Oil/gasoline in airbox + another failed attempt changing spark plugs

[CT_Ron]

Hey guys,

See pictures and link to video below:

Two things:
1. Oil/smudge inside my air intake after 5K.
2. Unable to change front spark plugs.


Oil/smudge:
I changed my airfilter prior to my Norway trip. I did about 5K with the bike and now noticed there is, again, gasoline coloured/oily smudge on the bottom of the airbox. Where is this comming from?

I suspect false air or gasoline, during overfill spillage, might seep into my airbox? I'm unsure if that overfill hose does a good job. The hose itself is smudgy down to the bottom end.


Front spark plugs:
I managed to do the rear ones, but the front... Oh my flipping god Honda, WHY!!!
I just can't wrap my head around the how-to-do-it part. My hands are to thick to reach it. The supplied spark plug wrench doesn't fit going in from the top. Do I need to saw off a part of the allen stem to make it smaller? I just can't make the angle. Or do I need to acces them from behind the radiator? The screws holding air intake 4 and 1 down have now also seized and been stripped making it the worst job I ever have to do. It's driving me nuts knowing I have 50% of the job done after 5 attempts and put the bike back together because work week starts again tommorow. I've owned the bike for 14 months now and have dissasembled it 8 times over already (counting fallen in screws and light bulbs too). Every screw and bolt has it's own name now.

The reason why I want to change them is that during cold starts, the bike starts instantly and withouth any problem, but I can hear it sputter from time to time until the condensation has evaporated after a minute or 2 maybe 3 (see video). I don't know if others here experience this too. It's been 7 years since I ride a (V)4 cilinder, so maybe it's just normal for this V4 engine to fire a bit inconsistent when cold? The plugs are anything between 50 and 100K old, because I have no specified maintenance record. It did get it's service interval at a Honda dealer every 12K prior to me buying it. The spark plugs look bad on the picture, but the iridium and platinum tips are actually fairly ok. By measure tape and eyesight they measure around at/or just under 1mm.

I'm unsure if I describe it correct so see the youtube link and judge for yourself if it's normal or an ignition problem.

Many thanks in advance!

Link: Link is coming, I'm uploading it right now.

Ron

PS: The bike has 102K on the clock.

[CT_Ron]

The link to the video:

Admin edit:   Video no longer available on YouTube

[__Ray__]

It might be better if you change your settings, the video is set on private and cannot be seen by others.

[CT_Ron]

Not my brightest moment ;).

It's set to public now, thx Ray.

[__Ray__]

What type of gasoline do you use?
And is this with or without the change of sparkplugs on the front?

[CT_Ron]

***I forgot to mention that two months ago, I poored in Forte Ignition cleaner and a bottle of gasoline stabilizer to try and get rid of any smudge in the fuel lines. No effect with the sputtering, just a little smoother respons on the throttle.

Germany's 95 E5. Tommorow I have to fill it up with our Dutch E10 crap. I can't make it to a gas station that sells E5 locally before I run out of gas (and I got to get to work on time).

This is with the rear two spark plugs switched with fresh new ones (NGK's Iridium Laser). I cant seem to reach the front two, so I left the old ones in for now. I don't suffer from any performance issues like running on 3 cylinders, it's mainly soundwise and light changes in idle RPM when running cold. It all dissapears after around 3 min ones the bike warms up and the idle rpm drops to a steady 1000. I've had this 12K ago as well, when I purchased the bike.

Does yours flutter and stutter around like this on a cold start too?

[__Ray__]

Wich brand?
And why do you have to put E10 crap in? That's only needed when you're a cheap ass and filling it up at unmanned gas stations who don't have Euro98.
Top tip: Only fill up with brands like Shell, BP, Total, Esso and stay away from Lucoil, Tango without Euro98, Tinq and other nameless stations.
Only fill full tanks and if you have to fill halve tanks do it only with the same brand you tanked the last time.

For changing the front sparkplugs you have to remove a lot to reach it but it has to be done. The value of sparkplugs is highly underestimated because people thing they never break and/or say "they spark so they are good".
Problem is that they deteriorate so slow that you don't notice it but they do loose power.

[Showkey]

The oil smudge is likely oil, water/condensation , fuel vapor and combustion byproducts  collecting in the air box.  Which is normal and actually part of the crank case vent system Aka PCV system.

Black arrows in picture shows the blow-by vapor/gases sent to the air box.