TOPIC:

I decided to start a new topic for this one, it started with the post on my 'Ticking Noise' but I think more appropriate to start a fresh.

I have included a link of a youtube video of my cylinder head that I have just removed due to a ticking noise ,erratic idle and inconsistent spark. Now I'm definitely not an expert on these things but I'm guessing this looks quite bad. Before you purists out there start laughing at me and thinking I shouldn't be allowed near a motorbike I will explain what I believe has happened but I will include the link here first.

YouTube Video of Cylinder Head

The sidecar has a secondary fuel tank (installed by the now deceased previous owner) and that fuel supply utilizes a car fuel pump and a fuel regulator which I have no clue to its engineering. What I think is happening is that fuel system is supplying way too much fuel to the combustion chamber. I have a Colortune that I use on the bike and have followed the instructions to a tee and always had that nice butane blue colour happening. I can only ponder that this fuel system is behaving differently under load. In past years I the secondary fuel system has been rarely in use unless going for extended trips but recently I have been using it as I have been working on the bike and don't want to remove the bike tank full of fuel. Using the second tank also meant that I didn't have to hang a temporary fuel system in order to adjust mixtures and balance carbs.

I'm guessing this scenario is looking quite bad and pointing to a valve grind. As always comments are most welcome as is my appreciation for help provided.

Cheers
Paul

The #3 piston being clean usually means coolant is getting in and that is usually the head gasket failing when you get that.
At the 1.45 mark it shows the valve seat of I think #5 and that valve is not seating properly, probably just general wear and tear as the others arent exactly good.
the #5 combustion chamber has quite a lot of soot which means that a rich mix is present.
The seal remnants is most likely the cause of the ticking but I think you probably figured that out.
You ask about the black maybe being a carbon build up, I couldn't get a good look but more likely remains of a head gasket.
I cant comment much past the 2.10 mark because I have a slow and limited download on a satelite connection and it dropped out and I decided not to reload it. I am running very short of megabites this month.

If it was me (not being a mechanic) I would take it to a local engineer and get him to check the head is flat and his opinion on the valves condition then take it home and do the rebuild work and check for mixture regularly when its back together

It's a bit hard to tell but it looked like your #5 exhaust valve guide was cracked when looking at it from the combustion chamber side.

I doubt your fuel pump is the cause of all this - if it was pumping too much fuel in via too high a pressure it would flood and run like crap all the time, not just under load. Your float valves still control how much fuel gets into the bowls regardless of whether you have a fuel pump or not (assuming they are in good order).

How is your air filter? If it's a bit restrictive it will run rich (even more so as the revs rise).

I also would not blame the secondary tank and pump. As Hillsy said, your floats still meter the amount of fuel being delivered by that carbs. The carbon buildup screams rich to me. With that much carbon buildup I'm surprised your plugs weren't fouling as it looks like it was running very rich. However, it could be over a long period of time.

What color are your plugs? Are they black and sooty like the combustion chambers?

I did a lot of driving and adjusting to get my carbs set so they weren't too rich or lean. Drive for a bit, pull the plugs, examine the color, make a 1/2 turn adjustment on the mixture screws and drive some more. Repeat until I got it right. Plugs a very light tan color, no soot buildup.

How do you drive your bike? If you drive it slow and easy for extended periods with it on the rich side it will build up a great deal of carbon over time. Mine never has the chance. When I pulled my heads off for my rebuild my cylinders and pistons were pretty clean.

The black on the edges look like the remainder of your head gasket.

If you are interested, I have a head that has been recently machined with new valve seals, the seats and guides have been done. Just needs shims and a coat of paint or polish. It comes with a big bore kit and bored cylinders. You can PM me for more details. Depending how much work you are looking at this could be a more economical route to take. All that stuff has already been done.

Ledkz1300 wrote: I also would not blame the secondary tank and pump. As Hillsy said, your floats still meter the amount of fuel being delivered by that carbs. The carbon buildup screams rich to me. With that much carbon buildup I'm surprised your plugs weren't fouling as it looks like it was running very rich. However, it could be over a long period of time.

Of course they are fouling and it has me miffed. As I said colortuned and the screw adjustments are between 2.5 and 1.5 turns, nowhere near the 3.5 suggested turns. I have a newish K&N filter installed with only a few hundred miles on it.

Ledkz1300 wrote: What color are your plugs? Are they black and sooty like the combustion chambers?

Some are black and sooty others are the tan color.

Ledkz1300 wrote: I did a lot of driving and adjusting to get my carbs set so they weren't too rich or lean. Drive for a bit, pull the plugs, examine the color, make a 1/2 turn adjustment on the mixture screws and drive some more. Repeat until I got it right. Plugs a very light tan color, no soot buildup.

I started doing the exact same process as you when I noticed the ticking noise and of course the rest of the story is history.

Ledkz1300 wrote: The black on the edges look like the remainder of your head gasket.

If you're referring to my question in the video at the 48 second mark then that material goes all the way down those journals and even goes up into the corresponding holes on the cylinder head cover, so I don't think it is gasket.