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Sandblasting Spark Plugs


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Well I have tons of used spark plugs, and usually once or twice a summer I will sandblast them, regap them, and put them back in the regular boxes, to be reused in the banshee (after i clean all the sand off of course). Now my banshee is much more dialed in, but then someone told me that I should not do this becasue the sand eats some seal away or something, and they are unusable after this. So, i asked before, but never got a sure answer. Is this ok?

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The down side to sandblasting the plugs is that the area between the plugs outer case and the insulator can trap grains of sand. Then you put it in your motor and heat it all up and the sand can come out. Some plugs have a flat area up in there but then some have the insulator nearly touching the outer case. The closer the insulator to the case the better chance of getting sand lodged in there. If I can't clean it out with carb n choke cleaner I spring for new ones.

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I wouldn't do it. Plugs are cheap. And I can't remember the last time I fouled one in my bike. Actually, the only time I have changed the plugs is when the top end goes.... :whoa: On a serious note, I change them at the start of every season. That's it.

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not worth the potential headaches.i ve found once you foul a plug no amount of cleaning it will make it fire right again.i buy them by the box.all the scratch you got and your recycling plugs?jeeeeeeeeeez.ray trump the e bay king.

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usually i buy them by the box too, but i have a huge bag of used ones!

Sometimes when I dicking around or jetting in a new bike, I will run out of plugs, and then i would turn to the bag of used ones and my sandblaster. I think it works just fine, but then i heard the opposite. The RZ gets nothing but the best

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Sandblasting the plugs will work but I'm not sure how it will affect performance. By sandblasting the plugs, the edge of the electrode tip will be rounded off a little. I was under the impression that the electrode edge should be sharp for the best spark. If I'm wrong, lemme know.

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I did this a few times with my Camaro....when I first got it. First time trying to figure out tuning a carb and ended up fouling a few plugs. I sandblasted them but they never really seemed to run all that good. For how cheap they are, I think it is worth replacing them.

 

...just my experience :huh:

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