Accidently Found Best Plug

[HOTRODKY428]

I FOULED A PLUG IN A SANDY CREEK BOTTOM,VERY BAD PLACE TO FOUL A PLUG. I TRIED MY SPARE NO LUCK, AFTER HEATING THEM WITH A LIGHTER TO TRY TO BURN OFF EXCESS FUEL AND KICKING MY BRAINS OUT,I WAS PRETTY UPSET. I USED MY BUDDYS BIKE TO GO TO THE TRUCK TO GO BUY A NEW ONE. THEN I REMEBERED I HAD THE OLD PLUGS FOR MY TRUCK. THEY WERE A BIT LONGER, SO I THREADED IT IN AND KICKED IT OVER BY HAND, THEN CHECKED TO SEE IF THE GAP WAS CLOSED ANY. 1 KICK SHE WAS RUNNING. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO BUY ANOUTHER PLUG AGAIN. CHAMPION N7YC IN MY 1991 KDX 200.

 

[agitt73]

if your jetting was correct you would not be fouling plugs
also the plug you put in is a higher heat range then what your
bike calls for

 

[HOTRODKY428]

YES IT WAS ALWAYS RUNNING RICH, BUT THE ELECTRODE EXTENDED PAST THE THREADS.WOULD THIS GIVE THE FUEL BETTER ACCESS TO THE SPARK? THAT WAS MY THEORY ANYWAY, SO FAR AFTER 2 YEARS NO PROBLEMS

 

[MX175]

The golden rule of 2 strokes is JETTING IS PERFORMANCE.

If you are afraid to change your jets, your bike will never acheive its potential. That is the wrong plug. You could do damage to your piston or cylinder. Put in some leaner jets and the right plug. Yes, you will sacrifice some riding time. But if you do this right, you will be amazed at the power of your bike, and you will glow with the knowledge that you did it yourself. And yes it won't foul plugs.

If you are apprehensive, start with just reducing the main jet one size. You don't even have to take the carb off the bike. Just lossen the clamps, rotate the carb so you can loosen the nut on the bottom. With that nut off, you can see the main jet. Remove it with a wrench or socket (not pliers). It should have a number on it. Go to your nearest dealer and show it to them and ask for one size smaller. Put it in and give it a try. If you can't notice the difference, I'll buy that jet back from you.

Part 2: Do this instead of the above. Or after you've done the above. Do NOT do it at the same time. Never change more than one thing at a time because you won't know what affect each thing had. This is free. Unscrew the top off of your carb. The top and the slide will all come out. There is a long needle hanging out the bottom of the slide. Disassemble the slide and cable to remove the needle. The needle has a clip near the top. The clip is in one of 5 slots. To make it leaner, move the clip to a higher position on the needle. Reassemble. When you return the slide into the carb, there is a pin in the side of the carb that has to line up with a slot in the slide. It will be clear when you do it. Occasionally, the needle does not fall right into the hole in the bottom of the carb. A little gentle movement and wiggling usually let's it fall right in. Do not force it. After it is back together, be sure that your throttle works smoothly before you give it a kick. On most of the bikes I've worked on, the slide just falls in to place during reassembly.

Read a little more about jetting and you may be surprised how easy it is and how much you can gain. Every rider should be able to change a main jet and adjust the needle position.

 

[canyncarvr]

Wasn't going to jump on this particular bandwagon....but...

Agreed. Running a too hot plug to resolve an improperly setup carb issue is deleterious on several fronts.

An NGK tech told me, 'We recommend the '8' range plug in the kdx for a reason. Because it's the right plug.'

Certainly not all '8's are the SAME...like a fine wire will give you a better chance at sparking in poor conditions than a standard sized one-each nickel electrode.

Still, I'd encourage you to spend some quality jetting time with your scoot over just sticking in a hotter plug.

 

[HOTRODKY428]

THANKS FOR THE INFO. I NEED TO CLEAN THE CARB ANYWAY. I DIDNT KNOW THE PLUG BEING HOTTER COULD DO DAMAGE. I ASLO KNOW THAT LEAN=HOT, SO I FIGURED RICH WOULD ADD TO THE LONGIVITY OF THE ENGINE SO I NEVER CHANGED THE JETTING. THIS ENGINE HAS NEVER BEEN APART.KIPPS NEVER CLEANED.

 

[GREENHORNET]

please clean kips--i'm haveing my whole top end done this weekend--new piston too--cause i heard to much of the grenade hype--oh try a BR8EIX ITS IRIDIUM---BETTER THAN ALL THE REST----HAPPY TRAILS

 

[mmmbeergood]

You'll need pleanty of spray carb cleaner to reach all the nooks and crannys for all the spooge there, a jug of kerosene for when you run out of carb cleaner, and a scratch awl for the carbon build up on the main powervalves, if it's never been done, and a free evening. Cleaning (and reassembling) the kips actually took me longer than installing a new piston. But I was a 1st timer at it. and remember this. Don't get high on crack and smoke, you'll just get dumber with every toke, Don't you know that beer is good for you!

 

[Tom Ludolff]

In small quantities!!!

 

[HOTRODKY428]

WHILE I AM WAITING ON A REAR HUB, I TOOK THE LIBERTY TO MOD THE AIR BOX, GUT THE PIPE,AND CLEAN THE CARB.THIS HELPED MY RICH CONDITION,BUT I CANNOT REALLY JET IT UNTILL ITS RIDEABLE AGAIN.I WILL GO BACK TO THE STOCK PLUG, BUT I WILL SAY THE THROTTLE RESPOSE IS GREAT NOW.I WONT GET INTO THE KIPPS UNTILL I GET A MANUAL.BUT I MUST SAY THIS KAWA ENGINE HAS BEEN ROCK SOLID RELIABEL