> Blasting plugs was never a good idea :-)
Really ?? Why does Champion (among others) still sell plug reconditioning
equipment ??
During the several years that I was blighted with a Mazda RX-2 (from new),
I'd have gone broke without a plug blaster. That lovely piece of superior
Japanese craftsmanship fouled plugs at least every couple of weeks. No
magic available from the factory wizards back then - just clean the plugs.
But more to the point, blasting is the main part of standard reconditioning
for aircraft plugs. Along with cleaning the deposits out from between the
outer shell and the center electrode insulator, with an electric vibrating
tool - a vibro-engraver with a special bit. During the reciprocating-engine
days, the military and airlines made a huge business for the reconditioners.
It's still standard for us little guys.
Since typical shielded aircraft plugs cost nearly $20 apiece even with a
good deal (you can spend nearly $30 if you don't shop) and I use 14 of them,
replacing all of them annually would cost more than I pay my IA to sign my
logbook after I do the annual.
You should keep the firing corners relatively sharp, but even if you don't
do that they work just fine till they're pretty well eroded away, by which
time they're all rounded off everywhere. I know some people who do indeed
replace plugs every annual - they're called wealthy. I also know some guys
who won't put a new plug in before blasting it.
Since pulling over onto a cloud isn't an option, we tend to be pretty
careful to do what makes the engine run most reliably.
Karl
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