Recycling Spark Plug Desiccant

[Lifessamsara]

I have an O320 that will sit for some time before being fitted to my LEz project. The spark plug desiccants appear to be expired. I understand that they can be dried so to speak by placing them in an oven for some period of time.

 

Can anyone advise whether this is correct, and if so, how long at what temp' is suitable (without melting the plastic cases). Additionally, is there any way of confirming when they are recycled ready to be fitted again visually?

 

Cheers,

 

Bruce.

[Tom Nalevanko]

Take the dessicant crystals out of the plastic case and put them in a tin foil dish in a toaster oven until they turn back to their original color.

 

A friend of mine is building an Express and his 12 year old son does this task for him...

[Lifessamsara]

Thanks for the advice Tom..

 

Unfortunately the brass vents wont come out without being damaged, so I can't remove the desicccant crystals.

 

I will just try the oven at 70oC and see how I go.

 

Thanks anyway,

 

Bruce.

[MikeD]

Bruce,

 

I dry mine out every 3-4 weeks (I'm in the U.K. -- damp, damp, damp!). the procedure is:

 

Unscrew the plastic bits

 

tap the brass filter end on a hard surface until it gets to the end of the tube.

 

push down on one side of the filter with your finger nail and it should lift up the other side

 

put it in the oven at about 200 deg F for 10 -15 minutes.

 

Let it cool and refill the tube.

 

Hope this helps.

 

MikeD (U.K.)