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Originally Posted by
CPN
Question: Is anyone maintaining a list of upgrades and problems/fixes that have arisen so far? It might be nice to catalog these things in a table for future riders rather than try to sift through the threads..
Kevin, yah must be. I got mine via Moto Scoot out of Milwaukee, (Harley Davidson Headquarters, hah). I think the pic of my bike is still on their webpage. I grew up in CT, but out here in the heartland there is no emissions testing, inspection.,etc kind of nice. Sounds like Mass. may have been a hassle?
As far as upgrades, I bought a used G&D pipe from PIT which I baffled and just got my carb rejetted by Weaveriffic, and drag bars. Got a little more response on the throttle. Anything else you guys would recommend for performance? Not sure I want to spend $500 on a port and polish..just yet. Looking for El cheapo purchases that are easy to hide from the wife at this point
I have been working with Al from PIT Motors LTD and he is compiling a list. I am working on a website dedicated to the Heist and its riders that will have a FAQ section addressing these as well. Its slow going do to Work, school, and family but I hope to have something in place before the end of the East coast riding season.
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What Is Indexing?
Generally speaking, the idea of indexing is to position the spark plug so that its gap is facing the center of the cylinder, angled slightly toward the exhaust valve?the most common arrangement. (Some engines work better with other gap locations.) This is important because, as the piston approaches TDC, the air/fuel charge is being compressed. The charge or "mixture" is being forced toward the area of the spark plug?and normally, the exhaust valve. The true speed of this force inside the combustion chamber is extremely fast. Some experts speculate that it surpasses supersonic speeds.
Because of this, the spark generated from the plug should be in a "position" to create the best possible flame front. Looking at a typical side-gap spark plug, you'll note that the electrode can actually block the flame process. On the other hand, if the electrode gap faces the on-rushing air/fuel charge, it stands a much better chance of igniting a flame front.
How To Index
How is a spark plug indexed? Simple: Mark the spark plug insulator body with a felt marker (never use a pencil, which acts the same as a carbon track inside your distributor cap) on the side where the ground electrode attaches to the spark plug body.
There are two ways to index a plug the first is to mark the ceramic insulator on the plug to mark the electrode position and thread it into the head finger tight. Note the position of the electrode when the plug is tightened in the cylinder the gap should face the open space between the two intake valves on Duratec/Zetec engine. It may be necessary to buy several sets of plugs to get 4 or 6 plugs that index correctly.
Instead of rummaging through boxes of spark plugs to find the elusive combination of perfect plug threads that match the cylinder head threads, one can also use indexing washers. These soft copper washers are available from the aftermarket and will fit both flat and tapered seat spark plugs. They're available in three thicknesses: 0.060-inch, 0.080-inch and 0.100-inch.
Copper's inherent softness along with the various washer thicknesses make it simple to thread the spark plug into the cylinder head and tighten it to the point that the index mark is situated in the correct position relative to the combustion chamber. (Never double up washers; they aren't intended to be used in tandem.)
Power Gains
Real-world power gains vary. Some engines or combinations respond differently than others. In fact, all engines will pick up power, studies have shown an increase of 1-2%, but some gains will be more dramatic than others.
In the end, it can't hurt to index the spark plugs. This can contribute to superior engine efficiency and improved economy.
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