How often do you replace your spark plugs?

[Woodnaut]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

I change out plugs every year regardless. The new ones go into the outboard, the ones from the outboard go into the tool box as spares, and the old ones in the tool box go into the trash can.

 

[chrisg]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

I change out plugs every year regardless. The new ones go into the outboard, the ones from the outboard go into the tool box as spares, and the old ones in the tool box go into the trash can.

Sounds like a smart idead, I will adopt this.

PS I cant find Champions, only the NGK. The only issue I have with them is that they get rusty after a year, but the Champions I had ( in another boat) had no rust on them ( I'm talking about the top part) . both were in jet skies, so same enviorment)

 

[cbavier]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

Quote:
Originally Posted by freddyray21
I put in a new set every year. It's cheap and I keep the old ones for a backup.

Same here. Cheap insurance. Just did the 3 plugs, squirted some oil in each cylinder, changed the oil and lower unit gear oil. Put on a new fuel filter and poured some Stabil into the tank and ran it through the system for a few minutes.

I always use all OEM parts including even the Mercury oil. I record all with the dates and part numbers of each part in the back of the outboards manual. Save the receipts too, because you may need to prove you serviced it regularly if it breaks while under warranty. Also increases the resale value when you can prove you really took good care of the motor and it was serviced often. I personally, wouldn't think twice about paying a little more for a used motor when I see all the service was carefully recorded.

Beginning of each season all I need to do is turn the key!

I do all of the above at the end of each season while the weather in this area is still in the 50's usually right after my last trip of the season.

same here once a year. Cheap Insurance and chance to check out engine health. I keep the old ones for backup too.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

Myself,
I clean my plugs every so often when I check them to see what they look like as everyone said. But until I get so much wear on the electrodes that I can't get a good looking gap, I never change them. And it takes a long time to get wear on the electrodes of my outboards. I've never had the first problem. the only time I can remember changing both plugs is when I dirtied them up when running my first and only new motor on the break-in gas. In retrospect, I probably should have just cleaned them and put 'em back in. I'm sure if I were running one of those high-dollar big motors, I'd change them much more often. Other than the electrodes and the rest of the plug getting dirty, or the electrodes getting worn, I can't really see why they'd need changing every year. It's not like they have any moving parts??!!
I am a cheap rascal and I only run small outboards, but this is just what I do----you asked....
JBJ

 

[Benny1963]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

usually blow the motor before i change them .lol

 

[terry_1971]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

I change my spark plugs every 6 years wheather they need doing or not. Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[cbavier]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

I change my spark plugs every 6 years wheather they need doing or not. Better to be safe than sorry.

Welcome aboard iboats terry_1971

 

[DJ]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

I don't, unless there is an issue. I look at them every year to see if there is any noticeable wear on the electrodes.

I do carry an extra set. I've seen plugs fail and look fine.

I've also seen new, out of the box, not work correctly. My extra set is a set of used ones I KNOW work.

 

[UnregisteredUser]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

I do it annually. I put about 60 hours on in a year (sometimes more) and hopefully more. But I'm with Silvertip. It's so inexpensive, I flip them regardless each year.

+1 I do it every year when I winterize. Same for all my small engines, it might be a waste of money but, it's not that much. Well exce3pt for my sport bike, those are $25.00 a pop.

 

[slasmith1]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

spring for a deisel and never worry abot plugs again.

 

[F_R]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

So much depends on what motor we are talking about there. Some are notorious plug killers and others seem to run forever. My '84 Johnson has had the plugs replaced once and didn't need it then. Thats once every 20+ years. As far as "reading" the plugs, that is pretty old-school too. If I were to pull the plugs on my Johnson right now, anybody would say they look like crap...and they do, according to the old thought. Modern CD ignitions will fire right through that crap. But some of the early CD systems had trouble firing brand new plugs. Like I said, it depends......

 

[coolguy147]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

spring for a deisel and never worry abot plugs again.

i wouldnt mind a diesel

 

[DJ]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

spring for a deisel and never worry abot plugs again.

Spark plugs are cheaper than injectors.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

Spark plugs are cheaper than injectors.

And glow plugs .

 

[HighTrim]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

I change mine every spring. I do this after I burn the fogging oil off the old ones, and do my annual decarb. A couple hours after those two chores are done, I put the new ones in. But I live in the great white north where we have to winterize, not all of us are so "lucky?"

Plugs are cheap, plus Im lazy, if they are coming out, new ones are going in regardless! lol

Same goes for my waterpump, if Im pulling it anyways, you better believe a new impeller is going in there!

 

[coolguy147]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

i dont quite know all of how diesel works yet though... so i guess ill stick with the oil hogging gasoline motors back in the old farts day

 

[pvanv]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

When doing spring prep for our customers, plugs come with the service, so they get a set every year. If they need plugs during the season, I wouldn't necessarily know.

On my own old premix 2-strokes, I used to change after 50 or so hours, if they started misfiring (depending on how much idle fouling they got). I suppose I could have done a decarb, and that might have helped.

On my new 4-strokes, I change after burning off the fogging oil etc., in the spring, just as I do for my customers.

 

[kaferhaus]

Re: How often do you replace your spark plugs?

I don't replace anything until it needs it. I inspect the plugs yearly. If they're a bit carboned up then I clean them and put them back in. I only replace plugs when the electrodes start showing visible signs of wear which is usually 5-6 years.

I spend 200-250 hours a year with the engine running so they get at least 1,000 hours on them before a change. If I ran the boat more than that they'd likely last more hours.

A lot of low speed running (trolling for example) is harder on plugs than running them where they were designed to be run. Guys that run 25-30 miles offshore to a rig or wreck on a regular basis get better life out of them as the deposits are able to get burned off.

If you do a lot of low speed operation your plugs will always look sooty or carboned up.