09/03/2012

The maintenance of the spark plug

The spark plug of your Cifarelli machine plays an essential role in the engine, not only in terms of reliability but also in terms of performance. Often you go everywhere to look for the cause of the engine malfunction (failure to start, irregular rpm, etc.) while it would be enough to check the spark plug to solve the problem.

Under normal conditions, the spark plug must be inspected every 25 hours or so of work and cleaned every 50 hours. For this reason, every Cifarelli machine is equipped with a spark plug key.

Warning: the spark plug reaches very high temperatures during engine operation. Wait for it to cool down before disassembling it.

How to disassemble the spark plug:

Now inspect the spark plug you just took apart.

Look at the electrodes (the bow-shaped and the central one):

a spark plug in normal working conditions looks like in the photo: clean electrodes of white/gray color.

In case the electrodes are black in color and covered with soot, it means that you are using a mixture too rich in oil or that the air filter needs to be cleaned. 

Brush the electrodes using a brush with brass bristles and, if possible, blow it with compressed air to remove any residue.

After cleaning, measure the distance between the two electrodes with a thickness gauge:

it shall be between 0.5 and 0.6 millimetres.

In case the central and mass electrodes are very rounded and the opening between them is enlarged, you must replace the spark plug (in any case it is suggested to replace it after about 100 hours of work).

In this case, pay attention to the choice of the new spark plug: the correct spark plug must be a CHAMPION RCJ6Y. You can use spark plugs of different brands, however of the same type, such as BOSCH WSR6F or NGK BPMR8Y

The use of spark plugs other than those mentioned causes serious damage to the engine of your machine.