T5 Plugs...?

I started off using NGK spark plugs in Thunderbird 5, and with them it took a couple of pushes on the kickstart button, to fire the old girl up. In the winter it was worse… :exclamation:

Put up with that for years, till my supply ran out, and I found a box full of Champion plugs in me fettling shed, used them for my BSA A65 and was most surprised that they were the right size for the Guzzi, so in they went. Bugger me what a difference, just blowing on the button would get the engine running sweetly…BUT, there’s always a but isn’t there. After about 4000 miles the bike would go back to being a bit of a sod to fire up, until I swapped out the plugs, using Champions out of the same box once more. By the way, the plugs are a healthy colour and nothing seems burnt or untoward when I remove them… :open_mouth:

So my question to the panel is… :question:

Surely I should be getting more mileage out of a set of plugs, do you think it could possibly be down to them being left on a shelf for years, or is it down to electronic ignition eating them, don’t usually have to swap out plugs as much as this on me other bikes. And being tighter than a Crab’s Chuff at 50,000 fathoms, this isn’t an ideal situation… :astonished:

Are the Champions the correct heat range?

I think I run my Spada on NGK BP6ES. I’ve got half a dozen in a drawer that must have been in there for about 30 years. If it plays up, I just stick a different pair in!
My Bonnie works on the same principal and uses the same plug or Champion N3’s

I’ve found that newly fitted spark plugs are much more likely to fail than the tried and trusted ones I am using. As such I no longer treat them as service items, I just keep putting them back in. Blue and the Pearl pretty much start first crank, Jug can be a bit lazier but I’m not letting that concern me.

Having said that, more recently the Pearl had a return of the dreaded mk II flat spot and changing to new plugs fixed it.

Can’t remember what the heat range is on the Champions, but that’s my next angle of attack, the Haynes book of lies suggests N9Y so I’ve got me a set for the time when the ones I put in go belly up in a couple of months time… :unamused:

SO far, the bike bursts into life at the merest whiff of thumb on the kickstart button, even when it’s been stuck in the tin shed at work over night on the coldest of nights. All marvellous stuff, especially when I’m desperate to get home… :smiley:

Well I went to the horse’s wosname, Champion web site, indeed N9YC is it

Go to bottom of page and click MOTO GUZZI in list …

Motorcycle - Spark plugs - N9YC

Don’t say anywhere how long you can expect them to last though.

That MUST be it then, I’ve got the wrong plugs in the bike, it’s my rest day today (Monday) and I’ve just braved the rain to walk out to the fettling shed, and the plugs that are in the bike say…N4C on them, so when these ones start playing up I’ll swap them out for the correct ones. Hope to get more than 4000 out of them…Thanks for the help… :smiley:

Recently I’ve had issues with plugs. Stripped the injection bodies cleaned out fuel pipes etc on a bike that had stood for a time. The same, measured resistance of the plugs one was millions of ohms!! How had this happened at the bike ran well then stood for six months ? Note magneto bikes used no resistance plugs think the secondary coil on the Falcone is 5k ohms normal plugs 3K ohms. For these bikes NGK has no R from memory and Champion copper core. I use the basic flash test to give an indication of the spark quality. T3 coils used mediocre, new e bay worse Lucas sport great they can be fitted to T5. Also primary circuit resistance found kill switch to be a resistance you want 12V through the cool to the breakers not 10

Regards Ratt send PM if you like

Well suck back and rotate, a wise old man once said, most ignition troubles are Carbs, and most Carb troubles are ignition. So with this in mind, and what with all the plug grief I’ve been having, I thought it best to clean out both carbs… :wink:

Stripped out anything that looked like a jet, and sprayed cleaner down the holes, along with blowing them out. Found one long copper pipe jobbie, that would only blow through one way… :question:

Jumped on the Dellorto Website to see that it wasn’t a jet, turns out it was a Non-return valve, and as one was ‘Letting by’ I thought it best to swap out both, WoW what a difference…Bike bursts into life and the smallest whiff of the kickstart button… :smiley:

Job’s a Good Un as they say, the Carbs I have are the PHF30 DD ones, and the Dellorto non-return valve fitting in them is part No8557 for them that want to know… :wink:

Ah is this the little accelerator pumper pistons in the jet holders, yes each has (or should have) a wee plastic ball inside so petrol only goes one way. (up) :smiley:

The T5 will have the round bore PHF carbs. The floaty thing inside the emulsifier tube is something associated with the older square slide VHB carbs.
It must be in here somewhere.

I was looking at these on Blue my T3 a few months back. The two little balls were present and fine and dandy. Do we know if they are defo ethanol proof? As I say, mine were fine, but I always run Blue on high octane hoping it is mostly ethanol free.

Don’t think it’s Ethel that’s done it, for the last 40,000 miles I’ve used Morrisons cheapest petrol, most likely just plumb wore out. OR it might be the fact that back in 87, and after only 10,000 miles, the bike was dumped in me mate’s garage for 26yrs. Whatever it was, swapping out them tube thingies have got me back my Olde commuter. Been firing up all week, even on the coldest of morns… :smiley:

Yes thanks Don you’re right PHF30 has the proper accelerator pumps, so I’m torking cobblers :blush: