Need help diagnosing spark plugs for proper jetting & Oil Level Question.

[86FJNJ]

Pat, if I can't get the pilot circut clean on my own to have a good idle with the current 40.0 pilot is there any harm in me just living with it like that and riding it for a couple hundred miles as long as the majority of that time I'm past 1/4 throttle and not operating the bike in the pilot circut? I just want to get some miles on it to confirm bike is good with no major issues before dropping big $ on new tuned carbs from RPM. I cant imagine that causing any harm.

[Pat Conlon]

It depends on how bad....In my opinion, riding a 100+ hp motorcycle on the street with no or poor low speed manners (meaning you have to keep the rpm's high to avoid stalling) is not the best idea for a safe ride.

If I had to...I would want to run it on the freeway and avoid stop and go situations.

Safest thing for you would be to pull the carbs, drain them, box them up and send them to Robert @ RPM. He will work his magic on them, guaranteed.

Just be careful. Does the reward outweigh the risk?

Cheers

[86FJNJ]

It's not that bad the bike actually runs really well it's just a slight bog off idle and I have screws 3 1/8 turns which I know is a lot, enough I know it's not right but I've comfortably rode around without issue and even on backroads I'm always in the middle of the rpm range like 2500-4500 so as long as it's not hurting the bike I'll do another cleaning on my own and try to rack some miles up and see how it is

[Pat Conlon]

Ok, that's not too bad. It's a good idea to run some gas (with Seafoam cleaner)  thru those carbs and get some miles on that engine. Perhaps that's all that's needed?

I have a hunch that your bike will run better the more miles you ride.

Also...If you use a little oil, so be it, don't worry. Our air cooled engines have loose piston ring tolerances to account for the latent heat build up we get.

Cheers

[86FJNJ]

Put some seafoam in gas and will report back after a while.

What about a little seafoam in engine before oil change?

[Pat Conlon]

I have never used Seafoam in my FJ crankcase.
I do remember a long time ago when I used a crankcase cleaner in an old high mileage Ford 292 Y block. (TBird)
I guess it worked too well in removing carbon because that engine started using oil much more than it was originally using before the treatment.

[86FJNJ]

fair point maybe there is such a thing as too good, I am mainly hoping it cleans the carb pilot circuit out a little and the exhaust ports have a bunch of crud in them from what I'm guessing is oil leaking past the valve seals...nearly at 100 miles on the FJ so I'll try to keep racking up miles.

Weird thing happened yesterday, rode the bike to work and all was fine, then leaving work I could not get dash lights to turn on to start the bike...thought the battery was dead but after a bunch of tries eventually they did turn on and neutral light was clearly on but when I tried to start the bike it lunged forward which means it was actually in gear, so that was a first. It was very hot out so not sure if the FJ's get quirky when it gets hot out?

[Pat Conlon]

I had that happen with me, it was my key ignition switch that was acting up so I bought another one...
http://www.rpmracingca.com/proddetail.asp?prod=M%2FC%3Aflatkeyswitch

If your neutral light shines, you should be in neutral.
If not, look at your neutral switch and circuit.
http://www.rpmracingca.com/proddetail.asp?prod=1L9-82540-00%2B93210-29196
Sometimes a scuffed grounded, burnt or pinched signal wire will cause a false neutral light.

Sometimes I get a pesky clutch plate that sticks, so while I'm in neutral my bike will creep forward like it's in gear...when it isn't. As the clutch pack gets some hours and miles on it, the sticking plate disappears.

Cheers....keep riding your bike, I'll bet you a jelly donut any hardened leaking valve seals will soften up and seal after some miles.

Report back on your oil usage. Smoking on start up?

 Ride well.  Pat

[86FJNJ]

thanks Pat, yes on start up smokes like it's on fire for about 30 seconds, then goes down to a light smoke and after about a minute it's gone.

It's 39yo so I can live with some smoke on start up. So far after 35 miles yesterday in 85 degree NJ weather no reduction in oil level on the sight glass so I'll keep watching it

[Pat Conlon]

Try parking on the center stand, see if that reduces start up smoke.

Parking on the side stand allows all the top end oil to shift over to the left side (low side) and bunch up on the #1 and #2 cylinders.

Same thing happens to the carbs with crap gas. It always seems like the first carbs to get plugged up are the left side #1 and #2 carbs.

Cheers

[86FJNJ]

Thanks pat, I've actually been using the center stand and still does it. Another 50 miles done today with half of that two-up and no drop in oil level so that's good. I'll keep and eye on it.. I think the seafoam is helping the idea is slightly increasing from what it was so that's would mean pilot circuit is getting more fuel now right?

[Pat Conlon]

Yes, the low speed manners are improving...good...
Sometimes it takes multiple tanks of Seafoam to get those little passages opened up.

[86FJNJ]

Ok so def have a weird issue with the oil level. I changed my oil and filled it to the top line. After a little running at idle afterwards I went out all day and the oil is only halfway up the sigh glass between the bottom and top lines. Yes bike is on center stand.

This is happening intermittently, sometimes all the oil returns to the pan, sometimes it doesn't.

Any reason for this to happen?

[86FJNJ]

To clarify I didn't change the oil filter so whatever oil was in the filter was not affected by my oil change.

So it's not like I changed the filter and disconnected the oil filter to get the engine completely dry. I just drained the pan. The oil I drained only has like 100 miles on it.

[Pat Conlon]

In addition to the top end, the clutch pack and transmission gear clusters holds a slight bit of oil...

Like your tire air pressures, Check your oil in the morning before your ride, top it off, then ride.

Absent an obvious oil leak, don't worry about it durning the day, you will drive yourself crazy...