Need help reading spark plugs, now new problems.

Ok guys and gals, time to pick your brains.

Im having a little trouble reading my plugs Im not sure what I am looking at here. Here is my ideas on what these plugs are telling me.


Plug 1 too Rich
Plug 2 too Lean
Plug 3 a little lean
Plug 4 pretty good

I put these new plugs in yesterday, went for a ride, about 10 miles or so. Some Highway miles, 55-60 mph and some city miles 25-35 mph. I pulled these plugs thismorning and this is what they looked like.

Plug 1 is really sooty, all the way into the plug.

Plug 2 is really clean, still shiny into the plug.

Plug 3 has some dark colors on it but still pretty clean into the plug. Insulator is still white.

Plug 4 has some soot and the insulator is slightly tan in color.

I just got done cleaning my carbs, and I have the fuel mixture screws out to 3 turns.

What Im pretty much looking for here is a conformation that I am reading these plugs right. Im going to clean these up, adjust my carbs alittle and run it again to see if anything changes.

Plug 1
Plug 2
Plug 3
Plug 4 ​

 

Re: Need help reading spark plugs

Ok, now Im really confused.

Last night I had the bike running, it would rev up all the way to red line. Now today I took the plugs out and they looked like above. So I started adjusting the carbs to get good looking plugs. I made a little adjustment to the Number 1 and 2 carbs, little means like a quarter turn. I went to take the bike out for a ride and it gets up to 3000 rpm then starts to miss like crazy. I pulled the plugs and 1 and 2 plugs are looking better but not perfect, so I go alittle more with the adjustment, still misses like crazy but got the colors to look the same all the way across.

When I got the bike home the last time I turned into the drive way and my blinker didnt go off, I reved up the engine to 5000 rpms so I could check the plugs and the miss went in time with my blinker. What I mean is it was missing and the engine pulsated with my blinker, I turned my blinker off and it just missed steady. (Did that make sence?)

I decided to go back to my baceline when the bike ran, and now it misses at that setting. I took it on a ride with the miss and then pulled the plugs. 1 is a little dark, 2 and 3 are wet with gas and 4 isnt quite as dark as 1 but close.

Im now wondering if I dont have a carb problem but an electrical problem. Plugs 2 and 3 work off the same coil. So now Im going to search the forums on how to check my coils, plug wires, CDI Ignition and rectifier regulator.

I also checked my compression today, Im at around 118 psi in all cylinders. Im not sure if thats ok or not, I will search the forums and find out.

Ok, my brain hurts, thats enough for today, mabe tomarow the problem will be looking at me in the face and I can fix it.

 

Re: Need help reading spark plugs

ALL LEAN!

Those plugs indicate a very lean condition. You want the white insulator to be a tan/brown colour indicating a proper mixture. Black insulators indicate a rich mix.

It sounds like you adjusted your carbs to an even leaner mixture which would likely cause your bad running condition.

 

Plugs looking pretty lean.

Your missing problem is probably electrical. Sounds like perhaps when the blinker flashes there isn't enough juice left for the ignition.

You need to charge the battery. Then put a meter on the battery at 2Krpm. If you're not reading at least 14V you have a problem with the charging system.

 

Richen up all 4 a bit and charge the battery, if you don't have a small battery charger get one. I use a Battery Tender Junior 12V @ 0.75A and it works great, especially for the winter.

When reading plugs look at the center white insulator, you want a nice light tan. Color of the wood inside of a #2 pencil is good.

Do the rev test at 2k rpm with a multimeter on the battery and make sure your getting a good 14 volts, other wise you will be using that charger quite a bit.

If you are unsure about anything, ask. These guys save bikes.

 

Way too Lean.
They're all practically white.
There's nothing on the insulator.

This could be CRITICALLY Lean!
Move the Pilot Screws OUT and give that bike some more Fuel at Idle!

Go the width of two Nickels.
Do another Plug Read!

 

So by running lean I am basicaly starving the engine of fuel, thats why its bogging down at 3000rpm?

I put the charger on the batery thismorning to get a peak charge on it. I will test to see if I am getting enough juice from the altinator, or whatever it is that recharges the batery.

I did find another problem this morning though. I noticed that my exhaust collector, the part that takes the 4 pipes and puts them together then makes them 2. Well that thing is really rotted out, Im thinking that is where my lean condition is coming from. That and I dont think I have any baffles in my mufflers. It looks like there straight thru.

Could this be some of my problem?

Looks like I have some welding to do. I wonder where I can get baffles for my mufflers.

 

Good luck with exhaust, some aftermarket around
That could cause you to run more lean due to the lack of back pressure
Pic 1 is how I would tune if I was doing some racing, but thats still kinda lean.
It seems like a technical issue you got there, not a skill issue.
http://www.usaimports.co.uk/Mopar_Tech_ ... eading.htm
Check this out

 

Thanks for the link, I will look at that more closely when I get home from work.

As for the exhaust, Im thinking on taking the collector off and either making a new one or patching the old one. We will see what it looks like once I take it off.


Anyway, thanks to all who is watching and helping in this thread, I hope I can get this thing running soon. Im getting withdraw symptoms. Tried to put my truck up on 2 wheels today, now I have to fix the passenger door. LOL

 

Ok, I got the exhaust off. Now I know where my lean condition was comming from.

1st: The studs that are comming out of the engine to secure the pipes, they where almost finger tight, didnt take anything at all to get them off. 1 of the collors holding the pipes on was broken in halve.

2nd: Im guessing that there is supposed to be clamps where the pipes go into the collector. There where only clamps on 1 and 4.

3rd: The Collector is starting to rot out, not that bad yet, but needs fixed.

4th: No baffles in the mufflers, straight thru pipes.

No wonder I couldnt get the bike to adjust right.


I hope I didnt fry the motor with the open exhaust.

Any advice on anything here?
Has anybody taken the collector apart to see whats inside?
Has anybody tried to make a muffler out of the collector?
Could I have messed up my motor by running it to lean?

I have had this bike or 3 years now and never did anything to the exhaust, I wonder how long the exhaust nuts where loose? :?

 

Count you blessings!
Anybody else would have broken studs and Head Pipes semi-permanently stuck in the collector needing the Incredible Hulk to help get them free.

Id say those clamps were loose for a long time.

Dont try to modify the Collector.
Weld sheet metal patched to the places that are leaking.
You be needing someone that can MIG with Low Heat.

The prospect of burning through the collector is something you'll have to be dealing with.
Just patch it up and don't mess with its channeling gases.
That when you be re-jetting and getting gray hair early in life.

 

Sounds like a plan. Im pretty good with a welder so I can handle the repair job on the collector. Looks like I will be welding today when I get out of work.

 

I don't remember where I saw the D-I-Y on Exhaust Fabrication ... my guess would be the XS Pages ... but, there was an illustrated few pages of how to fabricate your own Collector Box.

Its what you cant see, inside the Collector that plays the all-important role of shunting the exhaust in two directions.

There was also pages for fabbing-up your own Silencers out of Stainless Steel.
I'm nowhere close to good enough to do metal working like that, but, It's nice to have a set of Plans ... like the link provided ... in the event you wanted to have someone make you yoaur own set of Cans.