What does wet fouling of the plug mean?
Wet fouling is seen, for example, in motorcycles (with two-stroke engines). With oil and gasoline covering the carbon that has adhered to the firing end, the insulation resistance value drops abruptly, causing misfires. See Photo 2. Clogging of the air cleaner element, etc.
What causes spark plugs to get wet and foul out?
According to AA1Car.com, this occurs when the spark plug fails to fire, or fouls out. This can be caused by a number of variables, such as engine flooding, or excessive moisture build up. Failed vehicle starting attempts eventually lead to wet spark plugs, according to E3 Spark Plugs.
What causes dry fouling on a gas cylinder?
Note: If dry fouling occurs at only one of the cylinders there is the possibility that the problem is caused by the plug. (For example, while fitting a plug the wrench can slip and damage the core of the insulation although this is not detectable from the external appearance, and spark leakage may occur as the result of this damage.)
What causes carbon fouling on a fuel plug?
4) The cause of carbon fouling lies in the fuel system. It is not a problem with the plug. If the carbon adhering to the plug is cleaned off (by sandblasting), the function of the plug will be recovered and it will be possible to re-use it.
Wet fouling is seen, for example, in motorcycles (with two-stroke engines). With oil and gasoline covering the carbon that has adhered to the firing end, the insulation resistance value drops abruptly, causing misfires. See Photo 2. Clogging of the air cleaner element, etc.
What should I do if my spark plug is fouling?
If spark plug fouling is a consistent problem with a specific aircraft/engine combination, there may be some simple things you can do to reduce or eliminate the problem. If the problem is experienced by other aircraft on the field using various types of engines, then there are other ways of dealing with this annoying situation.
Where does oil fouling on a spark plug come from?
The oil can come from the piston rings, valve stem seals or the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system. Leaking piston rings can be diagnosed with a leak-down test. If one cylinder has oil fouling, a relative compression check can help to assess mechanical issues with that cylinder.
Can a high compression spark plug reduce lead fouling?
When the high compression 235-L series engine came on the market the problem with lead fouling was quite common and this style of plug proved to be a real asset in reducing the lead fouling problem. Approval for many additional engine models to use this spark plug soon followed.