will running lean damage the engine?
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6th Gear
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Baltimore
will running lean damage the engine?
My 02 Road King is running lean. Don't know why yet. I followed some advice from a previous post, and so far I am on my second tank with Sea Foam fuel injector cleaner. Checked the plugs, they are white, but they are newer plugs, and fuel these days is pretty clean, so not sure if they are hot.
Sea Foam not making a difference yet. Might even be getting worse.
Still, I get a lot of popping on decel, rough idling, coughing from the air filter, and jerking when in low gear. Even has cut out at stop signs.
Just bought the bike earlier this year; the fuel may have sat in the tank for a long time, maybe even more than a year.
If Sea foam doesn't work, my next thing is to remove tank and check fuel filter. If not that, then maybe take it in for a dyno test, etc.
But in the meantime, how hot can I run the bike without damaging the pistons? Can I ride for 20 miles, 100 miles? Or is it only long-term heat that will create damage, like if I keep it running lean for six months or a year? But if I only run it lean for a while until I figure it out (even if I ride 100 miles-plus), am I OK with that?
It's gonna be hotter than hell this weekend, 90 degrees or more, and I want to go on a charity ride, which is about 50 miles.
Am I OK with this, or am I doing damage?
FYI, I rode Triumph for years, got tired of wrenching on it every day, switched to Honda for the past 20 years. But now that I have my HD RK, I am in love with it, and will put up with this kind of crap to keep that thunder under my seat! I wouldn't even put up with that crap from my wife, but I will from my Road King!!
Sea Foam not making a difference yet. Might even be getting worse.
Still, I get a lot of popping on decel, rough idling, coughing from the air filter, and jerking when in low gear. Even has cut out at stop signs.
Just bought the bike earlier this year; the fuel may have sat in the tank for a long time, maybe even more than a year.
If Sea foam doesn't work, my next thing is to remove tank and check fuel filter. If not that, then maybe take it in for a dyno test, etc.
But in the meantime, how hot can I run the bike without damaging the pistons? Can I ride for 20 miles, 100 miles? Or is it only long-term heat that will create damage, like if I keep it running lean for six months or a year? But if I only run it lean for a while until I figure it out (even if I ride 100 miles-plus), am I OK with that?
It's gonna be hotter than hell this weekend, 90 degrees or more, and I want to go on a charity ride, which is about 50 miles.
Am I OK with this, or am I doing damage?
FYI, I rode Triumph for years, got tired of wrenching on it every day, switched to Honda for the past 20 years. But now that I have my HD RK, I am in love with it, and will put up with this kind of crap to keep that thunder under my seat! I wouldn't even put up with that crap from my wife, but I will from my Road King!!
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 14,865
Likes: 4
From: Mn.on a lake,well nxt to a lake.
1st off sea foam is old tech stuff,being in the boat biz I see alot of messed up carbs from sea foam,Even in FI motors I still wouldnt use it and I used to sell it in the auto biz for 13yrs...Anyways.......
Running Lean is bad for any motor,score pistons and rings and walls,run hot bla bla bla........Best to dump all stuff out go with New gas without additives and get a tune up.......
Running Lean is bad for any motor,score pistons and rings and walls,run hot bla bla bla........Best to dump all stuff out go with New gas without additives and get a tune up.......
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,034
Likes: 45
From: Michigan
First its really hard to read plugs now days cause our fuel... its ****... Popping could be from a loose exhaust . rough idle could just be from a shitty tune etc etc.. Take it to a dealer let them look at it it may be really simple ..
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 124
Likes: 5
I'd skip the ride, as others have said. Find out what the problem is. Maybe an intake leak, check it with propane or carb cleaner. The only way to read plugs is at speed, pull in the clutch, shut the engine off and coast to a stop. Anything other then that gives a false reading.
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 383
Likes: 1
From: Boston & thereabouts
Running lean is running hot, and hot does damage.
Is one plug whiter than the other? If so, look around the intake area for a leak that lets air in - look around the intake port for a loose nut, broken stud, cracked intake, etc. Are both plugs equally white? Maybe she's running lean because a prior owner put on a big air cleaner and good mufflers, but did nothing to adjust the fuel management system to compensate for the extra air moving through.
Running serious lean can do serious damage. Running a little lean can do damage over time.
Skip the ride & fix the bike.
JR
Is one plug whiter than the other? If so, look around the intake area for a leak that lets air in - look around the intake port for a loose nut, broken stud, cracked intake, etc. Are both plugs equally white? Maybe she's running lean because a prior owner put on a big air cleaner and good mufflers, but did nothing to adjust the fuel management system to compensate for the extra air moving through.
Running serious lean can do serious damage. Running a little lean can do damage over time.
Skip the ride & fix the bike.
JR
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 5,977
Likes: 85
From: Nevada
White clean plugs without a residue isn't necessarily indicative of a lean condition. Some of your symptoms sound like a dirty IAC but I can't remember if the 2002 RK's have the Delphi injection. If so, try cleaning it. It's just inside the throttle body on the inside upper left.
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