Front plug fouling, running rough, dying at idle
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From: Leadville
Front plug fouling, running rough, dying at idle
2001 Road King Classic, EFI, Stage 1 kit, 39,000 miles and counting - "Black Betty." Bought the bike used with approx. 30,000 miles and the previous owner did all the engine upgrades, so I don't know exactly what she's got under the hood.
Last summer I had to change the plugs because they fouled, and she would occasionally run rough, particularly on cold mornings. Since I did a bunch of maintenance last month (drive belt, pulleys, tires, progressive suspension upgrade, fluid changes, oil pan gasket, etc.), I've been riding more regularly, and she's running rougher than ever. Current symptoms: when cold, high idle running is fine; once she starts warming up, it starts missing on one cylinder, but smooths out at higher revs. I can occasionally feel it bucking at higher revs, and this has gotten more consistent this past week - she does it more often than not now. Some popping on deceleration. Front plug continually gets fouled, probably within 100 miles. The rear plug actually looks fairly good, with one small spot of carbon on the insulator. Also dies at idle occasionally (50% of the time), more so when it's cooler, I think - I have to give it a little throttle to keep her running. Not much power at high speeds/revs - she maxes out at about 80mph uphill at high altitudes (I live at 10,200' but ride anywhere from 6,000-14,000'). I've only put on about 10,000 miles in the past 4 years, and winters where I live are about 9 months long, so she sits a lot. I've run injector cleaner in the past two tanks (approx. 300 miles), and the issues have gotten worse.
My thoughts: front injector is bad, spraying poorly, and maybe leaky. I've read that the early injector systems can have intermittent issues because the wires are too short. Fouling the front plug so quickly when the rear looks ok is what's making me think this is the case. Thoughts?
Need info:
1. can the injectors be removed and cleaned effectively as a way to troubleshoot and see if there's other issues (e.g. weak spark/bad coil, etc.)
2. recommendations for aftermarket injectors/upgrades/updates.
3. what plugs are good to run? Screaming Eagle plugs foul just as fast as cheap copper's, so why waste the money while troubleshooting. I was also thinking of using slightly hotter plugs because the air pressure at altitude is lower, and she tends to run rich. Thoughts?
4. Any advice for troubleshooting would be appreciated.
2001 Harley Road King Classic FLHRCI, 2009 Buell 1125CR, 2004 Yamaha TW200, 1982 Honda CB900C
Last summer I had to change the plugs because they fouled, and she would occasionally run rough, particularly on cold mornings. Since I did a bunch of maintenance last month (drive belt, pulleys, tires, progressive suspension upgrade, fluid changes, oil pan gasket, etc.), I've been riding more regularly, and she's running rougher than ever. Current symptoms: when cold, high idle running is fine; once she starts warming up, it starts missing on one cylinder, but smooths out at higher revs. I can occasionally feel it bucking at higher revs, and this has gotten more consistent this past week - she does it more often than not now. Some popping on deceleration. Front plug continually gets fouled, probably within 100 miles. The rear plug actually looks fairly good, with one small spot of carbon on the insulator. Also dies at idle occasionally (50% of the time), more so when it's cooler, I think - I have to give it a little throttle to keep her running. Not much power at high speeds/revs - she maxes out at about 80mph uphill at high altitudes (I live at 10,200' but ride anywhere from 6,000-14,000'). I've only put on about 10,000 miles in the past 4 years, and winters where I live are about 9 months long, so she sits a lot. I've run injector cleaner in the past two tanks (approx. 300 miles), and the issues have gotten worse.
My thoughts: front injector is bad, spraying poorly, and maybe leaky. I've read that the early injector systems can have intermittent issues because the wires are too short. Fouling the front plug so quickly when the rear looks ok is what's making me think this is the case. Thoughts?
Need info:
1. can the injectors be removed and cleaned effectively as a way to troubleshoot and see if there's other issues (e.g. weak spark/bad coil, etc.)
2. recommendations for aftermarket injectors/upgrades/updates.
3. what plugs are good to run? Screaming Eagle plugs foul just as fast as cheap copper's, so why waste the money while troubleshooting. I was also thinking of using slightly hotter plugs because the air pressure at altitude is lower, and she tends to run rich. Thoughts?
4. Any advice for troubleshooting would be appreciated.
2001 Harley Road King Classic FLHRCI, 2009 Buell 1125CR, 2004 Yamaha TW200, 1982 Honda CB900C
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