i have a couple questions. i had to get another carb body. well i was putting together with the rebuild kit, i noticed that the previous owner did not have a choke on this. is there a reason why he wouldnt?
also i bought new points and condenser for the bike. installed but the hook ups are different. the name brand is Blue Streak. anyone familiar with the hook up of these to this yr? the wire locations is what has me screwed up. also for the same yr. thanks allen

 

I assume you have a Bendix carb since this is a 1972.
I have no idea why someone would remove the choke butterfly.
I also am of the opinion that it is almost impossible to start the bike unless there is a choke on the carb. That is my experience anyway.

The last points I bought (make that next to last) were purchased from J&P and were Blue Streak brand. I am no beginner at this kind of stuff, but I had nothing but problems with the Blue Streak. Finally I looked close enough to see that there was no way these were going to work. The holes in the base were located incorrectly, and I could not get the gap properly set. Additionally, the contacts did not line up with one another.

I am not saying Blue Streak are bad, but I am saying the set I got were very bad!
So the last set of points I bought were from my local Harley dealer. They worked perfectly (of course) and went right in. Lesson learned there.
Here is what I recommend......



Regarding installing the points I am not clear on what your problem is. The wire from the condenser goes against the wire to the coil. Two wires are involved here, both together and fitting under the leaf spring. This location is insulated from the metal body parts so it does not short to ground.
Here is a pic of mine installed. Hope there is enough detail to answer your question about the proper hook up..........



The Harley points only require you to lift up the leaf spring and insert the wire connectors under the spring.

The Blue Streak require you to loosen a screw and insert the connectors and then tighten down the screw. Both of your wires go under this screw shown in the pic.
Here is a pic of those Blue Streak that I bought and then trashed.....




pg

 

i dont like those connections at all. the original is alot easier to work with. now i did order the choke parts from our local hd shop. now i was told that the choke has to be closed in order to start this bike. is this fact? then the guy told me a could cover the opening and it should start. i did that and still wont. but the thing of it is if i get alot of gas the carb pops and smokes. i also tried not to cover it and i could have roasted a marshmello.

 

OK, here is the deal. A Sportster has to be choked to start, especially when it is cold. You can flip the butterfly choke plate down to close off the carb (choked position) or simply put your hand over the carb opening to choke it. Both ways do the same thing.
However in practice, you will have (or should have) an air cleaner attached when you try to start the engine. The reason is to safeguard against starting a fire.
So get the choke butterfly and install it.

Now, you are telling me the engine will not start even though you are choking it with your hand?
But if you pump the throttle a lot it will pop and backfire?

The accelerator pump is pumping gas into the carb venturi. Some of the fumes are reaching the spark plug area and that is being ignited by the plug.

There are many various reasons why the engine is not starting.
You have to determine what the problem is.
So first, install the choke butterfly and make sure it is closing off the opening when you engage the choke.
Try cranking it after you have the air cleaner installed.

Does it start?
Does it pop, but no start?
Does it not pop at all?
There are several things to check and set depending on what your results are. Take it one step at a time and do not be in a great rush just to get it started. Otherwise you will be doing 6 different things at once and have no idea if you are making progress or not.
pg

 

i did get it to rumble a little bit, BUT that was after i pulled the new points off and put the original back in. i did leave the new condenser in. before i did that i checked for spark on the points and had nothing. no sooner i changed them i had spark. as you said GARBAGE!!! in the time im waitn on parts which will be monday i got enough stuff to do. so i did decide to wait and im sure that once i get that choke installed i will be further ahead. this is the farthest i have gotten on this thing since i owned it. just pays to walk away and think about it before the brain gets scrammbled thinking on "why"

 

The three most important tools for the IronHead owner ...
1. factory service manual
2. factory parts catalog
3. patience

 

You are on the right track and if you got it to 'rumble' a bit you are almost as good as being there.

I raised quite a rant over those Blue Streak points when they gave me all the trouble. This was just last year, so my posts on the subject are somewhere in the archives I guess. Damn thing was nothing more than a piece of garbage. I forget the exact details now but I could not get any spark out of it with the Blue Streak. Harley points fixed that quick.

You may have a similar problem and with the old points in there they may be just worn out. I suggest try a set of points from a Harley shop. If the bike is getting gas and spark it will start and run.
How well will it run? Depends on the tuning. That is another step when you get it cranked.
Yep, you are wise to walk away from it. The machine just sits there grinning at you and daring you to try to get it to run. Ironheads are like that.
They can beat you if you are not careful, so walking away keeps you holding the winning hand.
pg

EDIT NOTE: That Blue Streak post by me was made on this date if you want to look it up on my post record....... 10-19-2009, 10:40 PM
piniongear
Outstanding HDF Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Houston Texas
Posts: 2,687


Piniongear has a question and a complaint.....

 

ok got the choke parts today. putting together i got to the part about plunger and spring. is that located in the hole above the choke shaft in the hole directly above the entrance of the choke shaft? diagram doesnt show either in book or on rebuild directions that came with the kit

 

Here is where I have called out the location of the spring and plunger on the lower right.
Yeah, I know you know where it goes but I thought I'd post the pic anyway.........



Here is the spring and the plunger in the carb breakdown illustration. (Items 22A and 22B respectively).............



The spring (22B) goes in the hole followed by the plunger (22A).
While depressing and holding the spring and plunger in, install the choke shaft and lever (22) and the choke disc (20).
Now release the plunger and it springs out against the cam plate and is secured in place.
pg

 

ok what is the secret to compressing that spring? its already tightly wound. with it wound its 1 1/16 long. seems too long to compress something thats already compressed. i did cheat by using a piece of metal with vise grips to hold choke closed. almost but got tired cuz i had an issue with a gas leak. found that issue. butthead on my behalf. by the way nice pic and it helped and i do like the handle for choke. i also read your view on those points. i did go back to check em out. i was just 100% unsure. thought id ask. always taught that a stupid question is a question not asked. just wanted to double check