Rich Plugs

[ankhtat]

Just have a quick question for you guys...

Background:

I ran my 08 Big Dog K9 with punched baffles for a while. It was popping like crazy, but the carbs were tuned and were burning a nice cinnamon color on the plugs. About a few weeks ago, I check the plugs and they were black... not sure if the fuel/mix screw wiggled loose or not, so I turned it about a 1/4 turn IN (clockwise) to try to lean it out a bit. Still popped even when starting up and on decel.

I bought new pipes (similar to the Stainless Creations Chaos 3) which I header wrapped.... and I put a set of torque cones in. The best part is no pop.. maybe once when I started it the other day.. but nothing.. no decel pop or anything.

Here's the problem, I put new plugs in and it's still burning rich, like 200 miles and black plugs rich. Should I be worried about getting it tuned? I can try to spin the fuel/mix screw another 1/4 turn but that stupid plastic cap on the screw is a pain.....

Talked to the dealorship, they suggested getting it dyno'd but quoted me $500...

I guess I'm just interested in finding out if I should try to lean it back out a bit, in fear or getting the decel pop back, or leaving it alone?



One other quick question: I was riding down the highway (third time this has happened).. and I lost accel power... all I heard when I twisted the throttle was an air sucking sound and then a loud POP... this went on for maybe 3-5 seconds.. and then everything was great... happened on the stock pipes and on these pipes... figured it might be something clogging a jet or something?


I'm taking it in for maintenance thurs, hopefully it will correct a few of these issues.

 

[barhopper]

Do a search on tuning the G carb and follow it and you will be good. $500 for a dyno tune is way to much.

 

[ankhtat]

Do a search on tuning the G carb and follow it and you will be good. $500 for a dyno tune is way to much.

thought so .. figured i might try to tune it in the best i could at home and then take it a dyno of my choice sometime in the spring...

I'm really tempted to get rid of this P.O.S. fuel/mix screw with this plastic cap on it... da** near impossible to control how much of a turn you make.

 

[barhopper]

Can't you just break off the plastic? You should be able to tune it with the instructions in the How to section. Save your dyno money for something else.

 

[lee]

black plugs doesn't automatically mean its running rich - chemicals (or lack of) in the fuel can do that - mine are always black as is the inside of my pipes. as barhopper says $500 sounds like a complete piss take for a dyno

 

[V]

Sharp utility knife will take care of the cap on the idle mixture. When you get the cap off you should count how many turns it takes to seat the needle. But you don't want to screw it down to tight. Stock setting should be between
1 1/4 and 1 3/4 turns out. The needle on my 08 was almost all the way out when I cut the cap off. Its at about 1 3/4 turns now and very min decel popping.

As noted read up on the carb adjustment info from S&S

 

[T.Byrd]

Chris, don't just make a turn hear and make a turn there. When tuning air mixture control start you ajustments from scratch every time.Tuning your s&s carb. on how too's are in hear.Look it up.

 

[ankhtat]

Chris, don't just make a turn hear and make a turn there. When tuning air mixture control start you ajustments from scratch every time.Tuning your s&s carb. on how too's are in hear.Look it up.

I'm going to tackle it next week, I'll just cut the plastic piece off like others suggested and start the whole tuning process from scratch... kinda concerns me as I just finished tuning this about a month ago to a nice cinnamon color and then even before the new pipes went on .. the plugs were black.

I'll just keep an eye on it til i can get to a dyno that doesn't cost $500

 

[ankhtat]

About my other question... any thoughts?

One other quick question: I was riding down the highway (third time this has happened).. and I lost accel power... all I heard when I twisted the throttle was an air sucking sound and then a loud POP... this went on for maybe 3-5 seconds.. and then everything was great... happened on the stock pipes and on these pipes... figured it might be something clogging a jet or something?

 

[Can-Dog1]

That sounds like you need to install a larger air bleed.

 

[TheDeadOne]

Ankhtat,
The popping you're describing is coming from the lack of back pressure when you punched out the baffles and most likely is the case with the new pipes as well. To reduce the popping you "rich-end" the mixture screw. Thats the normal fix! But the plugs should run a "little" on the rich side. But not "too" rich to cause excessive plug fouling. Keep in mind, "Rich makes Torque", and "Bikes love Torque"!
But as Can-Dog 1 stated, you "may" find that you need to increase the size of your air bleed. Depends on changes made. If exhaust "only" has been changed, I doubt if the air bleed needs to be changed, just jetting and carb. adjustments.

http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/how/4943-how-adjust-your-carb-check-jetting.html

Good Luck! Enjoy!