continued overheating

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the input Chad, but this problem is in relation to my '82 GS1100E (listed in my signature). So the screws are mixture screws. I do not have seperate air and fuel screws. I know my user name suggests another bike, but I sold it when I bought my 1100.

Thanks though,
Billy Miles

[Mr. Jiggles]

Billy if it was my bike I'd make finding out where those aluminum shavings are coming from my highest priority. It might be that they were left over from a previous "event" and revving the engine causes them to get stirred up in the oil. But I'd be worried that it's a continuing process. You might want to pull some of the covers off (valve, stator, etc) and look for where the shavings are coming from. I'm just worried that friction might be the reason that its running hot.

Good luck.

Jeff

[Anonymous]

After following this thread, I became concerned about my jets. After installing H-D FXS mufflers, my plugs are a very light gray--almost white. I called around to locate jets, and the service dept man at a local independent M/C shop talked me out of changing.

According to him, the plugs are the correct color. Since the bike starts easily, hot or cold, and runs smoothly with good power at all revs, he said I'm jetted right. He also said that it wouldn't run well at all if it were too lean.

So, what's the story? He basically talked himself out of a sale, since I called wanting to buy. Why would he do that if what he said wasn't correct?
:?

[earlfor]

Because someone works at a motorcycle shop does not mean they have any hands on wrenching experience, technical training or know what they are talking about. His last job could have been at Burger King. Did you ask him what tech schools he attended and how long he had been a certified mechanic? Certified, not someone that can BS well enough to get the position.

He talked you out of changing because he doesnt know any better.

Earl

After following this thread, I became concerned about my jets. After installing H-D FXS mufflers, my plugs are a very light gray--almost white. I called around to locate jets, and the service dept man at a local independent M/C shop talked me out of changing.

According to him, the plugs are the correct color. Since the bike starts easily, hot or cold, and runs smoothly with good power at all revs, he said I'm jetted right. He also said that it wouldn't run well at all if it were too lean.

So, what's the story? He basically talked himself out of a sale, since I called wanting to buy. Why would he do that if what he said wasn't correct?
:?

[Anonymous]

You think 122.5's would be too much for my 1000? I went up from 115's to 117.5's and moved my plastic spacer on the needles, synced to dead level, and I'm still lean across the board. (all four cylinders). Light grey lean, improved from perfectly clean white lean.

Stock intake, HD exhaust.

[Anonymous]

He may have been going by this chart from NKG:

http://www.dansmc.com/Spark_Plugs/Spark_Plugs_catalog.html

I'm still :?

[earlfor]

I dont have any experience with HD exhausts, so the best I can do is a educated GUESS. I would think that if going from 115's to 117.5 produced a change from clean white to light grey, then using 122.5's would result in something in the tan to brownish range. I would make that change.

Earl :-)

You think 122.5's would be too much for my 1000? I went up from 115's to 117.5's and moved my plastic spacer on the needles, synced to dead level, and I'm still lean across the board. (all four cylinders). Light grey lean, improved from perfectly clean white lean.

Stock intake, HD exhaust.

[Detman101]

Yep, Thats where I'm at.

Mikuni 122.5 main jets.


Dm of mD

[Anonymous]

Well I installed the 122.5s, and took the bike out for a ride. It acted normally in all gears until...

...In fifth gear at about 5200 RPM I am at 85 MPH, and the bike always eagerly pull past this if I let it. However, with the new jets at about 5400 to 5500 RPM it stops pulling as hard and wont rev quite up to 6000. I tried to see if I could pass this point and have the bike start pulling again, but it didn't seem to want to.

Also, the temp still got upto its normal 250 plus, and the ceramic on the plugs is no different than with the 115 jets. However, their was a fair bit more black down inside the plug, and up the metal sides than I remeber from before.

Should I go up another size on the mains or what? I am totally out of my experience with these symptoms and with altering carb setups.

Thanks,
Billy Miles

[earlfor]

Dang Billy! You have me scratching my head now.

Have you had any problem with gas getting in your crankcase oil.
Oil ever smell like gas when you open the filler cap.
How many quarts of oil do you put in the bike when you change oil?
Have you installed a fairing (upper or lower) or any accessories that could block airflow to the engine?
Are you running the stock heat range spark plugs?
Have you installed an aftermarket oil cooler.
Has the bike run hot as long as you have owned it, or is it something that developed?
Has the engine started making any mechanical sounds when running that it did not previously?


If the plugs are starting to soot now, going richer on the jetting I dont believe will accomplish anything. I'm thinking on it.........................

Earl

Well I installed the 122.5s, and took the bike out for a ride. It acted normally in all gears until...

...In fifth gear at about 5200 RPM I am at 85 MPH, and the bike always eagerly pull past this if I let it. However, with the new jets at about 5400 to 5500 RPM it stops pulling as hard and wont rev quite up to 6000. I tried to see if I could pass this point and have the bike start pulling again, but it didn't seem to want to.

Also, the temp still got upto its normal 250 plus, and the ceramic on the plugs is no different than with the 115 jets. However, their was a fair bit more black down inside the plug, and up the metal sides than I remeber from before.

Should I go up another size on the mains or what? I am totally out of my experience with these symptoms and with altering carb setups.

Thanks,
Billy Miles

[redliner1973]

Check the air filter.....You said you wetre running an K & N type filter. I do, also, and noticed after i cleaned and 'oiled' it the bike went way lean. Seemed to keep getting leaner every day, untill the 4th day afterwards it would buck and shake. Another 5 days of trying everything, I recleaned and reoiled the filter, this time, using slightly more oil, and viola! all the difference in the world! Seems although I thought I was putting enough oil on the filter, apparently I was not, and by re oiling it, it brought the induction back to stock specs. Ran cooler, and better.

[Anonymous]

In response to Earl's questions:

No gas in crankcase, and it doesn't smell like fuel. I can't blow air through the needles, and petcock works. When I change oil I put in 3 quarts, and then fill to the full line. Run it for a few minutes, and then to the line again. I have only had the bike for about 1000 miles, and the temp has seemed to increase as I have had it, from raising to about 235 to the present 265. That is probably due to increasing outside temps, but yes it has always gotten hotter than it should. One thing that is happening though, when I first got the bike I would have to wait overnight to check the oil level after a moderate ride because the oil would fill the window. By morning it would be down to where it should be. Now the window stays full unless I crank the bike over for a second, which causes the oil level to lower to where it should be. Which of course has nothing to do with my lean condition(I wouldn't think), but maybe with the overheating in general.

I am using stock spark plugs (NGK D8EA). No oil cooler, and nothing to block airflow.

As far as the K&N, it only has about 1000miles since new and is very clean. Do you think I should go ahead and reoil it just to see?

Thanks everyone for the help,
Billy Miles

[redliner1973]

are you oiling it with the aerosol can or with the bottle that has a small spout on top? If you have a choice, use teh aerosol. Reoiling it can't hurt.

[Anonymous]

I used the aerosol, and reoiled even though the filter was still red. I also changed the oil, and went to Mobil1 15w50. I wasn't able to ride quite as long as usual, but the temp still rose, but not as high as normal. The plugs haven't changed with reoiling the filter though.

Should I try wrapping the filter with something to restrict airflow, just for a plug test?

Any suggestions or " experimental " advice will be taken into consideration.

Thank you,
Billy Miles

[earlfor]

Well Billy, after some serious pondering, I think my first impression of you having a lean mixture problem was not quite accurate. You have a high temperature problem. The cylinder head temp is high enough that a normally correct mixture is indicating a lean condition on the spark plugs. But, it is not the carburation and mixture that is the cause. The heat is causing the fuel charge to burn off too quickly. Oil is a lubricant, but it also is the primary cooling agent in these "air cooled" engines and is much more efficient at removing heat than air is. I believe you are overheating because of lack of oil flow. A malfunctioning oil pump could cause the oil to back up in the crankcase to a level above the sight window and require some time to seep back down to a normal level. (on either of my bikes, when I shut them down after a ride, it takes about 60-90 seconds for the oil level to return to normal in the sight window, but one difference is no oil shows in my window and it FILLS during that time. It is NOT over full and I am not waiting for it to DRAIN down, as with your bike) A worn oil pump chattering against its housing would also produce metal shavings. I suspect that is where the shavings you are finding are coming from.

I would REPLACE my OIL PUMP.

Earl




[quote="78gs550"]
One thing that is happening though, when I first got the bike I would have to wait overnight to check the oil level after a moderate ride because the oil would fill the window. By morning it would be down to where it should be. Now the window stays full unless I crank the bike over for a second, which causes the oil level to lower to where it should be. Which of course has nothing to do with my lean condition(I wouldn't think), but maybe with the overheating in general.