| Author | Message | ||
     North_of_55 |
So, when I bought my Uly a few weeks back I was quite concerned that it wasn't running just right. The occasional popping and stuttering bothered me the most. In one or my earlier threads someone (sorry, don't remember who) suggested changing the plugs. I decided to go with the NGK DCPR9EIX but had to order them in.... They came in today! I've got two driveways (don't ask) and had to move the bike from one to the other to do the job. I started it up, let it run for about one minute and proceeded to ride the 400 feet to my shed. In that time the bike coughed, popped and sputtered so badly I'm surprised it didn't stall (way worse than normal) I checked compression, changed the plugs (way easier than anticipated), checked the primary oil and adjusted the clutch. Both plugs were dry, black with little soot. As soon as it started up it sounded different. It was running on both cylinders before, but idle sounded almost laboured, didn't have characteristic hd lope... Now it does!. And riding it back to the other driveway it pulled way harder that it normally does cold and didn't miss or POP at all! Not sure if one plug was failing... Or maybe boot wasn't seated properly? I couldn't go anywhere because the wife is out and the little ones are in bed... But if my brief ride tonight is any indication I think i'm going to have a fun ride to work tomorrow! I've got my fingers crossed! Thanks to everyone for their suggestions! | ||
| Dean |
I'm gonna change mine soon 55 ...how long it take ya? Dean Tennessee | ||
| Ratbuell |
Do NOT ride the bike 400 feet and shut it off. This...is why your plugs were fouled. If you're gonna start it...RIDE IT for at least half an hour. Get it to warm up. Let the electronic "choke" turn off. | ||
| North_of_55 |
This was probably the first time I ever rode it from one side to the other... normally when I get on it I'm going somewhere. I actually limited the run time intentionally as I didn't feel like trying to get my fingers in there while it was hot! So this morning's ride to work was encouraging. No popping or stuttering. It doesn't do it all of the time... I really hope the plugs cured that problem! There was no noticeable increase in power though...  As a side note: I'm not sure if the people at my Canadian Tire store are a little confused or not, but I 'special ordered' 4 DCPR9EIX plugs and they charged me $10.62 for the box. If I'm not mistaken they are considerably more expensive elsewhere! | ||
| Thumpthump |
I bet they were supposed to charge that much for each but someone messed up to your advantage. | ||
| North_of_55 |
I asked him that... He said he was surprised too and double checked that he had it right! | ||
| Etennuly |
It may have been me who suggested the plugs. This is something I have been to schools for, technical seminars, and lots of experience over the years. In my experience once a plug is wet fouled it will never be the same as it was when new and or just before it got wet. I have tried cleaning them by every known method including sanding, filling, wire brushing, flame, a spark plug sand blaster, chemicals, even acids, to no avail. The hot spark no fuel deal on the '08 and up bikes is a stop gap measure to get you going in the event of a fouling. The bike will run, but not to it's best. A buddy of mine used to run plugs one run in his dragster, put them back in the boxes and sell them to guys like me at a discount for our dirt track cars. Except for his index mark you could never tell they had been in an engine at all. He said he could feel a power loss with other than fresh new plugs at over 10,000 rpms in a real high dollar small block Chevy. I had a new 1979 Honda CB750F back in the day. If I fouled a plug on a cold start, I could do everything to that plug, but it would never run in that bike again, it just would not fire right once wet. It was a way more fussy bike than the Uly about cold starts and not running it long enough to full warm up. Spark plugs and a big ass carburetor/cam/porting set up is why my dirt track race cars never idled below 2000 rpms. I had to start the engine and get it moving right away, or it would sputter like a sick cat at 7,000 rpms down the straights. | ||
| Towpro |
also check out the steps for "TPS reset" on the 2008's (I think that is what you have). My 07 used to act the same way when it needed a TPS reset. I needed to use a PC and software, but you can do yours with a couple steps in the manual (and no PC and software). | ||
| North_of_55 |
Oddly enough I found the popping/stuttering considerably worse after doing my last TPS reset... Bike was hot and popped when leaving spot where I did it. Previous reset was done with engine cold and I didn't notice any difference at all (good or bad). Sure would be nice if there was a dealer around here that would re-flash my ECM. Closest one is in Barrie (~3 hours away). I would love to ride this bike and not always feel like something's wrong with it! | ||
| Danair |
Not being able to clean plugs mystifies me. On aircraft we regularly clean and re-use for hundreds of hours until the electrodes are out of spec. The only sure reject is if you drop one, and that's 100%. Accepted method...solvent clean, wire wheel threads, glass bead blast, solvent clean again, gap, anti seize, and torque. If in doubt, we "bomb" test them. Done thousands. I'm talking carbon fouled, lead fouled, sopping wet with oil, etc. And this is 50 year old technology ignition systems. Twin engine with 18 cyl radials, with 2 per cyl...do the math. Get a newbie pilot that "wet" starts one and out they all come again. Maybe bike and car plugs aren't as robust, but I've cleaned some really nasty plugs that cruised right on. Using chems or flame worsens the problem. Wire brush or any other metal object (dental pick, scraper,etc)touches center electrode insulator...... another reject. My .02 | ||
| Tootal |
Hey Vern, save up your old plugs and take them to your next illegal bond fire. Once the coals are good and hot throw them all in and party on! When you finally get out of your sleeping bag go out and look for them. Rinse them with some water and let them dry. Ready to use! Worked for the dirt bike for years!! | ||
| Etennuly |
Greg, I don't know what an "illegal bonfire is"  I am presuming that you consider "borrowed firewood" illegal!?!? Disclaimer: only a couple of people got caught borrowing firewood for the advancement and consequent beauty of a bigger and better camp fire. | ||
| Etennuly |
As far as plugs go, I suppose you all have never seen a time that one brand of plugs would not fire an engine well enough to make it run? My dad(who was a great machine mechanic)and I had this happen years ago. I bought a tired old 1957 Jeep CJ5 with an "F" head four cylinder engine. It ran when I got it. He was helping me tune it up. I got a new cap, rotor, wires, and new Champion plugs. We installed all of that stuff and it would not run at all. After a day of head scratching I put in the old AC plugs that came in the engine. It fired right up running great on all four. So we took those plugs out, put the Champions in and again no fire. I took them out and back to the parts store as defective. They gave me another new set of Champions and again no fire no run, so upon taking them back they ordered in the right AC plugs and it fired right up running fine. Were the plugs the problem? We could have put them in and out six more times with the same results. We tested all of the plugs individually, and they all fired. Only the ACs would make the engine run. Had my dad not been there I would have thought it was something I was doing to make the Champions not run. He said in all of his years of experience he had never seen anything like that happen. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Perhaps the resistor in the champions was too much for the ancient ignition to get past? My ironhead gave me troubles with resistor-equipped plugs for a couple of years until the coil finally finished crapping out. After a new coil was installed, it ran fine on whatever after that. | ||
| Etennuly |
Perhaps the resistor in the champions was too much for the ancient ignition to get past? Well that was done in the early '70s,  and the Jeep wasn't quite so ancient then, as well, the plugs were specifically for that engine/year/model. |
