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muffler drain plugs
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 11:26 am
by eickm
I have been trying to find the cause of backfiring on deceleration,
and have checked the usual items (valves adjusted, exhaust tight, air
cleaner clean, idle screw adjustment) with no luck.
In browsing the owners manual, I found that I was supposed to
periodically clean the muffler by removing three drain plugs and
banging on the muffler while it was running. OK, so in removing the
plugs two of the three bold heads broke off and now I will have to
drill them out, etc.
But, I am wondering if this is a dead-end anyway, and if this
maintenance is really important and/or could cause backfiring. Any
thoughts?
Mike
muffler drain plugs
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 11:49 am
by Eric L. Green
On Fri, 15 Oct 2004, eickm wrote:
> In browsing the owners manual, I found that I was supposed to
> periodically clean the muffler by removing three drain plugs and
> banging on the muffler while it was running. OK, so in removing the
> plugs two of the three bold heads broke off and now I will have to
> drill them out, etc.
>
> But, I am wondering if this is a dead-end anyway, and if this
> maintenance is really important and/or could cause backfiring. Any
> thoughts?
My KLR has 20,000 miles on it. As far as I can tell, this service had
never been done on my KLR. So I lubed the bolts up good with penetrating
oil, tapped on them with a ball peen, let them soak for a couople of hours
in penetrating oil, etc. prior to attempting to unscrew them ('cause I
know what happens to bolts in an exhaust system!), unscrewed them, started
my bike, started thumping the muffler with my rubber mallet while revving
the engine, and .... NOTHING.
Nada. Not one piece of soot. Not one little particle of black carbon.
Indeed, the only smoke was what little penetrating oil had not already
evaporated by that time (a couple hours after originally applying it)
hitting the road.
My provisional conclusion is that this is just some nonsense put there in
the manual to satisfy the Forest Service that there's nothing in the
muffler that could fly out the back and cause a spark (i.e., part of the
USFS muffler certification requirements), rather than something real.
-E
muffler drain plugs
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 11:54 am
by Bogdan Swider
>
>
> In browsing the owners manual, I found that I was supposed to
> periodically clean the muffler by removing three drain plugs and
> banging on the muffler while it was running. OK, so in removing the
> plugs two of the three bold heads broke off and now I will have to
> drill them out, etc.
>
> But, I am wondering if this is a dead-end anyway, and if this
> maintenance is really important and/or could cause backfiring. Any
> thoughts?
>
> Mike
When new to the klr I asked some experienced klristas about the muffler
cleaning which I - obediently to the manual - did on occasion. I was told
that nobody bothered with this. I haven't done it since with no ill effects.
Wonder if anyone says anything different now. I don't remember the topic
mentioned on the list. As to the backfiring, the consensus is that it's
caused by a lean condition. I believe that when the stock muffler burns out
its glass packing - early in its life - it leans our the mixture somewhat.
Did you say that you turned out the pilot screw somewhat ? You wrote idle
mixture. You may want to lift the needle with a small washer or two.
Bogdan
muffler drain plugs
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 12:23 pm
by klr650
eickm wrote:
> In browsing the owners manual, I found that I was supposed to
> periodically clean the muffler by removing three drain plugs and
> banging on the muffler while it was running. OK, so in removing the
> plugs two of the three bold heads broke off and now I will have to
I've done this once or twice with nothing more than a poof of dust
coming out. Have you pulled your plug to look at it?
Jim
muffler drain plugs
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 12:32 pm
by eickm
--- In
DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, KLR650 wrote:
> eickm wrote:
> > In browsing the owners manual, I found that I was supposed to
> > periodically clean the muffler by removing three drain plugs and
> > banging on the muffler while it was running. OK, so in removing
the
> > plugs two of the three bold heads broke off and now I will have
to
>
> I've done this once or twice with nothing more than a poof of dust
> coming out. Have you pulled your plug to look at it?
>
> Jim
No, I haven't pulled the spark plug but will put that next on the
list of things to try ... don't know why I have not done this yet!
Mike
muffler drain plugs
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 12:38 pm
by denis@teachlinux.com
Mike,
I tried to do the same thing a few months ago and broke them off also.
Everyone on the list said to not bother fixing the bolts, since it never
made much difference.
Denis
A14
On Fri, 15 Oct 2004, eickm wrote:
>
>
>
> I have been trying to find the cause of backfiring on deceleration,
> and have checked the usual items (valves adjusted, exhaust tight, air
> cleaner clean, idle screw adjustment) with no luck.
>
> In browsing the owners manual, I found that I was supposed to
> periodically clean the muffler by removing three drain plugs and
> banging on the muffler while it was running. OK, so in removing the
> plugs two of the three bold heads broke off and now I will have to
> drill them out, etc.
>
> But, I am wondering if this is a dead-end anyway, and if this
> maintenance is really important and/or could cause backfiring. Any
> thoughts?
>
> Mike
>
>
>
>
>
>
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muffler drain plugs
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 12:50 pm
by eickm
--- In
DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Bogdan Swider wrote:
... snip ...
> mentioned on the list. As to the backfiring, the consensus is that
it's
> caused by a lean condition. I believe that when the stock muffler
burns out
> its glass packing - early in its life - it leans our the mixture
somewhat.
> Did you say that you turned out the pilot screw somewhat ? You
wrote idle
> mixture. You may want to lift the needle with a small washer or two.
>
> Bogdan
Yes, I had installed an externally adjustable pilot screw about a
year ago with good results. I did turn it out with no effect on the
backfire.
muffler drain plugs
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 1:23 pm
by Bogdan Swider
>
> Yes, I had installed an externally adjustable pilot screw about a
> year ago with good results. I did turn it out with no effect on the
> backfire.
Also have you checked the exhaust system from the head on down for leaks ?
Bogdan
muffler drain plugs
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 1:32 pm
by Alan L Henderson
eickm wrote:
>
>
> But, I am wondering if this is a dead-end anyway, and if this
> maintenance is really important and/or could cause backfiring. Any
> thoughts?
>
> Mike
>
>
I agree with everyone else that it is worthless to check as nothing ever
comes out. May be a left over from the two stroke era where there
actually was carbon generated.
Sounds like a lean condition. Check to make sure the deceleration
enriching circuit in the carb is functioning. Any thing that increases
the ease of gas flow in and out of the engine can cause a lean
condition. High flow air filters and high flow exhausts have to be
compensated for as do modifications to the still air box. You need to
check all of the connections in the intake tract to make sure that none
are leaking air. You also have to check the exhaust system to make sure
there are no leaks before the end of the muffler. Check the connection
between the engine and the exhaust header pipe as that has caused
problems for some in the past. Check the connection between the head
pipe and the muffler itself. That's all I can think of at the moment but
it gives you some things to check.
Alan Henderson A13 Iowa
muffler drain plugs
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 2:59 pm
by eickm
Thanks to all for the good tips; I have a better feeling of how to
proceed now!
Mike
--- In
DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Alan L Henderson
wrote:
> eickm wrote:
> >
> >
> > But, I am wondering if this is a dead-end anyway, and if this
> > maintenance is really important and/or could cause backfiring.
Any
> > thoughts?
> >
> > Mike
> >
> >
> I agree with everyone else that it is worthless to check as nothing
ever
> comes out. May be a left over from the two stroke era where there
> actually was carbon generated.
>
> Sounds like a lean condition. Check to make sure the deceleration
> enriching circuit in the carb is functioning. Any thing that
increases
> the ease of gas flow in and out of the engine can cause a lean
> condition. High flow air filters and high flow exhausts have to be
> compensated for as do modifications to the still air box. You need
to
> check all of the connections in the intake tract to make sure that
none
> are leaking air. You also have to check the exhaust system to make
sure
> there are no leaks before the end of the muffler. Check the
connection
> between the engine and the exhaust header pipe as that has caused
> problems for some in the past. Check the connection between the
head
> pipe and the muffler itself. That's all I can think of at the
moment but
> it gives you some things to check.
> Alan Henderson A13 Iowa