Spark plug!! Indexing?

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hwybikedon

New Member
Mar 25, 2012
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Florida
Just something that I noticed, did it help?

After installing a new head and E3 plug, took the bike for a 10 mile cruz.

Pulled the head off like I always do and found the carbon to be arching on the short side of the head and not in the middle, like in pic.

Looking at rotation needed to place burn in center of cylinder was as easy as removing the washer and screwing plug back in. A very thin washer that would crush to almost nothing would work, or just seal the plug to head with copper gasket spray. Not leaking after 120+ miles with the spray.

Few things that happened, cold starts quicker, idles better/lower, but the best thing was the gain in gas milage. I was getting 80 to 90 miles to one mini tank, now I can put 115 miles on it easy before fill up time!!

Told you I was bored.
 

wayne z

Active Member
Dec 5, 2010
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louisiana
That's great, thanks for sharing. I know that the plugs are indexed on a lot of racing engines. Makes a big difference. Maybe this explains why some HT engines run better than others.
 

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
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I am prolly assuming things here mebbe? but a metallic mark of paint of that nature and the whole length of the insulator covered by that mark does not help that plug. It is no longer insulated?
 
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rustycase

Gutter Rider
May 26, 2011
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Left coast
IMO


I don't think that funny lookin' plug is gonna do any good on a chinagirl.

I DO think plug indexing is valuable.

How valuable, on a marginal engine such as a chinagirl is debate-able! lol

Gosh what a horrid casting that cylinder head is!

I've seen carbon arcing on plug insulators, over the years... and GH is correct, that semi-metallic paint stripe on there ain't gonna do no good.
All that is necessary is to put a single dot on the base of the plug body, with a sharpie, to indicate where the opening of the electrode points.

IMO, in this case, it definitely should point towards the open volume of the combustion chamber to promote a beneficial flame path.

...there are established builders here, who have claimed they see significantly more problems with the slant plug heads, than with the straight plug head.

ALL MO. :)
rc
 

hwybikedon

New Member
Mar 25, 2012
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Florida
That's great, thanks for sharing. I know that the plugs are indexed on a lot of racing engines. Makes a big difference. Maybe this explains why some HT engines run better than others.
You be right Wayne.

It do work on the drag car!! On the bike just a little, it's just a little bike.

No matter if all plugs were set the same, still have ones better than others. Just the way it goes.
 

hwybikedon

New Member
Mar 25, 2012
61
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Florida
Makes a big difference? No.
Maybe it makes a small difference on a dyno graph, but most of it is the placebo effect.

The inconsistency in consistency can be attributed to inconsistency in consistency. That's all.
Oh dyno graph thanks for pointing that out. I thought it was just a gas milage thing got alot better.
 

hwybikedon

New Member
Mar 25, 2012
61
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0
Florida
I am prolly assuming things here mebbe? but a metallic mark of paint of that nature and the whole length of the insulator covered by that mark does not help that plug. It is no longer insulated?
The metallic mark was removed after plug was set and before the bike was started. Thanks for that tho GH. (good eye)
 

hwybikedon

New Member
Mar 25, 2012
61
0
0
Florida
IMO
I don't think that funny lookin' plug is gonna do any good on a chinagirl.
Told yall I was bored!
I DO think plug indexing is valuable.
In this case fuel milage, Cold? can't shut the choke fast enough now.
How valuable, on a marginal engine such as a chinagirl is debate-able! lol
Allot of little things that work together become a team (sometimes)
Gosh what a horrid casting that cylinder head is!
I will look up what supplier from Ebay we recived the heads from. All of them looked the same.

IMO, in this case, it definitely should point towards the open volume of the combustion chamber to promote a beneficial flame path.
Mine too.
...there are established builders here, who have claimed they see significantly more problems with the slant plug heads, than with the straight plug head.
Were they using the same plug? I still have one and may put it back on!!
 
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