[1FASTLASER]

Originally Posted by zooker

3 times a year i run year round.. a always do a shock treatment prior to replacing them..

zooker

Zook got this one on the head. Small insurance to make sure your motor runs like she is supposed to AND keeps the motor nice and clean.

[Christopherkeene9]

Every 100hrs. or so!

[commanche]

i changed mine on nitro last year, they were 12 years old,still in good shape..

my lawnmower is 7 years old, same plug,my honda shadow spirit is 5 years, same plug,my chainsaw is 34 years old, same plug,my pressure washer is 6 years old, same plug,my chevy truck is 9 years old, same plugs,my weedeater is 7 years old, same plug..


never had problem with spark plugs..if electrode is WORN that you cant file it no more,time to go..

with new unleaded gas, plugs can go a LONGTIME ..lead is what did plugs in years ago..

[Christopherkeene9]

Originally Posted by commanche

i changed mine on nitro last year, they were 12 years old,still in good shape..

Man we can't trust a 12 year old plug 80nm+ in the ocean no less a 500hr. plug! Gets expensive too $XX x 12 plugs!!

[commanche]

Originally Posted by Christopherkeene9

Man we can't trust a 12 year old plug 80nm+ in the ocean no less a 500hr. plug! Gets expensive too $XX x 12 plugs!!

my boat only sees lakes here in pa,md,ny..no ocean..i guess that would change my mind also on length of plug in motor..

lake erie is one nasty mother of lake..i been there and saw boats thrown on the shore..it has to be windiest lake i have been on..

i put my info on as a lot of times people change plugs to much and plugs are fine..

if they are cheap, go for it..if like your situation, its safety issue..

but plugs today,again i am not trying to be smarty pants ,many on here know if plug should be replaced and if its good for your engine..

i am just person who feels you can go a LONG time with spark plug which i have shown for 12 years and they were still good..

my truck is 9 years old, 70,000 miles and plugs look almost new..unleaded gas is easy on plug..

[zooker]

i put a 145k on a set of boush platinum in 4 years they were crap after that..

in an out board -specificly yamahas- you get bad carbon build up. seafoanm keeps most of it clean but when doing a shock treatment i change the plug as they tend to get ashes deposits on them from the shock treatment..

zooker

[1FASTLASER]

Yes plugs will run for aonf time and not really show signs of wear but alot of people are not aware of the amount of fire being reduced over time. As fast and as many times a plug fires the internals begin to wear and therefore the heat of the fire emitting from the electrode still may look ok but in all acyality is no where near as hot as whenn it is new.

[commanche]

so,if its not burning normal that could waste gas and cause carbon build -up..that could cost more than a set of new plugs..

good point, we never see the difference in mileage between new plug and old one..

we made test between synthetic oil and regular dino oil on a chevy cavalier motor..after 100,000 miles we tore 2 motors apart..the one with dino oil was varnished up..

the one with syn oil was clean..

we changed the dino at 3500 miles and syn oil at 5,000..

sorry got off topic,was only showing that there are reasons to use different things and like plugs, reasons to change them that we dont see..

[1FASTLASER]

you got it commanche. Things arnt always as they appear to be. With that being said more people should realize that a good maintanence schedule will keep a motor running with realitivly no problems

[jensor2]

I invested in a spark plug cleaner, sand blast type, for around $40, i clean my plugs and check the gap plus carry a pare set in case they foul out. it saves on purchasing new plugs for mower, motorcycle etc.

[commanche]

Originally Posted by jensor2

I invested in a spark plug cleaner, sand blast type, for around $40, i clean my plugs and check the gap plus carry a pare set in case they foul out. it saves on purchasing new plugs for mower, motorcycle etc.

sandblaster plug cleaners are not best thing..the stuff they use to clean the plug,sand or whatever can get into your piston ring area and cause a score to start..

if you use one as you said, get a air compressor and blow the plug off real good inside ..

[1FASTLASER]

Originally Posted by commanche

sandblaster plug cleaners are not best thing..the stuff they use to clean the plug,sand or whatever can get into your piston ring area and cause a score to start..

if you use one as you said, get a air compressor and blow the plug off real good inside ..

And to addd that not only you have the possibility of getting sand in the cylinder it still cannot repait a plug that has been firing many times a minute every time it is used. And I will add that a plug that has been blasyed will develop deposits much faster. Beleive me I have been a mechanic for along time and this comes from many years of experience.

[commanche]

really having clean plug is not going to make it spark any better..when we used to clean them years ago was because of lead deposits ,now unleaded gas is used..

getting that dust into cylinder would be a worry for me..this is why we dont use a sandblaster plug cleaner anymore..

[BLWeng]

[quote=commanche;151929]i changed mine on nitro last year, they were 12 years old,still in good shape..

my lawnmower is 7 years old, same plug,my honda shadow spirit is 5 years, same plug,my chainsaw is 34 years old, same plug,my pressure washer is 6 years old, same plug,my chevy truck is 9 years old, same plugs,my weedeater is 7 years old, same plug..


Hey Commanche, you should save yourself some time and buy seperate plugs fore each piece of equipment. That looks like alot of extra work changing the same spark plug each time you want to use that tool. lol

[commanche]

[quote=BLWeng;154833]

Originally Posted by commanche

i changed mine on nitro last year, they were 12 years old,still in good shape..

my lawnmower is 7 years old, same plug,my honda shadow spirit is 5 years, same plug,my chainsaw is 34 years old, same plug,my pressure washer is 6 years old, same plug,my chevy truck is 9 years old, same plugs,my weedeater is 7 years old, same plug..


Hey Commanche, you should save yourself some time and buy seperate plugs fore each piece of equipment. That looks like alot of extra work changing the same spark plug each time you want to use that tool. lol

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