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#1 spark plug fouling

  • Thread starter Thread starter flyingcrook
  • Start date Start date
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flyingcrook

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My number one spark plug is oil/fuel fouled the other three are on the lean side. They are new. In an effort to trouble shoot i checked the voltage at the coils better than 12.5. Cleaned swapped #1 and #4 plugs 1 got fouled again. Switched 1 and 4 spark plug wires no change. PO said the top end was rebuilt. I checked the compression and #1 was 150 #2 and 3 were 140 #4 145. Rechecked the valves and all cylinders were in specs. There is a little bit of white smoke at start up but goes away quickly. a little bit of back firing around 4k rpm after it has been idling a little while (warming up when putting gear on long traffic light). It does to burn a little bit of oil. It leaks a little bit but only when running. 1/2 quart per tank. I did strip and dip carbs per the site new orings. eventually got the float height set, and did check the petcock it is good. I am stumped anybody else have an idea?
 
shiny black. i had a hard time getting the camera to focus on the end so it is hard to tell. I cleaned the fouled plug this morning and only rode 5 miles on it.
 
Yeah its a good bit. The left boot is oily after riding more than 20 miles. so i know there is a leak, but no dripping when i put cardboard under the bike for the night.
 
Is this a blown valve seal? Some one with more experience should be able to help more.
 
If one side of the plug is darker than the other it may be a valve seal.
You say you are not smoking but that plug says you are.
 
How can i test to see if the valve seals are bad on that cylinder? I dont think i have any smoke. I notice that white smoke goes away after a few seconds after start. When i am riding i dont look back and check. Nobody has told me that they see smoke while riding.
 
If it smokes with the choke open and the butterflies closed that is valve seals or bad valve guides.
If it smokes when you whack the throttle it's rings.
 
Just started it up in the driveway. It needs the choke to start. Just a touch of white smoke for less than 3 seconds. It still needed the choke to run for a minute. Pushed it in and it would idle a little lower than normal just less than 1000. Reved it up several times to 5k in neutral no smoke at all. I know its not the same as it in gear with a load. Turned it off and looked around for any oil leaks. The #1 header had fresh oil on the top and bottom for where it attaches to the head. It also looks wet below it from where there is a gasket in the middle of the cylinder. so it maybe dripping down or leaking from there. My left boot does get oily when i ride but there has not been a drip when i put it away for the night with cardboard under it. How would oil get to the exhaust? It does not look like any oil is leaking from the valve cover gasket above it.
 
This isn't an insult to you, but I have to ask. How are you checking the oil? On the side stand or center stand? If on the side stand, you will have close to 2 qts too much oil in the crankcase before its showing full.

This extra oil has to go somewhere..IE squish out around rings or anywhere else it can find. You description does sound like a bad valve stem seal though.
 
I am checking it on the center stand. some times i question whether or not that where i am checking it is level.
 
I think that makes sense. After a sentence like that you can insult my inelegance all day long.
 
Looks like i will be replacing the valve seals. The PO said he had the top end rebuilt. Is replacing the seals something they would have don then or only if they needed it or specified? I know i am not to trust the PO about anything he says he had done but the compression test makes me want to.
If they used an non oem head gasket would that account for the oil leak around the #1 header? If so it looks like i will be doing that as well.
 
There are a lot of Richmond's. Which one?

Fix the oil leak(s) and take a better picture of that #1 plug.
 
Lots of white smoke when the choke was on longer than normal when i was talking to a buddy while it was warming up. No doubt about the valve seal.
Richmond VA.
I plan on fixing the leak but want to make sure i know where it is before i start buy parts and tearing things apart. oem gaskets are pricey wow! :eek:
 
Tilt the bike way over to the lelt side #1 cyl flood it with oil & see if it smokes
 
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