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Steve H

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Question about spark plugs
10/12/14 at 08:50:03

My son has a 110cc chinese dirt bike that is killing spark plugs. Over the last couple months it's killed 3. I just bought a new one last night for him.

When the plus dies, it is black. Usually by the time he tells me it won't start, he's kicked it so much it's flooded and the plug is wet. These plugs have no other signs of damage. The gap is right. No signs of overheating. No chips on the insulator. No matter how much you clean or anything, they never fire again.

It came with an A7T in it. I got a champion equivalent last night. We'll see how it holds up.

Does it sound like I should go to a hotter plug?
Any ideas suggestions?

Thanks
Steve

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Kris01 Serious Thumper Offline Eat, sleep, RIDE! Posts: 3767 Tennessee Gender:	Re: Question about spark plugs Reply #1 - 10/12/14 at 10:04:43 Black plug = running rich I think
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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28660 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Question about spark plugs Reply #2 - 10/12/14 at 10:52:55 2-stroke or 4-stroke?...
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Dave

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Re: Question about spark plugs
Reply #3 - 10/12/14 at 17:12:12

If you have the plug the manufacturer specifies, and it is killing plugs and making them black....you either have an over rich fuel problem or an oil burning problem.

Sometimes you can change a heat range up or down to correct for riding style....a hotter plug if you are always at low rpms and a colder plug if you are always riding at high rpm....however it sounds like you have a problem that is not the fault of the plug.

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stinger

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Re: Question about spark plugs
Reply #4 - 10/13/14 at 00:17:20

Maybe this will be of some help!

西安街头暴力“大片”众豪车武斗狂杀人（组图）日前，西安市上演暴力大片，多辆奔驰、宝马和路虎紧贴一辆牧马人吉普车并将之逼停。从奔驰、宝马等车上下来一批人，用砍刀等凶器围殴吉普车上的男驾驶人员，造成一死四伤 Cheesy

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old_rider

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Re: Question about spark plugs
Reply #5 - 10/13/14 at 18:06:27

stinger wrote on 10/13/14 at 00:17:20:

Maybe this will be of some help!

西安街头暴力“大片”众豪车武斗狂杀人（组图）日前，西安市上演暴力大片，多辆奔驰、宝马和路虎紧贴一辆牧马人吉普车并将之逼停。从奔驰、宝马等车上下来一批人，用砍刀等凶器围殴吉普车上的男驾驶人员，造成一死四伤 Cheesy

Well, according to an online translator the above statement means this:

Xi'an street violence "blockbuster" kill all the luxury car militant mad (Photos) Recently, Xi'an staged violent movies, and more Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Land Rover close to one of the Wrangler jeep and forced to stop. Down a group of people from Mercedes-Benz, BMW and other car, hit the men with machetes and other weapons on the jeep drivers, resulting in one death and four injuries

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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28660 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Question about spark plugs Reply #6 - 10/13/14 at 18:12:32 That's Greek to me... ...
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MMRanch

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Re: Question about spark plugs
Reply #7 - 10/13/14 at 22:00:41

So run some "SeaFoam" through the fuel system to clean the sticking Carb-float , its running rich = sticking float. Wink

I've got a China 4 wheeler with the 110 motor , we've put it through a lot in the last 11 years and it still keeps cranking up for more ! Tongue

I'm under the impression that the Iridium plugs need less voltage and are kinder to your electronics . Huh

good luck with it

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Steve H

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Re: Question about spark plugs
Reply #8 - 10/14/14 at 04:07:59

Thanks for all the replies.

I just had the carb apart about a month ago. Everything seemed fine. Float works nice and smooth. There are no signs of any build-up. I will pull apart and check it to make sure. The carb on this bike has always been next to impossible to keep adjusted but the bike has never killed plugs until the last few months.

Nothing has changed with the condition of the bike that can be seen. Nothing added. Nothing removed. Using the same gas. Same riding area and style. Not burning oil. The level never changes and there are no oil leaks.

Thanks for the tip on the iridium plug. If I can find one, I'll give it a try. The bike has gone through 2 CDI boxes. At $6 each, it's not a big deal. I try to keep a spare around these days just in case.

Someone asked, it is 4 stroke. I just set valve clearances a couple months ago.

I have no clue what the manufacturer spec'd for a plug. No manual, no manufacturer name, no sticker on the bike, nothing. It's got the same type plug that was in it when I got it.

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87 LS650, 2005 Ninja 250, 2009 Yamaha C3, 2001 Honda Reflex. On 2 wheels since 6/80.

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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 18099 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: Question about spark plugs Reply #9 - 10/14/14 at 04:28:50 The plug is flat black sooty....black - or black oily shiny....black?
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Tocsik Serious Thumper Offline the singularity Posts: 1163 Denver, CO Gender:	Re: Question about spark plugs Reply #10 - 10/14/14 at 07:29:17 If you've replaced the CDI a couple times, maybe check (or replace) the coil, too. Does it use a stator? Maybe it's putting out too much juice? The CDI and coil should take care of that, though.
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Re: Question about spark plugs
Reply #11 - 10/14/14 at 14:01:12

While we're talking about plugs, can anyone explain exactly why spark plugs die? I don't mean fouled up dying, they can be cleaned and go again. But especially two strokes back in the day, used to go through plugs. They'd work then they'd stop working. why? There's no moving parts, the electrode never wore out, just the plug would not work. My car, too. Needs plugs changed every 20,000km to work at it's best. Other vehicles I've seen plugs go over 100,000km.

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Re: Question about spark plugs
Reply #12 - 10/14/14 at 14:27:44

gizzo wrote on 10/14/14 at 14:01:12:

While we're talking about plugs, can anyone explain exactly why spark plugs die? I don't mean fouled up dying, they can be cleaned and go again. But especially two strokes back in the day, used to go through plugs. They'd work then they'd stop working. why? There's no moving parts, the electrode never wore out, just the plug would not work. My car, too. Needs plugs changed every 20,000km to work at it's best. Other vehicles I've seen plugs go over 100,000km.

Ceramic is porous, carbon is conductive, cleaning only removes surface contamination. QED.

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gizzo

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Re: Question about spark plugs
Reply #13 - 10/14/14 at 15:19:18

So you're saying the ceramic insulator becomes porous, absorbs carbon and becomes conductive, the spark takes the easy way through the insulator to the block instead of jumping the gap? And 2 stokes kill plugs soonest because they make more carbon? Sounds plausible, thanks. I wonder why spark plugs on stationery engines last so many decades. They're not famous for being oil tight or incredibly efficient. Maybe it's the sheer mass of ceramic in them resists absorbing carbon.

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Steve H

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Re: Question about spark plugs
Reply #14 - 10/14/14 at 17:05:51

There's no oil on the plug. Usually by the time I get to it, he's kicked it enough to thoroughly flood it. So, it's soaked in gas. When it stopped the last time, I got to it before he flooded it. The plug was flat black. Not sooty, just black. No sign of oil. Gap was fine.

Tocsik, good idea about the coil too. I might just have to order one and give that a shot too. It does use a stator and is AC powered. I found a web site one time, forgotten now though, where they told the voltages you should be getting from the stator. It was perfectly in line with what they said.

I have checked the wiring from one end to the other. It is all great. No sharp bends, no scrapes. All wire runs conductive. No shorts to ground.
There's nothing to it really. One coil stator, ignition pickup, CDI, coil, kill switch. It can't get much simpler.

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