EVO Sportster starting to get some pinging under load.....why?
booboo
My M/C has been running pretty strong until about a week ago I noticed
performance loss slightly and a bit of pinging at take off and under load. I
havent done any maintenance other than fluid changes in about a year.
Actually I did clean my K&N air cleaner late last spring. The plugs are
about a year old, yesterday I pulled them and they were burning normal, in
fact they looked really good, it only took a slight brushing to clean them
and they looked like new. I didnt have a gauge at the time so didnt check
the gap. I am running accel wires which are at least 3 years old, they look
good no cracks abraisions.
The bike still runs OK but just not stump pulling like it used to. I had my
timing set last at the same time my plugs were replaced in the summer 2002.
Should I replace my plugs after a year even though they look good?, how
about my wires? Is it time to redo my timing? I just checked my reciepts as
I am writing this and noticed I have put 5k miles on it sense summer of 2002
when plugs and timing were set. I had no idea I put that many miles on it.
Anyway as I said they plugs look like new, is it possible they still need
changing? Also how often should the coil be changed?
Rob Duncan
"booboo" <matr...@yah.com> wrote in message
news:vomvba8...@corp.supernews.com...
Run some premium fuel for a couple of tankfulls and see what happens. You
might need to adjust your timing, one of your jets (running lean possibly),
or something else. For a first test you could re-gap your plugs if you
like. Thats free and easy. Pinging under load could be several things. To
lean, poor timing, plugs, etc., Good luck But running premium "might"
tell you if its jet issue.
Rob
>
>
Skiv
> Billy Beer On me
<spitooo>...damn, that's nasty. You want help or not?
> My M/C has been running pretty strong until about a week ago
OK...we can tell it's an Evo from the subject line. What year? Where
do you live? About a week ago would be about when the weather started
to cool off for fall, and if you've had the sled a while I'm gonna go
out on a limb here and guess that you've never had the intake manifold
seals and carb spigot gasket changed. It's the most common maintenance
item on Evo twins and it'll cost you about $10 to fix yourself.
Leaking seals will lean out your mixture, which will cause you to lose
power, run rough, and ping under load.
> The plugs are about a year old,
Change them when you change the oil. They're always new that way.
> I am running accel wires which are at least 3 years old, they look
> good no cracks abraisions.
How do they test out electrically? Usually the wear's on the inside.
> Should I replace my plugs after a year even though they look good?, how
> about my wires?
See above. Wires and plugs are cheap. Replace the plugs every 3,000
miles when you change the oil. Replace your wires every couple of
years. Trying to get every last mile out of them is false economy. If
you're really trying to be "tight" then save the old set each time to
use in case something goes wrong with the new ones, or to give to
someone who needs to get down the road.
> Is it time to redo my timing?
It *should* be set and forget. Check it. If it's off, reset it. Then
ride. Check it in six months and see if it's changed. That'll
establish a baseline for you.
> I am writing this and noticed I have put 5k miles on it sense summer of 2002
> when plugs and timing were set. I had no idea I put that many miles on it.
That many? In a year and a half? Wow. How did you find time to do
anything else?
> Anyway as I said they plugs look like new, is it possible they still need
> changing?
Yup. You are assuming that if they "look OK" they are. Maybe so, but
if so you're the first person I've ever known who could look at a cold
plug and tell me it was OK, mechanically or electrically.
>Also how often should the coil be changed?
It should be changed when it quits working. Does the bike start?
Skiv :)=)} AH 41 BS 32 SENS IBA
'89 XL Bobster "StraKat"
Ryder Rick
If you are for real, drain the tank and fill it with premium.
Then ride the thing enough to use up the gas before it spoils.
RickB
SDicato
CyclePrick
>
> My M/C has been running pretty strong until about a week ago I noticed
> performance loss slightly and a bit of pinging at take off and under load.
snip
Depending on year you should be running 91 octane all the newer sportsters
require HT, it could be as simple as bad gas even with HT, espacially if you
bargan shop for gas.
--
CyclePrick
Girly Bike Rider Extraodinaire
67 XL Bought in 69 sold in 89
89 1200 XL w/mountain motor sold 02
03 1200 Custom
booboo
Rob Duncan <robd...@gbronline.com> wrote in message
news:MHmdnd7jXPT...@gbronline.com...
Premium is all I have ever used.
> >
>
>
booboo
Skiv <pony...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:545faa42.0310...@posting.google.com...
Whats a Carb Spogot gasket. I had the carb rebuilt and Yost power tube
added a year ago.
.boB
>>
>>My M/C has been running pretty strong until about a week ago I noticed
>>performance loss slightly and a bit of pinging at take off and under load.
>>
VOS switch. It's function is to retard the timing when the vacume drops
under a load. Retarding the timing prevents detonation. So if it's
detonating, then the timing is not getting retarded. So if it suddenly
started pinging, a bad VOS is most likely the cause. If it was a vacume
leak then it would be retarded all the time and would never ping.
As for maint issues, a lot of folks tend to take them a little too
far. It doesn't hurt anything, but probably doesn't help, either. For
instance, why change the spark plugs and/or cables every 5,000 miles?
In my truck they last 50,000 miles. Sure, the HD is air cooled, but it
can't be that hard on parts. Even with a dual fire ignition I would
expect the secondary ignition parts to last at least 30,000 miles. With
a single fire, why wouldn't they last 50K, just like in my truck?
15K miles ago I replaced the plugs in my bike. They still look
great when I cleaned them a few months ago. At that time I also bought a
set of universal V-8 plug wires from summit racing for $30. I made up
one set of wires, and I still have 3 sets left. I think it's silly to
pay $35 for two short plug wires.
And lets not even get started on oil changes.
--
.boB
97 H-D FXDWG - Turbocharged!!
01 Dakota Quad Sport, 5.9/Auto/4x4
83 GMC Jimmy (beater)
66 427SC Cobra Replica - Project
66 Mustang coupe - Daily Driver
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Skiv
> Whats a Carb Spogot gasket. I had the carb rebuilt and Yost power tube
> added a year ago.
Dollars gets you doughnuts they didn't change the manifold gaskets or
the carb spigot seal. They probably just took the carb out, did their
thing, and then popped it back in. The intake manifold gaskets are
next to the heads under the intake manifold flanges. You'll need a
ball-end 1/4-inch Allen wrench to get the manifold bolts out. The carb
spigot seal is the rubber doughnut that goes around the mouth of the
manifold where the carb slides in. It's less prone to aging than the
intake seals because it's a little farther away from the heat, but
always change them all at the same time.
It's an easy replacement, but there's a few tricks to make it easier.
Luke
Fuel companies actually have (or they used to have) summer and winter
blends for gasoline. This can have a serious effect on things like pinging.
Seeing as it is mid october, is it possible that your problems is that they
changed your fuel when you were not looking? Might be the fuel, not the
bike.
Luke
Matthew Lundberg
> booboo wrote:
[snip]
> >Also how often should the coil be changed?
>
> It should be changed when it quits working. Does the bike start?
>
Actually, perhaps before. My secondary winding was open in my coil,
but the bike still ran. The current was able to arc the gap, apparantly.
I'm sure it would have quite eventually.
The coil should be changed if the case is cracked, since that will allow
moisture in. Other than that, you can check the secondary winding and
your plug wires with an ohmmeter.
booboo
"Luke" <Lu...@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:voqrrc7...@corp.supernews.com...
>
Luke
> >
> >
> > Fuel companies actually have (or they used to have) summer and
winter
> > blends for gasoline. This can have a serious effect on things like
> pinging.
> > Seeing as it is mid october, is it possible that your problems is that
> they
> > changed your fuel when you were not looking? Might be the fuel, not the
> > bike.
> >
> >
> > Luke
> >
> If it gas how do you get around he problem?
> >
>
>
If that is the case, there is nothing you can do other than add some
octane booster each time you fill up.
Luke
jjs
> If that is the case, there is nothing you can do other than add some
> octane booster each time you fill up.
Is the 'winter' gas really lower octane?
Luke
"jjs" <nos...@nospam.xxx> wrote in message
news:nospam-1610...@ip-0-251.sprint-rev.hbci.com...
Well, yes and no... but mostly yes. Octane is calculated useing
formulae that only a chemist would love. I dont completly understand it cuz
I'm a mechanical engineer, not a chemist but it goes something like this...
The fuel refiners use slightly less heptane in the summer. Heptane being a
smaller molecule, but having more BTUs, actually ignites at a lower
temperature. They do this to help reduce knocking in cars operting in
higher temperatures in summer heat. The "total octane" is the same, but the
winter fuel with more heptane, will ignite at a lower temperature. Since
air cooled engines operate at higher cylinder temperatures, this is a
potential problem all year, but is not often noticed in the summer bacause
of the fuel difference. Since fuel is formulated for the masses (cars), us
bikers get left out.
You can use an octane booster aditive, or easier yet, just buy the
premium gas if you insist on riding all winter. Here in Idaho, only the
hardiest bikers ride during the winter.
Luke
Kim Neubert
"booboo" <matr...@srewit.com> wrote in message
news:vot9gn9...@corp.supernews.com...
Noob
booboo
Well it looks like you may be right. I stopped off at a private HD shop
and spoke to the owner he told me to check for vacuum leaks around the
intake manifold by spraying carb cleaner around the intake area and watch
for idle changes.
I got a chance to check it today, I fired it up let it idle and first
sprayed around the intake and the idle went down until it almost cut off,
then I sprayed some around the carb rubber spigot and the idle dropped
again, so it seems I do have worn intake seals as well as the spigot. After
checking I decided to ride around and it ran pretty damn good no pinging
whatsoever today. Today the temp was in the high 50's. The other day when I
had the ping problem I was riding in low 70 degree weather.would 10 or 15
degrees outside weather make that much of a difference? Also when I change
my intake seals and spigot should that cure the ping even in real hot
weather under load?
Rob Duncan
You should still run premium gas.
Rob
>