Triumphrat

TBAbob · 08-09-2006

Just got the word from my dealer, who is working on my '01 Legend that had a VERY loud rap in the engine. Turns out the the electrode came off of one of the fairly new NGK plugs. They found it laying on top of the piston. Cracked the liner, ruined the piston and damaged the head. Hard to believe such a small piece of metal could do all that damage. I'm lucky this way!! Sigh! Repairs are underway as I love this bike!

I had the well-known coil problems earlier this spring and replaced the OEM coils with Nology coils. Bike has run like a raped ape ever since.

The REALLY odd thing is that one of the dealer mechanics ventured that he believes that the Nology coils could have blown the spark plug apart!! Huh! I find this hard to believe. I have been twisting wrenches for a long time and this would be news to me. I have also canvassed some friends who race both cars and bikes. All use Nology's or others high-energy coils. They have never heard of this "problem" either. Hmmm.......?

Has anyone out there ever heard of Nology coils blowing up spark plugs?? It's worth asking.

Cogito ergo equito

Bob

Wombat · 08-09-2006

I would think that the fault would lie in that plug rather than the coil.

I am no expert, but I am sure that ANY coil could/would blow apart a faulty plug.

jimmyj900 · 08-09-2006

No way the coils did it.

The failure you describe is a either a welding defect by NGK or (if it's the ground electrode) the result of a 'mechanic' trying to set the gap by bending the electrode too far too many times -- necessary after dropping the plug on the tip.

Jim

Mojoinco · 08-09-2006

Have you contacted NGK on this? Might get some $$ help for the repairs.

TBAbob · 08-09-2006

Jim,

You could be right except that the "mechanic" that installed the plugs was ME! I do literally all my own work except for using tire irons. I'm not THAT crazy! Well, not anymore anyway. LOL! The main reason that the Legend is at the dealer is that I didn't have the time to rip it apart. I'm on the final leg of getting the resto of the '69 BSA Rocket 3 done so I can ride it this year! Just dropped the rebuilt engind/tranny back in the frame last week! Added a Hyde 850 big bore kit and a set of MAP street cams "while we were there" as well. I just can't help myself sometimes!

I installed a set of new NGKs and a new wire set when I installed the Nology coils this spring. No plug was dropped and they were gapped the correct way. Trust me. If the plug was defective, it took a while (like around 2,000 miles!) to fail. Odd but possible. Mojoinco has a real good point. Can't hurt to contact NGK and see if they really back their products. I'm gonna try to get the dealer to contact them as I think this may get more attention.

This is a bummer cause I swear by NGK plugs. They are in all the bikes and cars. I just installed six new Iridiums in the '05 Rocket 3. Took almost 3 hours due to all the ***** on the top of the engine! Geez! Solved that problem by ripping out the intake tubing, inner manifold and outer throttle body manifolds which were blocking everything and strapping on three honking big UniFilter pods directly on the throttle bodies. Man, does that baby breathe free now!! Needed the extra power, right? Ahahahahahaha!

Cogito ergo equito

Bob

[ This message was edited by: TBAbob on 2006-08-09 20:11 ]

jimmyj900 · 08-09-2006

I wouldn't have suggested the mechanic if I hadn't broken one off by the same method. :-D

That leaves manufacturing defect -- a bad resistance weld on the electrode. If it was the beginning of a new spool of wire the length might have been wrong or the end corroded.

Jim

SWare · 08-10-2006

I call BullButter on the coil blowing the ground electrode off your plug.

The issue of a loose electrode causing engine damage has come up before. A quick search did not point me to the thread but if you do some digging maybe you can find it. I want to say either NGK or Triumph provided some assistance though the bike may have still been under warranty.

Anyone else remember that discussion?

Stan

MickMaguire · 08-10-2006

I also seem to remember somebody having this issue with NGK plugs before. IIRC I saw it on the Yahoo groups but I cant seem to find any postings on there about it

SWare · 08-11-2006

Found it!

clicky

Stan

jimmyj900 · 08-11-2006

That's kinda scary...

Has anyone heard of this on any other bike or with a different NGK plug number than the Triumph stockers?

I'm thinking it might be a bad batch -- they could float around various warehouses for years.

Jim