Sign Of Bad Engine Plug in the Engine
Unlike our previous post, where we highlighted some of the common problems of generators that reveals the condition of the engine plug.
This post will focus on one major sign recently discovered which could possibly be attributed to other issues such as; insufficient lubricating oil, damaged piston ring, faulty overhead valve, etc. rather it was revealed that such a problem could come from a faulty engine plug.
Remember that engine plugs usually come in two different types of threads at their bottom, the long threaded bottom, and the short threaded bottom.
It is important when buying a plug to choose the right type for your generator, if not; the plug problems will be inevitable.
The major difference between the two types is the length of the threaded area. It has been found that most small petrol engines use the short threaded plug while the bigger size engines use the long threaded plug.
What determines the type of plug is the distance the combustion chamber between the outer surfaces of the internal combustion chamber to the inner part of the combustion chamber. That is why it is necessary to choose the right plug for the best performance.
However, it has also been found that the engine can still function when the wrong plug is used but may give some negative signal while operating.
The major fault recently discovered from the defective plug is the unsteady power supply and automatically switching off.
The problem can be described as a situation where your generator will be giving out light in a fluctuating mode between 150V to 200V and in some cases, it may even go up to 240V suddenly which may cause some of the electric appliances to blow off and got damaged, that is why it is bad to allow such fault to persist.
The case of switching off automatically occurs when you try to plug a load that will make the generator operate under heavy load in such condition it will of itself.
A Newly-discovered Sign Of Bad Engine Plug in the Engine
The fault can easily be pointed to other factors but when it was discovered to be the plug, little analysis was taken to know why the plug could be the cause and some observations were noted which led to these conclusions :
- The plug may be a short threaded plug inserted in a place meant for a long threaded plug.
- The spark of the plug was insufficient such that under heavy load, the spark cannot ignite the excess air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber.
- The cord from the timer that transfers current to the plug may not be properly fixed to the plug’s head.
- The fluctuating power is a result of the unsteady ignition of the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber, while the suddenly increased voltage comes from the power output gotten from the ignition of the accumulated volume of the non-ignited air-fuel mixture which suddenly got ignited.
- Although bad carburetors and injectors can give similar problems, it is also important to bear in mind that sometimes, bad plugs can give the same problem.
From the above, it can be concluded that it is bad to cause a generator to carry heavy loads when it is obvious that the plug has gone bad, it may not only damage some of your appliances but can cause the amateur of the generator to get burnt.
However, if a long threaded plug is used where a short threaded plug was meant for, then it will pose serious danger to the engine, because the plug’s bottom may come out in the combustion chamber to exceed the normal location of the short threaded plug, thereby making it possible for the piston to hit it while making its normal reciprocating motion and that can be disastrous for the combustion chamber.
