Holy Cow why is my spark plug like this?!!

[motodevcam]

Lumpy idle and not smooth at low speeds. Changed the plugs today as part of trying to sort out the problem.. ..this was no.3!!

[fazersharp]

Lumpy idle and not smooth at low speeds. Changed the plugs today as part of trying to sort out the problem.. ..this was no.3!!

  Thats not even on the haynes page of good / bad plugs.
There are people on here better qualified than me but I would say water has been getting in to that cylinder from the plug

[Bretty]

Well that explains why it was running lumpy.
If bike is left outside on the side stand water sits around the top of plug 3.


Are the others ok?  If so, just replace 3 and make sure it's tightened to the correct torque. That water has got in from the top, not up from the engine!!

[Bretty]

...in fact the water probably hasn't got into the engine. It's just coated the threads as you've taken it out.


clean that plug, screw it back in a bit to stop crap going in the engine and give the whole area a good blax with a spray oil (wd40) to blow all the crap away.


if you got a can with a straw in the end you can also blast out the drain hole on the side of the head..

[motodevcam]

I keep the bike on the garage, but Indeed on the side stand. I've changed all the plugs, In an effort to diagnose the problem. I don't have a torque wrench so I'll whip over to my local bike place and get them to click them up for me in the mean time.  Couldn't believe the state of it!!

[motodevcam]

Didn't know there was a drain hole on the side of the head??! I'll have a good old look but any photos?

[fazersharp]

Didn't know there was a drain hole on the side of the head??! I'll have a good old look but any photos?

its a bit bigger but about the size of a wooden kebab screwer ---stick

the outer ones are in the middle of the head in-between the 2nd and 3rd fins up from the bottom

[Disorderlypunk]

someone has been taking there fazer off road and through a cow shed by the looks of it
- go on give it a whiff and let us know

[darrsi]

I dread to think what you dropped down the hole when you removed the plug? 

[motodevcam]

Ha ha well, thankfully I blasted the area with compressed air prior to removing I was pretty shocked though! I'm glad you guys are suggesting it's shite from above...i had visions of blown piston rings and piston covered in shiz!!!

[Bretty]

The drain hole is visible from the side of the engine about 3 fins down there is a through hole.

[Disorderlypunk]

definatly from above as it is above the threads (or below in that pic)
i have never and hope to never see anything that bad come from within
(and i have rebuilt an engine from cumbrias floods even that wasnt that bad)

[Fazerider]

Is that rust? It looks like someone used a handful of copaslip when fitting the plug.

[Bretty]

I'm not an expert, but  would assume that to be a combination of: Rain water, rust, mud, slugs, spiders, cobwebs, leaves, dead flies, road dirt and general sh1t.

[fazersharp]

Is that rust? It looks like someone used a handful of copaslip when fitting the plug.

It is the colour of copperslip but it does look wet and if the last owner did that then I would of thought that he would of done the same to all 4

[Fazerider]

Is that rust? It looks like someone used a handful of copaslip when fitting the plug.

It is the colour of copperslip but it does look wet and if the last owner did that then I would of thought that he would of done the same to all 4

I guess you must be right, it was the fact that it's glistening made me think it was copaslip… I found it hard to accept that someone would take out a spark plug while there's a lake of rusty water in the well!

[fazersharp]

Is that rust? It looks like someone used a handful of copaslip when fitting the plug.

It is the colour of copperslip but it does look wet and if the last owner did that then I would of thought that he would of done the same to all 4

I guess you must be right, it was the fact that it's glistening made me think it was copaslip… I found it hard to accept that someone would take out a spark plug while there's a lake of rusty water in the well!

What I think we are saying is that water has seeped in from the top over time from the plug not being fully tightened

[celticdog]

Well that explains why it was running lumpy.
If bike is left outside on the side stand water sits around the top of plug 3.


Are the others ok?  If so, just replace 3 and make sure it's tightened to the correct torque. That water has got in from the top, not up from the engine!!

Plug 3? Are you sure it wasn't a number 2! Glad you got to the 'bottom' of the problem and solved it Motodev 

[fazersharp]

Well that explains why it was running lumpy.
If bike is left outside on the side stand water sits around the top of plug 3.


Are the others ok?  If so, just replace 3 and make sure it's tightened to the correct torque. That water has got in from the top, not up from the engine!!

Plug 3? Are you sure it wasn't a number 2! Glad you got to the 'bottom' of the problem and solved it Bretty 

Had to read that twice and then ----------

[tommyardin]

Well that explains why it was running lumpy.
If bike is left outside on the side stand water sits around the top of plug 3.


Are the others ok?  If so, just replace 3 and make sure it's tightened to the correct torque. That water has got in from the top, not up from the engine!!

Plug 3? Are you sure it wasn't a number 2! Glad you got to the 'bottom' of the problem and solved it Bretty 

Had to read that twice and then ----------

Ha ha! Just got it myself, must admit it was the turd time I read it not the second 


I was thinking the same as Darrsi wondering about how much shit had fallen down the plug hole into the pot, some for sure looking at the crap the is all clagged up on the electrode.
Blocked drain holes for sure.


I have an air bed type adapter that fits into the tyre air line at my local garage it's great for the job of blowing out plug wells, you can also do it by over inflating your back tyre and using a screw on mountain bike tyre connector with a piece of tube pushed over the pump end and blast them out with the rear tyre air.
PS: Don't forget to re-inflate your rear tyre when done.

[darrsi]

I would still be inclined to put an additive through the fuel system to maybe clean some of the shite that has no doubt got in there somewhere.

[Bretty]

There's only one thing for it. Give it a taste and report back if it is copper compound, rust or sh1t?


I'll beat if you look at the white ceramic bit of that plug you'll see its a discoloured rusty colour around the collar where it's corroded. that'll cause a voltage leak path creating your weak spark

[darrsi]

There's only one thing for it. Give it a taste and report back if it is copper compound, rust or sh1t?


I'll beat if you look at the white ceramic bit of that plug you'll see its a discoloured rusty colour around the collar where it's corroded. that'll cause a voltage leak path creating your weak spark

I'm going for Chicken Jalfrezi, had it earlier, the texture is uncanny 

[motodevcam]

Ha ha thank you all:) well, with new plugs in seems to ride a bit better with the new plugs. I don't own a torque wrench so I'll have to get one and get them in there properly. I'm assuming that a dodgy spark won't change the carb balancing? Or will I need to balance the carbs again?

It's definatly rust, not copperslip or poo....or curry

[darrsi]

Ha ha thank you all:) well, with new plugs in seems to ride a bit better with the new plugs. I don't own a torque wrench so I'll have to get one and get them in there properly. I'm assuming that a dodgy spark won't change the carb balancing? Or will I need to balance the carbs again?

It's definatly rust, not copperslip or poo....or curry

It would've affected the results i would've thought.


Not sure about a torque wrench on plugs because they have a crush washer. I prefer to just nip them up once i feel the washer is crushed, just make sure you're not too heavy handed or it will all end in tears.