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The 2-Stroke Garage => Turning Wrenches => Topic started by: gwcrim on September 30, 2019, 09:46:32 PM

Title: Reading plugs
Post by: gwcrim on September 30, 2019, 09:46:32 PM
Finally got my green monster running pretty well so it's time to focus on tuning.  At WFO and higher revs, I hear pinging.  Attached are shots of the plugs.  Not a surgical plug chop.  They've got 20 miles on them.  They look sort of OK but look at the ceramic. 

Thoughts?
Title: Re: Reading plugs
Post by: gwcrim on September 30, 2019, 09:47:23 PM
The other one.
Title: Re: Reading plugs
Post by: Jspooner on September 30, 2019, 10:07:27 PM
Plugs look a bit lean. Double check your timing. What are your mods and what is your current jetting?
Title: Re: Reading plugs
Post by: pdxjim on September 30, 2019, 11:14:36 PM
Way lean and if you hear pinging, something ain't right.

The real place you want to be looking is at the base of the insulator, not out at the electrode.
Title: Re: Reading plugs
Post by: Old Brit on October 01, 2019, 01:30:27 AM
Quote from: pdxjim on September 30, 2019, 11:14:36 PM
Way lean and if you hear pinging, something ain't right.

The real place you want to be looking is at the base of the insulator, not out at the electrode.
I've always used an Otoscope to look at plugs at the track which has had even more general use since becoming rather more "mature"  :whistle:
Title: Re: Reading plugs
Post by: gwcrim on October 01, 2019, 06:45:37 AM
Mods: 

Spec II Stage 2 porting, coils, and F1 pipes
Banshee pistons and intake boots
YZ125 reeds
Y boot with Uni filter

Jetting:

Stock carbs
260 mains
32.5 pilot
Stock needle with the clip 4 notches down

I did do a leak down and it was good.

I took great care in setting up the timing.  Don't recall what that spec is at the moment but I think I did 1.8.
Title: Re: Reading plugs
Post by: Jessup on October 01, 2019, 02:26:53 PM
An overly-rich engine sputters at WOT.

Spark plug color is irrelevant.

Title: Re: Reading plugs
Post by: m in sc on October 01, 2019, 02:42:14 PM
GO TO A 170 main, see if the pinging reduces. if it gets better, fuel. if not, timing.  (typo... meant 270. lol)
Title: Re: Reading plugs
Post by: Old Brit on October 05, 2019, 07:08:40 AM
Quote from: Jessup on October 01, 2019, 02:26:53 PM

Spark plug color is irrelevant.
Yeah right  :umm:
Title: Re: Reading plugs
Post by: teazer on October 05, 2019, 08:28:28 PM
side and center electrodes are a good place to look for overheating and the base of the insulator is where you look for mixture.  Both side electrodes look burned clean and the upper center electrode also shows that it's been running too hot.

The question then is why.  Could be too much advance, or plugs too hot (try B9) or lean mixture.

Try 280 main jets and if the start to take color, check out the insulator and see what that looks like.  Rinse and repeat.  If you get to say 320 and the electrodes are still burned clean but there's a black mixture ring, then the plugs are too hot or ignition timing is too advanced.
Title: Re: Reading plugs
Post by: Czakky on October 05, 2019, 09:33:26 PM
 :notworthy: :notworthy:
Title: Re: Reading plugs
Post by: gwcrim on October 07, 2019, 07:35:58 PM
I'm using B9 plugs already.  Just 270 jets to try.  Hope to get a nice day to do a little more tuning.
Title: Re: Reading plugs
Post by: gwcrim on October 12, 2019, 08:26:37 AM
The 270 jets seem to have eliminated 90% of the pinging.  I'll keep moving upward.  Based on that jetting spreadsheet, the bike needs more fuel than everyone else uses.  Wonder why?
Title: Re: Reading plugs
Post by: Barrie on October 12, 2019, 02:30:36 PM
Worn crank seal maybe, air leak ,or it could just be a greedy bastard.
Title: Re: Reading plugs
Post by: gwcrim on October 12, 2019, 04:53:44 PM
Crank seals are new.  I pressure tested it on assembly and it held air.  I'll just keep throwing fuel at it as long as that makes improvements.
Title: Re: Reading plugs
Post by: gwcrim on October 20, 2019, 02:29:05 PM
So I jumped from 270 to 290 jets yesterday.  Top end seemed fine but midrange was popping and hacking.  Today, I moved the clip from 4 down to 3 down and it finally seems good.  I'd like to tweak it a little more but I don't know where I'd go to make improvements.  Different needle maybe?  Right now it's the stock one.

My top end test is to go WOT and then back off a tad.  Too lean and it picks up RPMs.  Not now, it pulls steady.  I'll look at the plugs later but I put too many miles on it to do a reliable reading for any particular range.

My house sits at on a nice smooth state road at the top of a valley.  The road drops about 4-500 feet and is nice and twisty.  It's such a hoot to ride it back and forth.  I suppose my neighbors don't get the same enjoyment.