Seems like almost everyone missed the whole point of this video. Sure you can clean spark plugs with a wire brush, gasoline etc or carry spare plugs. This video is just showing another way to clean a plug. If you don't like it, then you make a video showing how you prefer to clean a spark plug, or a video on how to always carry a spare spark plug. Really. . . the number of different, good, alternate ways to clean a plug in the thousand plus comments below could be counted on two hands.

A shot or two of Carb Cleaner & a wire brush has always worked for me, & I've been wrenching 52+ years!

I've done this many, many times. It definitely works. Note, don't just take the flame off all at once; back it off slow to avoid temperature shock on the porcelain. That is what cracks them.

Vinegar, that’s right, I keep a little jar of vinegar on my tool bench and dunk the plug in it for around 24 hours and it comes out clean as a new one.

Yup, I cleaned Champion M-1's for flathead Ford's that way in the mid 1960's when I worked pumping gas! Smart car owners wouldn't let us use the abrasive blaster on plugs, as getting ALL the abrasive out of the plugs is darn-near impossible, so you sand-blast your cylinders. I always tried to talk people into new .29 cent plugs, but some of the "two-stroke oil burners" wouldn't spring for the "BIG BUCKS"! We had an old-fashioned brass bodied blowtorch that burned "white" gas, we used for heat-vintage 1930's. I soldered radiators, broke-loose rusted bolts, sealed the asphalt battery tops, fixed inner tubes (hot patches) and more with that old blowtorch. BTW, the cheapest "regular" gas I ever pumped was 17.5 cents a gallon including 10.5 cents a gallon Oklahoma State Tax when we were selling off the remains of the "high-lead" (9.5 grams of tetraethyl lead per gallon) gasoline stocks in Fall of 1976.

I still have a wall mounted, spark plug cleaner from the 70's........Now that's the old mechanics trick.

I have been using wire brush,sand paper and carburetor cleaner to restore spark plugs since I was 12 years old and still do. Cool technique,I will try it.

I've been at this for 65 years but never saw this fix. Cool.

My dad showed me this same trick as a kid. Although we didn't leave the torch on so long, and also added a wire brush and a shot of starting fluid. It works.

The way I clean them is to hold them up to the light examine them and look at the deposits and drop into the garbage can for further cleaning

In all my years i never cleaned plugs this way... how simple and very effective...thanks

Great video demonstrating how a fouled plug will stop something running, and that cleaning it off is a viable alternative to either A / Sticking in a new one or B/ Thinking Sod It, giving up and not getting the job done. Yes lots of ways to clean them up, the key thing is - Give it a go

Whenever I’m stuck in a field, I give thanks for bringing along my blow torch.

Good for plugs that haven't reached temp after too many short runs. No need to get red hot as the electrode expands and cracks the porcelain, engine don't like that.

Great stuff.....I'm 62 now, been fixing small engines for 50+ years, My Dad showed me the torch trick when I was about 6 or 7, been doing it ever since. Never seems to fail. Let's show these greenhorns what time it is, Brother. Good job. -Smythie

I use this method too but I soak the plug in a bit of gas for awhile when it's really filthy before torching it. My gramps used to cook them on the stove too when he didn't have a torch, works but takes forever. Good video!

I used to do this when I was 12 years old. I also used a pick to get into the insides. This worked very well on our 1986 Mercedes 200e.

I dip in gasoline and and metal brush to scrub plug clean, usually works.

I have good luck with brake cleaner, brass wire brush, and my air compressor.

I am appreciative for people like you. This is what KZfaq is for. But sadly, a lot of people here don't seem to understand that. But that's ok as I have a saying for people like that.... Light is faster than sound. This explains why some people appear bright until you hear them speak 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

My Dad showed me that same trick! He said he would heat up red-hot the fouled plugs on the fighter planes and bombers when he was in Air Corps in North Africa during WW2.

learned that trick in the Navy serving on a tin can in the early 70s as a machinist's mate.. Works great.

It's probably easier to carry a spare spark plug out in the field then it is a propane torch

Thanks man, i'll be trying this on my 2 stroke bicycle engine! its not exactly a stihl but thanks, I think this should do the trick if I find myself stranded.

I've used this trick before on newish plugs that got oil fouled and spent too much time idling and I didn't have time to grab new plugs before I needed it. It definitely has it's applications.

Great Tip! My dad always took a brass wire brush to them gently, and took some emory cloth and sanded lightly on the center electrode and side electrode, then re-gap it. Usually always worked : )

I've always used a dremel with a wire brush. Works for me.

Ok, that worked REALLY well. That plug looks like it’s been run once and the mixture was perfect 👌 I will try this on the really stubborn ones

I've used this method. Its actually THE BEST WAY to clean a fouled plug. But I got caught up in conversation one time while doing this, and believe me when I tell you that THEY WILL EXPLODE. 😁 Great video and right to the point. 👍

Used that method of cleaning plugs back in 1962 to get the old snowmobiles running, they would use a 20:1 oil and gas mix. Back then you had to carry a half a dozen new plugs all the time to keep them running. We would clean them up by throwing them in a campfire. This was way back in the bush, miles away from dealers and spark plug retailers.

I learned something new today...thank you!!😁👍👍👍

Neat idea ,all I use to clean my plugs is a wire wheel on a bench grinder. Fast easy and also effective

I know there's a million ways to clean a spark plug but considering I don't always have carburetor cleaner on hand and sometimes the wire brush can be hard to find a blow towards she always seems readily available in that case even a gas stove I really appreciate you making this video and sharing this information with us thank you and have a wonderful wonderful life

Very critical comments for a man trying to help people

I’ve been doing it for 35 yrs., I learned it from my grandfather. Except it does not need to get red, just burn off the crap.

I watched this like a hawk, right till the end. EXCELLENT.

This trick actually really works. I do this everytime one of my plugs gets fouled and this fixes just as good as new every single time.

That was kinda of a trick we used to get a piece of metal preheated to gas weld was to set the flame to carbon up the metal then set it up for welding when the carbon disappeared it was to temp. Nice fix to remember though for removing carbon deposits on a spark plug..👍

This spark plug kzfaq.infoUgkx-6W-PtUzBRTmACHywsECak2ToY2OpjxN is a quality made replacement for the old Briggs and Stratton 799876 which has been discontinued. This plug fits most Briggs and Stratton 625 engines made since 2011. Most of these engines also have the air gap set to .020, but it is highly recommended to check in your user manual for actual application.

Thanks for the tip I use fire all the time Along with carb cleaner. I also use a nail file. Wire brush is to rough and besides you don't want the gap to change. Nail file works very well.

I've used that method for cleaning plugs since about 1979! 😊👍

My dad taught me to half fill one of those old metal castella cigar tubes with sand, hold the plug in the end and shake it up and down. In other words, gently sandblast it.

I clean mine all the time with a wire wheel on my bench grinder. Never tried it your way.. I’ll give it a go next time thanks. Subbed and liked.

I've done this lots of times. Very effective with a good blow torch. Good demonstration.

Never thought about using that to clean a plug. If that don't clan it off nothing will! Thanks for the tip. 🦅

Usually when I’m out in the field I carry a blowtorch in my back pocket so this is perfect!!

Always good to have another way to get it running again. Because you never know what materials you might have available.

Brake Clean always did the job for me! Carb cleaner, Brake Clean, WD-40 and Perma-Tex are the chems you never want to be without!

Used to do that 55 years ago with plugs out of my Lambretta and Vespa, I used to use my Mum's gas ring in the kitchen,😁

Very nice. Back in the 60's we had professional sand blasting plug machines. They left the surface more prone to collect new fowling & bits of sand may be logged deep around the insulator after air blowing clean. Thank you.

I am a user of the glass bead bag and I love it! Use air after you won’t have a problem. Nice videos

Our old shop teacher taught us this nearly 40 years ago. Get it red hot for a minute, brush it off, like new.

It got like new again, even the porcelain got White again! Very effective method. Subscribed.

My brother's shop had a small sandblaster designed for sparkplugs. Stick the plug in the hole, turn the air valve on and it recirculated the shot blast material. A rubber boot kept the shot blast material in the box and you just rolled the plug the around with your fingers. Those spark plug cleaning machines were common in automotive and truck repair shops 50 years ago. Once the plug was clean to the eye, you hit it with the parts cleaning machine solution to get the grit off it, dried it with shop air, re-gapped the plug to specs and reinstalled. Once the electrode got too short, or the ground got burned off too much, the plug got discarded. Most plugs were good for one or two cleanings before they got too worn. I've used carb cleaner and the wire wheel for years, but there is the problem with the deep deposits of carbon up in recess around the electrode base. Picking it away takes time and if you don't get all of it, it will break off in the cylinder head and the deposits will act as a cutting/ grinding agent on the cylinder walls and around the piston rings. Fire might be a very good thing to rid the plug of ALL the deposits. I might try setting the plug up vertically, the tip in the vise, and filling it with carb cleaner, letting it set for awhile and then boiling it off with the propane and continuing until clean. A tiny shot of carb cleaner when the plug is near red hot, creating that white steam effect, throwing out the tiny chunks of gunk. KA-FUUUM ! Fire in the hole, fire in the hole, fire in the hole! Sizzle pop, szsszszzszzzssz kapow !!

I've been taking the plugs out and soaking them in 'CLR' cleaner. Works good.

As much as I hate to see a plug heated so much the results speak for itself. The plug looked very clean and it working fine. Good Video.

Then soak it in some caustic soda (Easy Off oven cleaner) and heat until dry. Excellent video for any of us using a 2 stroke engine.

I'm a professional Faller , I always roll a set of acetylene torches with me into the woods , Been doing it like that for the past 45 years , Your idea seems more practical Definitely gonna have to give it a try.

Another old trick for an engine playing hard to start is to heat the plug on a gas flame, screw it home and guarantee you it’ll start first pull, which is sometimes all you need to tweak the mixture to get it back to being reliable.

My papaw always cleaned his after every use,this became my job and I've continued it.he would dip the cool plug in a lil gas a then light it and let it burn,only difference now is instead of a Bic I use one of the small torch lighters,loved the video,many thanks.

When I was a kid the corner gas station had a spark plug cleaning machine. Screw it in, give it a blast and it came out clean. Very handy for our mini-bikes.

I have used my old timer pocket knife many times just to keep it running. Then replace it when I am back home. Extra plug is the best way to keep it going when you’re out in the field.

High heat on the threaded barrel of the plug can damage the epoxy seal between the insulator and the base, making it brittle and leading to a plug blow-by situation. It's fine if you intend to replace the plug the next time you go to the parts store, but a little brass wire wheel on a cordless drill can do the job in about 15 seconds (you can use a plastic flossing pick to clear loose carbon debris from the base of the insulator without damaging the seal). Never use solvents or metal (like a paper clip or small screwdriver) to clean the base of the insulator or you will damage the epoxy seal.

Back in the 1970s .we had 2 stroke bikes.we were kids with no cash.we did that shit and it worked.thank for the memory

I used to have a 12 volt plug cleaner that worked like a charm. I carried it all over the States on a series of motorcycles and never once did it leave me in the lurch. It basically amounted to a blower and a handful of fine carborundum grit. I'd run it for 30-45 seconds while rotating the plug in it's rubber skirted hole. I wish I could remember it's name, because I'd love to have another one.

Used that trick quite often. Especially on 2trokes. My dad taught it to me. Didn’t get it that hot though. Sometimes dropped some gas into it. 2 stroke plugs usually had oil in them that would burn off.

A lighter and a wire brush works just as well. I never had to get it cherry red.

I've always just used a bit of folded sandpaper between the electrodes with great success, but now I'll have to try this one, THX.

I have done this a couple of times and get good results. It is also great fun to play with the blow torch.

I had two cleaned(with a hacksaw scraper shop made ) and refitted while he was stuffing around

When I began my apprenticeship as a mechanic back in 1970 we had what was basically a sand blaster that cleaned the plugs. It was part of the regular service routines for those older vehicles. As long as there was material to gap them with back in they went until the next service. Technology now allows them to last a hell of a lot longer with less maintenance.

My old er185 suzuki 2stroke bike i had, id pull the plug, pour straight petrol without 2 stroke, light it up burn oil off then install. Worked every time

Gotta love those old mechanics..I've known a few that were very smart..👍👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

This trick also works for cleaning fouled spark arrestor screens. I usually clean them both at the same time for convenience.

This is a very effective method. I’ve done it for years. Be carful not to get the ceramic part of the plug too hot. You will have a mini explosion and to plug will be in two pieces.

Way to go! You have taught and old school mechanic trick. Oh wait you just did what every 13 yr old does on their first guess to what to try first when dad won't buy them a new plug for their dirt bike lol

Thank you!! I use the old ones for fishing weights.

The old days of snowmobiling............I remember doing this all the time. It also helps to get it in the cylinder while the plug is hot, warms the cylinder area and helps the startup.

I've used this trick many times.If it keeps happening you might want to go to one heat degree hotter plug.

We used to clean them with gasoline. Never would have thought of this fix, cool!

man o man, you beat me to the punch, i was going to do the same type of video. i have been cleaning spark plugs like this for years. its the best way i know how to clean them. we must be getting older. lol but it sure has its perks. love the video

I've been doing this for years, but if I have the choice I'll put a new plug in, especially in a vehicle where the labour costs more than the plug.

I just put a dirty plug into my spark plug cleaner. It grit blasts the plug, cost me about £5 or $7.00 to buy in 1975 and runs off any 12v supply (as in battery). Insert plug, press a button. Wait 30 seconds and out comes a clean plug. Have never changed the grit inside it. I have no idea how it keeps cleaning so well but it is brilliant.

Thank you good friend I never will always reuse my spark with your trick thank you for good trick 😎

I've done this by heating plug up on gas stove, I didn't have a torch, worked pretty well.

The plug was dirty for sure but the engine was starting in one pull🤔 cleaning with wire brush and couple dip of dirty spark plug in gasoline works for me.

The hell with buying new plugs I know what I’m doing now on

yep that's the way to clean them! You didn't have to get it that hot though, LOL I learned that trick in northern Michigan snowmobiling in -15 weather.

This works great 👍 Its better than sand blasting them and safer because you are not exposing yourself to solvent. This is what a lot of guys did in the pits at race tracks. Myself I have had to get a few that hot and didn't have any problems.

Been there done that I have also used a wire brush in a pinch.

I put mine on the grill little garlic, butter,pepper 600 degrees right next to my Tomahawk Steak.

Since I was 8 or 10 years old I've dipped the plug in gas then lit it ,let burn then use my pocket knife to clean up what's left never walked home pushing my dirt bike thanks pops

Although I seldom used it, I used to own an abrasive style spark plug cleaner. It was a bag of fine glass with a metal side that contained a threaded spark plug hole.

I have always used a mini hand-held sand blaster, with Glass Beads as the medium. Of course, you have to scrub the plug with spray-solvent (brake cleaner, or carb cleaner, ect.) and a nylon brush, to make certain that all of the abrasive medium is removed, before reinstalling the plug. This method only requires about 2-3 minutes, and the plug appears brand new. Edit: My concern, with using a flame torch to heat the plug to high temperatures, is the possibility of creating micro-cracks in the ceramic insulator of the plug. Later, after starting the engine, small pieces of the damaged ceramic insulator may enter the cylinder, and score the cylinder bore.

Because we always carry a propane torch out mowing ☺️

That was the first time seeing this. Good tip if you doin't have a new plug. Thanks.

Wow don’t think I’ve ever seen a plug cleaned with a torch and it worked….👍👍

Don't let it bother you. I think it would be helpful if they said why and YT should have their identity show whether they 👍 or 👎 they way they do when we comment. Stay safe, Joe Z

Seems alot more higher than combustion temps. Worried about compromised electrode. Good video thanks

Yep used to do the same with 2 stroke exhausts too. old m/cycles and the like