sparks key review

[uchi]

so i put this in the other day. installation was pretty simple. fire the atv up and right away i can tell it sounds different and it seems to be a little more rev happy. so i take it for a spin, let it warm up to operating temp and get on it. all in all im not too impressed. i was expecting a noticable increase in power but i didnt feel anything. running against my neighbours 400 arctic cat were still pretty much dead even. if anything i might put a foot on him from a rolling 1st to middle of 4th gear pull. but its really nothing to brag about. seat of the pants dyno isnt what i was hoping to be. and it feels like ive lost some low end power, for example, 3rd or 4th gear im low in the rpms and i stab the throttle, and before it felt like it would wake up a little faster. this almost feels like a lightened flywheel mod where it revs faster and feels a little bit better top end but seems like its lost some low end power.

that being said it does feel like it pulls a little better in higher gears in the higher rpms where it would fall on its face before. for the money its not a bad mod, and the atv definatly sounds different, alot more pissed off than it used to.

tomorrow im gonna pull the plug as i dont have time tonite to see what my fuel mixtures like

I swear people must be doing something wrong or their fuel mixtures are wrong because you should be saying wow. Come ride my 400ex bet its like no other that has a slip on, better airfilter and jetted. I talk a little highly of my quad but hey it hasnt lost a race against another 400ex with bolt ons. Even when it was stock I was running with piped 400's. Why? IDK everyone thought maybe I had a different cam in there or a higher compression piston by the way I would pull on them. Nah all stock, guess I got one with good headwork or something.

[uchi]

havent touched my jetting. tomorrow im checking my plug to see where my fuel mixture is sitting and then ill adjust the carb from there. i thought i might have put the key in wrong but i dont think theres a wrong way to do it if you follow the instructions.

some people just have factory freaks. hell my last car ran almost a half second faster than every other same car with the same mods. but its always just been faster

My fathers warrior was like that. Bone stock, early 90's. Motor was NEVER opened. Rode a decent amount of newer warriors and they all felt slower.

But yeah, I felt a decent gain with the key. Are you sure you held the flywheel to the left?

[uchi]

Yup I followed the directions. Turned the flywheel till it clicked and seated. Plus I figure if I didn't put it on right the motor would have broken in some way today after my 6 hours of hard riding.

[skidoome]

I put mine on the dyno after the key and the sparks air filter. I have a white bros xcr slip on and welds ground out of the header. I thought it ran well here at 3,500 until I had the carb tuned. I am still a little lean with 42 pilots and 152 mains but I ride from 3,500 to 10,000 feet so I wanted it all I guess. I picked up 7.85 horse from when I started with the same mods just jetting changes.
I am very happy with how she runs now!

[uchi]

Wow that's a lot of power for those mods. But tuning plays a big role. I checked my altitude through my gps and its only a couple hundred feet. Ill see what the plug says. Hopefully I can add a half turn of the fuel screw and pick up a little power

[416exman21]

i bought a sparks key too- it sucked it felt slower- i went back to stock now itS FINE

Originally posted by 416exman21
i bought a sparks key too- it sucked it felt slower- i went back to stock now itS FINE

i think you did something wrong then. are people not using premium gas or something?

[uchi]

There isn't really a wrong way to do it. I run 94 octane and just put in 91 because I wasn't near a sunoco and needed to fill up.

[puTTs]

Do you have a different CDI other than the a stock one? Aftermarket CDI with the key would be way to much advance, to the point of predetination. You would be down on power in that case. Assuming the key is in properly installed. There's no way to lose power. I would play with your jetting. If you were on the lean side before the key you would really be on the lean side now. The key adds 6 degrees of crank rotation to the combustion process, you could be running out of fuel to burn.

[uchi]

i didnt get a chance to check my plug today, got tied up doing house stuff after work and now im just too tired to check but ill know tomorrow what my fuel mixture is like. there really isnt a wrong way to put in the key though is there? short of upside down or backwards. as long as you put it in flush with the slot youre fine. could just be a lean issue.

HMF slip on, K&N airbox lid removed, choke removed, header welds ground down, spark resistor mod, DRPZ9 NGK Spark Plug, Sparks key 42 pilot, 3.25 turns out on fuel screw?, 158 main, needle 3rd spot/middle, sealevel - 150ft average temp 78°?. Perfect plug. I've had a few compliments on my tuning because the quad runs perfect no stumbles or flat spots.

[skidoome]

I wish I had time to dyno then do all the mods one at a time but have to get ready for dune season and still have a few sleds to put together.:p

I had stock jetting in this thing and it ran well. My air to fuel ratios are still a little high 14.2 - 15.0 but it runs so good I don't want to be pig rich at altitude.

What do these things dyno stock at the wheels?

thanks
jon

[uchi]

whats this header weld mod? basically what it sounds like? you smooth the welds inside the header?

Originally posted by uchi
whats this header weld mod? basically what it sounds like? you smooth the welds inside the header?

yeap just open the stock header up a little bit. Some arent bad though mine required very minimal grinding when i took itoff I was shocked it almost looked like it had been done before. Goes to show how different each part can be.

[uchi]

Sounds easy enough. Are they just the welds on the flange that I'm grinding?

[416exman21]

Originally posted by FlewByU352
i think you did something wrong then. are people not using premium gas or something?


its kinda dummy prof. to put in -- i run 110 --- i just did'nt like the way it felt--- i have alot lot of freinds who race tt and mx -- they all switched back to stock key from the sparks---( just my opinion) it all what you want to do to your motor

[uchi]

It feels like there's a loss in torque. The best way to tell is to get a clean race against my buddy and see how I stack up. We've had a few pulls but they weren't good enough to get a good idea of how I match up but it didn't feel that much better. It does sound a lot better and feel like it free revs faster.

[BEAVER.989]

I don't understand the mixed reviews on this thing. People seem to love it or hate it...

[uchi]

I think it could be dependant on a lot of variables. Altitude probably being the biggest as it'll affect the tune. And I doubt honda rejets these things from factory for different parts of the world.

[skidoome]

I had 38 pilots 148 mains and clip in the middle groove.

Whats stock?

[BEAVER.989]

Originally posted by skidoome
I had 38 pilots 148 mains and clip in the middle groove.

Whats stock?

What you have is stock... and could explain your less than stellar results.

[skidoome]

I don't think picking up 7.8 horsepower is less then stealer? It took some other mods to get the gain but really enjoy the key. I hope to ride it more in the next few weeks but was able to keep up with raptor before the tunning. I should be a little closer now!
jon

[BEAVER.989]

Originally posted by skidoome
I don't think picking up 7.8 horsepower is less then stealer? It took some other mods to get the gain but really enjoy the key. I hope to ride it more in the next few weeks but was able to keep up with raptor before the tunning. I should be a little closer now!
jon

Sorry, I mistook you for the original poster who wasn't happy with the results of the key... My bad.

[skidoome]

No problem. I am really happy with the combo of the mods I did. I was going to put cam in and didn't because I want to give this wheeler to my daughter in a few years. I didn't think a 9 year old would need all the mods.
:D

Jon

[uchi]

The gains you're seeing are huge. I bought mine already modded and I only drilled the airbox and did the sparks key. I really hope adding some fuel will sove the issue. I'm going for an evening ride tonite. Ill check the plug and try to adjust the fuel screw without removing the carb. I think if I use a 2 inch driving bit I might be able to get my hand under it

[uchi]

checked the plug. im guessing the guy before me either jetted the carb and ahs it turned out pretty good. the plus is a nice tan color, no white crap on it and has a little black. so the air fuel mixture seems good. although im thinking of pulling alittle bit of fuel from it, quarter screw turn or so just to see if i can brown up the plug a little more.