Question-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
I hopped on the 2000 Panther 440 fan to enjoy one last day of riding to work this morning only to find she was running very sluggishly - top end was about 40 mph and smelling gassy fumes. I circled back home and hopped in the truck to get to work instead rather than push my luck. I suspect fouled plugs ... but would like an expert's guess before I head home and try to get it back in shape.
The last time I rode it was with my wife and we did about 40 miles at a relatively constant 20-30 mph ... a pace I don't normally ride at. I remember wondering if I was fouling the plugs riding so slow for so long.
What's your guess? I didn't change the plugs this winter, but did last winter. I've got a new set in the sled waiting ...
Answer -
Hello Kevin,
It is very true, that some sleds run at slow speed for long amounts of time will foul plugs. I had a Ski-Doo that would do that, as it wasn't getting hot enough to burn the deposits off of the plugs. Be sure to use the correct plugs, they are NGK BR9EYA . If you are using BR9ES plugs, they will develop problems in the sled, as they are not designed for use in that it. If the sled continues to foul plugs, you may want to use NGK BR9EIX. Considering that you mentioned you haven't changed the plugs yet, I would have to say the Cat is running very well. Some new Cats eat plugs after 2 weeks. I hope this helps you. Let me know if you have any other questions at all, and I will be glad to help. Good luck with the sled! --Arcticatman
Arcticatman:
Thanks for that quick and detailed reply. I found that the plugs that fouled were indeed BR9ES and that one was black and wet ... the other looked normal. What bothers me is these plugs were installed by the local dealer last winter when I had it in for some service (replace starter) and general maintenance. Those are also the plugs the manual specs. So, I can't help but wonder why do you say BR9EYA are the correct plugs. As it turns out, the spares I had, which were bought when I bought the machine new, were BR9EYA. I installed those yesterday and during a very short test run down the street it seemed very responsive and quick ... just about popped a wheelie at one point. So, I think she's running well again, though I'm curious about your plug recommendation, why it is different than the mfg, and what the difference is.
Thanks again ...
AnswerHello Kevin,
Glad you were able to get the sled going again, and with some extra power! The reason I recommend BR9EYA over the old BR9ES style plug, is that NGK changed the recommendation to the EYA plug mostly for Cats, recently. The reason for this is the longevity of these plugs. It is not that the BR9ES is a bad plug, but it will not last as nearly as long, and as they are foul prone, it can lead to hard idling and poor throttle response. The difference in the EYA plug is the V grove in the center electrode. The plug is OEM and not to be confused with the cheap money making junk plugs like the Splitfires. You can see in detail the difference between the two plugs here,
1. NGK BR9ES: http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/images/tip/ngk72A-1.jpg
2. NGK BR9EYA:
http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/images/tip/ngk24C.jpg
You can also go to NGK.com for plug look up.
I hope this answers your question. Let me know if you have any other questions at all, and I will be glad to help! Good luck with the sled! --Arcticatman
