gas on a rag to clean plugs??

[darkalley]

I am just about to put my boat in for the season. My plugs are pretty dirty and I bought new ones but I wanted to hold off installing them until I run off some of the old gas out. Can I just rub the plugs with a rag soaked in gas to clean them a bit??

 

[roscoe]

Re: gas on a rag to clean plugs??

A little brake cleaner is what I usually use. If they are real bad, I use a piece of extra fine sandpaper, or an emoryboard/nail file. Just to scrape the crud off, don't file them away.

 

[SeaMasterZ@aol.com]

Re: gas on a rag to clean plugs??

I hit em with a wire wheel if they are caked and crummy, but usually just hit em with a points file and gap em - very light touch, as lightly as you would scrape your fingernail over your girlfri ... hmmmm, no, moderators will have a fit ... gentle is the key, will give maximum re****s<br /><br />LOL, Im afreud I slipped, typed r e s l u t s, lololol, RESULTS

 

[Bellboy]

Re: gas on a rag to clean plugs??

Brake Kleen is nowhere near as harsh a solvent as Carb cleaner (which is what I recommend).<br /><br />Also, the key to a good spark is a sharp-clean square edge on the electrodes. That's why filing them is such a good idear....one thing to keep in mind though...no matter how much you clean a plug it will ALWAYS require more voltage to fire than a brandy new plug.<br /><br />Also, wire wheeling a plug sometimes leaves metal deposits on the porcelin which can cause it to short out. Another thing to keep in mind, should you ever use Anti-Sieze on the plug threads be very careful not to get any of it anywhere other than on the threads themselves as it's electrically conductive and will cause the plug not to fire.<br /><br />This drivel brought to you by an auto mechanic with a quarter of a century worth of barked knuckles <br />-ANT