How hot is to hot?

[camoweasel]

How hot is to hot for a 1985 Honda 350X operating in about 70-75 degree heat and humidity?? I just recently located to Orlando Florida where the weather is much warmer then frigid PA. I just got done doing my 400ex carb swap and I am still working on perfecting the jetting. I am up to 180 right now and the plug still looks white. I also noticed that when lugging the engine in the higher gears, I can hear some pre-ignition until the engine revs up to the powerband. I had a 165 main jet, and when I would shut off the engine, oil that seeped out of the rocker covers was actually smoking and if I spit on the side, it would boil off. (Not very scientific, but in PA it never boiled off the side cases).
Today I was riding and I noticed it started to get that hot even with the 180. Maybe it's time to keep uping the main and see what happens?

So basically how hot is to hot and when do i need to worry about overheating??

PS, the engine runs great.

[SWIGIN]

The main changes WOT, you said the problem was when your lugging it. So changing the main wont do anything, I'd raise the needle.

[camoweasel]

I figured that just the overal temp of the motor was the reason the for the pre-ignition. I had actually raised the needle earlier and found that, the throttle response wasn't as crip so i lowered back to the 3rd notch. I suppose though when it starts pinging, I do have the throttle at 3/4 to WOT when it does start pinging BUT its actually kind of gear to begin with. Basically I mean I'm giving it to much gas for the gear that I'm in.

[RideRed250R]

if your under half throttle your really between the pilot and the needle.... crisp throttle response is not the all end goal.. making your motor LIVE is the all end goal.. a lean motor will have slightly more crisp throttle response, but it also will pop and backfire... WOHOOO... at low speeds your engine is heavily depending on the pilot jet and needle. drop a clip, raise the needle, give your engine some fuel... go up a 2 sizes on your pilot if your using a stock 400 ex pilot... remember having a slightly fat pilot is not a bad thing... I always jet alittle fat on pilots, low speed on any engine is the most stressful time for that motor, you do not have sufficient air to cool the radiator or the cylinder cooling fins... and air cooled motors always run HOT.. its their down fall. i bet you if you go up a size or two on your pilot and stick your clip dead middle, you will have better throttle response then you do now.

[camoweasel]

It doesn't backfire or lean pop at all. Since I've been riding on sand, I've been using alot of throttle especially 3/4 to WOT. My 1/2 throttle plug chops look good, it's just my WOT chops that aren't changing color as easy. But how hot should those side cases be?

[RideRed250R]

they will get hot, and will steam when water hits them... but burnin oil is friggin hot... did you chop it when you raised the needle?

[camoweasel]

I actually did not. When the needle was raised, It ran fine except when I would smack throttle driving along. It didn't have the snap as to when the needle was in the middle. Now that sounds like an accelerator pump issue, but when the needle is back in the 3rd slot, I have no trouble with throttle snaps. For some reason, it takes awhile for the plug to change colors. I'm told its due to todays fuel blends. Back when I had the 350x carb, i was at a 160 main. Now that may seem steep for 350 main jet, but I had a hell of port and polish done and verified by a flow bench to ensure it was good. I just also went with a colder plug, D9EA, to try and cool the head down a bit. I am also running a 10.25 piston. In honesty, the engine runs great and has nodead spots anywhere in the powerband. It just runs hot! It's hard to explain but I do appreciate your feedback.

[350XJEDI]

run premium gas with octane booster the gas nowdays sucks , check your oilcooler make sure its clean also you can run a double oil cooler that may help cool it a little better

[WilliamJ]

It sounds like you need to up the octane or retard the spark - try 4 or 5 degrees. The air going into the engine is now a lot warmer than in PA. It makes a big difference to the octane / ignition timing you can run. If its say 60 degrees F warmer, that equates to 4 or 5 degrees of ignition, or 4-5 octane numbers. Retarding the ignition will save the engine but don't go too far as it starts to make it run hot again. You are safer just trying better / higher octane fuel and octane booster. If you carry on riding with it pinging you will burn the piston.

[Toledo_Tommy]

How hot is to hot? If it has the vin grinded off and the cops are pounding on the door. lol

[camoweasel]

I'm already running 93 octane with a Startron mixture to neutralize the ethenol. I may actually try another fill up from a different station because this fill up was from a station I've never used before. If worse comes to worse, I'm sure I can get AV gas from my local airport. BUT even with a 10.25 piston I dn't think it's necessary.

[350XJEDI]

av gas is not necessary but some station sell crap as premium or have ditry holding tanks,. the timing could help , my 350x runs pretty hot ,but ive never had a problem with detonation , there is a thread about the double oil cooler on here, i haven't try'd it yet but am considering it , think it will help oh my long trail rides ,5-6 hours or more , good luck

[camoweasel]

I've seen those double oil cooler mods and think it's a great idea but don't think it's absolutely necessary. It's not horrible detenation but when the engine is in a lugged state, I can barely hear it. I wonder if it was bad fuel because, I never used that station before when I think about it, I didn't have my startron at the time to be mixed into the fuel. So my luck I got a whole gallon of ethenol. I wish i had time to test some theories but I'm going a little roadtrip to Biloxi MS and then to Bourbon St in New Orleans next week.

[camoweasel]

Well today I ran some new gas and it did run cooler all though today was about 10 degrees cooler so any results were probably marginal. I rode all today and couldn't hear any preignition going on. I am running the D9EA plug which is a coler plug then the stock D8EA but like I said to, it was a bit cooler today. All though I know this sonds unscientific and idiodic but I'm starting to think its normal for water boil off the side cases on a warm day?? Most FI vehicles today run at around 210 degrees so if 216 is the boiling point then i guess it's nothing to really worry about?? Becasuse the sand was really wet and sticky today, I couldn't do any plug chops for the fear of getting sand down the plug hole. But after i got homme and washed it all off, the electode was grey, the porcelin was white, and the base ring was sooty black. So depending on where you read information on how to read a plug, one article says Im rich, and the other saays lean?? Overall, it runs great though!

[beets442]

Can you notice any difference in the cooler plug?My 350X runs alittle hot if I drive too slow for too long. Was out on the Timberline trail and noticed it when looking at the scenery. I change my oil and clean my filter more often. I also run 30% VP110.