color tuned and ran into some problems

Finally got my colortune in the mail today. Yeah!

Started the process and first found that I had to turn my mixture screws out over five turns before I could see yellow.

The point where I want it (where it just starts to turn blue, right?) was about 5 turns out.

This doesn't seem normal compared to the suggested 2.5 to 3 turns out starting mixture screw settings.

I don't have any intake, or exhaust mods unless you consider a foam air filter a mod.

The bike does seem to run a little better, between the color tune and sync I did today the idle went up a couple hundred RPM. Also doesn't pop while accelerating or cruising.


-Next
On cylinder #2, and only #2 I couldn't get the color tune to work. It was arcing all over the place. it was arcing in the plug that comes with the kit, but on the outside. It was arcing from my spark plug wire. It was also arcing from the wire that comes with the kit. Any idea why this would happen?

 

I have the same problem with my colour tune and I wrapped electrical tape around the wire and the arcing stopped. Mine seemed way off too but once I tuned in that blue, I left it alone...some were 4 or 5 turns out and an other was only 1 turn out. No popping anymore and it goes like stink so it must be ok. Don't forget to balance the carbs as well.

 

The Arcing Problem bothered me so much ... I called the Support Number and they sent me a 2nd Generation Lead.

Which has slightly thicker insulation and is less flexible.

But Taping it is going to just as good.

 

Man...didn't think of calling the support line! Rick...that's why you are the wise one!

 

You would think it would come with top quality ign wire considering its price and use.

 

I don't know how old my ColorTune Plug is.
It came with the "Skinny" Extension.
They fixed that for me.

The Plug BODY also had 2-Section Insulator.
Since I spent a lot o f time looking for the Upper-Part of that Insulator, one day, ... I slipped it back-on and Heat-Shrinked the Part on ... So I won't be looking for it again.

 

hmm. I'll send them an email tomorrow and see what they have to say.

 

If the manufacturer doesn't take care of it. 3M make a high voltage splicing tape called"Scotch" rubber splicing tape # 130C. Its a 2-inch wide or #23 1-inch wide, self adhesive tape that you strecth to apply and is rated for 70K volts. That should contain your arc. Go to your "real" electrical supply house, Graybar" is a national chain that should be in most citys. they should stock the stuff or an equal. Note that the adhesive gets fairly gummy when it gets hot. but if your leaving it on, which you should, won't be a problem.

 

So to take care of my arcing problem I just switched the number 2 and number 3 wires for the test. Since it arcs were coming from the wire as well i didn't think a HD extension would work. I did talk to the colortune dealer and he was helpful and offered to send me a HD extender if I thought I would need it. Also after some thought, and a trip to the hardware store to find out that the fancy electrical tape costs me over $10 I decided not only am I to cheap to purchase $10+ electrical tape but I didn't want to wrap my entire wire anyway.


Anyway.

I'm still having a mess of problems with it running lean. Drained my fuel tank to make sure I didn't have bad gas and refilled. Now it hardly runs. tried to color tune it and only saw combustion in 2 of the 4 cylinders. I have spark in all 4, just no flame. And if I blip the throttle, the non working cylinders show one very bright yellow flash (brighter than normal). Its almost like the fuel is getting hung up somewhere and or not atomizing. Rechecked the float fuel levels and they seem good.




Have the carbs back off now and they are still super clean. Anything I should quadruple check before I put them back together?



Also,
What do you set your RPM at to color-tune?

 

Colortune at IDLE.

You have to use the ColorTune to find the Pilot Mixture Screw Setting to enable the Bike to IDLE with the Throttles Closed.

Once you get the Bike IDLING on the Pilot Jets withe the Throttles Closed, ... additional Pilot Mixture insures no delay waiting for Fuel when the Throttles open emitting a rush of fresh air.

 

I was just examining the pilot outlets. When my pilot screwed all the way in the tip actually sticks out of the pilot outlet.

Three Turns out


Bottomed out



Is this normal?

 

Yes.
Most Pilot Mixture Screws employ a needle point to aid in the atomization of the Air and Fuel as it leaves the port.

Not resizing photographs for use in Forum as visual aids is most unusual.
But, I'm betting there aren't a whole lot of Forum Members still using Dial-Up!!!

 

Rick, I bet a quorum of forum members don't even remember dial-up. I quit using it about 11 years ago. I didn't even notice the pics were big. I did notice they were detailed, though. I also think they are beautiful. We don't always get such quality visual aids. Nevertheless, I agree we don't need them big enough to use as a desktop background.

Maine...I'm not personally an expert on the colortune, but I do know a bit about combustion. Perhaps this Wikipedia article on the bunsen burner might be of some help. Specifically this quote: "When the burner is regulated to produce a hot, blue flame it can be nearly invisible against some backgrounds."

To test this, can you go from a yellow flame to an invisible flame? You might just be hitting perfect, you just can't see the blue. But let me restate that I am no expert in the colortune.

If else, I also wonder that if you go from no combustion (no color) to fuel rich combustion (yellow color) by opening the air up, perhaps you are too rich? You say you think you are too lean, but after 5 turns out and the symptoms you are experiencing, how certain are you of that?

 

I'm not certain of anything anymore and I'm getting desperate looking for anything that may be abnormal.

I'm going to try to get them back on the bike tomorrow after work. Let it warm up and color tune and sync starting with the pilot screws at only 3 turns out.


I didn't think the pics were that big. I'm using a 12" laptop and they just fill the browser window.

I forgot about dial up. Let me go get my external US Robotics 56k serial modem. And I'll dial into my AOL account of which my 30 day trial runs out in 10 days. If I'm lucky, and I perform all my rituals correctly Ill be able to connect and at a favorable speed.

 

I agree, and unless I am mistaken, you should return to ~3 turns out, then sync, then colortune, then sync, and sync both times with a blanking tool in (if you have YICS, of course). I have a theory about that I can share if you don't believe me, like I didn't believe you needed the tool either, but now I do. Sorry about the poorly formed sentences. It's past my bedtime.

I don't believe in teaching to the slowest person in class, and I don't believe in serving to the slowest computer on the web. It makes the majority miss some important information.

And don't get desperate. It's just a nmaddog motorcycle. If all the parts are there and working correctly together, it will work. There's no magic, just physics.

Goodnight.

 

Alright, back together and running...

backfiring at cylinder 4 a bit. I heard some popping coming from the intake. And when I was syncing I could see little flames in my sync tube from that cylinder. Backfiring comes and goes in little fits.

What causes backfiring through the intake?

 

A Lean Condition.

Add a little bit more Richness to the Cylinder and see if it diminishes.

You already did the Valves, ... right?

 

I'll put the color tune back on and check it out.

Any chance I'm getting a "cross spark"?



checked the valves a couple hundred miles ago.

All in spec but one which was looser... It was an intake, I think on cylinder 3.

 

I stated earlier that I was having a difficult time richening the bike up. And difficulties with cylinder 4.

Today while color tuning cylinder 4 wouldn't lean out. Yellow burn throughout the mixture screws entire adjustment.

 

Were you able to Sync-up No.-4 with No.-3?

If your 4-Hole has a Vacuum Leak and isn't getting whole vacuum to drag-up the Air-Fuel Mix, ... you have to shake that out.

Now, since it's the 4-Hole that's acting-up, ... you can remove the Pilot Mixture Screw and Test the Fuel Flow using a "Separator Bottle".


Put the Host to the Separator Bottle right on an EMPTY Mixture Screw Port ( Flat Washer and O-ring -- Out ) and see what kind of Fuel is making the Trip.

Test for every kind of leak imaginable.
Compression Test; too.

 

didn't read this entire post but I'll say this. my bike wouldn't show any signs of leaks, with propane or smoke or anything and the intake boots weren't cracked. As a last resort I removed the boots and found the paper gaskets were completely deteriorated. My point is you have a leak

 

Rick

Can you explain the separator some more? Is the engine running when I perform this test.


Also, since its a yellow flame and running rich wouldn't that mean I have plenty of fuel entering the combustion chamber?


Also Also, the bike runs decent. I think that the idle could be better though. It does idle better than my fuel injected car, but thats another problem. And that is why I was re color-tuning and syncing. Now, when I synced, (with a yics tool), it didn't appear to have been out of sync. Now I'm starting to wonder if my tool is inaccurate . But as far as I WAS concerned 3 and 4 were synced.

 

Separator.
Very simple tool.

Jar.
2 Hoses.

Drill two holes through the Top of the Jar Lid.
Insert 2 Hoses.
One Hose gets extended down past half-way.
The other Hose is only extended an Inch or two.
Seal. Air tight.

Connect the SHORT Hose to the Vacuum Cleaner Hose.
The short hose will create a vacuum in the jar.

Use the LONG Hose to Vacuum material containing liquids.

The Liquid will get Vacuumed-up and sucked into the Jar.
The Liquid will collect in the Jar. Not go to the vacuum cleaner.