Gunson Colortuner

Just thought I would throw a topic out there as I am planning on using this device.

What are your thoughts / opinions / tips / insight on using this tuner?

Thank you for those who reply

 

I have personally used it and think its the neatest thing since pockets on shirts!

Makes dialing in each cylinders richness a piece of cake.

One thing I found is to try to go for bunsen burner blue but right at the point of turning orange, but you want it blue.

It's better to run your engine a bit on the richer side than to run it too lean,

Good Luck

 

I'll reply but I can't say anything more than Hvnbnd, Neat little tool.

 

I just bought one myself. I don't know any other way to achieve the results you can get with a colortune. You can stick a sensor up the tail pipe but you only get average mixture for two cylinders (depending on your bike and it's exhaust)

Wonderful tool.

Greg

 

After ColorTuning my engine yesterday ... I used the ColorTune Plug to show me NOT only the Bunsen Burner Blue ... but, also that there was a consistant firing happening ... not just rich enough to give me a blue flame ... but, also with a bit of added enrichment to have the cylinder fire every time on its firing stroke.

I did the tuning AFTER Sync but BEFORE Pulling the YICS Tool ... When I got done and Pulled the tool ... she fired-up 250 - 300 rpm's faster than without the Tool ... but, easily backed-off with the Idle Adjust Rod.

I have a 900 rpm Idle that's as steady as the Atomic Clock ... and a Mixture Situation so good I'm afraid the bike will spontaneously start and take itself riding for cripe-sake.

I'm a reformed "Tweeker"

ColorTune is the absolute livin'-end for setting-up those Idle Mixtures.
Honest to God!

 

You are all ColorTuning in a non-choke, warmed up position correct?

So you pull a plug, install the colortune, connect the wire to it, and fire up the bike. Then adjust the pilot screw until the desired color is present. Turn off bike, move colortune to next cylinder and repeat until all 4 are finished??

Maybe one day I will get one of these 12mm color tunes for my 550 and see just how off my bike is. I know it is synced well, because I just did that last night after raising my float levels (they were low).

 

Right.

Right.

And remember to keep that AIR COOLED engine temp in mind - fan it or let it cool off a little between goes if adjustments are taking a while.

 

Yeah and be careful with the hot plugs that you remove!!

 

Oh and don't forget to bump up your idle speed when using it - should be around 1200 or so, rather than the lower stock idle speed (I think spec is ~700-800).

 

Standard exaust headers have blanking bolts by where they connect to the collector box for the O2 sensor, so they don't "mix" with each other.

 

My manual says idle speed is 1200rpm

So...I just keep it there whenever I am syncing.

 

i'v senc my bike and heard good things about the color tune .my bike had a small backfire when slowing down. when i put the color tune to it i thought at first something might be wrong cause my idle went way up . adjusted all that and found out i was running to lean. now no more backfire and it runs so good and idles so good i was impressed.

 

I must not be doing something right cause when I use my colortune I can't see the difference between the color burn.
I have a 12mm. It it very hard to see the window-seems small to me.
Probably need to get my eyes checked? Do y'all use your during the day or at night?
I know it's not rocket science but there it is. 8O

 

Do you have a YICS tool installed when you use the colortune?

 

No

 

That may have something to do with it. The idea is to isolate the carbs and tune each one in turn. Without the tool, the YICS passages will attempt to compensate for any adjustments you make.

At least that's how I understand it.

 

Wow, I had no idea I had to use the yics tool to do this properly.
Thanks, I'll have to make one and try that. BTW- can I use regular rubber hose without worrying about it melting while in the process?

 

The need for a YICS tool has long been debated -- search the forums and you'll see what I mean.

The diagram I used to build mine doesn't mention using any special kind of hose, so I imagine regular rubber hose would be fine. However, some do recommend using heat-resistant silcone tubing or some such. RickCoMatic came up with a method using clothesline and Marvel Mystery Oil. Again, for more details, search the forums.

 

Looking at just the plug, I, too, found it hard to see. But my kit came with the shroud and mirror that lets you see the light better. If you dont' have that, you might want to try rigging something up similar.

 

Oblivion, Thanks, for a while there I thought I was the only one.
I have the shroud and mirror which I tried but didn't seem to help.
Do you use the yics tool when you do your colortune session?
Perhaps I will try this process when dark outside, increasing my chances of a good visual.

 

Clicky: Rick's YICS tool

 

All this talk about the Color Tune- I guess that's going to be my next investment. It makes all the sense in the world for me and should be used on all bikes I figure.

 

I Colortuned my XJ650 last night in the Garage with the light on. Was able to see it ok on the side without the light but when I went to the other side I had to shut the light off(still had the bench light on to see the carbs). I imagine it would be hard to see in a highly lit area or outside and would require the shroud w/mirror.

Idles smooth now !

 

Tony, I did it in a crapily lit garage, so that may have aided visibility. I did not have a YICS tool when I colortuned and haven't colortuned since I got my YICS tool.

 

Will it hurt my colortune plugs when I raise the rpm's to see if my primary jets are the right ones and working properly?

 

Your primary (pilot?) jets are what is used at idle. If the carbs are clean your jets will be working. Check the plugs to look for signs of lean/rich. Lean mixtures will backfire when you let the throttle off with the motor "engine braking" while riding.

I think I might have posted this for you before, but really the instructions there are as close as you will get. A colourtune ain't going to tell you what you need regarding size of jets, but might tell you things are wrong at pilot/mixture if you can't get the colourtune looking "right", which will give you a "ball park" range of maybe 3 different jets that are close.
Jetting help

There are a few bikes on here with pods and 4-1 systems, it can be done but the XJs run better stock anyway.

 

Before you do check your States emission requirements for vehicle inspection and any random road side testing law enforcement officers might do.

Sometimes it is not allowed to remove the blanking plugs on the mixture screws.

You may be in store for a BIG FINE.

Many country's and a few US States have very strict emission limits. A colourtune will not let you set the correct CO levels. A CO meter or "exhaust sniffer" will be required to set the mixtures.

Just a heads up to all to check local requirements!

Tune with CO meter

BTW the EFI XJs run lean and cannot be adjusted just synced.

 

I believe spec is 1050 + or - 50 rpm

 

OK, I have a small problem. I cannot get an orange flame on my Maxim X no matter how far out or in I turn my mixture screw. Either that or I am not seeing the colors correctly. Its the strangest thing!

 

Not so strange... I had the same problem. (When the thing actually worked, that is.)

 

All you have to do ... is: bump-it-up ~~> One Size -- on the FUEL Pilot Jet.

You be Metered -- MORE -- Fuel into the Pilot System.

Then, you'll be able to adjust the Screw OUT and pull-up MORE Fuel to make the ratio too Rich!

 

How important is it for your carbs to be in synch when you colortune?

 

The way it was explained to me was:

sync->colortune->sync

And it was pretty much non-optional if you were going to colortune the engine.

 

Because you want to have the ColorTune Process be done as accurately as possible; you need the Butterflies Synced going in. Throughout the ColorTuning, you'll be adjusting the Idle Speed Rod too.

You want to Colortune and get the Best Idle without relying on Fuel from the Main Jets. So, if you are out of Sync going in ... that hinders the process and you might be sneaking-in air from the Intakes if a Butterfly is too far open.

Remember something about Colortuning. You'll get a Blue Flame when the Air Fuel Mixture is CLOSE to what you are looking for ... for the right set-up.

Bring out the Pilot Mixture Screw "Through the Blue" ... don't set-up on the first Blue you get as you bring out the Mixture Screws for what you are looking for. Go beyond the Blue and get the Cylinder to be too Rich, then ... come back in and find the Blue once again.

This will insure that the Mixture is the right ratio to make the bike Idle and Sustain the Mixture for when the Throttles are opened and the transition to Main Jet Fuel occurs. Too Lean will cause the Bike to Backfire ... too Rich and you'll have a hesitation and a bogging-out until the Bike settles doen on the Main Jet feed.

You need enough Pilot Jet supplement to the coming off-idle to make power for the brief time it takes to get on to the Main Jet supply.

 

hey, i was just wondering where to find a color tune, and how much. I'm sure mine could use it. I already sync'd the carbs, but im sure that it couldnt hurt any. Not to mention, i have found it a royal pain in the rear to tune carbs way up here in the mountains.

 

Hey Colorado, I've got Colortune plugs in stock! Your bike will use the 12mm version:

j5) Morgan Colortune Tuning Spark Plug ....brand new, no display box, includes all accessories and instructions:

NOTE: 12mm plugs are used on all XJ550 and XJ700-X models.
14mm plugs are used on all XJ650/XJ700 non-X/XJ750/XJ900/XJ1100 models. No XJ bikes from this era used 10mm plugs!


HCP95A Morgan Colortune Spark Plug Tool, for 10mm spark plugs:
NOTE: NGK plugs that begin with the letter "C" are 10mm.
$ 49.00 plus shipping

HCP95B Morgan Colortune Spark Plug Tool, for 12mm spark plugs:
NOTE: NGK plugs that begin with the letter "D" are 12mm, and are used on all XJ550 models and all XJ700 "X" model bikes.
$ 49.00 plus shipping

HCP95C Morgan Colortune Spark Plug Tool, for 14mm spark plugs:
NOTE: NGK plugs that begin with the letter "B" are 14mm, and are used on all XJ650, XJ700 non-X models, and all XJ750/900/1100 models.
$ 47.00 plus shipping


You can see this (and a whole lot more!) in my ad over at:

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... rt=45.html