Ok, I'm going to try to help out my neighbor. He has a 1987 Softail. Factory air cleaner, bologna cut aftermarket mufflers with the baffles removed. Oh, and if it matters, 149K rounds on the clock! He is the original owner. And for about the last 100K he has been putting up with a off idle stumble. The bike runs strong, great through the gears. I am gonna clean up the CV carb for him. Can you fine people tell me what jets, and float hight should be? I am also planning on changing out the carb mounting boot. Anything else I should look at as far as the of idle stumble goes? Thanks for any help.

 

I forgot to add that it does pop a bit on decel.

 

This might help you

Here is the link to the post
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/softa...confirmed.html

 

There is some good information in that thread I will definitely try the thumb screw trick. I was thinking as far as the Jets go for this one to start with a 45 on the slow and a 185 to 190 jet for the main. Does this seem like a good place to start? Also should the needle on something like this need to be shimmed? Thanks for any help.

 

You know this Softail has the factory head pipe with the crossover. Is the crossover going to help with the back pressure problem at all? Or should I still try the thumb screw trick? I would hate to start drilling holes in his mufflers and not have it work. Ideas?

 

There should be holes at the very end of the pipes were the baffles used to be. The thump screws screw right into those holes at the very end of the pipes. Anything that disrupts the exhaust flow will help but the closer to the end of the pipes the better. It's when the exhaust (unburnt fuel) resonates back into the pipe that causes the popping. So the less the exhaust unburnt fuel)can travel back into the pipe the less popping (which actually is a backfire)Because there is less exhaust(unburnt fuel) in the pipe to ignite. Which is why baffles are at the end of the pipe.

These are the holes were my baffles were screwed into from the manufacture

 

Yea, I was hoping there was holes. ... there is not.

 

Here is what the plugs look like, and the inside of the pipes. Also, the jets are 170 and 40.

 

With mileage like that I would say replace the intake manifold gaskets the rubber between the carb and intake, and then clean then completely disassemble the carb for a good cleaning. New plugs and wires and go from there. That's a small investment for the amount of saddle time that bikes seen. That's my $0.02

 

That plug looks ok.