Author Topic: Rough Runin' K11 (Read 75961 times)

mystic red · « **on:** May 02, 2011, 08:14:02 PM »

Took the bike out for season opening run yesterday and it ran good until I hammered it getting onto the 90. After less than a mile it started "surging". If I held a steady throttle it would catch and run good again. It became more noticeable pulling away from a stop but I got home alright.
My first thought was bad gas although I used SeaFoam last fall when she got put to bed. This is the first time I used that product but I heard good reviews on it.
Today, I shot some starter fluid around the injector area to see if it was pulling air from somewhere besides the air box and came up empty.
So I drained the tank, dried it and checked the filter. This was a plastic NAPA filter they said would work but when I grabbed it, it felt soft. I know it wasn't like that when I installed it. So I pulled a BMW filter out of the drawer and installed it, left the tank sitting on the workbench with the lid open to let it dry further. I had shot compressed air in there but thought it couldn't hurt to let it dry further.
I don't know if the "soft" filter could have been the prob, I guess it could have sprung a leak under pressure. I'll give it a test ride later.
Any other ideas?

frankenduck · « **Reply #1 on:** May 02, 2011, 09:10:15 PM »

SeaFoam is for removing carbon deposits, not water. Use Stabil or a similar product for dealing with the water issue next winter. Also make sure you put it up with a full tank as that leaves less room for condensation to form. (Same for your boat tank(s) too unless you have that stored inside your chalet.)

Water causes filter fibers to swell.

Get the NAPA Gold 3032. That has a metal case and is made for fuel injected systems. Plastic filters are bad juju.

Edit: And there's two Ns in Runnin'.

mystic red · « **Reply #2 on:** May 02, 2011, 09:29:22 PM »

SeaFoam says it stabilizes fuel, in fact, it's a wonder drug that does everything. Point taken on the plastic filter. I'll give her a test spin and get back to ya.

Quote

Edit: And there's two Ns in Runnin'.

An old sage on the Internet once told me, "this is the Internet, I'm not writing a thesis." ;D

frankenduck · « **Reply #3 on:** May 02, 2011, 09:42:32 PM »

Quote from: mystic red on May 02, 2011, 09:29:22 PM

An old sage on the Internet once told me, "this is the Internet, I'm not writing a thesis." ;D

That was before browsers had spellcheck built in.

mystic red · « **Reply #4 on:** May 03, 2011, 08:27:12 PM »

Well, I pulled the tank, dumped the fuel and dried it out real good. Put bike back together. Put a double dose of Techron (the other miracle fluid) in a gallon of gas and dumped it into the tank. Idled it for a couple of minutes and then let it sit for a while.
Then I took it out for a test spin and hammered it. Seems to run fine now. We'll see.

frankenduck · « **Reply #5 on:** May 03, 2011, 09:13:50 PM »

You should be OK. ;D

I checked my can of SeaFoam. It does say it dries out fuel but I don't think it will do as well as a product specifically formulated for that task.

mystic red · « **Reply #6 on:** May 05, 2011, 08:31:39 PM »

On their site they say stabilizes gas up to 2 years. :o

Red · « **Reply #7 on:** May 19, 2011, 12:23:34 PM »

My Dad was a boat racer and used SeaFoam all the time with his F Hydro's. Continued using it in the years he was sailing (diesel) and still with it with his bus (motor home). I have used it with my ski boats and also my Kawa Concours. The Concours was lagging at the throttle and a add of SeaFoam to the tank cured the carb problems. Some years later with my Concours, a second time of throttle lag, SeaFoam helped some, but I also eventually had to pull the carbs and clean out the idle jets to get everything running smoothly. SeaFoam has been around it seems forever, and is great stuff.

frankenduck · « **Reply #8 on:** May 19, 2011, 12:51:25 PM »

My personal rule of thumb is to use SeaFoam for carb'd motors and Techron concentrate for FI'd motors. (Techron doesn 't remove water from fuel that I know of.)

mystic red · « **Reply #9 on:** May 20, 2011, 06:48:45 PM »

Quote

As a fuel system additive, Sea Foam® will clean carburetors, fuel injectors, clean carbon, gum and varnish deposits, add lubricity to fuel, stabilize fuel for 2 years and control moisture.
As an oil system additive, Sea Foam® controls moisture, gum, varnish and residue deposits.

This ch1t does it all. It's to engines what beads and Ride On is to tires. ;)

merlin geikie · « **Reply #10 on:** May 24, 2011, 11:48:33 AM »

Mystic mentions,

Quote

what beads

Will any ol beads work such a old ball bearings?

I heard they use the beads in washing machines so they don't go imbalanced in spin.

What do you know about the beads please? :)

HCorn · « **Reply #11 on:** May 24, 2011, 04:48:57 PM »

I believe he's referring to dynabeads. Some swear by them and some call them snake oil. But using beads/ball bearings in tires has been around for awhile, at least in semis and large-tired 4 wheeelers. I've never used them, but don't doubt that they work. YMMV.

mystic red · « **Reply #12 on:** May 24, 2011, 07:20:35 PM »

Merlin, peruse this nasty little thread. Total gang up.
http://www.motobrick.com/index.php?topic=44.0

frankenduck · « **Reply #13 on:** May 24, 2011, 09:45:25 PM »

Physics: 1
Luddites: 0

mystic red · « **Reply #14 on:** May 25, 2011, 07:33:42 PM »

After changing the fuel and fuel filter it doesn't run rough but two straight tanks I got 33MPG, down from 45. WTF! Only thing I did to it this spring engine wise is spark plugs.
These plugs right here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NGK-Spark-Plug-92-98-BMW-K1100LT-Platinum-Iridium-NEW-/150610404084?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item23111462f4

That wouldn't cut fuel mileage. O2 sensor? Temp sensor? Seems to run O.K. but not with the snap it should, IMO.
What would cut the mileage like that?

Scott_ · « **Reply #15 on:** May 25, 2011, 07:59:09 PM »

What's your exhaust residue looking like at the back of the can. Dark and sooty or light grey? Maybe pull the plugs and see what they look like to see how they are burning.

frankenduck · « **Reply #16 on:** May 25, 2011, 08:02:43 PM »

Quote from: mystic red on May 25, 2011, 07:33:42 PM

After changing the fuel and fuel filter it doesn't run rough but two straight tanks I got 33MPG, down from 45. WTF! Only thing I did to it this spring engine wise is spark plugs.
These plugs right here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NGK-Spark-Plug-92-98-BMW-K1100LT-Platinum-Iridium-NEW-/150610404084?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item23111462f4

That wouldn't cut fuel mileage. O2 sensor? Temp sensor? Seems to run O.K. but not with the snap it should, IMO.
What would cut the mileage like that?

Maybe your rear brake is locked up. (inside joke)

mystic red · « **Reply #17 on:** May 25, 2011, 09:34:25 PM »

Yea Scott, I checked that when I got off today. Dark, but no different than usual. I will pull the plugs and check them out. They've got 250 miles on them so the should look fresh.
Duck, I expected more outa you. Bad brake joke and no advise. :P

Scott_ · « **Reply #18 on:** May 25, 2011, 09:51:56 PM »

I suppose you could possibly have the temp sensor giving the motronic a bad engine temp reading so that the mixture is then causing poor mileage.
My exhaust is black and very sooty, but yet I still am getting 45+ mpg. Even after my 4300 mile trip last month it's still dark and grainy, so I don't think it's because of short trips.
You say you changed the fuel filter, how's the air filter.

mystic red · « **Reply #19 on:** May 26, 2011, 05:52:58 AM »

New last summer.

frankenduck · « **Reply #20 on:** May 26, 2011, 07:00:36 AM »

Did you put screw-on caps on the spark plugs?

Double-check that the spark plug leads are all of the way on?

You should synch the TBs any time you change plugs.

Have you checked for air leaks between the TBs and the cylinder head? (Spray some starter fluid there while bike is idling.)

mystic red · « **Reply #21 on:** May 26, 2011, 07:17:15 PM »

Quote from: frankenduck on May 26, 2011, 07:00:36 AM

Did you put screw-on caps on the spark plugs?

Double-check that the spark plug leads are all of the way on?

You should synch the TBs any time you change plugs.

Have you checked for air leaks between the TBs and the cylinder head? (Spray some starter fluid there while bike is idling.)

!. Yes

2. I will.

3. Agreed but that would not account for the horrendous drop in mileage.

4. I sprayed starter fluid in there once with no reaction but will address this more closely.
I think it is some sort of air leak, possibly, as there is deep, almost leaky exhaust manifold sound coming from the engine.
What about vacuum leaks? Air box leak? would these cause a drop in MPG?

frankenduck · « **Reply #22 on:** May 26, 2011, 07:37:05 PM »

The air is mixed in the TBs. I don't think anything before there would cause such a huge drop.

mystic red · « **Reply #23 on:** May 26, 2011, 07:52:54 PM »

O.K., thanks good to know. What about the exhaust?

frankenduck · « **Reply #24 on:** May 26, 2011, 09:25:13 PM »

Is it still running rough or does the mileage just suck?

I suppose another thing would be to check the resistance of all of the coil wires?

How many miles on your fire engine these days?

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Author Topic: Rough Runin' K11 (Read 75961 times)