Need help with last 2 issues

[lawrgj]

I have to post this as a separate thread caus no one loves me anymore...
no one reads my restoration thread anymore...
damn I am whiny...

two issues so far, need some advice,

1. plugs keep getting carbon fouled, not so bad they wont fire, but I would like them to be cleaner, is this just an air mix issue? if so how do I dead cylinder this if the coil warns not to disconnect one side?

2. have a small oil leak coming from the neutral bolt on the top of the crank case the 7/8" bolt next to the oil filler, this is a very slight leak. can I remove this bolt and just find a copper washer to put there? or will I disengage something from the tranny if i pull it.

 

[retiredgentleman]

I have to post this as a separate thread caus no one loves me anymore...
no one reads my restoration thread anymore...
damn I am whiny...

two issues so far, need some advice,

1. plugs keep getting carbon fouled, not so bad they wont fire, but I would like them to be cleaner, is this just an air mix issue? if so how do I dead cylinder this if the coil warns not to disconnect one side?

2. have a small oil leak coming from the neutral bolt on the top of the crank case the 7/8" bolt next to the oil filler, this is a very slight leak. can I remove this bolt and just find a copper washer to put there? or will I disengage something from the tranny if i pull it.

Use a dummy spark plug. I made this one using an alligator clip and a hose clamp. The alligator clip clamps to an engine fin so that it won't accidentily come loose.

That is the neutral detent. Yes, take it off and see what washer is there, if any. Find a new washer of the right size. Copper would be good, but even a fiber washer would likely work as well. When you loosen the nut, there is a spring that puts tension on the detent plunger. Just watch you don't lose the spring.

 

[lawrgj]

when you say dummy plug I imagine you dont put the plug on the hole? so the charge would ground to engine, i see...

then I could keep the cylinder from firing, or does the ground keep it from firing if its threaded?

 

[Grinder]

I had the same black sooty plugs using NGK plugs. I changed to the much cheaper Autolite 63's without doing anything else and the color was much better. I think it's just a little hotter than the NGK 7's.

 

[pamcopete]

If you have vacuum barbs on the carbs you can pull the hoses off one at a time to sync the carbs with the dead cylinder method. Pulling the hose off of the barb makes the mixture so lean the cylinder won't fire. This way, there is no screwing around with the ignition system and you can do it with the engine running.

If you have dual exhausts, then for the final tuning just listen to the exhaust and twiddle the center sync screw till they sound the same. Don't twiddle more than a 1/8 of a turn either way.

Note: Correction. you can do it without the engine running. Changed to: you can do it with the engine running.

 

[retiredgentleman]

when you say dummy plug I imagine you dont put the plug on the hole? so the charge would ground to engine, i see...

then I could keep the cylinder from firing, or does the ground keep it from firing if its threaded?

Leave the normal spark plug in the engine. Move the spark plug lead from the normal plug over to your dummy plug. The dummy plug is grounded throught the wire to the alligator clip on the engine cooling fin.. Warm up the engine first using both cylinders, and then shut the engine off to change the spark plug lead.


edit: clarified that the alligator clip must be grounded to the engine cooling fin.

 

[angus67]

you still have to ground the dummy plug, or else the coil will still fry.
thank you, RG.
edited after RG's edit

 

[retiredgentleman]

you still have to ground the dummy plug, or else the coil will still fry.

angus67.............as I stated in post #2, the alligator clip is clipped to an engine cooling fin, which is the ground for the dummy plug. I'll edit my last post to be sure that its clear that the alligator clip provides the ground path. Perhaps my wording was not clear.

 

[lawrgj]

well all, THANK YOU, I have her running damn near perfect, the valves are a tad louder than I would like, (still really quiet) and I can make her idle at about 400 rpm's if I want to, so I would say that with this last little adjustment of the air mix, I am dialed... THANK YOU!

 

[retiredgentleman]

Well done lawrgj

 

[5twins]

If you've changed your jetting for minor mods like pipes and pods but didn't lean the needle setting, that could be responsible for the dark plugs.

 

[Roto36]

Is it neccesary or wise to shut off fuel to the dead cylinder so it does'nt draw in raw fuel?

 

[pamcopete]

Is it neccesary or wise to shut off fuel to the dead cylinder so it does'nt draw in raw fuel?

That's another advantage to pulling the vacuum hose off of the barbs one at a time. The mixture is so lean that hardly any fuel gets sucked into the cylinder.

Otherwise, there is no practical way to shut off the fuel to one cylinder at a time.

 

[retiredgentleman]

Is it neccesary or wise to shut off fuel to the dead cylinder so it does'nt draw in raw fuel?

No need to do anything. The fuel/air mixture just gets pumped through the engine.