Just had a thought.....tell me I?m daft.

QBhoy

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Mar 10, 2016
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8,286
So....
I?m sitting here with a glass of wine after an artic day out on the jet ski....and thinking about the spark plugs I?ve went through during the run in period with heavy oil to fuel ratio....and a question came into my head.

Can spark plugs be Ultra sonically cleaned ?

Perhaps this is common practice, can?t think that I?ve known anyone to do it. Maybe loads do ?

Or perhaps I?m daft and there is a good reason not to ? Surely they could be dried out and nothing would be ruined ?
 

H20Rat

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Mar 8, 2009
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5,199
No... Fouled plugs are more than just surface oil, because of the heat the plugs operate at the oil penetrates deep into the metal of the plug.

In the grand scheme of things, plugs are dirt cheap. Don't buy into the hype about expensive plugs, they all do the same thing, make a spark.
 

QBhoy

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Cheers Smoking crater....

Thing is, the boat needs to have iridium plugs (not such an issue) and the ski certainly runs sweeter with them.
No doubt I?ll just buy new plugs for the ski, but just wondered if folk sometimes do this ?
 

icwingman

Seaman
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Aug 21, 2017
Messages
61
Buy a good plug. High price plugs give you a hotter spark. Cheap plugs are just cheap. If your constantly fouling plugs take it to a mechanic. I had a jet ski for years and didnt foul alot of plugs. Dont clean, replace.
 

robert graham

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Apr 16, 2009
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A $15 Harbor Freight spark plug Sandblaster is what you need....I've used mine for many years and never buy plugs. My 1999 Yamaha C90 still has the original plugs...The sand cleans the plug tip and. Insulator clean like new!
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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Since man invented spark plugs, spark plug cleaners have been around. Normally they are miniature bead blasters.

Simply google spark plug cleaner. I used to have a sunnex, i either misplaced it, or borrowed it out as i havent seen it in about 20 years. Havent needed it other than the one beater that burned more oil than fuel

Insert plug, press button, wiggle/rotate plug......10 seconds later its clean.

However if your fowling plugs that often, you have other issues.
 

Ned L

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Sep 17, 2008
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THey still make spark plug cleaner????? I thought they went out of style close to 50 years ago (seriously).
 

Silvertip

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They went out of style when labor rates at service shops cost more than new plugs. But they are still available.
 

Ned L

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As always,..... learn something new (or old) every day. Lol

Thanks!
 

jkust

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Generally I put a new set of plus into my supercharget ski about every two years. I suppose I don't really notice a difference but am more preventative minded with my boats than my cars. I think i always hope new plugs will make a difference.
The only thing I notice that makes a performance difference is when I use nonoxygenated gas. Only then does the Rev limiter always keep me at 70mph otherwise I'm lucky to hit 69 for brief period. Not interested in cleaning the plugs but yes four proper plugs aren't inexpensive but cheap compared to just about everything else boating related.
Of course there are many things you can do to substantially increase performance massively if one was inclined to spend the money.
 

QBhoy

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Mar 10, 2016
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Thanks guys.

Always use good plugs....just wondered if anyone US cleaned through the season. Especially with the 2 stroke application I have and higher oil mix during break in.
 

mr 88

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Nov 3, 2010
Messages
2,115
So....
I’m sitting here with a glass of wine after an artic day out on the jet ski....and thinking about the spark plugs I’ve went through during the run in period with heavy oil to fuel ratio....and a question came into my head.

Can spark plugs be Ultra sonically cleaned ?

Perhaps this is common practice, can’t think that I’ve known anyone to do it. Maybe loads do ?

Or perhaps I’m daft and there is a good reason not to ? Surely they could be dried out and nothing would be ruined ?

Since you only went through them when breaking it in,why worry. If your still fouling them then your jets are to rich and you need to go down a size. The hundreds of times I rebuilt 2 strokes I never bothered with running a rich oil mixture,just went the recommended blend 50-1 and never had a issue.
 

QBhoy

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Mar 10, 2016
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Cheers Cool runnings.
I had the oil injection running as normal and mixed a 100/1 in tank, just to make sure. I?ve read many articles with bikes and running in. Some advise not to use extra oil and others to run extra oil. Also read many contradicting articles on the the break in period too. I let her idle for 10 mins, shut down...went up and down the revs and not on the plane for about half an hour, then shut down to cool. Then up on plane and varying revs for about an hour, shut down to cool. Did this another time, then gave a few top end blasts. Seems fine after 2 tanks and about 5 hours.
Now going to disconnect oil injection and just ore mix at 40/1.
 
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