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Plug check, Lean?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Duner5000
  • Start date Start date
D

Duner5000

Guest
Just a quick question, attached is a picture of one of my new spark plugs.

I only sent one picture becasue all of the sparkplugs look the same color.

I was just wondering if this is a lean condition or not?

My air box does leek a little and i am going to be fixing that as soon as the parts come in. I am also ordering the new boot gaskets.

Thanks for any input.
 
I would say yes..just a tad. The porcelean should be just a slight tannish color but NOT black. Also note the electrode is chalky grey and ashy looking..dead give away there too.
 
Add bike year and model to the signature for us to know what bike it is in the future. Got VM or CV carbs? With this info we can make suggestions as to where the needles need to be adjusted to.
 
Sorry forgot to put that.

1980 GS850L

I know the carbs are makuni and have the diafram slide and needle. 4 screws and a flat round top.
 
OK...CV carbs. At the top rear of the throat is where you adjust them. The needles are pretty fragile, so heres what you do.

Give them little squirt of PB Blaster or other light oil..to relube them a little.

Next, gently and slowly turn them in till they bottom out and stop turning. Once they stop on their own DO NOT FORCE OR THIGHTEN anymore. You don't want to break off the tips!!!

Now, inline with the screw slot, make a new mark on the rim of the hole as a reference mark. Turn the screws OUT 2 full turns. This is the basic default setting for the screws and will be very very close.

On CXVs, you just need to remember its like a water faucet. The more you turn the screws out, the more fuel / air mixture your allowing into the cylinder. So you now just turn the screws about 1/8 turn the way you need to to fine tune each cylinder.

Want to richen number 2, for example, the turn the screw on 2 out 1/8 turn. Or in 1/8 if you need to lean it a bit...make sense?
 
Also, I see your new here. What maintenance have you done to the bike?

To save yourself a TON of swearing and time, you need to be sure all the maintenance is up to date...

Valves adjusted
Carbs fully rebuilt and NEW orings throughout.
Carbs vacuum synced after restart.
New intake manifold orings.

No sense in fiddling with the carbs until the list is done..why? because everything works like a well rehearsed symphony together..one things not right and youll never get then other issues aligned. Cliff has a STCKY at then very top. Click on it and do all the maintenance that's listed on his Mega Welcome.
 
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You will always have a lean condition while you have intake leaks. While I agree with Chuck's method, I suggest you fix all the leaks first, then start adjusting.
 
Last paragraph of my post 6 addressed that issue. There is no reason to fiddle with the carbs unless and until all the maintenance is updated.

Just be chasing tail otherwise.
 
What are some ideas to seal the intake?
I attached a picture of the leak. The other 3 carbs are tight i can spray them and no change of idle. The top of the boot leaks and i have tried and tried to get the airbox to line up but it wont. My next guess was to seal it with some weather stripping of some sort.

Also thanks for the responses.

When i get back from my work in portland I was going to order all the gaskets needed. also new screws. The first carbs screw that holds the top cover on is stripped out.

The main reason i asked was to see if i was way off or most likely if i fix the intake leak that my bike will be tuned right. Also if all the spark blugs are the same does that mean in is balanced well?

Thanks again.
 
Yes, you did Chuck. I failed to read into that statement. I never went through Cliff's list, having done it all long before he created it.

Duner, you need to replace that boot, it is torn. They are still listed on the dealers' fiche as available.
The colour of the plugs is not an indication of the carbs being balanced. As Chuck stated, go through the list first, then start fine tuning things.
 
One problem with the airboxes that develops over time is that the wall facing the carbs actually begins to get sun k in around the center...thus the boots wont line up or go on all the way.

When you have the carbs out for the rebuild, take the airbox and very slowly heat it with a heat gun or a badass hair dryer to get the plastic softened up. The push the wall back out with a gloved hand and run cold water over it to reset the walls flatness. This will realign the boots and make them all go on easier and farther up on the carb throats.
 
Replace ALL the rubber boots, head side and airbox side and get new clamps as well. Check the drain tube at the bottom of the airbox. If it is open put a plug in it. When I order a new drain tube it had a plug. Make the air cleaner cover has a good seal as well.
 
Thanks everyone i will try your ideas. I have started looking at the boots online to buy. The big welcome thing made it sound like the rubber boots are like 28 bucks. my guess is they have risen in price sense that was made haha. The cheapest i found was $140 for the engine side with new clamps and $72 for airbox side with new clamps. I have order all the orings and new fasterner from the cycle orings guy. As soon as it is all here i will try the idea to reshape the airbox.

Thanks guys.

one last thing what is the best way to get shims for the vavles? should i just order new ones from a dealer site? they have an asortment of sizes.

Thanks again.
 
chuck hahn said:
One problem with the airboxes that develops over time is that the wall facing the carbs actually begins to get sun k in around the center...thus the boots wont line up or go on all the way.

When you have the carbs out for the rebuild, take the airbox and very slowly heat it with a heat gun or a badass hair dryer to get the plastic softened up. The push the wall back out with a gloved hand and run cold water over it to reset the walls flatness. This will realign the boots and make them all go on easier and farther up on the carb throats.
Click to expand...

Good tip Chuck, I'll have to try that.
 
Duner, please consider putting your bike year and model in your signature. I know you mentioned in already in the thread, but this way you won't forget if you start a new thread.

Duner5000 said:
Thanks everyone i will try your ideas. I have started looking at the boots online to buy. The big welcome thing made it sound like the rubber boots are like 28 bucks. my guess is they have risen in price sense that was made haha. The cheapest i found was $140 for the engine side with new clamps and $72 for airbox side with new clamps.
Click to expand...

Those sound like typical prices if you're shopping on eBay or at a local dealer.

I went to boulevardsuzuki.com and four intake boots are $104.56. Four airbox boots are $44.20. Of course, shipping will run something like $20. Better, but still somewhat expensive. And necessary.

You don't need new clamps unless yours are torn, horribly bent, or the soft JIS screw heads are stripped. They do tend to stretch some, but you can shorten them by cutting about 3/8" off one end and drilling a new hole. Don't do this until you have the new boots, though. Rubber on new boots will be thicker, so you may not have to do anything to the existing clamps.

I have order all the orings and new fasterner from the cycle orings guy. As soon as it is all here i will try the idea to reshape the airbox.

Thanks guys.
Click to expand...
Make sure you get new intake boot o-rings. Robert offers them with the carb o-ring kit, but I can't remember if they're optional or part of the package. If you didn't happen to get them, you can order them with the boots, they're cheap.

one last thing what is the best way to get shims for the vavles? should i just order new ones from a dealer site? they have an asortment of sizes.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

We have a person here who manages a shim club, but it's not very useful if you don't already have a few spare shims lying around. Since you have to send shims to get shims back. And you cannot turn the engine at all without shims in all buckets. If you have more than one or two shims to replace, you either have to remove the camshafts (not hard, but somewhat risky if you're a newbie to wrenching on bikes) or buy new shims. Some say you can get by with substitutes like coins just long enough to turn the cams, but it's not something I would be comfortable with.

Z1 enterprises sells aftermarket shims which are much more affordable than OEM. But still a little spendy at $6.50 (ish?) a pop.
 
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RICK... My 'theory" is that the engine heat over many cycles heats the plastic and the carbs putting back pressure against the plastic slowly makes the walls concave. I have even held an airbox over the low flame of a stove to heat the plastic enough to flex relatively easy.

Have the cold water trickling and hold the wall back straight and cool it to reset it. I have found the boots line up almost perfectly after a reset.

If the airbox has side covers that come off..or you can otherwise get a hand down there..it helps to push from inside as you tighten the clamps onto the carbs!!
 
chuck hahn said:
One problem with the airboxes that develops over time is that the wall facing the carbs actually begins to get sun k in around the center...thus the boots wont line up or go on all the way.
Click to expand...

I was wondering if this is what happened the airbox on my wife's bike. I will have to try the heat gun trick on it next weekend when I take it apart to rebuild the leaky tensioner o-rings. Thanks for the tip on the reheat I was thinking of looking for another used one, but worried it might have the same warping...
 
take your time and test the flexility as you go. Once it is workable, then get it set and dun k it to cool it in place.
 
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