Fixed it!

[Barrman]

Automatic Transmission oil down the carb with the engine running helps some as well. Your neighbors won't care for the smoke cloud however. I would go with the Sea Foam or MM as suggested by Kwai.

I have a spark plug blasting box that cleans them up real well. I used to use a wire wheel in the drill press on slow to clean the Mini plugs back when I was in High School. It was good for 2 maybe 3 cleanings before the plugs just didn't work anymore.

Spark plugs don't like cold fuel rich running. Getting a I6 engine to be warm in all cylinders is a tough job with it going down the road. Starting, moving and turning it off just kills plugs. I had a '37 Packard 120 coupe I had a 283 in. I was running my own restoration/used car lot at the time and couldn't work on the car if paying customers had stuff in the shop. I got it to driving itself around and just moved it around for weeks on end until I could work on it again. 3 weeks of daily starting, moving, turning off, repeating each evening and morning was about all a set of plugs could handle. I got to where any plugs that were on sale at the parts house no matter the rating or heat range were what I bought just to keep it mobile.

[randyscycle]

I wonder of an electronic conversion with a bit higher output coil might help?

It may just prolong the problem, but at least you'd not have to swap plugs so often. One old trick I've used to clear plugs, if they aren't soaked, is to pull the plug wire off and create a gap between the plug and wire. This will drive the secondary voltage up high enough to help clean the electrode off a bit. Of course, I am not sure if you could get around this with the sealed military wires.

[vrod02]

Mine actually are clean, not discolored in any way, but get bits of carbon ON the plug inself preventing spark.

[Ronner]

I'd try using a spray bottle (water) and spraying it down the carb when it is running to clean out the carbon deposits. I usually wouldn't bother with that but it sounds like yours is really coated!!

[Kaiserjeeps]

I have a mechanic friend who is current on today's technology. He says that once plugs have been fouled they are never the same. The resistance value changes and a bunch of other stuff. I don't question him as he is always flying off on weekends to go to classes on stuff I cant even spell.
I have heated the plugs that I have fouled with a propane torch. Not sure if it really works well. They did clean up and run. But if you are going to get all knats arse picky they are not the same after fouling.

[randyscycle]

I have a mechanic friend who is current on today's technology. He says that once plugs have been fouled they are never the same. The resistance value changes and a bunch of other stuff. I don't question him as he is always flying off on weekends to go to classes on stuff I cant even spell.
I have heated the plugs that I have fouled with a propane torch. Not sure if it really works well. They did clean up and run. But if you are going to get all knats arse picky they are not the same after fouling.

Very correct.

In the world of 2 stroke street vehicles (way back when) we always carried a few extra plugs around.

It seems that what happens when a plug fouls (fuel fouling) is that the liquid fuel soaks into the insulator around the center electrode. When this happens, two problems arise. 1) the spark will try to jump down inside the plug body, rather than across the elctrode. The wet porcelain just in effect creates a short circuit. 2) liquid fuel doesn't burn. It need to be vaporized first, so in effect, its like pouring water on a fire.

I've tried everything from bead blasting, to various chemicals, to laying them on the gas burner of a stove, to the torch, to snake oil. Anything that does work, is temporary at best, and the plug will easily foul again in short order. Replacement is it.

Oil or carbon fouling is a bit different, and it usually in extreme cases it simply closes the gap on the plugs. That can generally be alleviated by a good cleaning and you're on your way.