Plug reading photos UPDATED, clear, 3photos

Na Im just getting old/blind,if I was wearing sunglasses I wouldnt be able to see the key board! :woohoo:

Thanks for the feedback.

Lean would be consistent with the specification for this motorcycle. The spec float height (static) is 5mm, and, I have it set at 8mm with the spec main jet and spec idle jet.

When I get some time, I will move it back to 7mm or 6mm and see if I can keep the float from sticking (I think that might be why the float leve was not stabilizing before).

However, the bike runs pretty good as it stands right now and it was a cold morning.

So, what is the downside of running slightly lean? Will it hurt the engine?

If fuel level is lower than spec -- as evidenced by the clear tube test -- the fuel mixture will be leaner than when the fuel level is within spec.

With all else perfect, a too low fuel level will cause lean running.

Good Fortune!

I think it must be setup lean at this time. I hate to think I have to carefully bend the float tab and figure this level out again.......bending is not a precise operation......and......the trial and error process gets old fast for me. Plus, last time at spec, it would not hold that level sometimes.

Question: If I leave it lean, will it hurt the engine? Really, it seemed a little weak on top end yesterday, but, otherwise, ran fine. It even warmed up fast enough to attain a good steady idle in a couple miles.

OldSchoolZ

Thank you for your detailed assessment. All, the plug looks tan because the first photograph shows one side of the plug.....please take a look at the last photo for how the ceramic insulator acutally looks.

The first pictures show what is actually a reddish color on one side of the ceramic. Apparently caused by additives in the Premium gas I am using (see OldSchoolZ post). But, the later photos show a lily white ceramic insulator all the way down.

But, the question for OldSchoolZ: Will this hurt the engine, or, can I just run it like this?

This pic is basic but does the job. Extremely lean can cause temperature related damage.
Piston damage/valve ect.. but it normally has to be excessively lean. Slightly lean as your bike is looking to me shouldn't hurt anything but can make the engine run hotter where its the leanest.
I used to take a small thin piece of tape and wrap it around a small part of the filter for testing.
Often this can save time against many carb trial and errors.
Patton focuses on fuel float level often for good reason, because if fuel levels are not correct, you can jet until you're blue in the face and it wont ever be right.

The float tabs can be tricky, but if you take a float height measurement(inside the bowl from top of float to base of carb) each time you adjust, it will give you an idea how much your are raising or lowering the float before doing the clear tube test.

We all just try to give pointers as to whats happening usually and it could be a single issue or more than one. Cheers

Old SchoolZ,

Thank you again for the excellent picture defining the optimum relative to the two lean and rich conditions. Honestly, I have learned a lot in the last three days, and, wish I would have read about reading plugs before I started messing with float height.

I updated my pictures OldSchoolZ, and, based on your photos, it is definitely lean. Also, I rode this afternoon for a few minutes, and, there is definitely more heat coming off the engine, although, it runs fine.

I will take the time hit to move the float level back up from 8mm below gasket to 7 or 6 and see where I come out. I would rather run slightly lean, than, slightly rich (I think, but, that might be wrong too).

Thanks.

If needed --



Good Fortune!

Patton,

Thank you for the excellent cutaway. I saved them.

I have reset the float level to 6mm below where I think the gasket surface is. Patton, I read another post of yours where you said not to set the float level in response to a rising float level. So, I carefully pushed my float up into the body of the carb, and, the side of one float was slightly catching on the side of the carb. I carefully bent the float so that it clears the float body completely.

Now, at 6mm, the float height is stable static 6mm. And, with the engine running it is stable 7mm. Runs good. I did a quick check on the spark plug and it is slightly tan, although not as tan as the photo from OldSchooZ.

Thanks to everyone on this site. The float level setting has been an experience. I had to come up with some trick, so, I used 1/8 inch clear plastic tubing, wrapped with teflon tape (a few rounds) and screwed into the threads. Works perfect.

Except for a mishap where I lowered the tubing without thinking and ran gas on the floor for a second...all was well.