Fuel-Fouled Spark Plugs in my Motorcycle

It's been 5 weeks since the last post. I know that all of you have been dying all this time waiting for the results... :unsure:

The results are.....................
A bad fuel pressure regulator!

Don't know if the FPR went sour because of age, or because of old moldy fuel. I did drop some fuel stabilizer into the tank. But a friend of mine told me that the whole fuel system needs to be coated with the fuel stabilizing additive. Just dropping fuel stabilizer in the tank is not good enough. You need to get the mixed fuel into the whole system... Ya gotta operate the engine a bit to do this... DUH... I should have known this!

I also requested for a long overdue 4K maintenance service. Plus an oil (Amsoil synthetic) and filter change.

Anyways, the bike runs flawlessly now. Can't believe how zippity & zappity it feels now. Holy feces, I just about forgot how much speed these things can generate very quickly... :woohoo:
 
Ah, motorcycle, another dream of being able to enjoy again, but, gotta move first - no where store a bike and we rent, so, no buying a shed or similar type thing. Anyways - those of you that have motorcycles enjoy them - people like me and the wife are enjoying them via proxy thru you ;)
 
syscokid said:
I bought this bike new in 2002: Honda CBR600F4i. It has a whopping 242,880,000 feet of tearing up the asphalt. In other words... only 4,600 miles on it!

View attachment 43784

Because I hardly ever ride it, I've gone through 5 batteries and use a little bit of fuel stabilizer to compensate in hanging on to it. I want to try one more time to get myself excited enough to ride it and justify paying for vehicle registration and insurance every year.

So, four days ago, since I needed to pickup some drugs, I unplugged the Battery Tender (trickle charger that doesn't overcharge) and went about for a very short ride... about 30 miles roundtrip. When I attempted to leave the pharmacy, the bike wouldn't start because of what sounded like a weak battery. A simple push-start got it going, but the bike never ran right after that. Low RPM and low speed roughness... the bike felt like it wasn't firing on all cylinders. Made it home. Next day, I siphoned out the old fuel in the tank and replaced it with fresh fuel and added some octane boost. Rode it for about 60 miles, cracked the throttle wide open where it was safe to do so a few times, but it still responded like poop plopping on more poop. The smell of a very rich mixture was everywhere!

The next day I decided to take a look at the plugs. But before I can fully access them, I realized what a cruel joke the Japanese have created in trying to get to the plugs on this S.O.B.… :BH:. After removing a bunch of plastics, you gotta unbolt the radiator and lower it a few inches. Reinstalling the radiator was even harder. And it's really hard doing all this while the bike is at ground level.
View attachment 43785

:rolleyes2::rolleyes2::rolleyes2::rolleyes2:
View attachment 43786

Anyways, spark plugs #2 and #3 were heavily soaked in fuel. The spark plugs have an iridium coating on them. Researching says: "Get rid of them when they are in this condition... don't bother cleaning them!" I tried to clean them anyways > reinstalled them > still ran like poop on poop. Ordered a new set of iridium plugs, but won't be here for another four days.

I'm hoping... I'm praying, that some fresh and clean plugs will be all that's needed. I hope that the deteriorated fuel hasn't gummed-up the lines or the fuel injection system. Also, I decoded a couple fuel injection fault codes displayed on the instrument panel. No fault codes currently, but the system's memory showed a problem with the MAP sensor (Manifold Absolute Pressure) and the TP sensor (Throttle Positioning). A bad TP sensor will definitely cause problems when opening the throttle. Maybe the old battery's weak output caused the fuel injection system to temporarily glitch up... :unsure: :confused2: :ohno: :cry:
Click to expand...
It's not the plug that's causing the problem. The plug is the symptom not the cause.
syscokid said:
I bought this bike new in 2002: Honda CBR600F4i. It has a whopping 242,880,000 feet of tearing up the asphalt. In other words... only 4,600 miles on it!

View attachment 43784

Because I hardly ever ride it, I've gone through 5 batteries and use a little bit of fuel stabilizer to compensate in hanging on to it. I want to try one more time to get myself excited enough to ride it and justify paying for vehicle registration and insurance every year.

So, four days ago, since I needed to pickup some drugs, I unplugged the Battery Tender (trickle charger that doesn't overcharge) and went about for a very short ride... about 30 miles roundtrip. When I attempted to leave the pharmacy, the bike wouldn't start because of what sounded like a weak battery. A simple push-start got it going, but the bike never ran right after that. Low RPM and low speed roughness... the bike felt like it wasn't firing on all cylinders. Made it home. Next day, I siphoned out the old fuel in the tank and replaced it with fresh fuel and added some octane boost. Rode it for about 60 miles, cracked the throttle wide open where it was safe to do so a few times, but it still responded like poop plopping on more poop. The smell of a very rich mixture was everywhere!

The next day I decided to take a look at the plugs. But before I can fully access them, I realized what a cruel joke the Japanese have created in trying to get to the plugs on this S.O.B.… :BH:. After removing a bunch of plastics, you gotta unbolt the radiator and lower it a few inches. Reinstalling the radiator was even harder. And it's really hard doing all this while the bike is at ground level.
View attachment 43785

:rolleyes2::rolleyes2::rolleyes2::rolleyes2:
View attachment 43786

Anyways, spark plugs #2 and #3 were heavily soaked in fuel. The spark plugs have an iridium coating on them. Researching says: "Get rid of them when they are in this condition... don't bother cleaning them!" I tried to clean them anyways > reinstalled them > still ran like poop on poop. Ordered a new set of iridium plugs, but won't be here for another four days.

I'm hoping... I'm praying, that some fresh and clean plugs will be all that's needed. I hope that the deteriorated fuel hasn't gummed-up the lines or the fuel injection system. Also, I decoded a couple fuel injection fault codes displayed on the instrument panel. No fault codes currently, but the system's memory showed a problem with the MAP sensor (Manifold Absolute Pressure) and the TP sensor (Throttle Positioning). A bad TP sensor will definitely cause problems when opening the throttle. Maybe the old battery's weak output caused the fuel injection system to temporarily glitch up... :unsure: :confused2: :ohno: :cry:
Click to expand...

 
I doubt that i would be much help on a modern bike. My specialty is the old bikes from the 60', 70's and 80's.

My 1982 XR500R has no battery, just a magneto/gnerator and no key or ignition switch, just a kill button. Lights come on when the engine starts. Simple...

Abandoned MX Track.jpg

20200425_122709.jpg
 
syscokid said:
It's been 5 weeks since the last post. I know that all of you have been dying all this time waiting for the results... :unsure:

The results are.....................
A bad fuel pressure regulator!

Don't know if the FPR went sour because of age, or because of old moldy fuel. I did drop some fuel stabilizer into the tank. But a friend of mine told me that the whole fuel system needs to be coated with the fuel stabilizing additive. Just dropping fuel stabilizer in the tank is not good enough. You need to get the mixed fuel into the whole system... Ya gotta operate the engine a bit to do this... DUH... I should have known this!

I also requested for a long overdue 4K maintenance service. Plus an oil (Amsoil synthetic) and filter change.

Anyways, the bike runs flawlessly now. Can't believe how zippity & zappity it feels now. Holy feces, I just about forgot how much speed these things can generate very quickly... :woohoo:
Click to expand...


Beautiful bike Greg!! those are a nice machine! Happy to see you got it running and back in tip top shape. Yes correct about the fuel stabilizer needs to get through the entire system. Stabilizer works well, I also use it in my fuel for my lawnmower always keeps her running good especially when being stored over winter months, fires up every time.
 
Keep using that Ams\Oil Greg, if I were to ever keep a vehicle for many years , that's the only oil I would use! I was a dealer for AMS/Oil back in the Eightys. I used it in my car and motorcycle. I sold to my buddies, one guy had a race car he used it in he loved the stuff, My friend had an outboard motor was always getting fouled plugs until I introduced him to the 2 stroke AMS/Oil never had a fouled plug after that. My valve covers were so clean you could have eaten out of them, no sludge buildup whatsoever.
 
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