If you’re somebody who cares a great deal about your lawn mower’s health, then you’ll know just how important proper maintenance is.
Even if you’re an aficionado, and feel as though you’ve acquainted yourself with each of the different aspects of care, there are some things that you still might not be aware of.
One of the most important things you can do for your lawn mower is to clean the spark plug intermittently.
Perhaps you’ve noticed that it’s just not running as smoothly or efficiently as before? If this is the case, then your lawn mower might just need a straightforward clean to get it back to normal.
Don’t worry if this is something that you’ve never done before, because the process is actually super easy and straightforward, you just need to take it step by step.
Below, we’ve compiled a handy guide to give you all of the information you need to clean your spark plug. To find out more, simply keep reading below, as we take a closer look.
Step By Step Guide For Cleaning Your Spark Plug
In order to assess whether your spark plug needs replacing, or just needs a simple clean, you’re going to need to get it removed.
After you’ve done this, you can take a closer look at the spark plug itself. You can pretty much guarantee that your spark plug needs to be cleaned if there’s any leakage from the exhaust, or if your plug has been in use for a while.
Step 1
Your first step is simple, you just need to remove the spark plug from your lawn mower. Make sure that you do this gently, so that you don’t damage any of the components.
First, disconnect it from the terminal, then pinch it at the bottom, wriggling it until it comes loose.
After you’ve done this, you can go ahead and place it on the base, then completely loosen it until it’s out of the socket.
Step 2
Your next step is to simply examine the spark plug itself.
You’ll want to take note if any dirt or debris has been collected at the tip, as this could hinder the efficiency of your lawn mower, and shows that it needs to be cleaned.
It usually will have some oil built up on it, or carbon. If this is the case, then it needs to be wiped down.
Also, bear in mind that if you notice your spark plug is particularly oily, and seems to be covered in the substance, you might want to reassess how much oil you use in future.
Likewise, if you notice lots of dirty carbon, you need more oil to prevent this from happening again.
Step 3
Now that you’ve taken a look at the spark plug, and determined that it needs to be cleaned, you can go ahead and get started with the process.
We would recommend that if you have a vice handy, that you secure your spark plug in whilst you’re cleaning it, as it will make things much easier. If you don’t have a vice, it’s fine to do it using your hands too.
In terms of what you’ll need in order to effectively clean your spark plug, we would recommend picking up some brake cleaner, or you can simply use some alcohol to get the job done.
This is the point in the cleaning process where you’ll need to be most precise.
In order to make sure that you don’t do any damage to your spark plug, make sure that you’re brushing it with a very soft, wire brush, instead of something too harsh.
You can go ahead and submerge your spark plug in the liquid, then brush the debris and dirt away.
You may notice that not all of it comes off at first, so you might need to repeat the process a few times until you’re satisfied that it’s completely clean.
If you notice that there is still some debris stuck to the spark plug, which you weren’t able to remove with the brush, then you can go ahead and use a piece of sandpaper instead.
You can gently sand away any of the dirt and build up on your spark plug, just running it back and forth repeatedly.
Step 4
After you’ve done this, you can go ahead and check the gap. The gap is the piece located between the electrode and the plug.
Check with your manufacturer what the specific gap size for your spark plug should be.
You can purchase a special tool to measure this, and make sure that it’s right.
Step 5
After you’re done cleaning, and you’ve checked the gap, you can go ahead and place the spark plug back in your lawn mower.
Putting it back into the lawn mower requires the exact same process as when you removed it. In order to put it back in, simply set it back in properly, and screw it with a wrench, taking care not to do this too tightly.
You can then put the hood back up, and plug it in. You’ll be amazed at the difference in how efficiently your mower runs after cleaning the plug, showing the importance of regular maintenance.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, cleaning your spark plug is incredibly important for the longevity of your lawn mower. Make sure that you check it at regular intervals to see if it requires any maintenance.
