moisture

[Dam_buster]

what happens when moisture gets into the engine??

i need to get a cover for my air filter so it doesnt suck moisture in .

JIM
____________________
Yamaha R6 5EB, BMW 328i Touring, BMW 328i Coupe

[MarJay]

If the engine inducts moisture,

Then the worst that will happen is that the moisture will evaporate inside the cylinder when the mixture ignites giving you a fraction more power from the steam effect!

As long as moisture doesn't get into the engine when it isn't running you are generally OK. (Unless its more of a flood than tiny water droplets, but I'd hardly call that moisture!)
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[stryker]

A flood of water, such as hitting a "ford" too fast will most likely bend a piston rod as water can't be compressed.

I had this fear for my trike with its exposed SU carb. So I used a plastic insert in the grill to block off the part facing forward. It didn't seem to affect my fuel mixture.

EDIT: most bike carbs account for this, even having grill holes on the under side for drainage..... I'm sure.

Also my FZR has a little whiteness to the exaust smoke first thing. I suspect thats a result of condensation somewhere, most likely in the exust, or maybe in the carbs, I'm not sure.
____________________
Now what?

[Dam_buster]

ok , well i have a power filter , and i need something to get something to cover it, so a little moisture on the filter shouldnt do much???

ok cheers guys any more info be great

JIM
____________________
Yamaha R6 5EB, BMW 328i Touring, BMW 328i Coupe

[tatters]

by a power filter do you mean somethink like a K&N or a S&B podfilter that you attach to the carb instead of the airbox, l had a cone shaped S&B filter on my NSR (upjetted of course) made the bike quite loud and bog down at low revs. the main problem was if it rained and the the filter would get wet can cause the engine to cut out due to the filter getting waterloged. small amouunts of water are no real problem, water gets in to the fuel of bikes over time and can cause the enigne not to fire up if its been siting for a while as the water slowly gets to the bottom of the tank. nothink real to worry about.
____________________
Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV

[mchaggis]

Internal combustion engines produce a whole load of steam anyway, and indeed some (aero engines) inject water to increase the amount of expansion they get to produce more power. A bit of moisture going through the system will make no difference whatsoever.

[tatters]

[mchaggis]

Yes, methanol and water, as they are miscible. The point of water injection is to prevent pre-ignition and engine knock, meaning you can have the ignition timing suitably advanced, so you can make more power from having the peak cylinder pressure at the right time.

If you are purely concerned with stopping detonation (knock, pinking, pre-ignition whatever) then pure water is best for that, but to get the most power output before detonation, a 50:50 mix of water and methanol works best.

Autospeed - Water Injection

This site explains the whole idea and its consequences very well. Basically, more power = water injection and advancing the spark/ leaning the mixture.

[Rory]

Or, use a higher octance fuel to start with, as greater moisture in the fuel / air mixture acts as an octane enhancer. This is why atmospheric conditions (temperature and humidity) can affect the carburation setup of a bike quite a bit.
____________________
My Old CBR400RR | Bike Oil FAQ | Petrol FAQ