running rich, advice?

[mr blackstock]

G'day,

Normally I am pretty happy with how Lily runs, ('85 FJ1100) but when i come to a stop, I can smell petrol.  Been happening for awhile now, and I recently decided to try and remedy it.  Valve clearances all good, carbs very clean and synched, new choke plungers that really helped the choke system.

The plugs were quite dark brown, verging on black.  The bike would start to bog down when on choke after about 1 minute.  All the plugs were equal colour, no air leaks, or blockages that I know of.  Idle screws 2 out.  So I dropped the needles one notch to see what happened, they turned white.  So I put them back to the middle notch, and screwed the idle screws in to 1 and a half turns.  I will ride her over the next few days to see the results.

I mostly ride no more than 4500rpms in any gear, mostly I ride to and from work. 

I seem to think that I can turn the idle jet out slowly until the engine races, then turn it back a touch, then repeat on the other pots to "tune" the idle jets for correct mixture, is this correct?

cheers, Gareth

[chiz]

Hey
I attended a little doo here in Grimsby last weekend where classic cars lined the main street. I could not help but notice the smell being emitted from the parked relics and they weren't even running!!... My FJ runs really well considerind I never did anything with the carbs after putting on pod filters, but when I park it after a run it reeks and I imagine it does the same while running.
   My 89 ST is smelly on start up as well but runs fine......carburetors what can I say.
Chiz

[Fj.itis]

Check the petcock, run your finger under the fuel tap when you stop they ususlly can weep but not leak, i bet that is where the smell is coming from. Doesnt take much fuel to smell up a whole garage.

[roverfj1200]

Gareth,

My FJ can smell of fuel with no sigh of leaks. It is the fuel evaporating in all the over flow tubes. The FJ is notorious for leaking from the over flow tubes from time to time. By switching off the fuel and running the carbs out of fuel then refilling will stop this for a while. Most FJ's I have seen run rich just a bit fitting a K and N or pods will lean them up just a bit and E10 fuel to helps in getting things closer to right. A dose of carb cleaner to now and then works wonders. As for the idle screws adjust the screws so when you quickly blip the throttle the engine picks up fast and returns to idle with out hesitation


Cheers

[stua1959]

Hey Richard,
I have never run the FJ on E10. What effect does it have ? Since fitting the pods on mine , I sometimes get a backfire and stumble through the carbs when doing the blip test. Have got 42.5 pilots and have tried all sorts of settings on the screws. Currently 5 turns out. Probably no big deal in real world riding but would be nice to get it right

[mr blackstock]

G'day,

thanks for the tips so far.  The overflow pipes are all good, no leaks from the carbies.  The petcock is dry also.  I started and ran her for awhile the other, and she happily ran on choke until warm, whereas previously she would bog down after a minute.  I will see how she goes at 1.5 turns out.  On a side note, I ran my car on E10 for a few years, ran better and good mileage, no complaints, and no issues despite all the doomsayers at the time.

cheers, gareth

[roverfj1200]

E10...... I run this when ever I can get it. The e10 is 95 octane even the one labelled 91 is 91 + ethanol =95.

E10 will help keep water out of the system too. I have had no ill affects from e10 and have used it for most of the life of my FJ now with over 140000km on it. Even to say I have not adjusted the valves in that time to.

As for back firing with the blip it would sound like a lean out as there is less resistance with the pods and as such less vacuum to suck fuel from the idle jets as the RPM fall. 5 turns on the idle screws is over twice where I would start if I was to tune carbs. I know bugger all about main jets and would judge that from exhaust color.

[Bones]

That's interesting Richard that you've used e10 for so long and had no problems. I've always steered clear of it because of what's been written about it and the apparent damage it can cause. But who does a person believe, people that say sciencetificly it's no good, or people who've actually used it for years with no ill effect. I'm starting to think the later. Might'n be so put off next time I need fuel, and might just try some.

                                                     Tony.

This is a list of cars and bikes that supposedly can or can't use e10.

http://www.fcai.com.au/environment/can-my-vehicle-operate-on-ethanol-blend-petrol-

[Pat Conlon]

....E10 will help keep water out of the system too.

Really? Where did you hear this little nugget?

Are we talking about the same thing here?...fuel with 10% ethanol.

[The General]

....E10 will help keep water out of the system too.

Really? Where did you hear this little nugget?

Are we talking about the same thing here?...fuel with 10% ethanol.

hmmmm....Ethanol does absorb water (to a certain saturation point). So it would be true that it helps get rid of water to some extent. So I guess it would be true to say that it helps keep water from building up in a tank of non ethanol fuel. (Where it doesn`t blend with the fuel at all and settles to the bottom of tanks.)
Ethanol that has absorbed some water will run fine. (subject to percentage of water & temperature.)....Never thought about it before, but it makes sense. (particularly at our latitude.) 

[Pat Conlon]

Ethanol that has absorbed some water will run fine.

Ok, I'll buy that...but the key word here is "run"...not store.

Sam Plonski is a friend of mine and he has a m/c shop here in Rancho Mirage, CA.
We have only E10 available to us here in Calif and we live in a low humidity environment.
We have been struggling with hot weather storage and the effects of E10 fuel in our carbs.
Sam has been experimenting with different fuel additives, here are some of his findings:
http://samscycleserviceinc.vpweb.com/--Storage-warning-Local-gas.html

[roverfj1200]

I would say that I don't leave my bike sitting around with E10 fuel in it. You can read all the reports and fear E10 but I have used it and to no ill affect. When I go for a ride I generally ride some distance and go through a few tanks of fuel which would help keep fresh fuel in the system.

Cheers.

[TexasDave]

Great link Pat. Everyone one the forum should read it. I have read the blending of ethanol and gas starts separating within two weeks when it just sits. I can tell when I get a tank of that crap they call gas in Texas how good or bad it is by how the FJ runs. I never fill my tank full in case it starts to run like crap so I can add some from another station and hopefully it will run better. Dave

[FJ1100mjk]

We have been struggling with hot weather storage and the effects of E10 fuel in our carbs.

"Just ride the fucker" - Pat Conlon

[Pat Conlon]

I try Marty, I really do....