spark plug fouling

Hi guys
i have managed to foul a couple of my iridium spark plugs any ideas how to clean them without damaging them, also does anybody still gap plugs or is that a thing of the past
many thanks
Paul

yeh couple of my iridiums were fouled, gave them a rub with a wire brush and blew on them, all good, heck I ain't gentle, how else do you get the build up off ??

I have heard of people using aerostart or start ya bastard .
I use bosch or champion plugs they recover from being run rich . For some reason ngk don't maybe it helps sales.

You can spray them down with ether or mass air flow sensor cleaner or brake cleaning fluid. Either one will wash off any oil residue. Carb cleaner and throttle body cleaner have a slight lubricant in them so I wouldn't use either of these.

If you want to get them clean as new, soak them for five minutes in benzene! Benzene removes all carbon!
No, I won't divulge my source of benzene.

Do not use a wire-wheel to clean the plugs. You run the risk of embedding metallic particles on/into the insulator and that with cause them to short rather then "spark". I don't use a wire brush either, but there's less likelihood of the shorting issue in that case.

Now Benzene ! Got to get me some of that.

And for those waiting for it: I soak mine in Lacquer Thinner and it works on the dirtiest and is readily available without alerting "Homeland Security" !

What I will use to clean down deep after a soaking in L.T. is the smallest of a set of those cheap "jewellers" screw-drivers - a flat one. It will get all the way down, scraps the crud adequately and won't harm the insulator.