Spark Plugs

[fishbiker]

One of the things that are over looked are spark plugs, i had a guy bring me a seadoo that he had the carbs rebuilt some where and it still was not running good, after checking the
compression and it was good i ran the ski and with carb cleaner i spray into each carb one at a time and no change in the running, this will tell me if i have a fuel problem. this boat was running on one cylinder.
next was a spark check, even that there was spark on both plugs one was not a good color, he had cheap plugs like from walmart or something. i went to oreillys where they carry NGK and picked up some BR8ES plugs, gapped them and installed and problem solved. It is good to replace your plugs every season, use the manufacturers recomened plugs as some of the off brands just don,t last. Being new to wa. i am not sure but in ca. you must use a R (resistor) type plugs in marine as it is law there and most manufacturers use them due to the electronics in there engines. bad plugs can cause the boat to not run at all, run on all cylinders except one, can cause a misfire and bad low speed performance, its also good to replace the plug wires. Just some helpfull info from a retired mastertech

[AFDan52]

Man oh man, we could be picking your brain soon.

[fishbiker]

no problem i am here to help. fish on!!

[SuperD]

It is good to replace your plugs every season
Without considering hours on the engine, that's a pretty broad statement. My main motor ususally sees less than 50 hours a year. Nothing a toothbrush and a gap check doesn't cure.

[DLM]

Back when I had a two stroke a very wise fisherman gave me this advice as to when it was time to change plugs.

1. Have extra plugs on hand.
2. Take your suspect plug and place it in the palm of your hand
3. Lower your hand over the side of the boat and about 6 inches underwater.
4. Turn your hand over.
5. If the plug sinks, replace it.101duh101

I ran this test twice a year when I had the 2 stroke, now that I run 4 strokes I only need to run the test in the spring. I find it has never failed me.

[fishbiker]

It depends on what you are running, also if you winterize your engine, its easier to change on the trailer than in the water, when i winterize i use old plugs for that and save the good for next season. things like oil change,water pump change ,spark plugs are all things that assure you won,t be floating around dead on the water, the yamaha t8 i think says to inspect and replace if needed at 20 hrs, 100 hrs and so on. Following the maintenance schedule on any thing that runs will assure less problems and costly repairs, the companys spend a lot of time and money to make these maintenance schedules, i worked for Kawasaki R&D at the factory and this was one of the things i did, Ride everyday and check machines for wear areas. you are right as the four strokes plugs last way longer than a 2 cycle.

[bob r]

Back when I had a two stroke a very wise fisherman gave me this advice as to when it was time to change plugs.

1. Have extra plugs on hand.
2. Take your suspect plug and place it in the palm of your hand
3. Lower your hand over the side of the boat and about 6 inches underwater.
4. Turn your hand over.
5. If the plug sinks, replace it.101duh101



This is a ridiculous suggestion, Throwing away spark plugs on a generalization like this is absurd! I have a 4hp 4stroke tohatsu and it ran great for 4 years with about 100 hrs. a year on it, changed plugs when I had an issue with clogged fuel filter and it still runs great, even at those slow speeds that kokes like.I guess you were just trying to be funny but encouraging people to waste money isn't much of a chuckle. bob r

[bob r]

Besides, as my wife just pointed out why encourage people to litter our lakes, maybe do that in Ore., but keep your plugs out of WA. state waters.bob r

[Bduck]

There a time I use to use a spark plug as a sinker weight bank fishing when I didn't have heavy sinkers. Of course this was back during my boyhood days when a dime got me a soda.

[Mr. D]

Just did the plugs on the Verado for the first time a few weeks back. Plugs still looked good but in order to keep up with my warranty, I changed them. Not cheap, $18.00 per plug but I know I'm ok for a few years now.

Mark

[fishbiker]

i remember using spark plugs, nuts and bolts for sinkers lol
i buy plugs on ebay NGK ILFR6G SPARK PLUG is as low as 12.00 each shipped if you don,t need them in a hurry.

[DLM]

This is a ridiculous suggestion, Throwing away spark plugs on a generalization like this is absurd! I have a 4hp 4stroke tohatsu and it ran great for 4 years with about 100 hrs. a year on it, changed plugs when I had an issue with clogged fuel filter and it still runs great, even at those slow speeds that kokes like.I guess you were just trying to be funny but encouraging people to waste money isn't much of a chuckle. bob r

I can't believe you took me seriously, it was a joke, pointing out that on two strokes especially, plugs need to be changed frequently.

[bob r]

I can't believe you took me seriously, it was a joke, pointing out that on two strokes especially, plugs need to be changed frequently.

Of course I took you seriously, you are encouraging folks to just blindly change plugs in the spring without considering hours, condition of plugs, etc. you didn't seem to be joking about changing plugs every spring, I figured that the littering part was the joke.(just not a funny one)Bob R

[fishbiker]

wow, if you just follow the maintenance schulde by the maker in your owner book all is good. some say to change at certein hours and some sya to check gap,clean carbon or replace such as the case on Bob r 4hp . its always good to have an extra set of plugs in the boat. my 3hp 2 stroke wouldn,t idle and pulled the plugs on the water , had carbon filling the gap, cleaned and was all good, this happens more then you think on a 2 stroke but 4 strokes you really never see unless its burning oil. and as far as spark plus for sinkers when you think abot it they are way safer then lead lol.
http://www.tohatsu.com/tech_info/own_man_pdfs/Toh4A_5A_6A-4stroke.pdf

[trollin olin]

There a time I use to use a spark plug as a sinker weight bank fishing when I didn't have heavy sinkers. Of course this was back during my boyhood days when a dime got me a soda.

Gee you could have been the start to the pollution problem in our lakes.nananana

[fishbiker]

lol its amazing they have taken lead out of everything except fishing tackle, theres alot of different metals in the waters these days, no wonder fish have such a high mercury levels. This is due to global water pollution.

Fish and shellfish concentrate mercury in their bodies, often in the form of methylmercury, a highly toxic organic compound of mercury. Fish products have been shown to contain varying amounts of heavy metals, particularly mercury and fat-soluble pollutants from water pollution. Species of fish that are long-lived and high on the food chain, such as marlin, tuna, shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, northern pike, and lake trout contain higher concentrations of mercury than others.

The presence of mercury in fish can be a health issue, particularly for women who are or may become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children.

[fishbiker]

U.S. government scientists tested fish in 291 streams around the country for mercury contamination. They found mercury in every fish tested, according to the study by the U.S. Department of the Interior. They found mercury even in fish of isolated rural waterways. Twenty five percent of the fish tested had mercury levels above the safety levels determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for people who eat the fish regularly.