Triumphrat

dazco · 05-06-2006, 04:53 PM

Last week i posted about running out of gas and the bike took about 3 miles to stop cutting out and almost stalling. I chalked it up to the glass gas filter that takes a long time to start flowing when it's empty. But now it's become more of a puzzle. Today i went for a ride and it began doing it again after about a mile. I think i found the problem and it's more than what i 1st thought. I think it may have been the running out of gas that caused the second problem, OR that the second problem already existed and was exaserbated by running out of gas. The second problem being excessive plug gap. But whats odd is that the iridium plugs have been in it about 6-8 months and i pulled them about 2 months ago and they were fine, the gap that is. So i wonder if running out of gas and then cutting out badly for 3 miles could have made them worse or what.

I went for a ride today for the first time since then and this is when i found the gap problem after it cut out about a mile from home. After gapping them i took off again and it cut out this time about 2 miles from home. But then it began running right and i filled up and went for about a 10 mile ride with no problems.

When i looked at the plugs they were sooty but not on the outer electrode, only on the surrounding area and ceramic below. i can't help but wonder if running out caused that and that it caused the plugs to have too hard a time firing. the gap was too wide, but it was running fine before. So maybe running out caused the soot which further agrivated the wide gap problem to the point of causing it to finally begin cutting out? But the problem with this theory i think is that when you run out it gets lean and should not cause the plugs to get sooty but more white, correct?

anyway, looking at all the evidence whats your best guess? I have my fingers crossed because i'm worried about the dreaded ignitor problem.

[ This message was edited by: dazco on 2006-05-06 14:57 ]

Normandy · 05-06-2006, 05:11 PM

Fluffy soot is usually a condition of burning oil. I wonder if the vacuum created by the lack of firing drew a little oil up the sleeves and fouled the plugs ? Can't see anything changing the plug gap short of piston contact. I'll bet if you brush the plugs and gap them, she will be fine. If not you must have a bad batch of gas?

dazco · 05-06-2006, 05:27 PM

I should have worded my post better, but the second problem wasn't only the gap but the soot. so i didn't mean to insinuate running out may have widened the gap, but that the gap in concert with the soot may have started the problem. But again, soot from running out doesn't make sense as far as i know, just running rich which is the opposite of what would happen i think. then again if the gap in concert with running out caused it to not fire fully, maybe the unburnt fuel caused the soot. i dunno, my brain is starting to hurt. :-D

But It never smoked at all so i don't think it was oil. I also didn't brush them, but it did run good for 10 miles so i think they probably don't need that. Tomorrow is supposed to be a nicer day so i'll go for a long ride and see what happens. I AM paranoid tho because i don't know what i'll do it it stalls and i can't get it going again a long ways from home. Paying 2 or 3 hundered for a tow is not my idea of a fun way to spend my money !

Normandy · 05-06-2006, 10:56 PM

Bring your plug wrench and spare plugs.

jimmything · 05-07-2006, 07:43 AM

You might have drawn in some "dirty" gas from the bottom of the tank. Can't fathom how the plug gap could change. I haven't seen the glass filters, but maybe somehow it's the culprit. If your plug gap was too wide, it would have a weak spark and the fouling would occur.
I just had to put mine on reserve on the fly on friday, and it only sputtered "before" I switched to reserve. It returned immeditelyto normal operation. :-D :-D

Roadglide · 05-08-2006, 09:34 AM

Do you mean it kept sputtering after you switched to reserve?

Speedwasher · 05-08-2006, 09:48 AM

Have you tried changing the plugs themselves? This would be my next step as you don’t know if they have now been damaged due to the misfiring. I think this would be an easy and cheap way of making sure.

dazco · 05-08-2006, 10:22 AM

I think it was just the gaps being so wide and that the running out somehow exaserbated it as i first thought. I went for a long ride yesterday and not a hint of a problem. But i will certainly wait till this tank runs to reserve before getting gas just to see if it takes forever to get gas thru that filter after running out. And if so it's going bye bye. And yes Roadglide, for about 3 miles.

Liontari · 05-08-2006, 10:37 AM

I'm guessing the filter is slowing the fuel supply. If it caughs when you open the throttle, that's where I would look first.

dazco · 05-08-2006, 11:33 AM

Quote:

I'm guessing the filter is slowing the fuel supply. If it caughs when you open the throttle, that's where I would look first.

It runs perfect.....always has with and w/o that filter. It only coughed when it ran out and before i gapped the plugs. the filter flows just fine once it gets going. It's just that when it runs out it's so big it takes a while before it fills the thing up and begins flowing out. I suppose it should be situated straight up and down so that doesn't happen, but it just doesn't fit anywrere like that.