Author Topic: first trips?  (Read 4491 times)

Offline emilios

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Re: first trips?
« Reply #15 on: 04.01. 2010 18:01 »
I was holding in my hand a pickup and it feld down and the brush broke...So i cant check the pickups for spark..but i will remenber that.
As about the pickup brushes i dont know how to check?
1956 BSA A10 Plunger
1954 BSA B31 Goldstar Replica
1970 Honda cb750K0 project
Cyprus

Offline MG

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Re: first trips?
« Reply #16 on: 04.01. 2010 18:34 »
You can actually just check the brushes optically. See if it is still long enough, if the spring tension is ok and if it does not get stuck in the pickup. If you have an ohmmeter you could also check the resistance from the brush to the plug cover.
After you have broken a brush, you have at least got a good reason to get a new set of pickups now.  ;)

1955 A7 Shooting Star
1956 A10 Golden Flash
1961 Matchless G12 CSR

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Online chaterlea25

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Re: first trips?
« Reply #17 on: 04.01. 2010 19:21 »
Hi Emilios,
Does your A10 have spark plug caps fitted?
If so make sure they are NOT SUPPRESSED ie. they are low resistance,
Use a continuity tester or battery and bulb (5w) to check from the brush in the pickup to the plug connection

Make sure the sparkplugs do not have a suppressor in them
A lot of modern plugs have an internal resistor, NGK's have the letter R in the code for this

Hope this helps
Happy New Year
John O R
1961 Super Rocket
1963 RGS (ongoing)

Offline emilios

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Re: first trips?
« Reply #18 on: 04.01. 2010 20:00 »
My plugs are B6HS..so the dont have internal resistor..
The plugs caps are the same i had before and they were working ok..
I do have an ohmmeter but i really dont know to use it much..
I will put one terminal on brush and the other one inside plug cap..ok so..how i will understand that i dont have resistance?
???
1956 BSA A10 Plunger
1954 BSA B31 Goldstar Replica
1970 Honda cb750K0 project
Cyprus

Offline MG

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Re: first trips?
« Reply #19 on: 04.01. 2010 20:04 »
you will get an ohm reading. caps/leads that are suppressed will show several kilo-ohms, while caps without resistor and normal copper leads plus the brush will show a few ohms. So you will see if the brush/spring is making good contact and if the lead is connected to the pickup and the plug cap properly.

BTW: I made the best experience with B9HVX plugs. The NGK no.6 appears a bit too hot for an iron head engine to me. The VX plugs imho are miracle plugs concerning idle characteristics and plug fouling behaviour, they are well worth the money.
1955 A7 Shooting Star
1956 A10 Golden Flash
1961 Matchless G12 CSR

www.histo-tech.at - Restoration, Repairs, Racing

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Offline A10Boy

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Re: first trips?
« Reply #20 on: 21.06. 2010 14:08 »
I was at the Banbury Run yesterday, over 600 pre 1930 bikes being taken out on the various road courses and returning, also there is a very good autojumble.

One of the stalls there is a chap called Sparkplug Man, he's something of an expert on spark plugs, I was there looking at getting some caps and a chap asked him what plugs to use in an A7. He said iron headed beezers were best on B6hs, I told him I use B7hs and he asked me if I find that they suddenly fail without warning or reason [they do], he said that B7hs's will wet up easily, and when they do they wont work again. he recommended I try some B6hs so I did.

I put them in and went out for two hours in the sunshine, the bike never missed a beat. It started easily, ticked over from cold easily and ran great. I was doing town, fast roads and country lanes.

Anyway, the moral after this long story is that I think mine runs much better on B6hs or at least so far so good.
Regards

Andy

1958 Super Rocket
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Harley Super Glide Custom
Yam XJR 1300

Offline muskrat

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Re: first trips?
« Reply #21 on: 21.06. 2010 20:47 »
G'day Andy,
                    The 6's  are a little hotter so burn excess fuel better. I haven't looked back since fitting them to both my A's.
Cheers
'51 A7 plunger, '57 A7SS racer now a A10CR, '78 XT500, '83 CB1100F, 88 HD FXST, 2000 CBR929RR ex Honda Australia Superbike .
Australia
Muskys Plunger A7

Offline BSA_54A10

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Re: first trips?
« Reply #22 on: 22.06. 2010 12:59 »
And it will run even better with BP6's in there.
The projecting electrode dose give a more reliable spark ,better combustion and be far less prone to fouling.

Fouled plugs can be burned clean with an oxy torch.
Heat the outer case till a yellow flame emerges from the electrode valley.
Let this flame burn off then do it again, till you no longer get the yellow flame.
Now turn up the oxy ( or down the fuel ) to a lean flame and carefully heat the center dull red, hold it there for another minute or two then let the plug cool down SLOWLY.
It should have burned off leaving a nice clean white center.
Bike Beesa
Trevor

Offline A10Boy

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Re: first trips?
« Reply #23 on: 24.06. 2010 16:29 »
What puzzles me about this plug fouling is that when we were lads and rode all sorts of bikes around the fields, we had oiled and wet plugs all the time, I dont remember having to swop plugs very often unless the ceramic insulation failed as we hit a tree or went into a hedge. A wet plug dried then worked, not got wet and failed totally, Is it modern petrol causing this phenomenonemonem ?
Regards

Andy

1958 Super Rocket
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Harley Super Glide Custom
Yam XJR 1300

Offline BSA_54A10

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Re: first trips?
« Reply #24 on: 25.06. 2010 12:43 »
Yes
Modern "fuel" is basically a light fuel oil with some light aromatics in there so that you can start your engine without using a preheater.
This oil is quite conductive , very sticky and non volatile so you have to burn it off.
Plug fouling is a big problem with "unleaded fuel" which is why you are not allowed to use it in aircraft.

Idling on a cold engine will increase the chances of this happening so it is now give it a swift kick followed by a hand full and hold the revs high till the bike is at full operating temperature.
Or use two plugs. a cold one for starting followed by a hot one for running.

I keep a couple of BP 5 HS in the tool box as every now and then I end up with a tank full of "slightly heavier fuel oil masquerading as petrol" and even the BP 6 HS foul at idle.


Bike Beesa
Trevor

Offline A10Boy

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Re: first trips?
« Reply #25 on: 25.06. 2010 21:21 »
Interesting....
Regards

Andy

1958 Super Rocket
Plus
Harley Super Glide Custom
Yam XJR 1300

Offline Pete Gray

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Re: first trips?
« Reply #26 on: 28.06. 2010 10:44 »
My A7 iron head runs fine most of the time with w nice regular tickover but every now and again after perhaps a 30 mile run the tickover goes spasmodic with a tendancy to miss a beat and stall - presumably this is likely to be plug fouling as the normal running seems unaffected ?
I am guilty of not fitting new plugs for ages so am getting a replacement pair of B6HS' this week.

Pete

1961 Swinging arm A7
2000 BMW R1100R