I think I may have a problem

[danimal2]

Little history.

1999 Nomad 1500 with original 5400 miles on it.

Yesterday was my first real ride other than around
the neighborhood etc. due to my not having a cycle
endorsement yet.

Started my day by changing oil. First change listed in
the owner's manual was at 900 miles so this batch of
oil had 4500 miles on it. Cleaned the catch screen and
found just a tiny bit of silicone in it. New champion filter
and 3.5 quarts of Mobil 1 full synthetic 10W40. Topped
off the coolant reservoir with a 50/50 mixture of Prestone
and distilled water. Hit the carb with a bit of carb cleaner
and put 3 ounces of Seafoam in a fresh tank of 91 octane.

Bike was running awesome in the morning. Enjoying a
little 166 mile jaunt to one of our local lakes. Lots of
twisties on a good road. Having a blast. Coming back
up hill from the lake, it's getting pretty warm out. I start
noticing that if I roll the throttle on at about 50 mph in
5th gear I'm getting some spark knock. I carefully avoid
doing that until I'm back in a little town. Stop and take
a break. Start off again and the bike is cool and runs
perfect. I can again lug it like you should be able to
with a big V twin. Get down the road a ways and once
she heats up the spark knock returns. Again only when
lugging it.

Get it home and pull the plugs fearing the worst. Plugs
look like new as they should with only 5400 miles on
them. What color they had was right on and no signs of detonation. Check plug gap and they're all within spec
.033".

So rode about 66 miles today and the same deal. Double
checked everything and let it cool. It runs perfect again. Purposely forced it to lug hard when cold trying to make
it ping and nothing. It's fine unless it's warmed up on a
longer ride.

Here's what the book says.

Abnormal Engine Noise:
Knocking :
IC igniter trouble
Carbon built up in combustion chamber
Fuel poor quality
Spark plug incorrect
Overheating

Overheating sounds right especially since it runs perfect
when cold.

Couple odd things though. The fan never kicked on (even
if it wasn't overheating shouldn't the fan come on once in
a while). I never got an idiot light telling me it's overheating.
No coolant puking out. Nothing to really indicate overheating other than the spark knock thing while lugging.

Anybody ever hear of such a problem before?

Sorry for the long winded thing, but this is scary for me.
Don't want to blow up my new to me bike.

Thanks to any and all for suggestions.

I'm going to drain and flush the cooling system. Visually
check the water pump, and see what's up with the fan.

[Cajunrider]

Our Nomads won't lug like a HD. They weren't designed to. My '07 can stand a little more lugging since opening up the intake and exhaust and installing the fuel processor. Before installing those mods, the rpm's had to be kept up to avoid pinging.

[minst7877]

I would start with the thermostat and make sure it is working.

DC

[Top Cat]

I would quit luggin the freekin bike ::)

[blowndodge]

Try running premium if you have't already..

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by danimal2

Little history.

1999 Nomad 1500 with original 5400 miles on it.

Yesterday was my first real ride other than around the neighborhood etc. due to my not having a cycle endorsement yet.

Started my day by changing oil. First change listed in the owner's manual was at 900 miles so this batch of oil had 4500 miles on it. Cleaned the catch screen and found just a tiny bit of silicone in it. New champion filter and 3.5 quarts of Mobil 1 full synthetic 10W40. Topped off the coolant reservoir with a 50/50 mixture of Prestone and distilled water. Hit the carb with a bit of carb cleaner and put 3 ounces of Seafoam in a fresh tank of 91 octane.

Bike was running awesome in the morning. Enjoying a little 166 mile jaunt to one of our local lakes. Lots of twisties on a good road. Having a blast. Coming back up hill from the lake, it's getting pretty warm out. I start noticing that if I roll the throttle on at about 50 mph in 5th gear I'm getting some spark knock. I carefully avoid doing that until I'm back in a little town. Stop and take a break. Start off again and the bike is cool and runs perfect. I can again lug it like you should be able to with a big V twin. Get down the road a ways and once she heats up the spark knock returns. Again only when lugging it.

Get it home and pull the plugs fearing the worst. Plugs look like new as they should with only 5400 miles on them. What color they had was right on and no signs of detonation. Check plug gap and they're all within spec .033".

So rode about 66 miles today and the same deal. Double checked everything and let it cool. It runs perfect again. Purposely forced it to lug hard when cold trying to make it ping and nothing. It's fine unless it's warmed up on a longer ride.

Here's what the book says.

Abnormal Engine Noise:
Knocking :
IC igniter trouble
Carbon built up in combustion chamber
Fuel poor quality
Spark plug incorrect
Overheating

Overheating sounds right especially since it runs perfect when cold.

Couple odd things though. The fan never kicked on (even if it wasn't overheating shouldn't the fan come on once in a while). I never got an idiot light telling me it's overheating. No coolant puking out. Nothing to really indicate overheating other than the spark knock thing while lugging.

Anybody ever hear of such a problem before?

Sorry for the long winded thing, but this is scary for me. Don't want to blow up my new to me bike.

Thanks to any and all for suggestions.

I'm going to drain and flush the cooling system. Visually check the water pump, and see what's up with the fan.

Nomads are notorious for pinging. Some are worse than others. Mine was horrible from the day I brought it home until I added a fuel processor to richen the mixture. It still pings on a really hot day.

Check your cooling system to make sure there's not another problem causing the pinging. It hasn't been hot enough here to really cause the fan to run a lot. This time of year, my fan only kicks on if I'm stuck in traffic idling for an extended period of time.

[schoeney]

Sounds like you need one of our great gearheads. I am not one. But I can tell you the simple things I would consider but keep in mind I don't know diddly compared to most of the guys on this board.

Does the 99 have a "Real" choke? Sounds like it may be choking itself out? Play with it? My 2003 has a "fake" one since it is fuel injected.

Could the Seafoam loosened up some goodies in the fuel system causing some clogging?

Is the bike stock or do you have big air or fuel processor to muddy the waters?

My fan will kick on when the bike heats up, especially when doing stop and go in town.

Someone smarter than me (that would be the very next poster) will chime in with better ideas.

Good Luck

P.S. While I was typing I see CJ and BD chimed in...you are getting some good input now.

[audiogooroo]

Yeah, downshift. At 50 mph you should be in 4th (or even 3rd) if you're rolling on it.
I usually don't grab 5th gear until over 60. No worries, your Nomad will love the high rpms!

[Netnorske]

Originally Posted by schoeney

Sounds like you need one of our great gearheads. I am not one. But I can tell you the simple things I would consider but keep in mind I don't know diddly compared to most of the guys on this board.

Does the 99 have a "Real" choke? Sounds like it may be choking itself out? Play with it? My 2003 has a "fake" one since it is fuel injected.

Could the Seafoam loosened up some goodies in the fuel system causing some clogging?

Is the bike stock or do you have big air or fuel processor to muddy the waters?

My fan will kick on when the bike heats up, especially when doing stop and go in town.

Someone smarter than me (that would be the very next poster) will chime in with better ideas.

Good Luck

P.S. While I was typing I see CJ and BD chimed in...you are getting some good input now.

but.....Schoeney did stay in a Holiday Inn Express...... ;) !

[AlabamaNomadRider]

What is your meaning of lugging? Lugging to me is if you are in 4th or 5th gear and running 20 MPH. What you were doing was giving it throttle. If you were over 50 or 60 MPH in 5th gear you should have had no problem. Probably what you heard was the pinging that so many Nomads are notorious for. I would do as Brad sasy and try higher octane gas. Also I would install a digital processor to help eliminate the ping. With the digital fuel processor you should be able to run the bike fine on 91 octane and maybe even 87.

[leadbelly]

I am pretty sure your fan should have came on at some point. Mine does even on cold days if I have gone for a little run and let it idle for a minuet or two the fan will kick in.

Maybe check your wiring and thermostat if you haven't already.

[ringadingh]

The fan won't or shouldn't come on most times unless your in stop and go heavy traffic, or idling a long time on a fairly hot day.
You shouldn't lug the motor like that either rolling on from 50mph in 5th, downshift first, as has been mentioned.
You won't be able to install a fuel processor on your bike since you have a carb. Try high test gas as also mentioned.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

What was I thinking? I forgot you said it was a carbed model. Sorry about the mention of the digital fuel processor. No place to hook that sucker up on your bike.

[minst7877]

Those digital fuel processors don't work worth a c%$p on a carbed bike. 99's still had a carb and to do anything to them they have to be rejetted. Not a job for the novice as far as I'm concerned. I run midgrade in mine and do just fine with it. Until you pull into a strange location and get a tankfull of c&*p. These engines do like to turn 2000+ rpm's when they are running down the road and the pinging will start if they are run too slow in the rpm range. DC

[MAS Tequila]

Use fifth gear as if it were an overdrive. I won't shift into fifth unless I'm doing at least 60-65.

Take it out and bounce it off the rev limiter a few times. And bounce it now and then to clear the carbon.

This IS NOT a low rpm mill like a HD. The four valve ohc just begs to be let off the leash.

Learn to ride it like it's meant to be ridden.

MT