BUMP See post with pic, last one on page 3. ^^^

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/11/2014 @ 7:43 AM *

Would it be normal to find carbon in the sparkplug wells or is this stuff road debris? See pic bottom of page 3.

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/11/2014 @ 6:18 PM *

Road debris more like it. Take a flat blade screwdriver, a steel table, a quarter, drag and crush that debris over the hard surface. Did it crunch like a rock or did it decompose down to black powder?

1. Carbon = No harm no foul... Unless it flies into the side and center electrode it's that huge to foul the plug? No, not even close.

2. Grit = This too will blow right out, blow down the cylinder wall and score it, get crushed by the valve heading out. But usually it blows out within the first or second fire off.

3, Debris - It either is harmless or is part of the contamination. Regardless, it is not catastrophic you lose sleep over it.

Thanks, Hub. I'll be sleeping just fine. I will be removing the whole head cover anyway to do the valve lash check for the second time. If you recall, I set them as close to minimum as I could get them. I waited 28,000 for the first check and now I've gone another 15,000 so I want to see what has happened there. I'll be changing plugs with the cover off so it will be easy to remove any debris before unscrewing the plugs.

Let's say you wanted to change the plugs the normal way with the valve cover on. I suppose it would be a good idea to shoot some compressed air down each well and then stick a tube attached to a vacuum cleaner down there to suck up anything that may have fallen back after to the blow. Then change the plug and replace the stick coil. Do each plug like that? Sound worthwhile?

EArlier post on this thread:

Before you squirt any sort of lube or freeing agent down there or even try to spin the plugs out just blow any crap out with a powerful airline while holding the tube from a hoover up top to suck away anything that flies up. I ALWAYS do this just as a precaution. JMO

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/11/2014 @ 8:38 PM *

Rook.

Think like a doctor in an operating room. Clean tools, clean surface, clean orifices. You are a proctologist now, buddy! Shove 100 pea yes I said blow it all away before you expose the insides.

I'll add this: I crack the plugs loose first to dislodge any crust on the plug gasket. Then I use a air nozzle with an eighth inch Legris hose attached and blast the wells.

Thanks, fellas. Good advice. I'll try breaking the plugs loose and blowing before removing the cover, too.

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/12/2014 @ 7:58 AM *

I broke free the left two sparkplugs. These are the original plugs and they turned easily after 5 and a half years. I have not loosened up the right two yet but the one on the outside right was removed a few years back so I expect they will all turn without much of a struggle.

I picked up this from Harbor Freight along with the brass 1/4" male fitting. It just fits under the airbox. The short tip that comes on the gun has a small hole and produces the strongest blast of air. The shorter of the two long tips will reach almost to the bottom of the well but you need to put the tip in the well and then tread it on the gun to get the tool in place.


It's hard to say if anything came out. I didn't feel anything hit my hand when I used the short tip or the long one. After trying the air gun by itself, I used the small tip of a household vacuum cleaner while I blew out the wells which may have helped the process. The small tip seemed to be causing the air to evacuate the well stronger. But that was deceiving.

I did a little experiment with the new tool. I have out in the garage a glass graduated cylinder that is about the same diameter of a sparkplug well. I dropped a palm of floor dry in it and blasted it with the small tip. The floor dry just swirled around the bottom. I repeated the routine using the gentler flowing long tip inserte dto the bottom ofthe graduated cylinder. Almost all of the floor dry flew out immediately. The last chunk soon was ejected with a few short bursts from the long tip.

So, use something long enough to get to the bottom of the well when you blow. Repeated short bursts work better than a long steady flow. A forceful blast of air from the top of the tube probably does not do much. Maybe I will do a Youtube vid some time.

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/12/2014 @ 6:55 PM *

I'll add this: I crack the plugs loose first to dislodge any crust on the plug gasket. Then I use a air nozzle with an eighth inch Legris hose attached and blast the wells.

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/15/2014 @ 6:44 AM *

Measure the dimensions of the threaded fitting for your air nozzle. I'm going to send you a Legris fitting and a foot of hose. (that's what HE said!)

Your solution works well, particularly on cyl. 1 & 4. I can see where 2 & 3 will sap your efficiency.

I'm gonna hook you up mang as soon as you confirm what diameter pipe thread your nozzle accepts. It makes life super easy wherever you need to blast filth out of a hidden corner or recess.

Oh! Your visual experiment was inspired! A stroke of genius, D.

* Last updated by: hagrid on 7/15/2014 @ 5:12 PM *

Well I was out there in the geeerage playing with my new airgun for quite a while and I couldn't help but wonder which tip was better, long or short?? The shorty really did cause stuff to shoot out of the well on the first couple blasts but he long evidently would be better.

Your solution works well, particularly on cyl. 1 & 4. I can see where 2 & 3 will sap your efficiency.

I used calipers to measure the thread diameter of the tip that goes to my airgun and it is 4/10" (or just over 11mm) Both of my airguns have the same thread for the interchangeable tips. Are there different thread pitches for air tools or is pitch standard according to thread diameter?

Already have the head cover bolts loosened up and ready to remove the cover today so AFAIC, the wells are as clean as they are going to get. ...but if you have a spare Legis hose laying around, I'd be glad to have that for next time. I PMed you my address.

BTW, legis is a brand name, not the name of the tool, rght? I googled Legis and found a company that makes air tools called Parker Legis.

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/16/2014 @ 11:53 AM *

On its way, D.

And don't you dare try returning the postage.

And yes that's the company.

Thanks, hag.

of course I will send you back postage. That's the least I can do. I'll just shove a few bucks in an envelope. A few bucks is a few bucks.

OOOO--I just love getting stuff in the mail!! This looks like it will work just dandy for blowing out the holes. No problem fitting this under the airbox. You could slide a steel tube in the end if you want something more rigid to blow around the bottom of the hole but this may just be the best thing all by itself. I'll have to do a test one day. Thank you hagrid!

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/18/2014 @ 2:57 PM *

Quite welcome, D.

Keep up the excellence!

BTW... your fitting that you measured and came up with 4/10ths of an inch? I looked it up on a threaded pipe schedule... it's 1/8" tapered pipe thread.

The graybeards out my way know that stuff off the top of their hades. I never really mastered it.

Interesting. I can't for the life of me understand where they get 1/8 from thread that measures 4/10 (or 2/5) but apparently the greybeards still have their wits about them. Amazing what a greybeard remembers. My father remembers minute detail about how they built a frame for a dump truck 30 years ago but he can't remember to turn it off when he's done using it.

You da man hagrid, stuff like this is so preferable to some of the other behavior on here.

I know I heard this somewhere but thought I might as well ask to verify : Do we use high temp Neverseize on spark plug threads?

I wouldnt... not necessary.

I used to on old, cast iron V8s.

* Last updated by: hagrid on 9/10/2015 @ 8:12 PM *

Not on new NGK :

For spark plugs with special metal plating; do not use anti-seize on the initial installation. If a spark plug with special metal plating is removed and re-installed, only then should anti-seize be used prior to “re-installation”
All NGK Spark Plugs are manufactured with special shell plating on the metal body

Article Here !!!!!

* Last updated by: carabuser on 9/11/2015 @ 10:15 AM *

WOW, thanks guys! Glad I asked. I will pop back and read that article carabuser. Thank you.