Author Topic: 76 cb550 spark plug carbon fouling  (Read 751 times)

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Offline at84lp

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76 cb550 spark plug carbon fouling
« on: March 20, 2020, 05:13:35 PM »
Hi all,

I've looked into all the open topics regarding jetting and what not with mods such as foam air pods and 4-1 exhausts. So stock jetting is 100 and 40 and from all the info I've gathered, I should re-jet to 115 and 42 (given some fine tuning needed, not always specific to this). So I'm rebuilding my carbs currently and I've noticed that I have 38 and 98. I would expect that I'm too lean but I pulled my plugs out that I've riding for a couple months through the summer in Boston and they look carbon fouled(too rich from my research). Shouldn't I be too lean? both pilot and main jet look too be under the stock jet numbers. Any other possible explanation? I also have dynatek ignition and coils installed. I attached an image on how my plugs look right now.

Could it be the air screw?
My air filters too dirty?

Offline at84lp

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Re: 76 cb550 spark plug carbon fouling
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2020, 05:16:55 PM »
heres the pic

Offline kerryb

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Re: 76 cb550 spark plug carbon fouling
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2020, 04:41:55 PM »
I was having the same issues with emgo pods (real cheapies) and stockish 4-1 on 77 550f. Cleaned the carbs, adjusted the needles and air screws, still has 38's & 98's in it. Took about 50-75 miles to foul the plugs enough to cause troubles running... turns out my spark plug caps were shot!  Resistance ranged from  12k ohms to higher than my  meter could measure.  Put new caps on and my problems went away!
500 miles later it still runs great, of course it will run even better when I get a stock airbox on it and put the needle  clips back to the stock position
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Offline HondaMan

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Re: 76 cb550 spark plug carbon fouling
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2020, 06:14:58 PM »
Vacuum leaks will also cause fouled plugs. This is not like a car's intake manifold where one carb feeds all cylinders, and the carbs run richer as the vacuum level goes down while other cylinders pull the crank along. If it has vacuum leak(s) the most-leaky cylinder intake will show the darkest plug.

That said: you haven't mentioned which fuel you are running: it should be Regular or Midgrade with today's fuels, which burn much slower than 1970s gas. That will lighten the plugs, too.

But...this all said: I'm putting my $$ on the ignition. First, like KerryB said, check the plug caps: your OEM versions were 7.5k ohms. If they are more than 8500 now, they are history. Modern ones are 5000 ohms for this engine, so in the end you may wish to run resistor plugs like the DR7EA instead of the D7EA or anything colder, along with the 5k plug caps, to get a long-enough spark to help. However, the Dyna S makes for a very short spark, even with stock coils, and if you have the 3-ohm coils that bike will not support them, as it cannot make enough electrical power to feed that ignition system. At the very least, you will need to fix up the coil situation if yours has those.
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