So, since it is spring time, I figured it was time for a tune up.

Cleaned the air filter, changed the oil, lube the chain, and replace the spark plug.

Well some of my buddies talked me into getting an E3 spark plug. Being it was $8, how could I go wrong. DO NOT DO THIS, IT DOES NOT FIT !!!! I ordered it using their own cross reference guide. It looks exactly the same as the stock NGK except for the exposed end. It has a bell shape to it where the stocker is very skinny. The coil lead will not fit over this.

Crap, so back in with the stocker. Cleaned it all up and decided to check the gap. The manual says it should be between .70-.80. Before I gapped it, it was at .36. Yikes!!!! How it got this way I don't know, I think when I had the head off for the big bore, it sat on the bench overnight resting on the plug.

Put it back in the bike with the correct gap and now magically, my bike idles like it was brand new. Ever since the big bore, it had a weak idle. It had to be fully warmed up to idle smooth. Now it idles cold, I can kick the choke off and it will not die without throttle. NICE

Amazing how that works.................so check your gaps !!!!!!!!!

 

did you try unscrewing the "bell shape"? ...i had to unscrew the end off my on ngk iridium plug after realizing my stock ngk plug had a skinny threaded end...turned and it unscrewed right off...do you have pictures?

 

Those multiple ground strap plugs like E3 and others are a waste for most modern 4-stroke engines. It's almost reminiscent of those multi-strap plugs they used to sell in the JC Whitney catalog for old, oil burning engines. Today's iginition systems with improved combustion chamber designs just don't benefit from this spark plug design. Frankly I wonder how they don't get slapped with false advertising. If you're keeping the bike, just install the proper iridium plug for a long, trouble-free life...no extra performance, just the same performance for a very long time and many miles.

Anyway, all that aside, I'm curious about your gap numbers you listed, Big Sky. It's interesting that .036" is about the same as .8mm. I'm sure that's just a coincidence, as I doubt that you're having any trouble distinguishing between the two measuring standards.

 

+1000
I put in a NGK Iridium and the " optional " end on mine was on pretty tight.

 

OMG, I am an idiot.

Yes, you are absolutely correct. the end screws off.

Guess I have a spare plug now.

 

Yeah, I am not expecting much. Now that I see it will work by unscrewing the end.

Yeah, my gapper tool only goes up to .05 on the standard side, and 1.0 on the metric side. So it is designed to be idiot proof. So yes, it is gapped for .8 metric. I had to double check when I did it as well.

 

I would not bother with the E3. Made in china overhyped junk. I put a set in my Tahoe 5.3 and one plug started to misfire after six months. Never had anything like that happen before. Thankfully OBDII made it easy to diagnose and fix. I just run NGK in all my vehicles now.

 

Years ago I used to want to believe that fancy plugs would make a difference to starting & running, but time & time again, my observations proved otherwise.
Expecting your bike to run better with expensive plugs is kind of like expecting your TV remote to work better with expensive batteries. Longevity is about the only advantage I have ever noticed in either case...

 

You're not necessarily an idiot. Plugs can usually be bought in 3 varities... threaded with the cap screwed on, threaded without the extra cap, and solid (non-removable cap). So just say you thought it was the solid type, and it's all good...

+1 on the Iridiums too. Love those plugs. They last forever. Been using them in my sleds for years... I put one in the KLX within the first couple weeks of buying it.

 

Well let me tell you...stock is best..But I did put in a NGK Iridium and my bike did run better,umm what to say it worked for me...