Cleaning spark plugs....

[TwinLewi]

I do mark my plugs and observe how they end up installed, but I don't add any extra shim or indexing washers. Very rarely do I get one that installs with the side strap towards the intake and masking the spark. If I do, I'll simply try it on the other cylinder and it often works OK there.

I also label my plugs "R" and "L" so I know which cylinder they came out of.

is this pic after a clean? Or just after you pulled them? Running a bit hot maybe? Just trying to learn.

 

[TwinLewi]

I use Brake Cleaner. Sometimes a little find sand paper. Check gap and put em back in. Don't have any other tools to blast them with.
73 TX650 using BP7ES NGK plugs

 

[5twins]

The pic is just as I pulled them. They were fairly new at the time but I'm quite happy with the way they looked. What you can't see is the "smoke" or "mixture" ring, the ring of color around the porcelain that should be near it's bottom. It is so I was happy.

 

[fredintoon]

I'm an option 3 guy these days
Inspect, replace if they look dodgy, trashcan the old ones.
Back 'ome I used option 3 (modifeied)
Inspect and replace if they looked dodgy and keep the old ones in my Barbour Suit top pocket.
When tailgated, toss old plugs over my shoulder to bounce up off the blacktop.
Tailgater will drop back to a really safe braking distance.

 

[GLJ]

Barbour Suit

Barbours are cool, I still want a Belstaff.

 

[TwinLewi]

The pic is just as I pulled them. They were fairly new at the time but I'm quite happy with the way they looked. What you can't see is the "smoke" or "mixture" ring, the ring of color around the porcelain that should be near it's bottom. It is so I was happy.

Oh got it. Yup roger. Okay thanks for that brother! So it is more of the color on the mixture ring and not necessarily on the whole bit of porcelain? Well bit of both really I am guessing.

 

[5twins]

The mixture ring is usually pretty dark. You really don't look at reading color off it but rather at how high up it rises on the porcelain. You want it down near the bottom, not coming up any higher than maybe 1/4 of the way. If the smoke ring is covering nearly all of the porcelain, that's a sign you're running rich.

 

[TwinLewi]

The mixture ring is usually pretty dark. You really don't look at reading color off it but rather at how high up it rises on the porcelain. You want it down near the bottom, not coming up any higher than maybe 1/4 of the way. If the smoke ring is covering nearly all of the porcelain, that's a sign you're running rich.

Beautiful mate, thank you. That is a picture perfect explanation.