Iridium IX installed but there is a noise

[radman]

You say you checked the gap. Is it possible you broke off or cracked the tip of the fine wire, or ????? If you look at the pic, you'll see it's attached to the center electrode, not a single wire construction throughout.

If this is broken off, a timing change would result in that cylinder, possibly causing the noise you describe.

 

[Randy]

The plugs where tightened down pretty good,

How good is pretty good? I don't know your level of mechanical experience, so, sorry if this is insulting.

To get a good seal, you must crush the crush washer and then crank it down. It's mostly by feel. I don't know if that's the case, but, just saying that I have seen it before and that is what it sounded like. Some people just go until it's tight initially not realizing they haven't crushed the crush washer to get a good seal.

Trying to diagnose a 'sound' on the 'net is far from easy.

 

[ionbeam]

Other options:

Option 1 -- Get out 2-3 feet of smallish diameter copper or PVC pipe and use it as a stethoscope to try to isolate the area(s) from which the noise is being generated.

Option 2 -- Turn up the radio then ride fast, far and long; forget about the noise. If there is a problem it will eventually get worse and then it will be easier to find :shock:

Alan

 

[radman]

Other options:
Option 1 -- Get out 2-3 feet of smallish diameter copper or PVC pipe and use it as a stethoscope to try to isolate the area(s) from which the noise is being generated.

Option 2 -- Turn up the radio then ride fast, far and long; forget about the noise. If there is a problem it will eventually get worse and then it will be easier to find :shock:

Alan

You might be surprised how often these days we do just that here at the shop........

 

[FJRmogul]

I just replaced my plugs with Iridium's last week. I got them from Sparkplugs.com with a note saying [SIZE=14pt]do not gap these plugs because you will damage the electrode[/SIZE]..... Just wondering if you actually did regap them. I just put them in the way they came and bike runs Great.

Has anyone else heard this?

 

[zzkenoman]

I just replaced my plugs with Iridium's last week. I got them from Sparkplugs.com with a note saying [SIZE=14pt]do not gap these plugs because you will damage the electrode[/SIZE].....   Just wondering if you actually did regap them. I just put them in the way they came and bike runs Great.
Has anyone else heard this?

Plug no. 2, and no I didn't re gap them, they were fine out of the box, so what gives? I didn't find any note anyways.

 

[Randy]

I'll betcha that's the problem. With the electrode broken, you essentially have a wider gap. Grom the NGK website:

Q: Do I need to set the "gap" when installing a new set of plugs?

A: Maybe. A spark plug part number might fit hundreds of engines and, although the factory will typically set the gap to a pre-selected setting, this may not be the right gap for your particular engine. Insufficient spark plug gap can cause pre-ignition, detonation and even engine damage. Too much gap can result in a higher rate of misfires, loss of power, plug fouling and poor fuel economy. It is always best to check the gap against the manufacturer's specifications.

So, the sound you heard could very well have been due to this plug being damaged. A similar theory I read elsewhere is that the coil stores just enough energy to send a spark across the gap. If there is too much of a gap, there won't be enough energy to send the spark resulting in a misfire.

btw - that blue carpet sure is bright

 

[ahamlin01]

This was an interesting read through. A problem, a bunch of ideas, and then the problem found and identified. Why it happened (the broken tip on the plug) who knows. But this thread once again showed me that this board is excellent.

A lot of knowledgable people willing to take the time to help each other out and a lot of people who want to learn more about their FJR's. Now I know what to look for if I get a ticking sound after changing plugs. May never need the info, but the more you know, the better off you are.

Allen

 

[kaitsdad]

This was an interesting read through. A problem, a bunch of ideas, and then the problem found and identified. Why it happened (the broken tip on the plug) who knows. But this thread once again showed me that this board is excellent.
A lot of knowledgable people willing to take the time to help each other out and a lot of people who want to learn more about their FJR's. Now I know what to look for if I get a ticking sound after changing plugs. May never need the info, but the more you know, the better off you are.

Allen

+1 :clap:

 

[kindofblue]

Could it be my fuel? the sound is closer to a bad detonation, but since I dont have any idea about the specs of this plug, whether it is a cooler or hotter plug. I wonder if its cooler and doesn't detonate certain brand fuels (87 octane) very well?

I've got 800 miles on my iridium plugs (8800 total on a 05) and didn't notice any change after installing them. I always run regular, albeit Standard/Chevron gas.