Random Bolt shook loose

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acevmp

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Hey guys!

So I've been really having a good time restoring and repairing my 86/87 zl6 and I've got it running pretty good now.... my MPG is a little low (could be because of the POD filters? Didn't have the original airbox or any air filter when I bought it and haven't found an airbox in decent shape for the price... I haven't had the carbs rejetted yet but I'll get there) but I was riding back from the gas station and I felt something ding against my foot. I pulled over (luckily I was in my neighborhood) and searched the road and I found a 12mm bolt with a "4" on the face and just about 7/8" long... I've been under and around the bottom of the bike and can't find where it might have come from... any ideas?

P.S. I'll take thoughts on the gas mileage as well I only got about 70 miles before I had to flip to reserve.
 
acevmp said:
P.S. I'll take thoughts on the gas mileage as well I only got about 70 miles before I had to flip to reserve.
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If you are hitting 70 miles before hitting reserve, you are in the ballpark of what most people are getting.
 
Standard threads are usually just marked with dashes for the grade. I'm thinking its a metric bolt.
 
Too much oil or too little? I just changed the oil last week fresh and new filter... level seems okay, not leaking or burning funny... as for the bolt, I'm sure it's from the bike, it matches the other bolts and it is metric.... there are similar bolts all over the engine with various numbers like 9 and 7... I just looked under the bike again and there's a little bracket where the exhaust comes together by the heat shields that seems to be dangling (the bolt fits through but needs a nut so maybe the nut fell off too and I just didn't find it while scouring) it doesn't seem to be functional though save for holding the heat shields in place but they arleady have two direct bolts each... I'll post a picture of it on the next post.
 
kawboy said:
Your found bolt looks kinda like the drain plug, that's why I asked (bad joke) :biggrin:
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Yeah that was the first thing I checked but it's smaller than the filter bolt and bigger than the drain plug (I have unusually large hands so it may look smaller by comparison :) )
 
If your running pods but jetted for stock air box your MPG will be poor. Jetting too lean or too rich will both have the result of poor fuel milage. Jetting too lean will also have the bike run hot and running too lean can also cause things like burnt valves and melted pistons so its definately recomended you get your jetting right
 
I too have pods on my 600 and get between 90/100 miles before going to reserve. Maybe even more if riding easy. You should get a minimum of 40 mpg's with pods on the 6.
 
The bolts for the exhaust brackets should not need a nut - so someone may have used a smaller bolt with a nut to "rig" it. Otherwise, the proper bolt for the exhaust clamps/brackets should thread into the clamp/bracket without a nut. Later.
 
Jarney said:
The bolts for the exhaust brackets should not need a nut - so someone may have used a smaller bolt with a nut to "rig" it. Otherwise, the proper bolt for the exhaust clamps/brackets should thread into the clamp/bracket without a nut. Later.
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I may have mis stated, the bolts for the exhaust brackets do thread directly into the bracket which is fine, if you look at the top of the second photo there's a bracket in the middle where it looks like this bolt would go but when I fit it it needs a nut to secure it.
 
furchin said:
I too have pods on my 600 and get between 90/100 miles before going to reserve. Maybe even more if riding easy. You should get a minimum of 40 mpg's with pods on the 6.
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That's what I've read and what seems to be the experience of most ZL6 riders... I haven't been riding it too much lately (it's been a bit rainy here the last few weeks) so it took me a while to get through that tank and I was surprised at needed to switch to reserve at 70 miles... I Got to a fuel station at around 85 miles and just as I pulled up it was sputtering (hungry I guess). When I filled it, sitting the bike upright I let it fill to just below where the tank kind of circles up for the cas cap, not all the way to the lid, It read at 3.11 gal. That much fuel at 85 miles is roughly 27 or 28 mpg which isn't as good as my car :(. I thought that the tank was 3.44 galons, should the bike sputter before it gets that last 1/3 of a galon? I would think that I should get another 9 or 10 miles out if it at current consumption rate.
 
paulfun said:
If your running pods but jetted for stock air box your MPG will be poor. Jetting too lean or too rich will both have the result of poor fuel milage. Jetting too lean will also have the bike run hot and running too lean can also cause things like burnt valves and melted pistons so its definately recomended you get your jetting right
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Over the next few weeks I'll have the carbs rejetted to match the airbox. as I said when I got it there was not air filter at all (open carbs with not pods and the front half of the airbox was MIA. I rode it as was off and on was I was working on it and got the pods a week or so later. I've been doing a lot of project work with electrical and I just replaced the throttle cables. I had just changed the spark plugs when i got the pods and then didn't ride for a little while due to rain and having kids (my wife and I have opposite schedules so with my kids being babes still the car is how I roll ) I haven't been riding as much as I'd like and with new plugs I couldn't check rich or lean mixture that way. I don't know what the previous owner had the carbs jetted to because I haven't taken them apart yet ( I also just rebuilt the carbs on a 79 Suzuki GS750e that I'm restoring with my father) so I'm not anxious to tear into them after that task but I know I'll get it done soon. Hypothetical if the plugs look nice and brown when I pull them out, any other suggestions on poor MPG. The bike doesn't run too hot and there isn't too strong a gasoline smell when I pull into the garage after a short jaunt... no black smoke or anything like that either.
 
Ok, I took a look around my bikes and the only bolts marked with a 4 that I could find were bolts used for mounting the horns to the brackets (not the frame) and there is one for a bracket that holds the rear brake line just above the swingarm on the right side of the bike - above the muffler. Later.
 
Jarney said:
Ok, I took a look around my bikes and the only bolts marked with a 4 that I could find were bolts used for mounting the horns to the brackets (not the frame) and there is one for a bracket that holds the rear brake line just above the swingarm on the right side of the bike - above the muffler. Later.
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Thanks for checking.... I just found it! It's one of the bolts that holds the front wheel fender to the forks.. on the right side, that's why it hit my shoe! Case closed... now to tackle this MPG dilemma...

Thanks for all the input everyone
 
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