After about 18,000 mi on my TSX, I took the NGK Iridium spark plugs out from the engine. Since they do not need to be replaced for 100,000 miles, I took a wire brush and removed all the carbon buildup from the tip. It's the first time I've ever done that. After replacing them and torquing to specs, I took the car out for a drive, and I noticed some power increase (actually, probably power loss recovered) throughout the entire RPM range.. Has anyone done the same to the spark plugs and noticed a difference in power?

I also read somewhere that the spark plugs should be cleaned after 250 hrs of use...Any thoughts?

 

How much carbon buildup was there? I remember on my sister's old Integra, she had new NGK plugs put in, and it really made a difference. I'm sure that what you did can't hurt, but for folks who don't want to think about such things, they make em to go 100k with no real issues.

 

Sounds like a job for JTso's oil catch can

 

There weren't a lot of carbon buildup per say, but when I put a newly cleaned spark plug next to an uncleaned one, the clean one looks brand new and shiney. Since cleaning won't hurt the plug at all, I guess I will do this about 10,000 miles again. I took some pictures with a dirty plug and a clean plug side by side but I can't seem to find them

 

Probably a stoopid question.... Isn't a wire brush going to damage the plugs?
IT sounds very interesting and I will try that first thing in the morning.

 

It sounds like it might damage the plugs...but I don't think the force of my hands can equal the pressure the plugs sustain in the combustion chambers! I guess you should do it with medium pressure, do it slowly until the carbon wears off. I saw the plugs after I cleaned them, they don't look "scratched" or "buffed up" after cleaning...they just look "brand new"

 

I used to do this on my old Dart. took out the plugs, wire brushed the carbon off and checked the gap. Probably not a bad idea every 10K miles.

 

I used to have a spark plug cleaner which you push the tip of the plug inside for some sand blasting action. I only did that when I was young, poor and driving old cars. But with today's engines and better designed long-life plugs, I just replace them when the time is up. Not to mention the washer type spark plug seals won't seal as good given the same amount of tightening torque. You can crank it down more but that changes the protrusion of the tip inside the combustion camber.

 

You've got too much free time on your hands if you're cleaning your spark plugs. Why does it seem like everytime you suposedly make something better on the car it goes better?