more broke sh!t
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Tourer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 282
Likes: 0
From: Georgia
more broke ****
words can't begin to describe how pissed I am right now.
after all the stuff I've had to do to her for various reasons over the past year and a half, I thought I could ride with confidence. Then the battery stopped charging. $300 hard and long earned bucks, a new generator and regulator and I'm back on the road and can get some quality time on the road again, (longer than 20 min at a time).
Apparently she didn't think I've had enough hardache 'cause on the way home today, I hear what sounds like nuts inside the drive chain cover. And if that wasn't enough, when I tried to shut her off, she tried to start back up on her own, as if to start a bitch session. Key was on the ground, kill switch was off, and she was still yellin' at me. the only way for me to shut her up was to disconnect the neg. batt. lead.
I still have a few hours of cool down, (the bike AND me) before I can start taking things apart so I don't know much. Here is what I do know...
When I heard the first"*****" and thought something wasn't right, I had no other sign that any thing was wrong. The bike did not surge, sputter, loose power, or do any thing of the sort. She has been hesitating a bit but that's been ongoing and I was just getting to figuring that out this week, that is untill she decided to shoot me another bird.
As to the re-starting issue, the only thing I can attribute that to is a starter solonoid that is stuck, which is also a slap in the face because it's only a year old.
Any thoughts, suggestions, ideas, or comments are welcome.
Thanks,
Rich
after all the stuff I've had to do to her for various reasons over the past year and a half, I thought I could ride with confidence. Then the battery stopped charging. $300 hard and long earned bucks, a new generator and regulator and I'm back on the road and can get some quality time on the road again, (longer than 20 min at a time).
Apparently she didn't think I've had enough hardache 'cause on the way home today, I hear what sounds like nuts inside the drive chain cover. And if that wasn't enough, when I tried to shut her off, she tried to start back up on her own, as if to start a bitch session. Key was on the ground, kill switch was off, and she was still yellin' at me. the only way for me to shut her up was to disconnect the neg. batt. lead.
I still have a few hours of cool down, (the bike AND me) before I can start taking things apart so I don't know much. Here is what I do know...
When I heard the first"*****" and thought something wasn't right, I had no other sign that any thing was wrong. The bike did not surge, sputter, loose power, or do any thing of the sort. She has been hesitating a bit but that's been ongoing and I was just getting to figuring that out this week, that is untill she decided to shoot me another bird.
As to the re-starting issue, the only thing I can attribute that to is a starter solonoid that is stuck, which is also a slap in the face because it's only a year old.
Any thoughts, suggestions, ideas, or comments are welcome.
Thanks,
Rich
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,035
Likes: 17
From: Houston Texas
RE: more broke ****
Yep, these old gals can be heart breakers for sure.
What may have happened is the machine wanted to run on, even though the power was shut off, because the engine was hot and you had detonation going on. The fuel/air mix from the carb will self ignite without a spark from the plugs if the piston tops are very hot. Just my guess....certainly not a fact.
If, on the other hand you are describing the starter motor want to run with electrical power to it, then it had to be a short and the motor was indeed still getting power from the battery.
What caused the 'nuts and bolts' sound? You will find out when you get into it. I am wondering if you recently have had your clutch assembly out? The center hub nut has to be really tight and the ear of the washer bent over a flat on the nut or it can easily loosen itself. Let us know what you find.......pg
What may have happened is the machine wanted to run on, even though the power was shut off, because the engine was hot and you had detonation going on. The fuel/air mix from the carb will self ignite without a spark from the plugs if the piston tops are very hot. Just my guess....certainly not a fact.
If, on the other hand you are describing the starter motor want to run with electrical power to it, then it had to be a short and the motor was indeed still getting power from the battery.
What caused the 'nuts and bolts' sound? You will find out when you get into it. I am wondering if you recently have had your clutch assembly out? The center hub nut has to be really tight and the ear of the washer bent over a flat on the nut or it can easily loosen itself. Let us know what you find.......pg
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 282
Likes: 0
From: Georgia
RE: more broke ****
ORIGINAL: piniongear
I am wondering if you recently have had your clutch assembly out?
I am wondering if you recently have had your clutch assembly out?
Thanks, that was faster than I expected.
Rich
edit: As a side note, I have noticed it to be a bit more difficult to shift gears every once and a while the last week or so. I think you're on to something, PG
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 282
Likes: 0
From: Georgia
RE: more broke ****
ORIGINAL: piniongear
What may have happened is the machine wanted to run on, even though the power was shut off, because the engine was hot and you had detonation going on. The fuel/air mix from the carb will self ignite without a spark from the plugs if the piston tops are very hot. Just my guess....certainly not a fact.
If, on the other hand you are describing the starter motor want to run with electrical power to it, then it had to be a short and the motor was indeed still getting power from the battery.
What may have happened is the machine wanted to run on, even though the power was shut off, because the engine was hot and you had detonation going on. The fuel/air mix from the carb will self ignite without a spark from the plugs if the piston tops are very hot. Just my guess....certainly not a fact.
If, on the other hand you are describing the starter motor want to run with electrical power to it, then it had to be a short and the motor was indeed still getting power from the battery.
Rich
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,035
Likes: 17
From: Houston Texas
RE: more broke ****
Years ago it was easy to read plugs to determine if a plug was hot or cold. Now with all fuel unleaded, it is more difficult to do this. As for the plug numbers, it depends on what brand you are referring too.
Some brands the numbers get larger as you get colder, and other brands get colder as the number advances. So, you have to have a chart of your specific brand of plug to determine this (unless you want to take someone's word on it....read that as opinion)
I use Champion H8C plugs in my Sporty and they are a good heat range.
When a plug is too cold it will be a darker color on the insulation. When it is too hot it will be white. In extreme hot plugs you will get blistering on the insulation way down inside. You need a lighted magnifing glass to read this correctly though.
Take two different plugs and put them side by side.
The colder plug will have the insulation and the tip recessed into the plug deeper than the hotter plug. The electrode ground tab will not come as close to being over or past center on the electrode on a colder plug, as opposed to a hotter one.
The tip on a hot plug sticks out further towards the piston than a cold. That's one of the reasons it is a hotter plug. Not as insulated from the heat source.
This is still difficult to see in a side by side comparasion, and it is easiest to refer to a chart for proper heat range.
That is about all I know of spark plugs..........pg
Some brands the numbers get larger as you get colder, and other brands get colder as the number advances. So, you have to have a chart of your specific brand of plug to determine this (unless you want to take someone's word on it....read that as opinion)
I use Champion H8C plugs in my Sporty and they are a good heat range.
When a plug is too cold it will be a darker color on the insulation. When it is too hot it will be white. In extreme hot plugs you will get blistering on the insulation way down inside. You need a lighted magnifing glass to read this correctly though.
Take two different plugs and put them side by side.
The colder plug will have the insulation and the tip recessed into the plug deeper than the hotter plug. The electrode ground tab will not come as close to being over or past center on the electrode on a colder plug, as opposed to a hotter one.
The tip on a hot plug sticks out further towards the piston than a cold. That's one of the reasons it is a hotter plug. Not as insulated from the heat source.
This is still difficult to see in a side by side comparasion, and it is easiest to refer to a chart for proper heat range.
That is about all I know of spark plugs..........pg
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 751
Likes: 6
From: 500 miles south from Artic Circle
RE: more broke ****
ORIGINAL: piniongear
Years ago it was easy to read plugs to determine if a plug was hot or cold. Now with all fuel unleaded, it is more difficult to do this. As for the plug numbers, it depends on what brand you are referring too.
Some brands the numbers get larger as you get colder, and other brands get colder as the number advances. So, you have to have a chart of your specific brand of plug to determine this (unless you want to take someone's word on it....read that as opinion)
I use Champion H8C plugs in my Sporty and they are a good heat range.
Years ago it was easy to read plugs to determine if a plug was hot or cold. Now with all fuel unleaded, it is more difficult to do this. As for the plug numbers, it depends on what brand you are referring too.
Some brands the numbers get larger as you get colder, and other brands get colder as the number advances. So, you have to have a chart of your specific brand of plug to determine this (unless you want to take someone's word on it....read that as opinion)
I use Champion H8C plugs in my Sporty and they are a good heat range.
From left to right HD 4R5 Nippondenso W16LS Champion H8C
As you can see there is difference between: lenght of treat and how far down electrode is sticking out from plug...odd thing you also can see that mixture is far to rich in this engine [&o]
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,035
Likes: 17
From: Houston Texas
RE: more broke ****
Just another note regarding heat range for plugs:
The plugs may look like some are too rich a mixture for the given heat range....but,
most likely those plugs have been removed from an engine that was idling the last time it was running.
To get a correct reading on a spark plug for mixture and heat range it will require this:
Run the bike at absolute top end out on the highway for a mile or more. Still holding throttle wide open, turn off the key and pull in the clutch and then coast to a stop.
Now, you are ready to remove the plugs and get out that flashlight/magnifing glass to read the plugs. Obviously this is much easier said than done.
The method was taught to me by Ralph Brandt in 1964. Ralph was the Harley factory tuner that traveled with George Roeder at that time. George and I made a long run at top speed down a highway outside St Augustine FL (for the 1964 Daytona 200 event) and shut down the machines.
I pulled my plugs out of the old KR and took them over Ralph and he looked at them. Handing them back to me he said, 'Open your main jet 1 click.'
I made another run. That 1 click resulted in my engine's top rpm going from 6600 to 6800. That was the day I learned what can happen if you know what you are doing, and Brandt certainly knew what he was doing. It just amazed me and showed me how the top riders have an edge over the rest of us mullets.
I have done this many times as a young man, but let's just say......today it is not as important to me as it once was..........pg
ps: By the way...George pulled away from me with at least a 10 mph speed advantage that day.
The plugs may look like some are too rich a mixture for the given heat range....but,
most likely those plugs have been removed from an engine that was idling the last time it was running.
To get a correct reading on a spark plug for mixture and heat range it will require this:
Run the bike at absolute top end out on the highway for a mile or more. Still holding throttle wide open, turn off the key and pull in the clutch and then coast to a stop.
Now, you are ready to remove the plugs and get out that flashlight/magnifing glass to read the plugs. Obviously this is much easier said than done.
The method was taught to me by Ralph Brandt in 1964. Ralph was the Harley factory tuner that traveled with George Roeder at that time. George and I made a long run at top speed down a highway outside St Augustine FL (for the 1964 Daytona 200 event) and shut down the machines.
I pulled my plugs out of the old KR and took them over Ralph and he looked at them. Handing them back to me he said, 'Open your main jet 1 click.'
I made another run. That 1 click resulted in my engine's top rpm going from 6600 to 6800. That was the day I learned what can happen if you know what you are doing, and Brandt certainly knew what he was doing. It just amazed me and showed me how the top riders have an edge over the rest of us mullets.
I have done this many times as a young man, but let's just say......today it is not as important to me as it once was..........pg
ps: By the way...George pulled away from me with at least a 10 mph speed advantage that day.
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