The pictures in the link below should help.
http://www.dansmc.com/spark_plugs/spark_plugs_catalog.html
http://www.dansmc.com/spark_plugs/spark_plugs_catalog.html
Engine Overheating
- Thread starter fischer550
- Start date
wow.....LOL!
I'll answer you with a question....
Which part of the spark plug is in the engines combustion chamber when it is screwed into the head where the fuel mix is ignited by spark from the spark plug?
Honestly based on the question you just ask, I would spend some time here on the forum reading through the categories that apply to tuning these little engines, please don't misunderstand me here, I'm not shooting you down in any way, but based on the question you ask, not knowing which part of the spark plug to look at tells me you have very little knowledge of engines and how they work and I don't want to tell you anymore about how to tune your engine when I'm afraid you could be more likely to mess something up from lack of understanding until you have done a little reading up on things.
these are very simple engines once you understand them.
Map
I have this bike and a two stroke standup jet ski, I'm just trying to gain some knowledge. The porcelain part screws into the chamber, but I've heard that other parts (like the tip and the ring) are more important, so I just wanted some clarification. No need for the rant honestly
Shan wasn't ranting.......he honestly wants to help you without causing you any more issues. He's one of the 'good guys' and has tons of relevant info that he can share.
Do as you like, but I've found that cultivating beneficial relationships has far better returns for all concerned.
Good luck in all your endeavours!
A properly tuned engine will have a brown color on the porcelain insulator of the center electrode. Like l and may others have said you are probably over thinking this, if the plug color is anywhere in the good color range in the chart I posted just ride!
Rant?
Lol....! No offense intended, but the question you ask leads me to believe that no matter how many vehicles you may own, you dont have much knowledge about the engines how they work or how to tune a 2 stroke engine, this forum literally has hundreds of posts about many different modifications and maintenance proccedures that can be done on the china girl engine.
The search feature is an excellent way to get to the already posted info on the forum, thats what it is there for, and many or most questions can be answered byjust spenting a few minutes looking and reading a lot of good info thats already here.
I dont fault you for your question at all, if you dont know then you dont know, but being that if you tune your engine wrong you will burn it up and be needing to buy a new one, I figure it best to take a step back and make sure yo actually understand what you're doing before anymore advice was given, when one builds a house they start with the foundation and not the roof, making sure someone understands what they are doing and not only knowing the proceedure is the only way they will likely get it right and be able to troubleshoot a problem, knowledge without understanding will only get ya so far and on something as critical as tuning the engine right just know that you need to change a jet isn't enough and again, obviously from your question I know immediately you didnt have much understanding. Or you would have known the the only part of the plug that you worry about with a plug chop/check is the electrode end which consist of mainly the metal electrode and tip, and of course the porcelain which will just be a copy of what the tip color.
I wish you the best and still recommend that you watch some youtube videos and spend some time gaining more knowledge and understanding about your engine before you attempt to modify it, it only enefits you and can save you some possible serious headaches be doing so.
Peace, Map
I do know how to read a spark plug, it's just got me concerned because I switched to a new oil that is (looks) significantly thinner and lighter than oils I've used in the past, so the spark plug I believe looks different because of it. On my plug, the electrode and porcelain part are brown, and the ring (my main concern) is silver, so I am concerned that the ring should be a bit brown not just plain silver. Am I right or wrong about that?
Let me again ask you a question, have you seen one post here so far where anyone made it a point that you should be concerned about the steel body of any part of the spark plug?
Has it not been made very clear that what you need to be looking at is the electrode tip and some have also mentioned the porcelain also, but honestly if the STEEL TIP (ELECTRODE) is a medium brown color then the porcelain will be the same, I dont know how much plainer, simpler or clearer theze points can be made than they have so, you need to relax, take a deep breath and if your plug color is brown like you said, you need to continue to mix the way you are and with the oil you're using and just ride the crap outta your bike safely of course and enjoy it, dont over analyze things and get all worked up and obsessed with what aint broke, just stop and listen closely to what has been said to you here in this thread and you will be just fine.
Now get off the dang computer and go ride your bike and quit worrying so dang much...........lol!!!!!!!!
Ride safe and enjoy, sounds like you have ot right where it needs to be.
Peace, Map
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If I may ask, what kind of gas are you using? Cheap 87 octane cut with ethanol? My bike would overheat on that stuff & knock. Now I only burn ethanol free 91 octane. With my Puch head, it doesn't give me problems anymore. You said you decked the head, which increases compression. For more compression you need higher octane or it may knock and/or overheat. Or else you might end up with a warped head as an ashtray like I did.
Which is why my bike now sports a Puch head.
Which is why my bike now sports a Puch head.
Dave the only non ethanol gas we can get here in the metro Atlanta area is 90 octane, it runs good in all my two stroke engines. I have a bottle of ethanol treatment that I add to other pump gas if I can't get the n/e gas. The air quality in the thirteen countys that surround one of the largest airports in the U.S. is bad so we all have to run the blend.
I run 87 octane with 10% ethanol in everything I own, my China Girl engines have all had compression increased and I have no preignition problems or overheating issues, I have 6.0cc Fred Head on one bike and Puch Heads on two other bikes and a stock head on my oldest bike because I cant find another head that will work on it, its a 66cc engine with 6mm studs and the same bolt pattern as the 49cc engines, no after market heads for this old pup.
the fact that I run 100:1 fuel mix could have something to do with why my works because a richer fuel mix is likely to keep temps down since fuel cools better than oil.
Map
the fact that I run 100:1 fuel mix could have something to do with why my works because a richer fuel mix is likely to keep temps down since fuel cools better than oil.
Map
I run my china girl 66cc on 24 to 1 mixture with sometimes 87 and sometimes 90 octane and have not had any problems yet with over 10,000 miles on the engine so far . It does get pretty hot but heck I thought it was supposed to . I learned that when riding wearing flip flops to keep my bare foot away from the muffler . I also don't try to do anything to the motor after I have been riding until it has cooled off some . I don't go WOT for any length of time usually putter along at about 25mph plenty fast enough for me I'm not in any hurry . I have done all the simple things like replacing the mounting bolts or studs with good USA steel ones and adding a good large inline fuel filter . I read the posts on here when I have questions and thus far have found all the answers I have needed . Most the people that live around me seem to think my bike is pretty cool even if the rider is an old coot I turn 67 tomorrow .