spark plug fouling

[dan srigle]

my 2002 v11 lemans fouls spark plugs. I replaced stock plugs with one heat range higher and still get some dry fouling of plugs. I do a lot of city driving but also some higher speed rides. Any suggestions?

[The Monkey]

my 2002 v11 lemans fouls spark plugs. I replaced stock plugs with one heat range higher and still get some dry fouling of plugs. I do a lot of city driving but also some higher speed rides. Any suggestions?

 

Test plug wires for resistance, adjust valves (intntl setting) run some injector cleaner through her and re-evaluate where you purchase fuel. Good luck

[raz]

Wot he said, plus if your wires are not red that is the problem. Guzzi plug wires shall be red. Any other color will foul your plugs.

OK maybe that is not the problem but since you will replace those cables anyway, do choose red ones.

[luhbo]

...... and still get some dry fouling of plugs...

 

What does "dry fouling" mean?

 

Hubert

[pete roper]

What does "dry fouling" mean?

 

Hubert

 

when did it last get a decent tune-up?

 

Like Hubert I also need a more comprehensive description of what you call 'Dry Fouling'?

 

Pete

[dan srigle]

Dry fouling, i should have said carbon deposits. Its the Pennsylvania Dutch.

[The Monkey]

Dry fouling, i should have said carbon deposits. Its the Pennsylvania Dutch.

 

Air filter may be restricted, as was mentioned a thorough tune up will probably cure what ails ya. Go back to stock plug range, pack a sandwich and run a couple tanks of fuel through her.

[Guest ratchethack]

my 2002 v11 lemans fouls spark plugs. I replaced stock plugs with one heat range higher and still get some dry fouling of plugs. I do a lot of city driving but also some higher speed rides. Any suggestions?

Dan, with "a lot of city driving", the plugs will tend to load up. Poking around at 3K RPM and short shifting seems to be a common tendency of many many posters to this Forum. This will do it every time, and is NOT a function of the speed you ride. If you open up the throttles on a semi-regular basis, get it up into the torque band where it was designed to deliver optimum output (around 5.5K RPM and above), letting the engine breathe from time to time (regardless of speed), this will clean up the plugs.

 

The NGK BPR 6ES is OEM, it's what I run, it's what everyone I know runs. Put it this way: In 6+ years of monitoring this and other Guzzi boards, I have never heard of a legitimate need to go to a higher heat range plug in a properly tuned motor. They typically read moderately sooty on the flame-shadow side. This is normal. Gap 'em per shop manual spec at .028", or .7 mm. If your A/F is anywhere near reasonably set up, you can go 10K miles (some even double this) without even looking at 'em.

 

Hope this helps.

[luhbo]

This could be a normal thing. At least a normal Guzzi thing. My plugs always had a laquer layer on one side of the insulator, the other half of it looks as it should, from white (clean) to Bambi brown. I never read something what could explain this reasonably. Maybe it has to do with porting, delivery direction and swirl, things like that.

Do you mean this half sided black, brittle laquer layer - or is something else your problem ?

 

Hubert

 

BTW: is this really a "How To" article?

[dan srigle]

Dan, with "a lot of city driving", the plugs will tend to load up. Poking around at 3K RPM and short shifting seems to be a common tendency of many many posters to this Forum. This will do it every time, and is NOT a function of the speed you ride. If you open up the throttles on a semi-regular basis, get it up into the torque band where it was designed to deliver optimum output (around 5.5K RPM and above), letting the engine breathe from time to time (regardless of speed), this will clean up the plugs.

 

The NGK BPR 6ES is OEM, it's what I run, it's what everyone I know runs. Put it this way: In 6+ years of monitoring this and other Guzzi boards, I have never heard of a legitimate need to go to a higher heat range plug in a properly tuned motor. They typically read moderately sooty on the flame-shadow side. This is normal. Gap 'em per shop manual spec at .028", or .7 mm. If your A/F is anywhere near reasonably set up, you can go 10K miles (some even double this) without even looking at 'em.

 

Hope this helps.

[dan srigle]

Think Ratchethack and the 5.5k engine rpm is what my problem could be, because i am shifting long before that. Headed out to wind the guzzi up, get back after i pull the plugs. The Monkey also mentioned checking the wires, i have red champion 5k ohm wires. Are they correct? Thanks to all the replys, everyone in York PA rides Harleys, Moto Guzzi is unheard of.

[pete roper]

Think Ratchethack and the 5.5k engine rpm is what my problem could be, because i am shifting long before that. Headed out to wind the guzzi up, get back after i pull the plugs. The Monkey also mentioned checking the wires, i have red champion 5k ohm wires. Are they correct? Thanks to all the replys, everyone in York PA rides Harleys, Moto Guzzi is unheard of.

 

At somewhere about 7,500 on the tacho there is a line on the dial. Probably orange or yellow. That is your gear shift indicator. No you don't *have* to take it to there before you change up but pobbling about below 4,000 on a whif of throttle the engine is going to be running most of the time on a rich mixture. Unless traffic is so heavy you can't pick a gear where you can keep the revs between 3 & 1/2 and 4 & 1/2. It's much kinder to the engine in all ways.

 

Pete