Newby questions, poor idle, pops, won't run without choke

Hey brain trust,

Same symptoms I've seen MANY times on the boards: can't idle below 1500 rpm without stalling, abrupt loss of power, left sided pops and less engine noise. I refuse to go back to the dealership and lose $500 and three weeks of summer riding.

I swapped out the plugs on cylinders 1 and 2, no change, and I'm running a little rich.

I was prepared to shotgun (bought a compressor), but had to order a security torxx bit. Battery charged to 13V. My questions.

1) I read lvlhead's guide MANY times, but does the engine need to be ON for any of the shotgun?

2) COPS: what are the advantages, and is there an easy way to check if my spark plug wires are bad?

3) I drained my carbs, and it looked like below. Thoughts?

4) A colleague said I should pour some Sea Foam in and run it on the highway; does this have ANY effect on a clogged PAF circuit?

Everything I know about engines is from this forum, and to a lesser extent, from my service manual. Thank you in advance




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looks like its time for A "shotgun".

http://vmax.lvlhead.com/tips/shotgun.htm

No, you dont have to have the bike running, although you will probably have to use the choke to get the bike started afterwards. Once you do it, you will see a difference.

Seafoam, WONT clear out a clogged pilot jet......because let me ask you a question, if its clogged, how will you get seafoam into it to unclog it?

From the pictures the fuel from the carbs does no look good. Have you checked your fuel filter lately? Doing the shotgun will help and can't hurt. Also what is the voltage at the battery while the bike is running. Should be about 14 volts.

You have 2 different ranges in heat on those 2 plugs one being an 8 and one being a 7.I'm sure you know one is an iridium also-the stock NGK DPR8EA-9 is good. You can remove those torx screws with vice grips and get a set of allen heads for Dannymax at BRC carb shop at the top or bottom of this page.Seafoam will clean some debris but not hard clogged. Cops will help your bike start quicker especially hot starts.Easier to change, Cheaper price the oem coils, Throttle response is quicker,Erich says they slice & dice, Lots of guys say they feel the change immediately. I do my own modifications to them. You can contact me if you need a set of cops. You can read up on them here.

http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=40699

I wouldn't run on that fuel either! I think you have some more investigating to do.

And do the shotgun anyway, it can't hurt.

Shotgun or more and Non Ethanol Fuel....
And the right plugs.............

Here is about heat ranges for plugs.

https://www.ngksparkplugs.com/about-ngk/tech-talk/spark-plug-basics

Heat rating and heat flow path of NGK Spark Plugs
Some basic structural factors affecting the heat range of a spark plug are:

Surface area and/or length of the insulator nose
Thermal conductivity of the insulator, center electrode, etc.
Structure of the center electrode such as a copper core, etc.
Relative position of the insulator tip to the end of the shell (projection)
The major structural difference affecting the heat rating is the length of the insulator nose. A hot-type spark plug has a longer insulator nose. The insulator nose of a hotter spark plug has a longer distance between the firing tip of the insulator, and the point where insulator meets the metal shell. Therefore, the path for the dissipation of heat from the insulator nose to the cylinder head is longer and the firing end stays hotter. The insulator nose of a hotter spark plug also has a greater surface area that is exposed to more of the ignited gases and is easily heated to higher temperatures. A colder spark plug functions in an opposite manner.

The heat range must be carefully selected for proper spark plug thermal performance. If the heat range is not optimal, then serious trouble can be the result. The optimal firing end temperature is approximately 500°C (932°F) to 800°C (1472°F). The two most common causes of spark plug problems are carbon fouling (< 450°C) and overheating (> 800°C)

The easiest thing to do is go down to your local Oreillys (or the store of your choice) and ask the person for stock NGK's for the Vmax. They are roughly 10 dollars for all 4.

If your plugs are fouling, you have other issues.

mundmc said:

Hey brain trust,

Same symptoms I've seen MANY times on the boards: can't idle below 1500 rpm without stalling, abrupt loss of power, left sided pops and less engine noise. I refuse to go back to the dealership and lose $500 and three weeks of summer riding.

I swapped out the plugs on cylinders 1 and 2, no change, and I'm running a little rich.

I was prepared to shotgun (bought a compressor), but had to order a security torxx bit. Battery charged to 13V. My questions.

1) I read lvlhead's guide MANY times, but does the engine need to be ON for any of the shotgun?

2) COPS: what are the advantages, and is there an easy way to check if my spark plug wires are bad?

3) I drained my carbs, and it looked like below. Thoughts?

4) A colleague said I should pour some Sea Foam in and run it on the highway; does this have ANY effect on a clogged PAF circuit?

Click to expand...

1) No

2) Compared against a properly functioning OE set-up very little. It's far cheaper to replace leads and caps. You will also need to modify or make a loom to interface with the Max.
I know some folk report easier starting but if you have a properly functioning OE system this isn't an issue anyway.

If you have coil issues i.e. higher replacement costs then I would go for CoP's.
Probably the easiest way to check the HT leads is to run the bike in the dark (but NOT in an enclosed space!) and look for sparks on the outside of the lead.
It may well be that this is due to an accumulation of crap and a good clean will sort the problem.

Copper cored HT lead is cheap enough so if there is any doubt change it.

Mr Traumahawk's post explains why you should have the correct heat range well.
The 'exotic' plugs such as Iridiums may appear to offer a slight benefit initially but how much of this is down to fitting new plugs and how long it lasts is a moot point.
That said there may be a financial benefit as the replacement cycle is much longer the a conventional plug. Worth considering if your bike is a keeper.

3) I can't see any dirt in the carbs although it does look milky. Not sure if this is due to the container?
Alternatively, someone with a bad cold couldn't find a hanky. uke:

4) Running carb cleaner through won't do any harm particularly if the bike is regularly laid up for long periods. It won't clear a clogged jet but may soften any residue. I'd do the Shotgun first then add carb cleaner.

Put a hose in the fuel tank and siphon some fuel out. If the fuel direct from the tank looks like your photos I would drain all fuel out of your bike, blow out the hoses, and drain the float bowls.

Check the tank. Flush if needed. Fill with fresh fuel. Install a cheap, disposable fuel filter. Cycle the key multiple times to fill the bowls. Empty the bowls and if it improved put a new OEM or equivalent filter in.

Put it OEM plugs.

Do the shotgun.

Put seafoam in the tank.

Ride it and hope for the best. If no improvement pull the rack for a complete cleaning



Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I can't convey how much I appreciate all of this advice. Will post updates.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Success!!! Did the shotgun and pea shooter, and I have my bike back! A mechanic told me it was voodoo. Well, he'll never get my money. I haven't even synced the carbs yet (tool hadn't arrived) and it's still night and day.

Oddly, after finishing the first ride, she stalled and couldn't hold an idle under 2500. I turned her off and back on, and she was fine. I'm perplexed by this.

Awaiting a fuel filter to arrive, will check that out and swap if needed.

PS- Is it normal to smoke from the choke vent?
PPS- Battery is at 13.7 when running, same when not. I need to follow up on this.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good news- is this smoke after you turn it off?

Smoke started when I did the pea shooter (with the carb needles/ diaphragms out) and ran it with the choke on. It didn't last long.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk